Tue., 5/15/12: Tracking Stimulus Spending in Mass.

*Sue O'Connell guest hosts.

Tracking Stimulus Spending in Mass.
As the Great Recession hit the US, political leadership released trillions in funds in hopes of jump-starting the economy: they sent money to ailing banks, bailed out the auto industry, and infused states with waves of aid. Of the $840 billion sent directly to states, Massachusetts received $16.6 billion.

Tracking stimulus spending has been difficult. Money was plowed into existing programs, used to plug budget holes, and fast-tracked into construction projects, with priority given to anything that was "shovel-ready."

So far, we have only partial knowledge of what jobs were created from stimulus funds. What was spent in haste and maybe fear was also not well documented, in all cases. Today we take a preliminary look at what effect the stimulus may have had in Massachusetts.

GUESTS:
  Jack Sullivan, Senior Investigative Reporter for Commonwealth Magazine. He writes about the stimulus in Massachusetts for their spring issue.