By Adriel Bettelheim
The
Obama administration usually shows disdain for chronological milestones and what top officials derisively refer to as Hallmark holidays. But with concern mounting that stimulus dollars arent flowing fast enough to make a difference in economically stressed communities the White House on Monday issued a new spending plan to guide the second hundred days of the implementation the economic recovery package (PL 111-5) that Congress passed in February.
The so-called Roadmap to Recovery spotlights ten major initiatives the administration says will save or create 600000 jobs. The projects enumerated on the White House web site recovery.gov range from creating 125000 summer jobs for youths to breaking ground on 2300 construction projects at military facilities around the country. Other steps include expanding service at more than 1100 community health centers and accelerating maintenance repairs at 98 airports and on more than 1500 highway projects.
Our measure of progress is the progress the American people see in their own lives said President Obama who was presented the list by Vice President
Joseph R. Biden Jr. at a
Cabinet meeting . And until that progress is steady and solid; were going to keep moving forward. We will not grow complacent or rest.
The White House has committed a total of $135 billion in stimulus funding but only $44 billion has been released. Some of that is due to bureaucratic delays including some states inability to get paperwork in on time.
Skeptics might Mondays move a case of old wine in new bottles. But its a reflection of the anxiety administration officials and incumbent congressional Democrats from hard-hit states like Michigan are feeling as they head into the 2010 election cycle.
Lawmakers are concerned that if the positive effects of the $787 billion in new spending dont become apparent soon they will have to defend themselves against charges they are driving the nation deeper into debt. Charges that Republicans who almost unanimously opposed the package already are lobbing with glee: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell R-Ky. last week predicted the economy will likely begin to recover on its own before the stimulus package has much of an effect.
Economists like Harvard Universitys Martin Feldstein have another view predicting the stimulus will deliver a temporary bounce for one or two quarters that wont be sustained without fundamental changes in financial and housing markets. Either way the administration clearly feels the need to show more results understanding that it sold much of its recovery effort on the promise of job creation.
Were going to get more dollars out the door more shovels into the ground and more money into the pockets of workers and families who need it most Biden said.
*This story is from www.CQPolitics.com
The Obama administration usually shows disdain for chronological milestones and what top officials derisively refer to as Hallmark holidays. But with concern mounting that stimulus dollars arent flowing fast enough to make a difference in economically stressed communities the White House on Monday issued a new spending plan to guide the second hundred days of the implementation the economic recovery package (PL 111-5) that Congress passed in February.
The so-called Roadmap to Recovery spotlights ten major initiatives the administration says will save or create 600000 jobs. The projects enumerated on the White House web site recovery.gov range from creating 125000 summer jobs for youths to breaking ground on 2300 construction projects at military facilities around the country. Other steps include expanding service at more than 1100 community health centers and accelerating maintenance repairs at 98 airports and on more than 1500 highway projects.
Our measure of progress is the progress the American people see in their own lives said President Obama who was presented the list by Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. at a 
Cabinet meeting . And until that progress is steady and solid; were going to keep moving forward. We will not grow complacent or rest.
The White House has committed a total of $135 billion in stimulus funding but only $44 billion has been released. Some of that is due to bureaucratic delays including some states inability to get paperwork in on time.
Skeptics might Mondays move a case of old wine in new bottles. But its a reflection of the anxiety administration officials and incumbent congressional Democrats from hard-hit states like Michigan are feeling as they head into the 2010 election cycle.
Lawmakers are concerned that if the positive effects of the $787 billion in new spending dont become apparent soon they will have to defend themselves against charges they are driving the nation deeper into debt. Charges that Republicans who almost unanimously opposed the package already are lobbing with glee: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell R-Ky. last week predicted the economy will likely begin to recover on its own before the stimulus package has much of an effect.
Economists like Harvard Universitys Martin Feldstein have another view predicting the stimulus will deliver a temporary bounce for one or two quarters that wont be sustained without fundamental changes in financial and housing markets. Either way the administration clearly feels the need to show more results understanding that it sold much of its recovery effort on the promise of job creation.
Were going to get more dollars out the door more shovels into the ground and more money into the pockets of workers and families who need it most Biden said.
*This story is from www.CQPolitics.com
