Construction projects, government jobs and just about anything else that was dependent on emergency Federal stimulus dollars may be coming to an end today.

Nearly $5 billion in TANF (temporary assistance for needy families) emergency contingency funds which were set aside in order to help boost the struggling economy, expires today.   Congress approved the deal at the beginning of 2009.   About $2.5 billion was paid out.  The money went to cash-strapped states that were desperate to pay its’ bills, boost employment and complete some much needed projects.  According to the department of Health and Human Services, 36 states took advantage of the extra cash.  27 states “were creating or expanding subsidized employments programs with TANF Emergency Funds”.  As of March 2010, DHS claims stimulus money created about “250,000 jobs for low income individuals”.

Some of those who were out of a job when the money first started coming through, found employment, paid for by stimulus dollars, in helping others find jobs.  In Minnesota, the money was used to hire job counselors to assist the unemployed…now that money has run out, so those counselors will have to find jobs themselves. “I got to see first hand just how tough the job market is right now… and now I am looking for a job too” says counselor Allan Hill

Illinois is using state taxes, to pick up where federal dollars are leaving off.  Governor Pat Quinn, who is locked in a tight race for re-election, has designated $75 million to keep programs going for another two months (so those programs will end shortly after election day).  Quinn is one of several politicians nationwide calling for an extension of the federal stimulus program.  Critics say application of the stimulus funds were handled poorly because it put state and local governments in the position of either raising tax dollars to keep the programs going or kiss the jobs goodbye.

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