Mass. stimulus money creates 23 jobs.

[rusty]

Not very stimulating
With mere 23 jobs on state Web site, governor faults companies? reporting
Jay Fitzgerald By Jay Fitzgerald
Friday, July 23, 2010 - Updated 1 day ago

The Patrick administration faces renewed criticism over its job creation efforts with the state unemployment rate at 9 percent and a measly 23 stimulus-funded openings on the state?s official online jobs board.

?It?s laughably small,? said David Tuerck, executive director of the Beacon Hill Institute at Suffolk University. He added the stimulus spending has simply not addressed the lack of jobs within the private sector.

The Patrick administration has doled out $5.1 billion of an anticipated $6 billion federal stimulus haul. Overall, the state is expected to rake in $13.8 billion in stimulus funds when tax cuts and direct federal grants to cities, towns, universities and favored companies are included.

So far, more than half of that money has been spent and only 30,800 workers can thank the feds for a portion of their paycheck. That number represents the reported head count for created or retained jobs statewide. State statistics show the vast majority of the money has been spent to retain government jobs at taxpayer expense.

?The stimulus (program) is a perfect example of politics as usual,? said Treasurer Tim Cahill, an independent candidate for governor.

?We need to grow the private sector,? said Rick Gorka, a spokesman for GOP candidate Charlie Baker.

A representative for Gov. Deval Patrick defended the stimulus program yesterday and the administration?s overall efforts to improve the economy.

?Job creation continues to be one of the Patrick-Murray administration?s top priorities,? said Jeffrey Simon, Patrick?s director of the Massachusetts Recovery and Reinvestment Office. ?It is why we included specific regulations in our state (stimulus) legislation that all contractors post their job openings through JobQuest. To date, close to 1,500 (stimulus) jobs have been posted on this site.?

But to explain the current 23 job listings, the Patrick administration quietly claims that private companies don?t always comply with state regulations that stimulus-related jobs should be posted.

Observers such as Tuerck, Cahill and Gorka counter that the 23 job postings reflect how little impact the entire stimulus program has had on creating jobs in the private sector.

 

[Duff Miver]

Not very stimulating
With mere 23 jobs on state Web site, governor faults companies? reporting
Jay Fitzgerald By Jay Fitzgerald
Friday, July 23, 2010 - Updated 1 day ago

The Patrick administration faces renewed criticism over its job creation efforts with the state unemployment rate at 9 percent and a measly 23 stimulus-funded openings on the state?s official online jobs board.

?It?s laughably small,? said David Tuerck, executive director of the Beacon Hill Institute at Suffolk University. He added the stimulus spending has simply not addressed the lack of jobs within the private sector.

The Patrick administration has doled out $5.1 billion of an anticipated $6 billion federal stimulus haul. Overall, the state is expected to rake in $13.8 billion in stimulus funds when tax cuts and direct federal grants to cities, towns, universities and favored companies are included.

So far, more than half of that money has been spent and only 30,800 workers can thank the feds for a portion of their paycheck. That number represents the reported head count for created or retained jobs statewide. State statistics show the vast majority of the money has been spent to retain government jobs at taxpayer expense.

?The stimulus (program) is a perfect example of politics as usual,? said Treasurer Tim Cahill, an independent candidate for governor.

?We need to grow the private sector,? said Rick Gorka, a spokesman for GOP candidate Charlie Baker.

A representative for Gov. Deval Patrick defended the stimulus program yesterday and the administration?s overall efforts to improve the economy.

?Job creation continues to be one of the Patrick-Murray administration?s top priorities,? said Jeffrey Simon, Patrick?s director of the Massachusetts Recovery and Reinvestment Office. ?It is why we included specific regulations in our state (stimulus) legislation that all contractors post their job openings through JobQuest. To date, close to 1,500 (stimulus) jobs have been posted on this site.?

But to explain the current 23 job listings, the Patrick administration quietly claims that private companies don?t always comply with state regulations that stimulus-related jobs should be posted.

Observers such as Tuerck, Cahill and Gorka counter that the 23 job postings reflect how little impact the entire stimulus program has had on creating jobs in the private sector.

What's going on here, Rusty? In your title you claim MA stimulus creates 38 jobs, then later in your post, you cite 30.800 jobs dependent on stimulus money.

Which is it, Rusty?

Ah well. what does 1000/1 mean to a neocon anyway, right?

As long as you can bash Obama, everything's good, right?

Facts be damned.

 

[rusty]

Critics blast $500G in stimulus sign language
By Hillary Chabot, Katie Carlin and Joe Dwinell
Tuesday, July 20, 2010 - Updated 4 days ago



The Bay State has blown nearly $500,000 in taxpayer dough on road signs promoting President Obama?s stimulus projects - nearly 10 percent of the total nationwide - in a campaign Republicans are ripping as wasteful partisan propaganda in tough election year, a Herald review shows.

?It kills me to see us spending that much money on a bunch of signs to tell people what they?re spending their money on,? huffed Republican Jon Golnik, who?s running against U.S. Rep. Niki Tsongas (D-Lowell) in the 5th congressional district. ?It?s the definition of waste.?

The Obama-friendly signs - which cost some $443,000 to make and install - have popped up at construction sites everywhere from Danvers to Harvard. They remind motorists the president is ?Putting America to Work,? even as local congressional Democrats fend off strong challengers riding a throw-the-bums out tide.

The review comes as U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) has called for an investigation into ?overtly political guidance on stimulus advertising.?

?Americans expected that stimulus funds would be used for projects that have lasting value and not as political propaganda,? Issa told the Herald.

U.S. Department of Transportation spokeswoman Nancy Singer said state officials across the country have spent a total of $5 million on the signs - meaning Massachusetts accounts for nearly 10 percent of the nation?s total stimulus sign spending.

?They?re more concerned with public relations than getting the national deficit under control,? said Joe Malone, a Republican who?s running for the retiring U.S. Rep. William Delahunt?s seat.

Federal stimulus signs in Massachusetts range wildly, from $500 to $6,099 a piece, according to records released by the state?s Department of Transportation.

By comparison, Rhode Island transportation officials spent roughly $50,000 on 30 signs for 15 construction projects, while New Hampshire paid between $500 to $800 apiece on an estimated 70 signs.

Many of the 282 Bay State signs created since 2009 have been re-used, said MassDOT spokesman Adam Hurtubise.

?The (signs) are posted to ensure that residents are aware that federal recovery funds are being spent immediately to repair roads throughout the state that had been neglected for decades,? Hurtubise said.

Hurtubise said the federal highway administration ?strongly encourages? state officials to erect the highway signs.

U.S. Rep. Tsongas slammed criticism of the signs as one of many ?partisan distractions? as the state faces crippling unemployment.

?We must remain focused on working across the aisle to create jobs and get people back to work, not on partisan distractions aimed at scoring political points,? Tsongas said in a statement.

U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock (R-Ill.) is pushing to ban the practice after Illinois spent a whopping $650,000 on 950 signs.

Said Schock: ?This is outrageous. We don?t need to spend taxpayer money on propaganda.?
Project reminders pepper the landscape:

 

[rusty]

What's going on here, Rusty? In your title you claim MA stimulus creates 38 jobs, then later in your post, you cite 30.800 jobs dependent on stimulus money.

Which is it, Rusty?

Ah well. what does 1000/1 mean to a neocon anyway, right?

As long as you can bash Obama, everything's good, right?

Facts be damned.

neocon:mj07:

I have voted democrat for every election since I have been legal to vote except Reagen in his 2nd term and Bush Sr.I voted for O.I am enrolled as unenrolled( independent).

What this president has done is a embarrassment to the liberal party.I should of known better when more that half his votes were from the me generation.

If things don't change drastically I wiil be voting GOP in 2years.Ive had it and are ashamed I voted for this loser as a independent.

 

[rusty]

What's going on here, Rusty? In your title you claim MA stimulus creates 38 jobs, then later in your post, you cite 30.800 jobs dependent on stimulus money.

Which is it, Rusty?

Ah well. what does 1000/1 mean to a neocon anyway, right?

As long as you can bash Obama, everything's good, right?

Facts be damned.

The 30.8-represents state and government jobs,not private.