- States to receive $26 billion in aid for teachers, Medicaid, By David Lightman, August 10, 2010, Miami Herald: “States will get $26.1 billion in the next few months so they can open their school years with fewer layoffs and help pay health care benefits for the poor. The House of Representatives approved the new spending Tuesday by a 247-161 vote, and President Barack Obama signed it soon after. The money should begin flowing in time for school systems to rehire and retain teachers early in the school year, which already is under way in some parts of the country. The school money, $10 billion aimed at preserving education jobs, should be available to the states no later than 45 days after the federal Education Department approves a state’s application. The department estimates that about 161,000 education jobs would be saved, but some state officials aren’t so sure…”
- Aid helps states escape layoffs, but for how long?, By Beth Fouhy (AP), August 13, 2010, Arizona Daily Star: “Cash-strapped states from Maine to Hawaii are tearing up the pink slips _ for now _ relieved that the $26 billion state aid bill passed by Congress this week has saved hundreds of thousands of jobs nationwide. But it might be the last time the federal government comes to the rescue. The legislation is a stopgap for long-term budget problems, letting states put off hard choices at a time of record federal deficits. While appetite for such cash infusions is wearing thin, some analysts say the latest package is essential to preserving the fragile economic recovery.
Poverty-related issues in the news, from the Institute for Research on Poverty