President Obama's Weekly Address 7/3/10: A Solar Recovery

As part of the explosion of Recovery Act projects this summer and as a move towards a clean energy future, the President announces nearly $2 billion in conditional commitments to key solar companies. Learn more from the White House fact sheet.

President Obama's Weekly Address: 10/31/09 Milestones on the Economy and the Recovery Act

While there is nothing to celebrate until job numbers turn around, the President cites the recent dramatic turnaround in gross domestic product as a sign of better things to come. He also applauds the fact that the Recovery Act has now created or saved more than a million jobs

NJPP Monday Minute: 9/14/09

The federal Government Accountability Office is conducting reviews of how New Jersey and some other states are spending funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and making the information available in bimonthly reports. This is a good thing, because New Jersey has not yet figured out how to integrate reporting requirements into its overall fiscal policy.

For example, the state's recovery website lists only a few of the state agencies subject to reporting requirements: the Department of Agriculture, Department of Transportation and the Board of Public Utilities.

Although New Jersey is using $1.3 billion of the Act's State Fiscal Stabilization Fund to avoid reductions in education and other essential public services, few concrete answers about how exactly the money is being spent have been provided. The state has instead requested the GAO to provide more guidance on spending.

One thing is for certain: the Recovery Act has helped New Jersey balance its FY 2010 budget and has prevented many cuts to critical programs. But full, accessible disclosure of all spending would bring the openness and accountability needed to ensure the state is spending the money wisely.

With a new GAO report due later this month, more may be known about specific ways New Jersey is spending ARRA funds. Fortunately, the GAO is actively participating in the accountability process. Since transparency is critical, these bimonthly reviews will do much to help that process.

New Jersey's full GAO review can be found here.

Middletown To Receive $31,927 Justice Assistance Grant

According to a press released issued by Congressman Rush Holt,  Middletown will be  able to receive $31,927 from the Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant Program, which supports law enforcement, prosecution and courts, prevention and education, corrections, drug treatment and enforcement, technology improvement programs, and victim and witness assistance.

The grant program is a result of the economic recovery bill that Congress passed and President Obama signed last month. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provides New Jersey with $29.7 million for law enforcement programs and activities and nearly $18 million in direct funding for local law enforcement agencies.

In order to receive this funding, Middletown needs to complete an application to the Department of Justice first. 

There is no mention in the press release about how long it would be after the application is submitted before before these funds would be available.

It would be nice if this grant would be available to Middletown before the end of the still on going budget process.  Every little bit of funding will help, so I hope that the powers that be have already started the application process.  

President Obama's Weekly Address: 2/21/09

President Obama announces that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will start having an impact as soon as a few weeks from now, in the form of the quickest and broadest tax cut in history.

President Obama's Weekly Address: 1/31/09

In his weekly address, President Barack Obama announced that Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner is preparing a new strategy for reviving our financial system, and urged the swift passage of an American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan.

01/24/09: President Obama's Weekly Address

In his first weekly address since being sworn in as the 44th president of the United States, President Barack Obama discussed how the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan will jump-start the economy.