Stimulus Update: Wisconsin's Spending Plan Includes Few New Jobs

Below is the latest from Wisconsin on how the state plans to spend its stimulus money.

Of the $3.76 billion taxpayer dollars the state is receiving from the federal government, only the $529 million dollar Highway Funding provision seems to be going directly to any form of program that would actually create or save jobs.  It isn't clear what the $717 million going to the Education "State Stabilization Fund" will be used for at this time, and most of the other expenditures appear to be social programs rather than job creators.    In fact, as you can see from the states' own estimates at the bottom of the page, only 70,000 are expected to be created or saved by the nearly $4 billion dollars being spent.   That equates to spending roughly $53,000 per job.

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Estimates for the State of Wisconsin
Medicaid $1,240,000,000
Immunization $6,356,000
Foster Care/Adoption Assistance $15,016,000
National School Lunch Program Equipment Assistance $1,732,120
The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) $1,713,038
Emergency Food and Shelter Program** $1,959,799
Drinking Water State Revolving Fund $38,042,000
Clean Water State Revolving Fund $107,593,400
Highway Funding $529,111,915
Transit Formula Funding $81,640,826
Public Housing Capital Fund $26,136,473
HOME Funding $35,833,472
Homelessness Prevention Fund $27,071,486
Community Development Block Grant $18,040,228
Byrne/JAG $29,303,206
Crime Victims $868,930
Internet Crimes Against Children Grants $1,170,650
Violence Against Women Grants $3,189,212
State Energy Program $55,909,000
Weatherization $144,541,237
Child Care and Development Block Grant $30,493,313
Head Start $9,276,172
State Stabilization Fund - Education $717,730,301
State Stabilization Fund - Flexible Block Grant $159,603,000
Title I Education for the Disadvantaged $180,929,364
Education for Homeless $826,000
Education Technology $8,363,000
Community Services Block Grant $12,253,215
Senior Meals Programs $1,665,526
Dept. of Labor - State Employment Service Grants $7,556,942
Dept. of Labor - Dislocated Workers State Grants $16,734,343
Dept. of Labor - Adult State Grants $5,236,216
Dept. of Labor - Youth State Grants $13,948,295
Unemployment Insurance State Administration Grants $10,122,000
Community Service Employment for Older Americans $3,023,000
Dept. of Education - Vocational Rehabilitation $9,611,982
Dept. of Education - Special Education Part B, Section 611 $208,200,000
TOTALS $3,760,801,661
Jobs Created or Saved 70,000
Unemployment Rate 12/2008 6.2
UI Beneficiaries in 2009 553,400
Families Receiving Making Work Pay Tax Credit 2 ,220,000
Pell Grant Recipients 9 1,532
Additional Students Receiving College Tax Credit 6 3,000
Food Stamp Participants 4 80,000
Children Receiving Child Tax Credit 2 79,000
Taxpayers Protected by the Alternative Minimum Tax Patch 3 93,000