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Claims Dept.: Obama on stimulus

President Barack Obama declared in his speech in Raleigh today that the results of federal stimulus money can already be seen in the Triangle. Here's the reality:

Obama: "The beltline is being resurfaced between Wake Forest Road and Wade Avenue..."

Reality: North Carolina received the first installment of $735 million in stimulus money for roads and bridges in February, including $4 million for I-440 (the Beltline) between Wake Forest Road and Wade Avenue.

Obama: "The Raleigh Durham Airport is renovating its runways..."

Reality: The airport received a total of $5.9 million in stimulus money to install new lights on the runways and taxiways.

Obama: "The city of Raleigh's transit system is building a new operations and maintenance facility..."

Reality: Raleigh received $7.6 million in stimulus money to purchase 23 acres off Poole Road for the operations and maintenance center and a park-and-ride lot.

Obama: "Over 500 people are going to work as part of a summer youth work initiative..."

Reality: The workforce development board for Wake and Johnston counties announced in April that it was awarded $3.2 million in stimulus money to find jobs for dislocated workers, underemployed adults and youths. Wake County officials at the time estimated the money would enable them to find jobs for 600 youths, 130 dislocated workers and 80 other adults.

Obama: "Water treatment plants are being renovated throughout the Triangle..."

Reality: Raleigh was awarded $771,000 for a water reuse irrigation system at the Neuse River Wastewater Treatment Plant. Holly Springs received $81,600 for a solar powered mixing system to aid their water treatment. Earlier this month, Cary was awarded $3 million to help pay for new pumps and water treatment system improvements.

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Re: Claims Dept.: Obama on stimulus

Submitted by jimcope on July 29, 2009 - 5:41pm.

Big Government......big mistake! Mounting national debt......our children's burden.

Healthcare reform......who you kidding, the federal government can't run anything effectively.

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Re: Claims Dept.: Obama on stimulus

Submitted by oneshotwataw on July 29, 2009 - 3:06pm.

Actually, .... they've created a huge amount of additional debt and they've stimulated ...... what? If they're doing such a fine job stimulating with borrowed money, why isn't everyone standing in line to loan us some more? Am I missing something?

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Re: Claims Dept.: Obama on stimulus

Submitted by nycnc62 on July 29, 2009 - 2:33pm.

The framing of this item suggests that the reality is quite different from what the president stated. It would appear from the details you're reporting, however, that the president's claims are close to the actual conditions. Is there a problem here, or are you just trying to conjure one up?

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Re: Claims Dept.: Obama on stimulus

Submitted by nycnc62 on July 29, 2009 - 2:32pm.

Actually, that's not true. But thanks for trying -- your one shot missed.

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Re: Claims Dept.: Obama on stimulus

Submitted by oneshotwataw on July 29, 2009 - 2:27pm.

Economics 101: The government can't "stimulate" anything effectively with "borrowed" money.

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Re: Claims Dept.: Obama on stimulus

Submitted by dahedgehog on July 29, 2009 - 1:14pm.

Informed, I'm going to give you a free economics lesson:

GDP = C + I + G + (X − M) where C (Consumption), I (Investment), G (Government spending) and X − M (Net Exports).

The goal of the stimulus is/was to boost GDP above where it would otherwise be. Decreasing G would lower GDP and thereby be counter-productive to the goal of providing a short-term increase to GDP.

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Re: Claims Dept.: Obama on stimulus

Submitted by informed on July 29, 2009 - 12:52pm.

The stimulus is only prolonging the inevitable if taxes and spending aren't reduced significantly and substantially.

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Re: Claims Dept.: Obama on stimulus

Submitted by SusanBAnthony on July 29, 2009 - 12:26pm.

He also said that one third of the stimulus went to middle-class taxpayers in the form of lower income taxes. Another third went to emergency relief for people who might otherwise be destitute, on the street, in soup lines: including a one-year extension of unemployment benefits, increase in the food stamp benefit fund, mortgage reworking and such. The final third is going to infrastructure projects. If not for the stimulus package, I daresay the US would look like it did in The Great Depression.

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