Battleground Ohio

Timothy McNulty | July 9, 2009

Backgrounder here from the Cincy Enquirer on Joe Biden's stimulus speech this morning:

The renovation project that Vice President Joe Biden will visit today in Northside is not the biggest example of a stimulus project in Greater Cincinnati. It's not getting the most money nor will it bring the most jobs.

The Factory Square development in Northside, which will turn a vacant factory into apartments and retail space, was suggested by the city for the vice president's stop because they say it is a good example of a how stimulus dollars can help rejuvenate a community.

And because the $1.6 million is crucial, according to the city, to getting the long-planned project off the ground.

. . . Project developers Steve Bloomfield and Ken Schon of Cincinnati-based Boomfield/Schon+Partners will receive $1.6 million in Community Development Block Grant money through the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The project was among 14 to get a chunk of the city's share of stimulus block grant money.The $22 million project will transform the five-story former American Can Co. factory at 4101 Spring Grove Ave. into 96 apartments and retail space.

It is unclear how many jobs will be created.

Biden's visit drew criticism from House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-West Chester, a critic of stimulus spending. He noted in a statement Wednesday that unemployment in Ohio still is over 10 percent

"Our state has been hit hard by the recession, and, like many other Ohioans, I'll be curious to see what the vice president has to say, especially on the trillion-dollar 'stimulus' that clearly isn't working," he said in a statement. "How will he defend a bill that the White House promised would create jobs 'immediately' in a state that still has over 10 percent unemployment?"

The renewed fights over the stimulus come during slumping poll numbers for Obama in Ohio and tentative calls for a second stimulus package. The latest call came from none other than Ed Rendell in testimony to the U.S. House yesterday. From the Hill:

Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell (D) on Wednesday urged House members to consider another stimulus package just for infrastructure projects in order to produce more jobs.

Rendell, in testimony before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, said that the $787 billion stimulus passed by Congress and signed by President Obama in February will work to boost the economy.

But Rendell, also testifying in his role as chairman of the National Governors Association, called for another economic recovery package full of infrastructure projects.

"I would like to see a second stimulus devoted solely to infrastructure," he said. "It's what produces jobs, and produces orders for factories, American factories."

He said that the initial stimulus should be given more time before another recovery package is considered, adding that more jobs and projects will be coming over the next few months.

Rendell said that the stimulus has created up to 2,000 new jobs in Pennsylvania and saved up to 10,000 more.

Republicans on the committee blasted the stimulus, passed with only three GOP votes, as being ineffective for helping American workers.

Expect Republicans to place this report from USA Today into their anti Obama/stimulus arsenal:

Counties that supported Obama last year have reaped twice as much money per person from the administration's $787 billion economic stimulus package as those that voted for his Republican rival, Sen. John McCain, a USA TODAY analysis of government disclosure and accounting records shows. That money includes aid to repair military bases, improve public housing and help students pay for college.

The reports show the 872 counties that supported Obama received about $69 per person, on average. The 2,234 that supported McCain received about $34.

Investigators who track the stimulus are skeptical that political considerations could be at work. The imbalance is so pronounced - and the aid so far from complete - that it would be almost inconceivable for it to be the result of political tinkering, says Adam Hughes, the director of federal fiscal policy for the non-profit OMB Watch. "Even if they wanted to, I don't think the administration has enough people in place yet to actually do that," he says.