$150 million in Recovery Act dollars funded approximately 5800 jobs in third quarter.
Notice Kulongoski did not say created jobs. In fact during the third quarter according to the press release:
Governor Kulongoski, hat in hand, asks for more money while showing off the latest in green transportation.
“In addition, during the last three months, Recovery Act funds have paid the salaries of over 4,000 educators in Oregon’s K-12 school system and the state’s seven public universities, and staffed 736 workers at state correctional facilities in order to keep our prisons operating.”
So over 80% of the jobs funded by federal dollars paid the salaries of teachers and prison guards, jobs the state is mandated to pay for anyways. If the state actually watched the budget and took care of the things it is supposed to pay for, those dollars could have actually been used for real “economic stimulus”.
Some of the monies were also spent on things that are supposed to be a priority in the state using its regular share of federal dollars without this one-time windfall:
“The largest portion of stimulus funding Oregon will receive is for direct assistance to Oregonians. Since February 2009, approximately $1.7 billion in Recovery Act funding is now in the hands of individual Oregonians, helping families meet their basic needs during these trying times. As part of this effort, extended unemployment payments are assisting thousands of Oregonians who are seeking jobs, Medicaid benefits have made it possible to provide healthcare to thousands of Oregonians, and food stamp assistance has helped the state continue to aid hundreds of thousands of Oregon households each month.”
Then we have some dubious spending mostly on green projects with “short term job creation” and save the planet appeal.
“During the last three months, $3.2 million in funding from the Recovery Act has helped to provide weatherization to 688 low-income homes. This will provide benefits to vulnerable Oregonians well into the future.
The State Energy Program has awarded $16.2 million worth of new investments in 130 energy efficiency and renewable energy projects around the state that will produce both short-term job creation and long-term energy cost savings.”
The Governor announced last month a 9% across the board cut in all state spending to address the $3.8 Billion deficit for this biennium. Instead of getting the pork out of state government, things like the doom of the planet caused by plastic bags, we will just cut vital basic services, while still giving the store away to “renewable resources” and “green projects”. The claim is they are doing it for tomorrow’s generation. Well I’ve got news for you – at this rate tomorrow’s generation is going to be viewing the pollution free green world from under what’s left of the decaying bridges in Oregon as there will be no money left for anything resembling a society.
Feel stimulated yet?
