RNC: PENNSYLVANIA STIMULUS FAILURE

No Jobs, No Accountability and Business As Usual is the way the Republican National Committee sums up the Obama "stimulus" package for Pennsylvania residents.

From its latest Stimulus Watch recap:

"Vice President Joseph Biden Will Kick Off What The White House Is Billing As His 'Road To Recovery' Tour On Thursday, Traveling To Communities Across The Country To Highlight Stimulus Bill Projects." (Keith Koffler, "Biden Hits Road to Highlight Stimulus," Roll Call, 6/9/09)

UNEMPLOYMENT NUMBERS PROVE PENNSYLVANIA IS NOT ON "ROAD TO RECOVERY"

Since Obama Has Taken Office, 48,000 Pennsylvanians Became Unemployed And Pennsylvania Unemployment Rate Rose From 7.0 Percent To 7.8 Percent. (Bureau of Labor Statistics Website, http://data.bls.gov/, Accessed 6/10/09).

Some Pennsylvania Counties Have Seen Highest Unemployment Rate In Over Twenty Years. "The net result is 7,000 people counted themselves unemployed a year ago in Erie County. That number stands today at 11,400 … A routine double-checking of Crawford County's unemployment rate showed that the county's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 10 percent for March … It was the first time it has hit 10 percent since September of 1986." (Jim Martin, "Jobless Rate Up, But Not by Much: Erie County Sees Smaller-than-Usual Increase in April," Erie Times News, 6/2/09).

Less Than 13% Of Stimulus Funds Going To Job-Creating Projects. "The state reported $770 million in stimulus receipts as of May 8. About $672 million went toward Medicaid and $98 million to unemployment compensation. An additional $97.7 million has been committed to road and bridge projects that the stimulus program will reimburse." (Debra Erdley, "Pennsylvania Has No Way to Report Abuse of Federal Stimulus Funds," Pittsburgh Tribune Review, (3/21/09).

Vice President Biden On Losing 345,000 Jobs In May: "It's An Encouraging Sign." Vice President Biden: "And I'm pleased that today's report shows some signs -- some signs that all this activity is having this desired impact. … And, yes, it's an encouraging sign." (Remarks By The Vice President On The Economy, Washington, D.C., 6/5/09)

STATES WITH HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT ARE NOT SEEING STIMULUS FUNDS

Government Has Spent Only About $7.42 Per Person In States With High Unemployment; North Dakota, With Lowest Unemployment Rate, Has Received About $26 Per Person. "Even so, the first contracts have amounted to only about $7.42 per person on average in the eight states with unemployment rates higher than 10% last month. By comparison, government records show it has awarded about $26 worth of contracts per person in North Dakota, whose unemployment rate is the nation's lowest … [Of the $4 billion worth of government contracts awarded, Pennsylvania has only seen $0.21 per person.]" (Brad Heath, "Stimulus Projects Bypass Hard-Hit States," USA Today, 5/28/09)