Thursday, February 26, 2009

Stimulus package still limited on details


As Obama delivered his first address to congress this week, many watched in awe as he spoke loquaciously about his plans to uplift our nation through his stimulus package. Proof that many were so impressed came in a CBS poll which showed Obama's approval rating for handling the economic crisis leapt 17 percent after the speech among those who watched it, from 63 to 80 percent.

There is a general consensus that people agree with what our government is doing to stop the crisis, even though the details on how we are going to do it are extremely limited.

For example, in a recent phone conversation with CALSP, I thought I would be getting insider details on how funds dedicated to Headstart early childhood programs could be accessed. However, the phone call turned out to be another bout of rehashing information available by simply reading any report on the stimulus.

The simple fact is no one knows how discretionary funds will be available in any category. Qualifications for grants and projects applications have still yet to be determined, creating a buzz among organizations scrambling to apply for any funding available.

It is extremely important for us to continue monitoring these updates as they come in. I ask for any commentators to discuss what they interpretations are of any part of the package, and for any ways that we might best utilize this opportunity.

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