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Thursday, October 29, 2009

GOVERNOR O’MALLEY RELEASES MARYLAND’S RECOVERY AND REINVESTMENT ACT JOBS REPORT


More than 14,000 Jobs Created, Saved in Maryland; Millions Invested in Public Infrastructure, Public Schools and Maryland Families

ANNAPOLIS, MD (October 28, 2009)
– Governor Martin O’Malley released the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act jobs report for Maryland today at a visit to P. Flanigan and Sons, Inc’s state-of-the-art asphalt plant in Baltimore, a local contracting company that has been directly impacted by the funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Governor O’Malley praised the Recovery and Reinvestment Act for creating or saving over 14,000 jobs in Maryland since President Obama signed the act just 28 days into his Presidency.

“Thanks to President Obama’s leadership, and our ability as a State to implement these funds as quickly and efficiently as possible, there are more than 14,000 Marylanders working today that otherwise would be facing unemployment,” said Governor O’Malley. “And that’s just the first round. Over the next several months, we’ll continue to move forward to put Recovery Act funds to work, reporting every penny spent and every job saved or created providing unprecedented transparency for the people of Maryland.”

“Governor O’Malley and I are confident that we will get through these difficult times more quickly and less painfully than most other states,” Lt. Governor Brown said. “Through our accountability standards, local and federal partnerships, Governor O’Malley’s leadership and President Obama’s efforts to pull our nation out of this recession, we are maximizing the reach of our Recovery dollars, putting Marylanders to work and creating new jobs in every part of the state.”

The release of the jobs report in Maryland comes just one day before the White House is set to release the national figures, and the Governor made the announcement at a local company, P. Flanigan and Sons, Inc., a more than 120-year-old contractor that was directly impacted by the infrastructure projects in Maryland funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The family-owned business has participated in two Recovery Act-funded projects in Maryland, supporting over 100 jobs so far, and expected to support many more before the projects are complete. As of yesterday, the company was informed they have been awarded another Howard County resurfacing contract as well.

“2009 has been a challenging year,” said Steve Whitecotton, Vice President of the Baltimore based P. Flanigan and Sons, Inc. “In this tough economy the Recovery Act funded projects have preserved jobs and funded many important infrastructure projects that improve the safety and efficiency of our transportation system. My conservative estimate is that between our employees and our subcontractors up to 150 jobs would have been lost without the Recovery Act.”

Today’s jobs announcement encompasses what are termed direct, indirect and induced jobs. Direct jobs are those supported by Recovery Act dollars, such as the construction worker on a highway project funded through the Act. Indirect jobs are those that support Recovery Act dollars, including an employee at an asphalt company that supplies the highway project. Induced jobs are created by increased consumer activity, such as the construction worker purchasing a car, or going to a restaurant, resulting in those companies increasing employment due to sustained or increased business.

For a complete breakdown of jobs supported by Recovery Act funding in Maryland, see the StateStat presentation of the data.

As of September 30th, the State of Maryland received awards of over $2 billion, approximately half of all Recovery Act funding expected through 2011. By comparison, the State expended only eleven percent of these funds, or $229,191,801, covering the period contained within the jobs reports.

Of the $413 million in highway construction funding, 84 projects worth $184 million have already started construction. And approximately $900 million in Recovery Act money has supported 1,809 teachers in America’s number one ranked public school system, allowing full funding of the Thornton Bridge to Excellence Plan.

Governor O’Malley announced that StateStat, Maryland’s signature performance evaluation tool created by the O’Malley-Brown Administration, would be the centralized place for tracking and reporting Recovery Act funds and their impact on communities. Days after President Obama signed the Recovery Act in 2008, Governor O’Malley announced the launch of recovery.maryland.gov to track the funds in Maryland, and since then, the website has received the distinction as best in the nation according to Good Jobs First, a non-profit research center based in Washington, DC.

For a complete breakdown of jobs supported by Recovery Act funding in Maryland, see the StateStat presentation of the data.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

This guy is either full of himself or full of crap. But then, that's the same thing, isn't it?

Anonymous said...

This my friends is a load of Bull $hit.

Anonymous said...

Wht a joke.

Anonymous said...

Just remember this folks. Do not vote for this guy again. Between him and obama God only knows what our country will be like before these two can be voted OUT!

Anonymous said...

And what happens when the Government "free" money runs out govenah??? Sorry, that was a tough question to ask.

Anonymous said...

Did anyone notice the resurfacing of the Salisbury Bypass this past Summer? WTF! There was nothing wrong with the road surface of the Salisbury Bypass. This didn't put people to work it only padded the pockets of the contractors.

Anonymous said...

3:02 they're not paid to think, only spend our money.

3:10 where they local contractors and laborers?

Anonymous said...

I'm not feelin' it.

Anonymous said...

3:32 PM it doesn't matter. I was the biggest waste of tax dollars. Unnecessary WASTE!!

Anonymous said...

Don't worry the stupid schleps that voted democrat will buy this nonsense!
Just look at the unemployment numbers. Who the heck does O'Malley think he's fooling anyway?
Isn't it nice to know that the democrats think so highly of their constituents that they can bold face lie like that?

Anonymous said...

This is politically BS and people need to wake up. If you have noticed, most of the resurfacing and other stimulus work has been completed on main arteries such as the bypass, 13 and 50. People who drive down the highway think there is actually a lot of working going on but its not. This stimulus work has not created new jobs. It is only saving the jobs that the STATE (Governed by O'Mally) has CUT. Now he tries to take credit for the work that the federal government is funding. Then stupid people with no common sense read articles like this and actually think he is doing a great job.

I do agree with spending money on infrastructure improvement because its actually creating jobs and its an investment into our future. I just hate when they play politics with everything. They think we are stupid.

Anonymous said...

We would not be in such bad shape if O'Malley hadn't raised our taxes as soon as he was elected. I don't know why his liberal supporters haven't wised up and dumped him. Even democrats should realize that we cannot tax people into prosperity.

Anonymous said...

well yippeeeee for them they saved/created 14,000 jobs. They lost probalby at least double that when he got into office and raised taxes and many business left the state. Then he raised taxes on the millionaires and they too left the state. They take in ALOT less taxes now because of their greed.

Anonymous said...

Joe:

Why publish this clown's BS????

Anonymous said...

I want to go ON RECORD. I saved Omalley's job. Without ME, he would be hustling hotdogs at the ball game.

Uh, prove me wrong.