Reports
News About the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
11/17/2010
Associated Press - Biden: Stimulus oversight is working to stop abuse
Rigorous oversight has done an exceptional job of ferreting out fraud and abuse by recipients of funds from the $787 billion economic stimulus package, Vice President Joe Biden said Tuesday.
"Not only are we creating jobs across the country, not only are we spurring growth," Biden said, "but we're doing it responsibly, accountably, and with a level of transparency never seen before." [11/16/10]
The Business Gazette (Maryland) - NIH Bethesda campus goes green
The National Institutes of Health will break ground this month on a new science building and renovation projects in outdated buildings, in an effort to improve the energy efficiency and sustainability of the agency's campus spurred by a $500 million Recovery Act grant. The money is intended for high-priority repair, construction and improvement projects and must be used by the end of 2015.
The grant will springboard a green movement at NIH that has been in the works, but unfunded, for at least eight years.
The Recovery Act projects at NIH will create 2,500 jobs, [Glen] Stonebraker [overseeing NIH's Recovery Act projects through the Office of Research Facilities and is the agency's director of green buildings]. [11/17/10]
Great Falls Tribune (Montana) - Program aims to help veterans finance small business dreams
[DISTRICT MENTIONED: R-Denny Rehberg (MT-At Large): Voted NO on Recovery Act]
Patriot Express Loans, which can be used to start or expand a small business, increased over the past two years in part, because the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which raised loan guarantees to 90 percent and temporarily eliminated fees for borrowers on all SBA loans.
In three years, the Patriot Express Loan Initiative supported almost $500 million in Patriot Express Loans to small businesses owned and operated by veterans, reservists and their spouses. To date, more than 6,000 loans have been made nationally, and, of those, 77 loans worth almost $9 million went to veteran-owned businesses in Montana. [11/17/10]
The Danbury News Times (Connecticut) - Area students benefitted from stimulus
[DISTRICT MENTIONED: Chris Murphy (CT-5)]
As many as 45 jobs in the Danbury public schools were protected because of federal stimulus funds the last two budget years, according to school officials.
In Bethel, another 17.5 positions were saved. In Newtown, four teaching positions were retained.
Thousands of educational jobs were saved across the state because of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act -- the federal stimulus bill.
It kept teachers and aides in classrooms, enhanced programs for children with special needs and those from low income homes, and supported programs with equipment and technology.
The funding is called the ARRA stabilization grant. It represented 14 percent of nearly $2 billion of state education aid to towns and cities across Connecticut. [11/16/10]
From the Capitol (California) - Cal Trans Project finished more than 100 days ahead of Schedule
Caltrans announced the completion – 100 days ahead of schedule – of a $5.4 million highway safety improvement project on State Route 49 in El Dorado County. The project was financed entirely by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
“Thanks to the Recovery Act funding, Veerkamp was able to retain 15 employees who in all probability, would have not worked at all last year. Veerkamp also added five new employees to accelerate the construction schedule,” said Doug Veerkamp, President, Veerkamp General Engineering, Inc. of Placerville, the project’s contractor.
Under Governor Schwarzenegger’s leadership, California has obligated nearly $2.6 billion in Recovery Act funding to 991 highway, local street, and job training transportation projects statewide. [11/16/10]
The Meadville Tribune (Pennsylvania) - Region applauded for weatherization efforts
[DISTRICTS MENTIONED: Kathy Dahlkemper (PA-3) and R-Glenn “G.T.” Thompson (PA-5): Voted NO on Recovery Act]
For lack of a director, Crawford County’s low-income weatherization program was nearly lost. Two years later, the county program is being honored for having the highest completion rate in the state.
With a 68 percent completion rate for the past three years, Northwest Pennsylvania Weatherization Inc., which covers Crawford County, is the highest ranking unit in the state for progress of work completed.
The weatherization program is designed to help low-income residents reduce their energy costs by lowering energy consumption. The county’s agency received $3.192 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to spend over a three-year period to help county residents with improvements to reduce energy consumption. [11/17/10]
Other Headlines:
- Maine Public Broadcasting Network - Biddeford Mill Gains New Life as Housing Units
- Reno Gazette-Journal (Nevada) - SS Water Company opens new treatment facility