(WZZM) - The first round of job numbers created by federal stimulus dollars is out and it's generating a debate. Both the Federal Government and the State of Michigan show just over 22,000 jobs created or saved by the money. But some are still questioning the spending.
"It's not working," says Jim Chiodo.
He's among a growing group of concerned citizens called the Holland-Zeeland Patriots. The local group is affiliated with the national group called the Tea Party. They're against higher taxes and government spending. "The underlying theme here is fiscal responsibility. We are spending ourselves into oblivion."
Chiodo says the $787 billion stimulus plan is a prime example. Michigan got $3.7 billion.
"We think so far, it's having the impact it was designed to have," said Leslee Fritz, the head of the oversight office in Lansing. "We're really just getting up and running." The first status reports were due in October. "We reported 19,498 jobs saved or created by the recovery spending that the state had done so far. This was about what we expected."
An additional 3,000 jobs were created from federal money given directly to universities or non-profit groups.
Chiodo says it's all a temporary fix. His solution? "Lower taxes." He believes we need to attract businesses that create permanent jobs.
That's exactly what American Seating in Grand Rapids is hoping to do with several new orders from a public transit grant. "It's consistent with what the stimulus package was trying to do and that is, create jobs, preserve jobs, and make the needed additions to the infrastructure. Public transit investment fits that bill just perfectly", says Dave McLaughlin.
American Seating hopes to create the new jobs in the near future. It would come at a time when Michigan needs it the most.
Fritz says, "The recovery act was never designed to, by itself, solve the national recession. It can't overcome what happened in our financial markets, what's happening in our auto industry here in Michigan. It is only one piece of the solution."
"The concept of giving people a handout, therefore they're going to buy more goods, and that is somehow going to generate jobs...it doesn't work," says Chiodo.
The numbers of jobs created or retained between February and September was 22, 000. During that same time, the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency had 430,000 new claims.
The State of Michigan says its 15.3% unemployment rate would be worse if it weren't for that federal assistance.
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