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Biden in Cincinnati today to back stimulus

VP comes to city to dispute Republican criticism of federal spending.

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By Jessica Wehrman, Staff Writer 1:21 AM Thursday, July 9, 2009

WASHINGTON — Vice President Joe Biden will drop into Cincinnati today, July 9, in the midst of a political showdown in Ohio over the effectiveness of the economic stimulus bill.

Republicans, including House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-West Chester Twp., have grown increasingly critical of the bill’s effectiveness. Boehner, appearing on Fox News Sunday, said that infrastructure dollars sent to the state haven’t resulted in new jobs.

“In Ohio, the infrastructure dollars that were sent there months ago, there hasn’t been a contract let to my knowledge,” Boehner said Sunday. “The fact is, I don’t believe it will create jobs.”

That claim spurred Democratic National Committee to release a Web ad attacking Boehner. The DNC also arranged a news call Wednesday saying that, in fact, transportation dollars were being spent in Ohio, including on a wide range of projects in Boehner’s district.

Boehner’s comments, said Chris Redfern, chairman of the Ohio Democratic Party, were a “flat-out lie.”

Redfern cited resurfacing and other road projects in Darke and Mercer counties as examples of money being spent in the state that would generate jobs.

Scott Varner, a spokesman for the Ohio Department of Transportation, said that so far, 58 contracts worth $126 million have been awarded.

But a Boehner spokesperson on Wednesday reiterated the congressman’s overall concerns about the bill’s effectiveness, saying that Ohio didn’t release the money until late May and that the process of releasing stimulus dollars in the Buckeye state has been “absurdly slow-moving.”

Republicans have also said the legislation has done little to curb the unemployment rate, which hovers around 9.5 percent nationally and 10.4 percent in Ohio.

The Government Accountability Office on Wednesday issued a report that found Ohio has drawn $711 million in Medicaid out of an available $832 million.

The federal government has also made $1.1 billion out of $1.7 billion available for state fiscal stabilization funding, which is money aimed to help state and local governments minimize budget cuts in education and other essential government services such as public safety. And, it had obligated $384 million of $936 million apportioned for state highway funds.

In all, the state is expected to receive more than $8 billion in stimulus dollars. Still, Ohio is in a budget crisis that has Gov. Ted Strickland in a standoff with state Republicans.

Biden will speak today in the Queen City at the American Can Building to tout the bill’s success.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development began approving cities’ Community Development Block Grant requests Monday, and Cincinnati has asked for $3.4 million in Community Development Block Grant Money.

Of that, it will allocate $1.6 million for the American Can Building project, which will include 30,000 square feet of office and commercial space and 100 loft apartments.

Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, acknowledged there was “more work to do” to help the economy recover, but pinned blame for the economic crisis on Republican leadership.

“The economic policies John Boehner voted for for the past 10 years got us in this situation,” he said.

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Shut up Sherrod Brown! You've been in elected office since 1993, and most recently a Senator. How in the world can you say this is the "fault of republican policies for the last 10 years". You were there! How long have the dems run congress? Jeez, just quit lying! Your going to tell me, you, as an elected offical are taking ZERO responsibility for what's going on in our country?!? Your a real stand up guy! What a ****! Quit lying and earn a paycheck you don't deserve!

Tony
5:16 PM, 7/9/2009

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As for Boehner being tan rather,well a tan is better than hair plugs.Right Biden

Truth Hurts
2:57 PM, 7/9/2009

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MAMA: The economy going down for 8 years come on be honest with yourself.We experince ressions all the time and they hardly last 8 years.
As for stimilus hard to be they call it that when not even 10% of the money has been spent yet.They'll wait till it's closer to election so they can take some credit for the turn around.Mean while will have to suffer.

Truth Hurts
2:55 PM, 7/9/2009

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i bet theres no seats left for this!!!!

hoolio
10:19 AM, 7/9/2009

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Funny how Tan-Man Boehner never opened his mouth for 8 years while the economy was going down the tube. Now he's all mouth but has nothing to say.

Mama
10:17 AM, 7/9/2009

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