Contact: Wayne Holland
Utah State Democratic Party
Phone 801/328-1212×201
455 S 300 E Ste 301
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
www.utdemocrats.org
mail@utdemocrats.org
Press Release
Utahns will hold Congressional Republicans accountable for Obstruction
Salt Lake City, UT – Democratic State Party Chair Wayne Holland issued the following statement regarding the first anniversary of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009:
“Today we celebrate the one year anniversary of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). After just one year, the Recovery Act has saved and created an estimated 18,000 jobs in Utah; provided $500 million in tax cuts to 95% of Utah families; provided $74 million in one-time relief payments to Utah seniors, veterans and other high-need residents; provided $384 million to 125 transportation projects in Utah; given $413 million in 1,691 small business loans; provided more than 110,000 Utahns with expanded unemployment benefits; funded 1,900 education positions with $350 million in State Fiscal Stabilization Funds; provided $206 million to help provide Medicaid in Utah; $51 million for food stamps and other nutrition programs; and helped to fund dozens of other critical projects that would have been beyond our means during the recent fiscal crisis. Without a doubt, we are back on track to building a strong and vibrant economy.
Because of this crucial action our schools are far better off than they would have been. Just two of the top recipients in Utah are the Granite and Jordan School Districts that received more than $100 million to keep our schools afloat. The University of Utah has received $44 million, $13.8 million to BYU; $13.7 million to Utah State University; and $8.2 million to Utah Valley University. And this is just some of the good news. All in all, we have been able to fund over 1,800 projects in Utah with the help of the Recovery Act. Other key projects and benefits of the Recovery act include tax credits for first-time home-buyers, $108 million to remove uranium tailings near the Colorado River in Moab, and $13.5 million to reconstruct the Dinosaur National Monument Visitor Center in Vernal, and $5 million for construction of a Bureau of Reclamation pipeline in Daggett County.
ARRA has been a resounding success for Utah and for all Americans, and there’s still more to come. In fact, there are still almost 200 projects that have yet to begin, and 363 that are still less than 50% complete. The state has spent nearly 60% or $1.1 billion of its $1.9 billion total funds designated for Utah. So the Recovery Act will continue to revitalize our economy and put Utahns back on their feet.
But while Democrats are working hard to rebuild the nation’s economy, unfortunately Utah’s Republicans like Sen. Bob Bennet and Rep. Jason Chaffetz squandered their chance to work together to repair the economy — and what’s worse is that they’re attempting to take credit for something they voted against. All four of Utah’s Republicans in Washington vote against the Recovery Act but still sent letters requesting federal money for projects proving that they care more about scoring political points than putting Utahns back to work.
This November we expect Utah voters to send a clear message that they will hold our Congressional Republicans accountable for their obstruction in helping Utahns keep or get jobs, pay for their homes, improve their communities, and provide for their families.”
Here is what others are saying:
Jeff Thredgold, economist for Utah-based Zions Bank: “It’s helped Utah. Has it saved us from going into a recession? No. Has it saved us a few jobs? Clearly it has, and that’s been the case around the country.”
William Sederburg, Utah Higher Education Commissioner: “Without question the stimulus has helped. While the state’s colleges and universities still eliminated 940 positions, Utah hung on to 955 that would have been lost.”
John Njord, Director, Utah Department of Transportation, whose contractors and subcontractors said their payrolls would have been slashed if not for the money: “What they’re telling me, is that we would have laid off a lot more if those projects had not come through.”
Utah Republican Party Chairman Dave Hansen: “Has it helped on some jobs? Yeah, it has helped.”
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