LANSING – As many as 109,000 people in Michigan could get jobs under the federal stimulus bill that President Barack Obama signed into law on Tuesday. Shortly after Obama signed the legislation at a ceremony in Denver, Gov. Jennifer Granholm said the legislation will help give Michigan’s economy a jumpstart.

“This program will provide help for struggling Michigan families and will create over 100,000 new jobs in Michigan, rebuild our state’s infrastructure, and invest in new energy technologies that will reduce our dependence on fossil fuels,�?� she said. �??Michigan’s economy will get the jumpstart it needs to create jobs for today and tomorrow while providing a safety net for our families during this national economic crisis.�?�

The measure provides $787 billion in spending and tax cuts to help put the brakes on the recession the nation is suffering through.

Local officials said the state had to be sure to allocate enough money to local governments to do the repairs and rebuilding of local roads and bridges. In releasing its statement, the Michigan Municipal League also included photographs of large potholes in roads around the Capitol and Capitol complex to drive home the problems local roads in the state face.

Before Obama signed the bill, the White House released its estimates on how many jobs would be created or saved by the legislation, with an estimated 3.5 million jobs nationwide.

Without specifying where, the White House said the proposal could mean as many 109,000 new and maintained jobs in Michigan. California would see the biggest job benefit with an estimated 396,000 new and continuing jobs.

The largest share of the federal stimulus measure, $150 billion, will go for infrastructure repair and restoration, which includes funds for upgrading the high-speed Internet network especially in rural areas.

Officials have estimated that in all aspects of the package, the state could see as much as $7 billion in stimulus money.

Granholm’s administration has been working on developing a list of projects for the federal funds. While not yet releasing the list, administrative officials said the suggested and proposed projects would exceed the amounts the state could receive.

The Michigan Townships Association has created a site showing the 500 projects ready to receive stimulus dollars.

The administration intends to submit a supplement 2008-09 budget to the Legislature soon to make use of the federal funds.

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