GREAT BEND, Kan. - The stimulus package has become a dirty word in politics, and the Democrats have not done much to change that. Democrats, especially President Obama have not taken credit for positive changes they have made in our nation. As we know the news media covers what they want to. The crazier and the more irrelevant the story, the longer it plays.
We hear about the misuse of stimulus dollars over and over. It is an easy news story that angers people, and elicits emotion. It gets viewers, in turn ratings, and in turn cash for the news corporation. It seems American society no longer wants to hear about what our government is doing right.
Since we don't want to hear it, we don't get to watch it.
That is why most American's have no clue about the positive changes the stimulus package has made in America, and yes, right here in Kansas.
Medicaid has been cut by 10 percent in Kansas. Children, and those with disabilities are suffering. Because people are not getting the services they need, more money will need to come from the government in the future to offset complications of lack of service for medical issues.
President Obama has asked for Kansas to receive $157 million dollars in the 2011 budget. Certainly Kansas will not turn it down.
Medicare is another social program that has suffered in recent months. Through the stimulus package Kansas will receive about $24 million.
I attended a legislative coffee in Great Bend today. One of the legislators discussed high speed rails coming into Kansas. Unfortunately, he presented it as "railroads" and discussed his concerns with Amtrak. Railroads, and high speed rail, are not the same. Overall he sounded as if he was in favor of these rails coming into Kansas.
Stimulus dollars were allocated for high speed rail, should Kansas choose to take advantage of it.
The stimulus package has given much needed funds for our public schools. I attended Kalkaska Public Schools, in Kalkaska, Michigan for thirteen years. One year we shut our doors about three months early; I was in elementary school. At the time I thought it was "the best summer of my life", until my Mom brought home all the books from the school for me to study. She didn't want my sister and I to get behind. What a drag. Now I understand the ramifications it could have on children whose parents are unable to educate them at home.
Without the stimulus, Kansas would no doubt be unable to provide its children with a quality education.
With unemployment increasing services will be needed in the social services sector. The federal stimulus bill gave $1.2 million to the city of Wichita for the homeless population or those about to be homeless.
The Kansas State Energy Office is planning to use $2.5 million in Federal stimulus dollars to fund an Energy Manager Grant Program. The program will help cities, and school districts reduce energy costs, and become more efficient.
In Great Bend, Kansas, the Housing Committee received about 135,000 from the federal Stimulus.
These are just a few examples out of the 1,561,272,992 (including contracts, grants, and loans) Kansas received.
Texas made the news when a group of constituents wanted to succeed from the Union. Texas received about twelve times the amount Kansas received in federal stimulus dollars.
Maybe we need to remind ourselves next time the news channels try to rile our fears about federal spending and President Obama, that they are just trying to get ratings and cash. Our states are happy to accept the federal dollars, even in Republican-dominated states. For all the moaning and complaining the Republican sector has done, they champion the money they bring back to their state.
This article is not to say our deficit isn't concerning, it most certainly is. The stimulus is not the sole culprit of the deficit, and President Obama is not forcing any state to take the money.
Kansas has benefited and continues to benefit from the Federal Stimulus Package. Like any other government program there is misuse, and abuse that we need to speak out against.
We need to keep track of how our government dollars are spent, and where they are allocated, but just as important we need to remember all the good the stimulus has done. Don't buy into the hysteria.
The Federal Government stepped up, as it needed to for Kansas, and the people in it.
To look up the break down of stimulus funds by state and city visit, www.recovery.gov
Our Senators and three of our representatives have campaigned on the fact that they have opposed all the stimulus money. Then they appear at their townhall meetings and brag about how they have brought home the bacon for their constituents. Then they get on the media a tell the public that all the stimulus program is a disastrous failure.
Do we need to install some new memory chips in the brains of society?
Thanks for sharing. I know our local school district got alot of stimulus money and we got alot in Great Bend and Barton County for road maintenance. But no one seems to care.
All I know is we are all going to be paying taxes a long, long time to pay for it.
Brad, that may be true. Think of it this way. If we weren't paying for it now through the stimulus we would be paying more later.
If the stimulus didn't give money to public schools (which are having are hard time with funding even after stimulus money)they would fail, we would have dumb kids, in turn a non-competitive work force, in turn non-productive citizens.
If money did not go to help people keep their homes. Which the money that went to Wichita does, people would loose their homes, suck up more social services for years to come, and most likely cost the government even more money than helping them be stable.
If money did not go to the fix the roads now, we would be paying twice the price later. In Michigan they are allowing some roads to be turned to dirt because the state is so low on funds.
I think what bugs me is little or none of the money is being spent on ways that will bring long term economic growth. To me that is sjust short term thinking. Now some might say investing in public schools does that and while we need to fund our schools, I dont see our high schools as job incubators or as infrastructure targets that will bring in jobs or stimulate economic activity. Does any of this money go to business startups? How about infrastructure that boosts tourism? Where are the university programs that produce the engineers and business leaders that could start new businesses tomorrow? BTW - side note (and a private rant). My kids do tennis. At neither KState or KU do they have a single tennis player from Kansas and at KState, all are foreign born. Every scholarship to me equals a job and if the Unis arent giving any to Kansas they are giving away jobs.
But Brad, schools are job incubators! Smart kids mean a competitive work force. They also mean a college education. As the saying goes, no profession would exist without teachers!
Not paying for housing to homeless families will lead to more money that needs to be spent. If a family is homeless and cannot feed it's children, or provide basic needs the child will be brought into foster care. That will cost tax payers ten times the amount of what a homeless shelter would cost.
So you see the stimulus may be solving short term goals, and not bringing economic growth, but it is also preventing the government from spending more money down the road when a small issue, becomes a major and long term issue.
The stimulus also backed SBA lending programs. Meaning small business in America was supported. You can check out the website above for more details.
Christina, this comment may get buried in the archives and not get read by very many people.
But, I encourage you to never lose your zeal and push for charity for the disenfranchised members of the human race. Continue to argue the need for early education and its long term value.