D.C. Area Stimulus Numbers Cheered; First Figures Find Eager Audiences in Local Governments
The economic stimulus bill facing key votes in Congress would provide enough money to modernize more than 300 schools in the District, Maryland and Virginia and would boost unemployment benefits to more than half a million people in those jurisdictions hurt by the recession, according to White House projections released yesterday.</br></br>The nearly $790 billion measure is expected to provide a windfall for road repairs, energy projects, education and hospitals. Information began to trickle out yesterday about its impact on the Washington area as officials await the release of additional details.</br></br>The region would benefit not only from new education, transportation, Medicaid and other funds provided to all states, but also from an extra jolt of money for repairing government buildings and helping federal institutions, officials said.</br></br>The Obama administration predicted that the bill would create or save 66,000 jobs in the next two years in Maryland, 12,000 in the District and 93,000 in Virginia. Some economists said the administration's figures appeared too high, however, and others cautioned that it was difficult to predict exactly how the stimulus package would translate into jobs.</br></br>"The numbers, as we understand them, are very positive for Maryland," said Shaun Adamec, a spokesman for Gov. Martin O'Malley (D). "There appears to be a good variety of funds that will provide flexibility to shore up shortfalls in our general fund and provide strategic investments in transportation and education."