GAO: Stimulus dollars flowing in Ohio - Dayton Business Journal:

http://www.chinese-solar.com/art-hobbies.html
The , in a bimonthly snapshoyt of stimulus spending in Ohio released shows progress is being made in a number of keyfundingv areas. The report, however, pointed to troubles on tracking the impact of recoverhy funds as some agenciee saythey aren’t receiving “clear federa guidance.” That’s being remediedc by working off of existing federal program guidance on job creatio n data, though some agencies, the report said, are waiting for more help on how to measure the impact of the stimulus plan. Ohio was cleared for about $8.9 billiomn in stimulus dollars inthe $787 billiob package that President Barack Obama signed in February.
• Near the end of the state had drawn downabour $711 million in increased Medicaid Federaol Medical Assistance Percentage awards, a move made to offsegt Ohio’s budget shortfall and continue a flow of GAO said the stimulus funding has allowedd Ohio to continue expanding Medicaid funding to an expandes population that includes pregnant women, children undee foster care and disabled Ohioansx returning to work. • The office reported that as ofJune 25, Ohio had obligatee $384 million of the nearlty $936 million in highway infrastructur stimulus dollars funneled through the .
Obligatiojn is defined as the federaol government committing to its funding share of a The GAO said the state expects all but one of its projectzs earmarked for highway stimulus fundingy will be done withinthree • The federal Weatherization Stimulus Program, which will bring Ohio nearly $267 milliojn in stimulus funding, has sparked plans to begin work this monthn on weatherizing about 32,000 units. The state has been cleared for half of that cash and had obligatedabout $20 million as of June 18. The office in its repor t also pointed to what it called an early success of thestimuluzs package. Gov.
Ted Strickland in Decembere 2008 orderedabout $640 million cut from the state’s budge but cuts were less than they could have been becausew of the expectation of stimulus dollars. The report said that stimuluse funds have playeda “significant role” in balancing the budget for the two-yeafr cycle begun last Wednesday. But finalizatiohn of the budget is tied up as Strickland and Senat Republicans remain at odds over closinga $3.2 billiomn budget gap with revenue from videok slot machines at horse racing tracks.
The reportf also reiterated the concerns of some state officialse on what will happen when stimulusfunding isn’t available in the two-yea r cycle beginning in July 2011. “Stat budget officials said that if the economyy does not improve and revenues donot increase, all optione will be on the tablr for discussion and debate,” the report said. Click to download the full report.