Indiana could get $6B piece of the pie

[IndianaGreen]

Indiana could get $6B piece of the pie

President expected to sign $787 billion bill early next week

By Maureen Groppe and Mary Beth Schneider
Posted: February 14, 2009

WASHINGTON -- Indiana is expected to get more than $6 billion in direct federal spending from the economic stimulus package Congress sent to President Barack Obama's desk late Friday.

When tax cuts are included, stimulus spending flowing into the state could be more than $11 billion, according to the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank that conducted a state-by-state analysis of the bill.

The largest chunks of the direct spending would be for Medicaid, education, transportation and general aid.

The $6 billion is a hefty chunk compared with the $28 billion state budget Gov. Mitch Daniels has proposed for the next two years.

Besides easing a tight state budget, the money would boost unemployment benefits, food and housing assistance, job training, law enforcement and water and sewer systems.

More than 2 million Hoosiers could see their tax withholding go down within weeks of the bill being signed into law. More than 145,000 Indiana college students could get an increase in their Pell Grants.

And about 75,000 Hoosiers jobs could be created or saved, according to Democratic estimates.

http://www.indystar.com/article/20090214/NEWS05/902140480

[aggiesal]

1. White House numbers of Stimulus Plan by state: ...

http://www.whitehouse.gov/assets/documents/Recovery_Act_state-by-state_jobs_2-131.pdf

Indiana to get 75,000 new jobs.

This averages out to $80,000 per job to equal $6B.

Looks do-able.

[indypaul]

2. No thanks to :

Senator Lugar or Representatives Burton,Buyer, Pence
and Souder. Their attempts to describe their votes
as fiscal conservatism and "principle". Reminds me
of the saying:

"The more you have to tell me you are a lady.
The more I believe you ain't."