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For Michigan, the Recovery package is estimated to provide a total of $18.6 billion. Some of the Recovery funds have already begun to flow. 3.7 million Michigan workers and their families have probably noticed that their paychecks are a little bigger as tax withholding has been reduced to implement the new Making Work Pay Tax Credit. Michigan’s working families will collectively receive $1.9 billion in tax relief. Economic recovery payments are also being made to Social Security recipients, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients, disabled veterans, and Railroad Retirement recipients. A little extra income each month will help families make ends meet and will also help get the economy back on track.
The Recovery package extends unemployment insurance benefits, provides a health care COBRA subsidy for unemployed workers and includes an unprecedented increase in resources for worker training programs.
The Recovery package provides $850 million to repair Michigan’s highways, roads and bridges, as well as $236 million to repair water infrastructure in our communities, and $124 million to improve the energy efficiency of modest-income homes through weatherization. Many of the road and water projects have already been selected, so the task before us is to get the contracts signed so work can commence and jobs can be created.
The Recovery package also includes money to bolster our schools and local law enforcement during this downturn. It also makes a number of important long-term investments in our nation’s economic future, including funding to upgrade the electricity grid, construct high-speed rail, and modernize the health care system with electronic medical records.
My office has prepared the Community Resource Guide to assist local communities and community organizations evaluate their participation in Recovery programs. Through this document we will also track the impact of Recovery funds in Michigan. It is important that there be strict oversight, accountability and transparency as the Recovery package is implemented.
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