My view is that money doesn't need to be spent at all. Government programs like this are the way to justify Keynesian policies to increase spending, based on the belief that it helps the economy. It's also based on the belief that the people won't spend enough to keep the economy healthy so the government needs to ramp spending up. And finally it's based on the fact that certain companies that staff government agencies and committees have positioned themselves with open mouths to receive these fat government worms.