Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Salazar to Implement $3 Billion Interior Economic Recovery Plan

Pledging swift, responsible implementation of President Obama's economic recovery plan, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today estimated the $3 billion in funding allocated for the Department could create as many as 100,000 jobs and stimulate business activity in communities across America. Salazar announced that he has established a Recovery Act Task Force that includes the leadership of Interior bureaus to determine which proposed projects should be funded. He also announced that he will soon name a Stimulus Czar to oversee Interior's responsible implementation of the program. Among the major criteria for selecting projects, Salazar noted, are addressing the department's highest priority mission needs; generating the largest number of jobs in the shortest period of time; and creating lasting value for the American public...DOI Press Release

It's interesting that Departmental "needs" are first in priority, and jobs are second.

Under the act, the following appropriations are made: BOR $1 billion, NPS $750 million, BIA $500 million, BLM $320 million, FWS $280 million, USGS $140 million, and the IG gets $15 million. Plus, the DOT budget includes $490 million for road construction and repair on DOI lands or facilities.

I'm sure it will all be spent wisely, and after the Department meets it's "needs" there may even be a job or two created.

Someone should set up a system where the number of jobs destroyed by DOI as they go about their normal business could be compared with the number of jobs "created" by this legislation.

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