Stimulus Impact In Pennsylvania

There is an article on PennLive.com that outlines the purported benefits to Pennsylvania from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act. Due to its importance to many Pennsylvanians I want to post most of it in its entirety as a reference to help those in need. (I am suspending my reference to the act as Porkulus Spendulous for this article only.)

The White House estimates the stimulus bill would create 23,500 jobs in central Pennsylvania alone. Whether it actually stimulates the sickly American economy waits to be seen. But here's a look at highlights of what Pennsylvanians should expect from the $787 billion economic stimulus package:

TAX RELIEF
- Up to $400 for workers (or $800 for married couples). Workers will receive $13 more in their paychecks beginning in June; it drops to $8 a week in January.
- $250 to Social Security beneficiaries, SSI recipients, and disabled veterans.
- $2,500 for 138,000 additional families for the American Opportunity Tax Credit that makes college more affordable.
- Extended and increased Homebuyer Tax Credit to help aspiring homeowners and stabilize plummeting home prices. First-time homebuyers who purchase their homes before Dec. 1 would be eligible for an $8,000 tax credit.
- Homeowners who add energy-efficient windows, furnaces and air conditioners can get a tax credit to cover 30 percent of the costs, up to a total of $1,500.
- Extended Bonus Depreciation and Small Business Expensing through 2009, allowing businesses that make capital investments to immediately deduct one-half the cost. Small businesses can immediately deduct 100 percent of the cost of these investments.
- Protects 972,000 Pennsylvanians from the Alternative Minimum Tax.
- A new deduction for sales taxes on cars will be available this tax year for purchases or leases of up to $49,500.

EDUCATION AND TRAINING
- College students -- or their parents -- are eligible for tax credits of up to $2,500 to help pay tuition and related expenses in 2009 and 2010.
- Money to modernize at least 412 schools labs, classrooms, libraries and more.
- $1.6 billion to school districts and public colleges and universities, in addition to incentive grants, as a reward for meeting key education performance measures.
- $426.6 million for Special Education Part B State Grants to improve educational outcomes for individuals with disabilities.
- $15.4 million to match unemployed individuals to job openings through state employment service agencies and allow Pennsylvania to provide customized reemployment services.

HEALTH INSURANCE
- For many workers, the government will pick up 65 percent of health insurance premiums for the first nine months under the COBRA program. COBRA applies to group plans at companies employing at least 20 people. The subsidies will be offered to those who lost their jobs from Sept. 1 to the end of this year. Those who were put out of work after September but didn't elect to have COBRA coverage at the time will have 60 days to sign up.

LAW ENFORCEMENT
- $1 million to help law enforcement agencies enhance their investigative response to offenders who use the Internet or other computer technology to sexually exploit children.
- $6.4 million to improve the response to violent crimes against women and to assist victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking.

INFRASTRUCTURE AND SCIENCE
- $66.2 million to address the backlog of drinking water infrastructure needs.
- $157.6 million to address the backlog of clean water infrastructure needs.
- $1 billion in highway funding.
- $343.7 million for investments in mass transit.
- $95 million to enable state and local government, in partnership with community-based organizations, to acquire, construct and rehabilitate affordable housing and provide rental assistance.
- $90.4 million for homelessness prevention activities.

PENNSYLVANIA'S ENERGY
- $100.8 million through the State Energy Program.
- $258.8 million through the Weatherization Assistance Program.

EXTENDED UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE
- $275 million in new funding if Pennsylvania fully enacts the unemployment insurance modernization incentives that the legislation would provide. This means that an additional $100 in unemployment insurance benefits will be offered to approximately 1.1 million workers who have lost their jobs in this recession.
- Temporarily suspending the federal income tax on the first $2,400 of unemployment benefits per recipient in 2009.

Sources: The White House; The Democratic Policy Committee; The Associated Press, PennLive.com