Houston Jobs Created by Stimulus

Despite plenty of criticism, another report is backing the fact that the federal stimulus plan has helped create Houston jobs (Click here).

A recent report from the Houston Chronicle found that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has cost taxpayers $4.6 billion and created or saved 47,704 jobs in Texas as of July. That means each job has cost taxpayers about $96,727.

Austin has received $2 billion in stimulus funding, which is the highest amount of money given to any Texas city. That's closely followed by Houston, which has received $1.69 billion and created about 1,953 jobs under the ARRA.

Other front-runners for benefiting from the stimulus throughout Texas include San Antonio, which received $721.4 million and created 759 jobs, and Dallas, which received $615 million and created 544 jobs.

President Barack Obama's administration estimates that the ARRA has created or preserved 750,000 jobs. The administration has set a goal of creating or saving 3.5 million project-based jobs by the end of the year.

In Houston specifically, 960 contracts, grants, and loans have been awarded to state, city, county, and private entities thanks to the federal stimulus.

Some notable projects in the Houston area include:

• $20 million for highway repairs on 50 miles of roads and bridges.
• $87 million for public transportation, including the purchase of 19 light-rail vehicles, installation of 40 bus shelters, and the conversion of some HOV lanes to toll lanes.
• $200 million for CenterPoint Energy to install 2.2 million "smart meters" and smart grid equipment.
• $99 million for the Port of Houston Authority to allow the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to dredge the channel.
• $30 million for the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston to start using electronic health records.
• $13 million for the Texas Department of Transportation to contract one flyover in Baytown.
• $56 million for TDOT to contract one flyover at Highway 29.