LANSING – Michigan’s online chronicling of federal stimulus dollars ranks Fifteenth in the country according to a Washington, D.C.-based group, but the state is lacking when it comes to disclosing how many jobs the money has created.
Good Jobs First, a policy resource center that promotes corporate and government accountability in economic development, compared the information available across state stimulus websites in July and Michigan fared well in terms of showing where the money is going by program and geographically.
But Leslee Fritz, head of the state’s Economic Recovery Office, said the report reflects the group’s opinion on what should be reported, not what is actually required by law.
Although the state received 35 out of a possible 100 points, the report noted Michigan’s website failed to show how many jobs have resulted from stimulus spending. It does not map out the projects, provide descriptions of the projects or state which contractors were awarded projects.
The group noted that while the main intent of the stimulus money was to create jobs, only four states break employment data down by project.
Michigan’s highway project information received 43 out of 100 possible points, ranking it 19th in terms of disclosure.
The group noted the state website lacked information on how much money was being spent on highway repair work versus new roads, the allocation of dollars based on economic need such as county unemployment and how many jobs have been created.
The highway site got high marks for naming contractors and describing contracts.
Fritz said the website is constantly evolving and that more information will be available to the public when the state makes its first quarterly report to the federal government in October.
“A lot of what they are hoping to see will ultimately be reported,” she said.
The report gave Maryland’s stimulus disclosure the highest ranking. Only five other states received marks of 50 points or more out of 100: Colorado, Washington, West Virginia, New York and Pennsylvania.
“The availability of an effective state ARRA website is more than a taxpayer right during a period of high public interest in the economy. These websites are helping shape public attitudes toward the stimulus and could play a significant role in future debates over government’s role in the economy,” said Philip Mattera, research director of Good Jobs First and lead author of the report.
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