Stimulus plan: Spend now, details later (promise)

[biopowertoday]

Source: ap




Stimulus plan: Spend now, details later (promise)
By MATT APUZZO and BRETT J. BLACKLEDGE, Associated Press Writers Matt Apuzzo And Brett J. Blackledge, Associated Press Writers Tue Mar 17, 11:22 am ET

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama wants governors to hurry up and begin building bridges and schools to revive the economy. His administration is learning that spending $787 billion as quickly and transparently as promised is no easy task.

States wanting desperately to tap into the new money are having trouble keeping track of the application deadlines and requirements in the 400-page stimulus bill. Governors must sign pledges saying they'll spend the money appropriately, but the administration is still figuring out what the rules are.

"Well, that's kind of scary," said Richard Eckstrom, South Carolina's comptroller general.

Hanging over all of this are two threats. The first was written into the law, saying that if states miss a deadline or don't spend the money fast enough, they lose the cash. Vice President Joe Biden delivered the second threat last week, warning that if states misspend the money, "don't look for any help from the federal government for a long while."

Yet figuring out how to spend the money correctly isn't easy. For example:................

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090317/ap_on_go_pr_wh/stimulus_what_now

[Iliyah]

1. I guess

so, but in the meantime while the states are figuring out how to spend the money wisely, people are getting more depress. Here in California pink slips went out to 26,000 school employees all across the state. Heard this morning that the GOP state legislators blocked by one vote "to continue the unemployment payments".

Maybe they shouldn't be rushed, but shit they knew this was coming almost a month or so. They also knew that time was of an essence. People out of jobs don't say "wait a minute and let me take more time excepting unemployment payments because I need to know which bill to pay first"

Excuses after excuses. . . on and on and on. . .

[biopowertoday]

2. and some states are squirreling it away into rainy day funds and

the folks are upset as it was meant to be spent NOW.