No single data clearinghouse exists to track all federal stimulus funds by locality. But one person is keeping tabs every time a local government or organization in Southwest Virginia scores a grant. To date, the tally is nearly $385 million, with only 20 percent of the $787 billion expended, said U.S. Rep. Rick Boucher.
“In my congressional district, our communities are doing very well in receiving federal stimulus funds,” the 9th District Democrat said in a recent interview.
Boucher has kept track of the stimulus money from the beginning, compiling a list of all grants awarded to his constituency. The list encompasses grants issued from federal agencies to the state, and from the agencies directly to local governments and community organizations.
“In talking to sheriffs throughout the district, they’ve been able to retain law enforcement officers they would have otherwise had to dismiss because of state and local budget cuts. The stimulus funding has filled those gaps,” Boucher said.
The same is true for schools that have been able to retain teachers, he said.
As to whether the funds have stimulated local economies or merely helped cushion them from economic hardship, Boucher said they’ve done both.
“The cushioning effect was essential in order to maintain employment levels that otherwise would have fallen dramatically,” he said. “That was always intended to be a primary purpose: prevent unemployment in the public sector from becoming even worse.”
dgilbert@bristolnews.com | (276) 645-2558
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