Governor Rendell: Federal Recovery Investments Continue to Help Stabilize Economy in Second Quarter; Citizens' Update Now Online

More than $10 Billion Invested Through State to Create Jobs, Cut Taxes

HARRISBURG, Pa., July 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --More than $10 billion of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds flowing through state agencies in Pennsylvania was invested by the end of the second quarter of 2010, Governor Edward G. Rendell said today. That translates into an investment of more than $2,000 per household in the state.

In the second quarter alone, 16,420 full-time equivalent jobs were directly created or retained using Recovery Act funds -- an increase of nearly eight percent from the previous quarter. The largest numbers of jobs were in the education and construction fields. Overall, an estimated 130,000 jobs in Pennsylvania were supported by Recovery Act funds since last year, according to the Council of Economic Advisors in Washington.

"The Recovery Act continues working in Pennsylvania as we struggle, like the rest of the nation, to emerge from the most challenging economy since the Great Depression," Governor Rendell said. "Thanks to the Recovery Act, tens of thousands of people are working and receiving other assistance necessary to help their families survive.

"In fact, Pennsylvania's economy added 64,200 jobs since the beginning of the year. That's a stark contrast to the 143,300 jobs we lost in the first two quarters of last year -- when the Recovery Act was just getting started," the Governor said.

"In addition to creating jobs and stimulating local economies, Recovery Act investments are leveraging outside investments that further boost the economy," said James Creedon, Pennsylvania's chief implementation officer and secretary of the Department of General Services. "One example is our investment of $340 million in clean and renewable energy initiatives that will have long-term benefits for residents. That would not have happened without stimulus money, which has already generated an additional $293 million in other investments."

Beyond energy investments, taxpayers are seeing other benefits from the Recovery Act, including education innovation, reduced federal income tax withholding for more than 4.5 million families, extra unemployment benefits, health care, infrastructure and public safety.

Details about the Recovery Act investments are available online -- www.Recovery.Pa.Gov -- as part of the unprecedented accountability and transparency provisions included in the act.

"Pennsylvanians deserve more than just assurances that their tax dollars are being spent responsibly and effectively. We're providing them with easily accessible information – hard data – that is comprehensive, specific, and focused on the outcome and impacts of stimulus spending," said Ronald J. Naples, Pennsylvania's chief accountability officer and chair of the Stimulus Oversight Commission.

"To that end, during the second quarter of 2010, the Accountability Office took several steps toward its vision of creating a window on stimulus spending, including expanding its performance and outcome measures, enhancing its website and working to reach more people with information about the Recovery Act," Naples said.

The state's Office of Accountability produced the commonwealth's quarterly informational report, called the "Citizens' Update," on the progress and impact of the Recovery Act Investments. The Update provides a user-friendly look at the state's stimulus activities and provides information beyond the required quarterly federal reports. It can be read online at www.recovery.pa.gov.

Last week, Pennsylvania submitted 371 separate reports to meet the deadline for Recovery Act fund recipients to file the latest quarterly report to the federal government to show taxpayers how, when, and where their tax dollars are being invested. The commonwealth-submitted reports cover 19 agencies and represent more than 5,000 vendors and recipients -- a 64 percent increase since the previous quarter.

All of the reports submitted by the commonwealth and those of every local government, business, organization and entity that received direct Recovery Act funding in the past three months will be available from the federal government later this month. However, the commonwealth made each of its 371 preliminary reports available immediately at www.recovery.pa.gov; click "Reports," in the top bar, then "Section 1512 Reports."

In total, Pennsylvania is on track to receive more than $26.8 billion from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Individual and business federal tax credits and benefits comprise about $11 billion of that total. The $13.5 billion flowing through state government agencies will build highways and bridges, help workers, improve the environment, support communities, develop alternative energy, and house residents. More than $2 billion will be awarded directly from the federal government to entities across the state, including local governments, transit agencies, businesses, non-profit organizations and universities, for a variety of projects and programs.  

For more information about how Pennsylvania is investing Recovery Act funds to benefit its citizens and strengthen the economy, visit www.recovery.pa.gov.

Media Contact: Barry Ciccocioppo, Governor's Office; 717-783-1116

Editor's Note: A fact sheet highlighting some of the impact of Recovery Act funding in Pennsylvania is available online at: http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/document/856106/recovery_fact_sheet_july_2010_pdf.

SOURCE Pennsylvania Office of the Governor