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Action for Recovery

Recovery in Action: 100 Days In

It’s been 100 days since the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was signed, and even as much of its benefit will be felt through projects and ripple effects yet to come, the impact is already real. This morning, the White House released "100 Days, 100 Projects," a report showing a snapshot of some of the projects funded by the Recovery Act, including new jobs in emerging sectors like renewable energy, and holding on to jobs in critical areas like law enforcement and education.
While the report this morning highlighted some of the best from the past 100 days, even looking at the past week gives an idea of what is happening all over the country.
"One of Hartselle's busiest roadways should have a smoother driving surface by year's end.  A unanimous City Council approved contracts that will allow the Alabama Department of Transportation to engineer and construct the Sparkman Street resurfacing project.  ‘It's always good when we can pave streets,’ Council President Kenny Thompson said at Tuesday's meeting.  The contracts will allow the state to resurface Sparkman Street from the north end at U.S. 31 to Hayes Street and then to the south end at U.S. 31… The council is using federal stimulus money to fund the project."
"Stimulus funds will pay for 200 jobs for young people in Yuba County, California. Mid-Valley shops, restaurants, nonprofits and government agencies will employ hun­dreds of young people this summer – and pay them with federal stimulus dollars. The funding is part of a $1.2 billion program approved by Congress in February to provide short-term work training and employment for disadvantaged 14- to 24-year-olds. Sheila Moore, a Yuba County One Stop training and employment counselor, said the $465,000 share allocated for Yuba County will pay minimum wage salaries for up to 200 youth jobs, as well as transportation vouchers and other work-related expenses. ‘They really got the dollars down to us fast,’ Yuba County One Stop Director Patti Clary said of the $465,000."
"Southern Illinois University Carbondale has received $16,694 in funding for student and/or teacher training from the National Institutes of Health. The grant, announced Tuesday by U.S. Rep. Jerry Costello, D-Belleville, is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and will create research experiences over the next two summers for high school and college students and science teachers at NIH-funded laboratories across the country. ‘This is an example of Recovery Act funds creating jobs,’ Costello said. He noted that by supporting jobs in the fields of education and science, the funding also provides additional benefits that will result from the training."
"Federal stimulus money will help upgrade the lock and dam on the Mississippi River near Red Wing, creating about 500 jobs for two years, according to officials with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Corps has received $70 million as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and plans to use the funds to renovate the 70-year-old facility, according to Tom Crump, Chief of Project Management at the Corps' St. Paul District office."
"Tennessee's plan to spend $635 million in stimulus money to plug holes in higher education and grade-school budgets has been approved by federal officials, a formality that will likely save hundreds of jobs. The pressure of potential job losses lessened once President Barack Obama announced details about stimulus money, but Tennessee's plans on how to spend the cash influx had to be approved before the deal was finalized. The state also will be eligible for an additional $313 million in funds this fall.  ‘These funds will help Tennessee tremendously in a time of very difficult and challenging budgets,’ Gov. Phil Bredesen said in a statement last week."
 

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Posted by Edward Palonek at 5/29/2009 8:30 AM | Add Comment

ESTABLISHING A WHITE HOUSE COUNCIL ON WOMEN AND GIRLS

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary
____________________________________________________________________________________

EXECUTIVE ORDER
- - - - - - -

ESTABLISHING A WHITE HOUSE COUNCIL ON WOMEN AND GIRLS

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby order as follows:

Section 1. Policy. Over the past generation, our society has made tremendous progress in eradicating barriers to women's success. A record number of women are attending college and graduate school. Women make up a growing share of our workforce, and more women are corporate executives and business owners than ever before, helping boost the U.S. economy and foster U.S. competitiveness around the world. Today, women are serving at the highest levels of all branches of our Government.

Despite this progress, certain inequalities continue to persist. On average, American women continue to earn only about 78 cents for every dollar men make, and women are still significantly underrepresented in the science, engineering, and technology fields. Far too many women lack health insurance, and many are unable to take time off to care for a new baby or an ailing family member. Violence against women and girls remains a global epidemic. The challenge of ensuring equal educational opportunities for women and girls endures. As the current economic crisis has swept across our Nation, women have been seriously affected.

These issues do not concern just women. When jobs do not offer family leave, that affects men who wish to help care for their families. When women earn less than men for the same work, that affects families who have to work harder to make ends meet. When our daughters do not have the same educational and career opportunities as our sons, that affects entire communities, our economy, and our future as a Nation.

The purpose of this order is to establish a coordinated Federal response to issues that particularly impact the lives of women and girls and to ensure that Federal programs and policies address and take into account the distinctive concerns of women and girls, including women of color and those with disabilities.

Sec. 2. White House Council on Women and Girls. There is established within the Executive Office of the President a White House Council on Women and Girls (Council).

(a) Membership of the Council. The Council shall consist of the following members:

(1) the Senior Advisor and Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Liaison, who shall serve as Chair of the Council;

(2) the Secretary of State;
(3) the Secretary of the Treasury;
(4) the Secretary of Defense;
(5) the Attorney General;
(6) the Secretary of the Interior;
(7) the Secretary of Agriculture;
(8) the Secretary of Commerce;
(9) the Secretary of Labor;
(10) the Secretary of Health and Human Services;
(11) the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development;
(12) the Secretary of Transportation;
(13) the Secretary of Energy;
(14) the Secretary of Education;
(15) the Secretary of Veterans Affairs;
(16) the Secretary of Homeland Security;
(17) the Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations;
(18) the United States Trade Representative;
(19) the Director of the Office of Management and Budget;
(20) the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency;
(21) the Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers;
(22) the Director of the Office of Personnel Management;
(23) the Administrator of the Small Business Administration;
(24) the Assistant to the President and Director of the Domestic Policy Council;
(25) the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy and Director of the National Economic Council; and
(26) the heads of such other executive branch departments, agencies, and offices as the President may, from time to time, designate.

A member of the Council may designate, to perform the Council functions of the member, a senior-level official who is a part of the member's department, agency, or office, and who is a full-time officer or employee of the Federal Government. At the direction of the Chair, the Council may establish subgroups consisting exclusively of Council members or their designees under this section, as appropriate.

(b) Administration of the Council. The Department of Commerce shall provide funding and administrative support for the Council to the extent permitted by law and within existing appropriations. The Chair shall convene regular meetings of the Council, determine its agenda, and direct its work. The Chair shall designate an Executive Director of the Council, who shall coordinate the work of the Council and head any staff assigned to the Council.

Sec. 3. Mission and Functions of the Council. The Council shall work across executive departments and agencies to provide a coordinated Federal response to issues that have a distinct impact on the lives of women and girls, including assisting women-owned businesses to compete internationally and working to increase the participation of women in the science, engineering, and technology workforce, and to ensure that Federal programs and policies adequately take those impacts into account. The Council shall be responsible for providing recommendations to the President on the effects of pending legislation and executive branch policy proposals; for suggesting changes to Federal programs or policies to address issues of special importance to women and girls; for reviewing and recommending changes to policies that have a distinct impact on women in the Federal workforce; and for assisting in the development of legislative and policy proposals of special importance to women and girls. The functions of the Council are advisory only.

Sec. 4. Outreach. Consistent with the objectives set out in this order, the Council, in accordance with applicable law, in addition to regular meetings, shall conduct outreach with representatives of nonprofit organizations, State and local government agencies, elected officials, and other interested persons that will assist with the Council's development of a detailed set of recommendations.

Sec. 5. Federal Interagency Plan. The Council shall, within 150 days of the date of this order, develop and submit to the President a Federal interagency plan with recommendations for interagency action consistent with the goals of this order. The Federal interagency plan shall include an assessment by each member executive department, agency, or office of the status and scope of its efforts to further the progress and advancement of women and girls. Such an assessment shall include a report on the status of any offices or programs that have been created to develop, implement, or monitor targeted initiatives concerning women or girls. The Federal interagency plan shall also include recommendations for issues, programs, or initiatives that should be further evaluated or studied by the Council. The Council shall review and update the Federal interagency plan periodically, as appropriate, and shall present to the President any updated recommendations or findings.

Sec. 6. General Provisions. (a) The heads of executive departments and agencies shall assist and provide information to the Council, consistent with applicable law, as may be necessary to carry out the functions of the Council. Each executive department and agency shall bear its own expense for participating in the Council.

(b) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i) authority granted by law to an executive department, agency, or the head thereof; or

(ii) functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

(c) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.

(d) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

BARACK OBAMA

THE WHITE HOUSE,
March 11, 2009.

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Posted by Edward Palonek at 5/12/2009 8:00 AM | Add Comment

Towards the Summit

Towards the Summit

This afternoon the President landed in Mexico, where he met with President Felipe Calderon in anticipation of the Summit of the Americas. Even before leaving, this morning he reached out to all of the nations who will be in attendance with an op-ed published in English, Spanish or Portuguese in the following papers: Trinidad Express (Trinidad & Tobago); St. Petersburg Times (USA); Miami Herald (USA); El Nuevo Herald (USA); La Nación (Argentina); O Globo (Brazil); El Mercurio (Chile); El Tiempo (Colombia); La Nación (Costa Rica); El Comercio (Ecuador); El Universal (México); El Comercio (Perú); El Nuevo Día (Puerto Rico); El País (Uruguay); and El Nacional (Venezuela).
 
The President laid out his vision for the Summit in the op-ed:
 
As we approach the Summit of the Americas, our hemisphere is faced with a clear choice. We can overcome our shared challenges with a sense of common purpose, or we can stay mired in the old debates of the past. For the sake of all our people, we must choose the future.
 
Too often, the United States has not pursued and sustained engagement with our neighbors. We have been too easily distracted by other priorities, and have failed to see that our own progress is tied directly to progress throughout the Americas. My Administration is committed to the promise of a new day. We will renew and sustain a broader partnership between the United States and the hemisphere on behalf of our common prosperity and our common security.
 
But the President made clear that this commitment would be more than rhetorical. He pointed to the dramatic and long overdue shift in policy towards Cuba, and forthrightly pointed out that there are many other issues that will be difficult to grapple with: "The United States will strongly support respect for the rule of law, better law enforcement, and stronger judicial institutions. Security must be advanced through our commitment to partner with those who are courageously battling drug cartels, gangs and other criminal networks throughout the Americas. And our efforts start at home. By reducing demand for drugs and curtailing the illegal flow of weapons and bulk cash south across our border, we can advance security in the United States and beyond."
 
The President hugs a child in Mexico
(President Barack Obama bids farewell to the family of Mexican President Felipe Calderon following their
meeting in Mexico City, Thursday, April 16, 2009. White House Photo/Peter Souza)
 
Indeed, even at his welcoming ceremony was joined by President Calderon when he immediately pledged to work together in new ways to crack down on the drug cartels tied to so much tragedy on both sides of the border: "At a time when the Mexican government has so courageously taken on the drug cartels that have plagued both sides of the borders, it is absolutely critical that the United States joins as a full partner in dealing with this issue, both through initiatives like the Merida Initiative, but also on our side of the border, in dealing with the flow of guns and cash south."
 
The two countries also announced the "US-Mexico Bilateral Framework on Clean Energy and Climate Change," which will focus on renewable energy, energy efficiency, adaptation, market mechanisms, forestry and land use, green jobs, low carbon energy technology development and capacity building. Specific areas of joint cooperation under the Bilateral Framework may include:
 
· Collaborating on training/workshops and information exchanges for government officials to explore possible cooperation on greenhouse gas inventories, various greenhouse gas reduction strategies, and market mechanisms;
· Through our collaboration in the Border 2012 program, working with our respective border states to provide opportunities for information exchange and joint work on renewable energy, such as wind and solar, that could include technical and economic project feasibility studies, project development, and capacity building in the border region. Other border work could include a bilateral border crossing planning group to develop strategies to reduce emissions from idling vehicles, among other initiatives that may be deemed appropriate;
· Expanding our extensive bilateral collaboration on clean energy technologies to facilitate renewable power generation including by addressing transmission and distribution obstacles between our countries; fostering Energy Service Company market development; and highlighting existing and proposed areas for cooperation on clean energy and energy efficiency under the North American Energy Working Group;
· Promoting academic and scientific exchanges on renewable energy;
· Pursuing projects on adapting to climate change, including coastal or disaster risk reduction activities as well as adaptation in key sectors; and
· Working jointly with other countries to take advantage of growing Mexican expertise on greenhouse gas inventories, adaptation and project planning. This work could also possibly include a shared US/Mexican initiative to help developing countries in the Americas create low carbon development strategies plans for adaptation to climate change, and monitoring and accounting for the results.
 
The Summit of the Americas will get underway tomorrow (don’t forget to check out Secretary Clinton’s digital town hall right beforehand at 11:15 AM Eastern) – but today was a good start to the trip.
 

(President Barack Obama and Mexico's President Felipe Calderon participate in a joint press conference
Thursday, April 16, 2009, following their meeting in Mexico City. White Ho

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Posted by Palonek at 4/17/2009 8:04 AM | Add Comment

A Vision for High Speed Rail

"I'm happy to be here. I’m more happy than you can imagine," said the Vice President, a noted rail enthusiast, before introducing the President for the release of his strategic plan for high speed rail in America.  Revolving around the $8 billion in the Recovery Act and the $1 billion per year for five years requested in the President’s budget to get these projects off the ground, the President painted the picture that will become a reality as a result of these investments:
 
What we're talking about is a vision for high-speed rail in America.  Imagine boarding a train in the center of a city.  No racing to an airport and across a terminal, no delays, no sitting on the tarmac, no lost luggage, no taking off your shoes.  (Laughter.)  Imagine whisking through towns at speeds over 100 miles an hour, walking only a few steps to public transportation, and ending up just blocks from your destination.  Imagine what a great project that would be to rebuild America.
 
Now, all of you know this is not some fanciful, pie-in-the-sky vision of the future.  It is now.  It is happening right now.  It's been happening for decades.  The problem is it's been happening elsewhere, not here. 
 
In France, high-speed rail has pulled regions from isolation, ignited growth, remade quiet towns into thriving tourist destinations.  In Spain, a high-speed line between Madrid and Seville is so successful that more people travel between those cities by rail than by car and airplane combined.  China, where service began just two years ago, may have more miles of high-speed rail service than any other country just five years from now.  And Japan, the nation that unveiled the first high-speed rail system, is already at work building the next:  a line that will connect Tokyo with Osaka at speeds of over 300 miles per hour.  So it's being done; it's just not being done here.
 
There's no reason why we can't do this.  This is America.  There's no reason why the future of travel should lie somewhere else beyond our borders.  Building a new system of high-speed rail in America will be faster, cheaper and easier than building more freeways or adding to an already overburdened aviation system –- and everybody stands to benefit.
 
The inclusion of high speed rail in the Recovery Act was one of many symbols of the new vision for America and its economy that guided the plan.  As the Vice President explained in his introduction, joined by Transportation Secretary LaHood, in addition to putting Americans to work across the country it went towards several the Recovery Act’s key goals:
 
And we're making a down payment today, a down payment on the economy for tomorrow, the economy that's going to drive us in the 21st century in a way that the other -- the highway system drove us in the mid-20th century.  And I'm happy to be here.  I'm more happy than you can imagine -- (laughter) -- to talk about a commitment that, with the President's leadership, we're making to achieve the goal through the development of high-speed rail projects that will extend eventually all across this nation.  And most of you know that not only means an awful lot to me, but I know a lot of you personally in this audience over the years, I know it means equally as much to you. 
 
With high-speed rail system, we're going to be able to pull people off the road, lowering our dependence on foreign oil, lowering the bill for our gas in our gas tanks.  We're going to loosen the congestion that also has great impact on productivity, I might add, the people sitting at stop lights right now in overcrowded streets and cities.  We're also going to deal with the suffocation that's taking place in our major metropolitan areas as a consequence of that congestion.  And we're going to significantly lessen the damage to our planet.  This is a giant environmental down payment. 
 
The report formalizes the identification of ten high-speed rail corridors as potential recipients of federal funding. Those lines are: California, Pacific Northwest, South Central, Gulf Coast, Chicago Hub Network, Florida, Southeast, Keystone, Empire and Northern New England. Also, opportunities exist for the Northeast Corridor from Washington to Boston to compete for funds to improve the nation’s only existing high-speed rail service:
 
Map of proposed high speed rail projects

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Posted by Palonek at 4/16/2009 11:54 AM | Add Comment

Bo's first day at the White House

 

Tuesday, April 14th, 2009 at 6:48 pm

Bo's First Day



download .mp4 (656.9 Mb) | also available here
 

Bo's First Day, Walking
(The First family and Bo, their new Portuguese water dog, walk on the South Lawn of the White House,
April 14, 2009.  White House Photo/ Chuck Kennedy)

Bo's First Day, Running
(The First family and Bo, their new Portuguese water dog, run on the South Lawn of the White House,
April 14, 2009.  White House Photo/ Lawrence Jackson)
 

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Posted by Palonek at 4/15/2009 7:56 AM | Add Comment

Agenda at the white House - Arts and Child Advocacy

Arts

Our nation's creativity has filled the world's libraries, museums, recital halls, movie houses, and marketplaces with works of genius. The arts embody the American spirit of self-definition. As the author of two best-selling books — Dreams from My Father and The Audacity of Hope — President Obama uniquely appreciates the role and value of creative expression.

Child Advocacy

President Obama and Vice President Biden are committed advocates for children. They will make sure that every child has health insurance, expand educational opportunities for low-income children, extend resources for low-income families, support and supplement our struggling foster care system, and protect children from violence and neglect.

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Posted by Edward Palonek at 4/14/2009 11:41 AM | Add Comment

The Third Task Force Meeting: College Affordability for the Middle Class

The first two meetings of the Middle Class Task Force were focused on Green Jobs and the Recovery Act, both of which will create a fundamental shift in our economy and the way it affects and lifts up the middle class here in America.  The Green Jobs meeting featured experts explaining how what was once an abstract concept is now being translated into bread on the kitchen table, while the Recovery Act meeting discussed how that legislation will help middle class families, town by town and community by community.

For any family that has sent a child off to college and faced tuition costs that rivaled the total costs of their mortgage, the topic of the third meeting needs much less explanation.  On Friday April 17th, the Task Force will hold its next meeting at the University of Missouri St. Louis. The meeting, titled "Making College More Affordable for our Families," will also be attended by Dr. Jill Biden, who has been an educator for 28 years and is currently at Northern Virginia Community College with a focus on English and writing.  It's an issue that often gets overlooked in the midst of staggering job losses and stock prices plummeting – but it’s a critical one to the middle class and it will get its proper attention this Friday.

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Posted by Palonek at 4/13/2009 4:30 PM | Add Comment

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT
AFTER MEETING WITH GENERAL ODIERNO

Al Faw Palace
Baghdad, Iraq
5:24 P.M. (Local)

Q Sir, can you tell us what your primary purpose is in being here?

THE PRESIDENT: To say thank you to the troops. They are doing extraordinary work. General Odierno has been helping to lead a very effective operation here. We want to be fully briefed. And nothing does that better than face-to-face meetings.

I'll have the opportunity to meet with Prime Minister Maliki and President Talabani while I'm here. Obviously we've spent a lot of time trying to get Afghanistan right. But I think it's important for us to remember that there's still a lot of work to be done here. And in addition to thanking our troops, I also want to send a strong message to our diplomatic corps and our civilians that they're going to be critical to our success here.

We've made significant political progress. You've seen a greater willingness on the part of all the factions in Iraq to resolve their issues politically and through non-violent means. But with the national elections coming up, many of the unresolved issues may be brought to a head. And it's very important for us to use all of our influence to encourage parties to resolve these issues in ways that are equitable and fair. And I think that my presence here can help do that.

Okay. Thank you, guys.

Not to mention, Chip, I thought you guys hadn't been on the road long enough. (Laughter.) I know that you didn't feel like going home, we had under-worked you. So I figured one more stop.

Q Did you say you're meeting with or talking to –-

THE PRESIDENT: I will be meeting with them, face to face.

Q Face to face?

Q Will that be here, Mr. President?

THE PRESIDENT: Yes. In the near vicinity.

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Posted by Edward Palonek at 4/9/2009 2:13 PM | Add Comment

Recovery In Action: AR, CA, FL, HI, KY, LA, MI, NC, OR, WA, PA, VA

We’ll start with another inspirational moment, call it the "spirit of the Recovery Act" – Mrs. Obama at YouthBuild AmeriCorps Green Homebuilding Service Day, speaking to young people working hard to help alleviate poverty and build a green future. From the transcript of her remarks on the National Mall in DC, where the enthusiasm on all sides jumps off the page:
 
The work you've done here is quite impressive, and the evolution of your work to include green building, something that we're talking more and more about as a nation, energy-saving practices, and environmental awareness, it demonstrates how YouthBuild has endured as a leading non-profit organization, keeping up with the times, making sure that the training and education that you get is current.

However, for me, it's your core principle that I am so impressed with, of providing opportunities for amazing young people -- amazing young people -- (applause) -- giving folks a second, and third, and fourth chance, particularly low-income youth.  Sometimes we overlook them, we think that they can't be, they can't do.  And it's places like YouthBuild that help you to find yourselves and to be reborn in so many ways, and to help rebuild communities all across this country, but to also complete high school and to graduate, and to do some really special things.  (Applause.)
 
And now for a trip around the country.
 
 
Stimulus funds to aid state adoptions, foster care… The federal agency said increasing the federal matching rate for federal foster care and adoption assistance programs is intended to provide fiscal relief to states and help allow them to maintain core operations and undertake projects that will put Americans to work during the worst economic crisis in decades.
 
 
The state of California will use federal economic stimulus money to put at-risk young adults into green jobs, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced Monday. After meeting with Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis in Sacramento, Schwarzenegger announced the launch of California Green Corps. "Green jobs are exactly what our economy and environment need right now -- and the California Green Corps targets that need while helping at-risk young adults realize a brighter future," Schwarzenegger said.
 
 
Stimulus boosts Bay area electronic health records plan… Funding included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for electronic health records is expected to lead to 132 new jobs in the Tampa Bay area. The new jobs will be for people who would work alongside physicians as trainers and support staff. They will help doctors convert from writing paper prescriptions to using electronic prescribing, according to a release from PaperFree Tampa Bay, a new public/private partnership. The effort is a first step toward implementing connected electronic health records to improve patient safety and cut costs, the release said.
 
 
State officials are hoping that a big new portion of the federal stimulus package will generate more than 3,000 jobs in local construction for transportation projects. Gov. Linda Lingle announced yesterday that the state was applying for $248.2 million in federal stimulus money… Brennon Morioka, state transportation director, said "we tried to be diverse" when asked how they selected projects for the stimulus money. "We tried to look at jobs for all the trades," Morioka said.
 
 
Louisville's second federal stimulus boost in two weeks will give the city nearly $15 million to create hiking and biking trails, resurface 70 miles of streets, and build and repair sidewalks throughout the county. Mayor Jerry Abramson said yesterday that the projects will create 1,300 jobs… Smaller cities -- Jeffersontown, Middletown, Pewee Valley and St. Matthews -- will receive a total of more than $3 million from the stimulus program. Last week, the Transit Authority of River City announced that it will get $17.7 million in stimulus money to buy 10 hybrid buses and build an environmentally friendly maintenance annex… "Will it help a lot? Oh, heavens yes," [Public Works Director Ted] Pullen said. "This is three years' worth of normal funding, so it's a good shot."
 
 
Louisiana is expected to get $122.3 million in federal economic recovery money to improve the energy efficiency of the homes, government buildings and public transportation over the next three years and to jump start renewable energy projects for electricity generation.  The funds should create scores of new jobs for tradesmen willing to learn green building practices. It will also help moderate-income households around the state improve the energy-efficiency of their homes and lower their utility bills… "What's the word? Unprecedented," said Charlette Minor, program administrator for the energy, home and neighborhood stabilization program at the Louisiana Housing Finance Agency, which will administer $50.6 million of the money. "For us as an agency to be able to reach so many families who need that assistance to get their energy costs reduced is incredible." 
 
 
Stimulus to Create Up To 23,000 Construction Jobs in Mich… Under the spending plan, Michigan is expected to receive about $850 million for projects designed to fix or improve its roads, highways and bridges. The timing couldn't be better. Thanks to the severe downturn in the state's construction industry, there are more than enough workers to fill the 20,000 to 23,000 jobs expected to be created.
 
 
The Salisbury Housing Authority will use most of $1.2 million in federal stimulus money to bring central air-conditioning and new heating to three of its public housing developments.  "It really is a godsend," Layton Woodcock, executive director of the housing authority, said of money coming from the recently passed American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009. "We didn't know how long it would take for all of our apartments to get central air."  The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is distributing stimulus money to local housing authorities based on a complicated formula tied to capital funding, Woodcock said.
 
 
Millions of dollars in federal stimulus funds are now available in Oregon and Washington for public lands projects.  The money is expected to create hundreds of jobs.  The U.S. Forest Service will start awarding $10 million in contracts this week for hazardous fuel reduction projects in Oregon. That work will go to private companies already under contract with the Forest Service and is expected to employ about a hundred workers. "It’s the kind of work we’ve been doing for many years.  Reducing fuel in the fire prone areas, thinning trees out," says Tom Knappenberger, a spokesman for the Forest Service.  "In some cases, it’s mechanical.  In other cases, it’s prescribed burns.  All the normal tools we use to reduce the fuels in places that are likely to burn and would cause threats to resources."
 
 
Highway and bridge projects financed by $1 billion in federal stimulus money are expected to create thousands of jobs in Pennsylvania, according to Transportation Secretary Allen Biehler. A list of about 240 projects was released at a news conference in Harrisburg on Monday afternoon and posted on www.recovery.pa.gov, the state's Web site for stimulus projects… Biehler estimated that the road projects will directly and indirectly create 30,000 jobs.
 
 
Gladys Elementary to stay open, in large part to stimulus money… Campbell County Schools officials said they will not close Gladys Elementary School and likely will not lay off personnel, due in large part to the federal stimulus plan. "The budget you have tonight does not have any closings in it," said Robert Johnson, assistant superintendent for administration. At a school board meeting last month officials discussed a handful of possible cuts to make up for a budget shortfall, one of which was the closure of the 208-student Gladys school.

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Posted by Edward Palonek at 3/19/2009 12:33 PM | Add Comment

Truckers Still Needed

 

High Fuel Prices Did Not Lessen Demand for Truckers in 2008

The need for qualified truck drivers did not diminish despite last year's record high gas prices. That demand is expected to continue in 2009.

Orange Park, FL (PRWE February 3, 2009 -- Last year saw record prices for gasoline in the United States, with some parts of the country paying over $4 a gallon for gas.

The U.S. Department of Energy reports that the average price of a gallon of diesel fuel reached a record high of $4.76 last July. However, the average price has dropped to $2.44, down 51 percent from the peak price, and prices are expected to keep falling. This is good news for truck drivers and the truck schools that train them. Truckers are expected to still be in demand in 2009.

The continuing demand for truck drivers means steady enrollment for truck schools like National Truck Drivers School. This established Truck Driving School (http://www.truckschool.com/course.htm) offers a challenging two part truck driving training program. Once students complete the truck driving training, they will be eligible to obtain their commercial driver's license (CDL licensing).

"The demand for trucking is irrelevant to the fuel prices. High or low, things will always need to be shipped," says David Rose, an employee for National Training Schools.

The American Trucking Association states that there will be a shortfall of over 111,000 truck drivers by 2014.

About National Truck Drivers School:

National Truck Drivers School is a nationally accredited career school in Florida that has trained over 30,000 men and women since 1978. A series of unique courses and programs teach qualified applicants to drive big rigs in a matter of weeks, enabling them to pass their CDL Training (http://www.truckschool.com/) and get their CDL licensing and become safe, well paid operators of semi tractor trailers.

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Posted by Edward Palonek at 2/3/2009 1:02 PM | Add Comment
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