Local Stimulus Money Requests Exceed Funds (Already)

I live in the greater Cleveland area of Ohio, where there will be some of the Federal stimulus money funneled to due to our high per capita population. Ohio is also one of the greatest states where you can find a job, because of it’s relatively close in proximity population and booming industries. It’s also been hit hard by the recession, but not nearly as hard as some of the states that are heavy in financial industry and the car industry (anyone seen how bad Michigan’s unemployment rates are lately, it’s sad).

Ohioans have submitted around 7,500 requests for stimulus money along with accompanying proposals for how to get things accomplished, as well as the amount of jobs they think their particular projects will generate, which is usually fairly lofty. The requests range from infrastructure types of requests, such as rebuilding freeways, bridges and the like, and things like drinking water plant rennovations and upgrades, which is actually going to also be a federal concentration (infrastructure, not drinking water in particular).

There is actually a website set up where stewards of a certain project can go to pitch their ideas for improvement with stimulus money. The government of the state of Ohio has not given any deadlines for submitting proposals, however it did say that getting them submitted as soon as possible was a priority as they do not know when the online submission will be unavailable. There’s no telling how many submissions for proposals they will get in the end, however it’s likely to greatly exceed the actual amount of money Ohio gets to work with.

With the news that a few states governors and senators have come forward and said that they do not want to accept the Federal stimulus money, there may be more money to go around, so who knows who’s going to end up with their shares. There is already one politician, of course a Republican, who is opposed to the stimulus bailout plan, going so far as to say that Obama’s plan is fiscally irresponsible.

Some say that not taking the money is irresponsible and all states should take it. One things for sure, Governor Schwarzenegger, or shall I say “the Governator” has said he’ll take any money that’s up for grabs from anyone who doesn’t want it, surely he’ll be happy if anyone else refuses the “jackpot”.