Stimulus plan aims $1 billion at Utah

The economic stimulus bill, which the U.S. House passed 244-188 on Wednesday, contains more than $1 billion in spending targeted for Utah — much less than state leaders hoped, and less per person than all but nine other states.

Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, voted for the bill saying, "The core of this bill deals with job creation and cutting taxes, and those are my primary concerns for Utah families right now. … Doing nothing is a risk I am unwilling to take."

All House Republicans voted against the bill, including Utah Reps. Rob Bishop and Jason Chaffetz. While Bishop said some of the package is good, "There's a lot of crap."

Chaffetz said, "I don't think the previous so-called stimulus packages have worked, nor do I have confidence that this new one will."

An analysis by the Wall Street Journal figured that Utah would receive at least $1 billion in the package, or nearly $400 per person in the state. Still, Utah ranks only No. 41 among the 50 states for the amount of such spending it would receive per person.

The Wall Street Journal said Utah spending includes: $617.4 million in aid to states; $310.1 million for transportation and infrastructure projects; $61 million for modernization of schools for grades K-12; $73 million for renovation of colleges; and $15 million for job training.

That $1 billion for Utah is much less than the $14.4 billion that Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. earlier requested through a long list of projects. Also, Salt Lake City had sought $780 million, and Salt Lake County had sought $173 million.

Matheson also released a list of some specifics in the bill he said would help Utah. They include:

$221 million for highways and bridges, which he said will advance 136 projects the state says are "shovel ready" for quick action.

$53 million for transit grants for Utah.

$4.5 million for fixed guideway modernization for Utah.

$32 million to help build or repair wastewater systems.

$20 million for culinary water systems.

$293.5 million in extra Medicaid aid (for the poor and disabled) to Utah over nine quarters.

Besides that, Matheson listed other benefits that may not have specific amounts identified for Utah. For example, he said hundreds of millions of dollars are targeted for radioactive waste cleanup, which may help clean an infamous tailings pile near Moab.

Another example, he said, is that it contains $6.9 billion nationally for energy efficiency grants to state and local governments. Residents also would benefit from tax cuts and extended unemployment benefits in the package, he said.

E-mail: lee@desnews.com