Ebb of stimulus funding could hit Texas workers hard

WASHINGTON – The federal stimulus payments that helped thousands of Texas workers ride out the recession will ebb next year, just as state legislators are likely to enact cuts that could hurt government workers and others who rely on public spending. The Recovery Act has sent about $16.5 billion to Texas state agencies since 2009. The biggest impact has been on public education, where more than 27,000 jobs were supported by stimulus funds between July and September 2010, according to the Texas Education Agency.

Dave Michaels reports: http://dallasne.ws/fTObn3

Stimulus, Texas Republicans, and playing it both ways: new report offers yet more examples

The nonpartisan Center for Public Integrity has dug out more evidence of Republican lawmakers from Texas and across the country quietly prodding the federal government to release stimulus money for pet projects -- even as they hammered Democrats for the stimulus as wasteful or even an illegitimate use of federal authority.
Todd Gillman reports: http://dallasne.ws/9FUbpi

State Medicaid chiefs see pressure on purse

The 50 state Medicaid programs absorbed 6 million more recipients since the recession started, and yet, thanks to federal stimulus dollars, states were able to cut their contributions by 10 percent last year and 7.1 percent this year, expert Vernon K. Smith said today.
Garrett reports: http://dallasne.ws/9SGwnF

Ongoing expenses draw 55 percent of stimulus $

Last year, lawmakers lectured state agencies and local school districts to spend federal stimulus money only on "one time" items. A top official at the Legislative Budget Board, though, says just over half of the stimulus money that Texas spent through its state budget process went to ongoing expenses such as Medicaid and public schools.

Garrett reports: http://dallasne.ws/98J5PA

Perry rejects second round of Race to the Top money

Gov. Rick Perry said 'no thanks' to federal stimulus money for education, saying the state's application would probably be penalized for its unwillingness to buy into national curriculum standards. Hoppe reports.
http://tinyurl.com/355css7

Appliance rebate response overwhelms Web site

Torbenson and Hoppe report on tough day for texas Trade Up:

For some on Wednesday, the Texas Trade Up Appliance Rebate program turned into the government handout from hell.


"It's the most frustrating thing I've ever tried to do in my life," said Susan Hildebrand of North Dallas, who tried to apply for a rebate starting at 7 a.m. She hoped for two "rebate reservations" from the state comptroller's office in Austin – one for a new refrigerator and one for a clothes washer.


The program gave away $23 million in rebate reservations; Hildebrand and possibly thousands of others got none after traffic overwhelmed the Web site and phone lines set up to take reservations.

Solar panels on public projects stoke payback debate

UT Southwestern is one of 32 public entities just awarded a total of $32 million in stimulus money to go green in Texas, but it's costing a lot of taxpayer green to make it happen. Hoppe reports on costs of going green.