The White House’s stimulus spending web site links to individual state sites that have been set up to track spending, but Minnesota is notably missing - move your pointer over it, and it reads: “Recovery site is not yet available.” Yet such a site does exist.

There you will find, should you dare to read it, the most detailed estimate on where the federal money will go in Minnesota. Plenty of the amounts are listed as “unknown,” but those with figures start at $43,000 for Independent Living/Services for the Blind to $667,888,000 for Fiscal Stabilization-Education. Here are some examples, selected at random, of what’s being funded:

U.S. EPA Clean Water State Revolving Fund Capitalization Grant: $72,035,014

“Loans and grants to local units of government for clean water infrastructure projects following the general
eligibility requirements and funding process for the Clean Water Revolving Fund for projects on the
Pollution Control Agency’s (PCA) Project Priority List. The loans and grants will be awarded to
eligible projects that want these funds (depends on federal eligibility requirements) in the order that the
projects are certified by the PCA and submit as-bid costs to the PFA.”

Department of the Army, Sustainment Restoration Modernization (SRM): $16.8 million

“Some 100% federal funding would be used for specific projects at Camp Ripley and logistical facilities
around the state. Armory Projects are energy related (boilers, backup heat and electricity, airconditioning
replacement. Only flexibility is location – have to be used for National Guard facilities and
for purposes specified.”

Educational Technology State Grants: $6.1 million (est.)

“Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended, Title II, Part D, Subparts I and 2, as
amended. Provides funding on a formula basis to states to:
♦ improve student academic achievement through the use of technology in schools;
♦ assist all students in becoming technologically literate by the end of eighth grade; and
♦ encourage the effective integration of technology with teacher training and curriculum development
to establish research-based instructional methods.”

Wildland Fire Management: State and Private Grants: $2 million to $5 million

“There is broad flexibility in what can be applied for as long as it addresses Wildland Fire Management
risk and costs. Specific grant applications are detailed and there will be limited flexibility in changing
them due to the competitive nature of their allocation.”

Senior Community Service Employment Program for Older Americans: $729,890 (est.)

Will provide wage subsidies for qualifying low-income seniors (55 and older) who perform community
service work for those public and private nonprofit organizations referred to as Host Agencies (training
sites).

Minnesota’s federal stimulus point-man Tom Hanson was talking transparency and a road construction season like drivers have never seen before on Minnesota Public Radio this morning.

This entry was posted on Friday, March 13th, 2009 at 2:52 pm and is filed under Government spends your money. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.