Recovery Act Creating Jobs For Americans

Nearly one year after the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was signed into law, Americans across the country have seen the positive impact it has had on their lives. Many have found jobs or were able to keep their jobs, and 95% of families have received a tax cut as a result of the Recovery Act.  However, while job losses have improved in the last year by 90%, they remain far too high. The following stories demonstrate how the Recovery Act has worked and why Democrats will continue to build on these efforts to strengthen the economy and create jobs:

 

 

“Bob Petrak had a good career supervising projects and paving crews until the economy began flagging, and heavy construction projects like road- and bridge-building dried up. He was unemployed for two months before landing a gig as a paving superintendent for Laskey-Clifton in Reedsport, Oregon. The company was awarded $5 million for an ARRA-funded asphalt paving project. The contract allowed Laskey-Clifton to save 15 jobs and add seven more.” – Oregon: Bob Petrak, Paving Superintendent (Monster.com: Stimulus Job Hunt Success Stories)

 

“[Jim] Flora landed a technical training job at SRS, one of 3,000 positions expected to be saved or created by more than $1.6 billion in ARRA funding to accelerate decommissioning of nuclear facilities and clean up contaminated areas of the site. ‘I’m on a team that develops and provides technical training for operations personnel, from the use of a fork truck to preparing licensing agreements to handling waste,’ he says. More than 1,600 jobs are now open at SRS.” – South Carolina: Jim Flora, Technical Training (Monster.com: Stimulus Job Hunt Success Stories)

 

“Monique Shearry was living in Wall with her 2-year-old son, her efforts to find a job growing more frustrating by the day, when an offer arrived from the Monmouth Family Health Center to become a dental assistant…. Shearry is one of hundreds of workers at the [Jersey] Shore who owe their jobs to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act…. To Marta Silverberg, the center's executive director, the [stimulus] money was heaven-sent…. The stimulus money allowed her to hire Ruchika Verma as a full-time dentist and Shearry as a dental assistant.” – New Jersey: Monique Shearry, Dental Assistant (Asbury Park Press, 2/14/10)

 

“Rocky Mountain Youth Corps has bolstered its staff with local faces and spent about $30,000 at community businesses with the help of $254,000 it received in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds…. Among its stimulus purchases, RMYC has placed a $16,000 order for 20 steel chain saws with Precision Sharpening and Repair Service in Steamboat. Precision owner Jim Pavlik said…the order he received from RMYC renewed his faith in the federal stimulus legislation. ‘It raised my hopes that some of this money will go where it's doing the most good,’ Pavlik said.” – Colorado: Jim Pavlik, Owner of Precision Sharpening and Repair Service (Steamboat Today, 5/10/09)
 
“I just got assigned as a project manager of a highway safety improvement project -- the goal is to identify intersections with high crash rates and work with consultants to mitigate accidents and make them safer. It feels good to know that these are some of the roads I drive on and that my coworkers and friends drive on. It feels good to know I’m making an impact…. None of this would be possible without the stimulus and I’m very grateful for that.” – Rhode Island: Wellington Hall, Traffic Engineer (CNN, 1/25/10)

 

“I had wanted to work for this organization six months prior to being offered my current position. They had a part-time opening but I needed full-time. When the [stimulus] funding came through, they offered me a position. Without a doubt, the [stimulus] funding made it possible for me to have this job. We've also, through stimulus, been able to hire more employees and that's great.” – New York: Patricia Dunn, Nurse Practitioner (CNN, 1/25/10)

 

“The intent of the economic Recovery Act was to fight unemployment and we applied for this help. We're using the money they gave us to save two positions.” – Texas: Nicolas Kanellos, Director of Arte Publico Press (New America Media, 2/14/10)

 

“Eric Lucas, the technical director of Latin American Artists Group (GALA) in Washington, D.C is, an even more grateful man. The stimulus package saved his job. ‘It's great to still have my job,’ said the 40-year-old Lucas.” – Washington, DC: Eric Lucas, Technical Director of Latin American Artists Group, (New America Media, 2/15/10)

 

“I’m working on the DUO project [depleted uranium oxide], I was in D&D [deactivation and decommissioning] and I moved over here in October. They needed someone to run the night shift so I came over. It’s still stimulus funded and it’s keeping me employed.” – South Carolina: Bobby Jones, Administrative General Foreman (CNN, 1/25/10)

 

“I am a Republican in Virginia and I am whole-heartedly FOR the stimulus bill. What works for me? The ‘Making Work Pay’ credit, the ‘Car Buyer Tax Deduction’, the ‘Higher Education Tax Credit’, the ‘Energy Efficient Home Tax Credit’, are great programs designed to help put and keep hard-earned dollars in my pocket. Great work Mr. President!” – Virginia: Cynthia (CNN, 1/25/10)

 

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