Engage with the MA Recovery and Reinvestment Office

Jeffrey Simon

Director, MA Recovery & Reinvestment Office

View Jeffrey's Bio

Greetings, I’m Jeffrey Simon.  I head up the Massachusetts Recovery and Reinvestment Office.  Governor Patrick has assigned our office the task of overseeing the federal stimulus program here in Massachusetts.  I’d like to fill you in on what we’ve been up to.  Most importantly, I want you to engage with me and tell me what you think about what we’re doing.  I should mention that I am new to blogging, so please go easy on me at the beginning if I make a mistake.  Hopefully we will be able to start a dialogue or a discussion about what this program means and how it works.

You probably know that last February, Congress passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act - thus the name of our office.  This is a $787 billion law designed to get the economy going again and to help those who have been hurt by this terrible economic situation.  Those are the two main goals of the Recovery Program – to stabilize and to stimulate.  Stabilize the lives of the people and stimulate the economy.  The thinking behind this is that if we can stop the slide backward, we can try to move forward by spending money on solid projects that need to be done and at the same time put people back to work. 

So we are working in Massachusetts to make that happen.  Out of the $787 billion, we figure that about $14 billion of that will benefit Massachusetts one way or the other; just over $4.5 billion in tax and bond financing issues and $3 billion directly to cities and towns, non-profits, private companies and health and educational institutions.

 April 17, 2009, Governor Deval Patrick joined Congressman John W. Olver in breaking ground on the Commonwealth’s first “shovel ready” stimulus project – a regional transit center in Greenfield.

That leaves about $6 billion that flows through state agencies that I want to talk with you about.  I’d like to share details about the rest of the program as well, but I’m going to start by talking about the money that actually comes through state government. Here’s how it’s being spent:

 
Today is really just an introduction, so I won’t get into a lot of detail (check out our Citizens' Update for more detail).  But I do want to ask you to help me out.  If you have a question, ask me.  If you want to make a comment, tell me - whether you think I’ll like it or not.  Let me know how the recovery program is affecting you in your city or your town or tell me if anyone knows how it’s going.  Do people in your city or town even know which programs are stimulus programs?  All of this is information that will help me do a better job for you, which is why the Governor appointed me.

Thanks for listening.

Comments

[J Porter]

Mr Simon,

Glad that you responded to my questions for people over fifty.
Well, everything that you said has been done, I have been on job quest, resume posted well before I had no employemnt. I am not the only with this problem. I keep sending out resumes and I keep getting rejected. It seems that age does matter today,the younger generation are the ones that are getting these jobs. Again, I read that more stimulas money going to a program(weatherization) for the youth and ex offenders.Why is it for the younger generation, I can learn that just as much as someone younger.I don't see anything being created for us older tax paying Americans. This is so frustrating.

[Jeffrey Simon]

Jeffrey Simon responds:

I can feel the frustration in your note. When I read it, I talked with some of our people who have experience in helping people in situations like your make what can be a difficult transition.

Here is what I came up with: a good resource that I can recommend is visiting your local One Stop Career Center. Stimulus funds are supporting enhanced services at all of the Commonwealth’s 37 One Stop Career Centers and many of them have services designed specifically for people your age (I’m the same age as you).

Since you blogged, I am assuming that you have access to a computer. Hopefully you do and can go to the link that says Find your local One Stop Career Center at www.mass.gov/careercenters. Services for job seekers include: job search assistance and access to online job listings; career counseling; coaching on job search skills; workshops on a variety of job search strategies; access to resources including PCs, reference materials, resume building software and economic data; and networking groups.

All of the One Stop Career Centers are membership organizations – membership is free of charge, but you need to register to be eligible for services.

Stimulus funds also provide additional training and education resources to individuals who qualify through the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), which is a federally funded program. Individuals may receive free education and training following an eligibility assessment. Again, you need to visit your local One Stop Career Center to see if you qualify.

I also want to make sure you know about a very useful online tool to use in your job search. JobQuest (www.mass.gov/jobquest ) is the state’s job bank and resume bank that brings together many tools for job seekers.

Job Bank: You can find jobs posted directly by employers throughout Massachusetts and neighboring states; jobs recruited by One-Stop Career Centers; jobs posted by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, jobs created by the stimulus bill, and jobs from the national job bank, Job Central (www.jobcentral.org).

Resume Bank: You can also register in JobQuest and add in your own work history and skills. Then match your job history and skills profile against jobs in the system to focus on jobs that are the best match for you. Post a resume so employers can find you as they search for qualified candidates.

Explore Career Tools and Services for Job Seekers: Use the buttons on the right-hand side of the JobQuest homepage that will link you to useful information that you cannot find on other job sites.

Research Jobs through the Massachusetts Career Information System: This is a great interactive tool to explore occupations and careers in Massachusetts. This site allows you to browse different job types, find information on the employment levels, wages and types of employers offering those jobs. It also allows you to view the education and training requirements to qualify for a job and connects you to the education and training institutions in the state that offer those programs. Want to be an accountant? – find out about the job, look at what it takes to get hired and then find the right education and training programs in your area that offer the program. Link directly at www.masscis.intocareers.org/ or through the JobQuest homepage at www.mass.gov/jobquest.

So are you sorry that you asked? I hope not and I apologize for giving this really long answer, but we actually have a lot of services that are available. I want to be sure that I tell you about as much as possible.

Let me know if any of this is what you need. If it isn’t, let me know that, too, and I’ll try again.

Thanks for writing,
Jeffrey

[J Porter]

Where is the stimulas money going for jobs? I have been out of work over a year, I'm a female in my late fifties and I don't see myself every finding a job again because of my age. Who would hire me in construction, or renewable energy projects with no experience. This whole think is a joke if you ask me.

[Jeffrey Simon]

Jeffrey Simon responds:

Thanks for your question. There is a program being administered by the Division of Public Housing and Rental Assistance called the "Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program" sponsored by ARRA funding. This program supports homelessness prevention and rapid re-housing efforts including short- and medium-term rental assistance, housing relocation and stabilization services, mediation, credit counseling, security or utility deposits, utility payments, moving cost assistance, or case management. While I don't believe landlords are capable of receiving these funds, it is clear that their tenants may be able to qualify. I would suggest your tenants contact the Division of Public Housing and Rental Assistance at 617-349-6347 for further assistance.
I hope this is helpful.

Best,
Jeffrey

[hurting landlord]

i was curious if there were any plans to help struggling landlords at all during this down economic time. i have five units and am just your average everyday worker. my tenants have been getting laid off and some unable to pay thier rents and its getting tough to help them thru this with my resources depleted from some not paying at all and needing to be evicted. im housing 21 people at the moment but if this trend remains there will be 22 of us looking for places to live very soon. what is the state doing to help out landlords or even home owners in general and where can i go to get the help needed?

[James Granfield]

I appreciate the efferts of the administration trying to keep the budget intacked in these terrible economic times. We all want to make sure that no one is left behind. I would like to see everyone make it safely through these bad times. I also want to make a point state employees are suffering along with every one else. The people working in management had too take 5 days off without pay. They have to take up to 9 days off without pay. The workers are willing to take time off without pay also. We are paying more for the health care costs. The IRS allowance for reimbursement for auto expenses is $0.55 per mile and the state workers get $0.40 per mile. We are trying our best to help like everyone else. Like the rest of the people in the Commonwealth, we are struggling to pay our own bills at home.

[Joe Smith]

It is good to hear about the Assembly Square investment, as well as the Route 24 interchange work planned. But I would be careful with the claim "creating hundreds of short-term construction jobs and thousands of permanent jobs" as these often prove to be not true.

Building the infrastructure is a necessary piece of the economic development puzzle, but that isn't enough. Moving jobs from one place to the other doesn't really help overall, unless of course the jobs are from another State. Creating jobs is more difficult, and infrastructure merely creates a comfortable home for those jobs to be located. That is my point on using the universities as a catalyst for productive jobs. When the State makes an investment in the universities, such as with the Life Sciences bill, there should be a business plan to recoup that investment many times over. For a $1B State investment, I would think a minimum of a $10B return over 20 years should be the goal. How do you realize this, and how can ARRA funds provide immmediate jobs that are the first step in this process? And how would the State measure the financial return, would it be income/corporate tax revenue on the new enterprises that resulted?

Unfortunately, ARRA can only be the enabler of this. But it is wasted without the overall plan.

[Jeffrey Simon]

Thank you for your comments.

We have already made nearly $2 billion in stimulus investments in Massachusetts, with the vast majority—over $1.3 billion so far—spent on safety net programs such as Medicaid and unemployment insurance. Another $435 million in federal funds has supported education programs, helping to retain over 6,000 teaching jobs (measured as full-time equivalents).

With regard to infrastructure, the Commonwealth is going to great lengths to leverage public infrastructure improvements with private investments. For example, the Assembly Square development project in Somerville will couple roadway and MBTA Orange Line improvements with a massive private development project that will feature millions of square feet of retail and office space, creating hundreds of short-term construction jobs and thousands of permanent jobs that will last beyond the lifespan of the recovery program.

We are targeting our public infrastructure investments with an eye toward investing not only in construction jobs in the short term, but in long-term job creation and economic growth. We aim to invest in infrastructure improvements, such as the Route 24 interchange in Fall River, which will catalyze additional redevelopment and investment in the surrounding areas.

We also strive to invest in areas that speak to Massachusetts’ strengths, working to ensure that stimulus investments maintain the state as a leader in biotechnology and clean energy.

Governor Patrick has committed his administration and our office to the highest standards of transparency and accountability. To that end, we will continue to post regular updates to our website, www.mass.gov/recovery, and through that site and this blog, we invite the public to review all the information we have available on stimulus funding and projects, as well as to share with us their thoughts and concerns. If you have a particular question about the impact that recovery dollars have had on your community, please send our office an email at contact.stimulus@massmail.state.ma.us and we'll get back to you. Thank you for your comments.

[Sarah B. Kurko]

I agree with Dorothy's statement, "I don't think the average person knows how ARRA is affecting his community."

I live in the Boston/Chestnut Hill area and I don't know anyone who is savy about the ARRA or would even know what the abbreviation stands for. City people are more concerned with transportation issues versus highway build up. But I don't think that they look at ARRA in a negative light, I think they are not aware of the organization.
FYI, I am interested in ARRA for business purposes and for this reason generally I am more informed than most.

[Janet Reese]

All I keep hearing in the news is how the state is cutting services for homeless shelters, bridges are in disrepair that the are crumbling and the MBTA is unsafe for the riders. Next thing I hear is that the state wants to pay for a footbridge for the Patriots. This is the most ludicrous waste of taxpayors money. Whoever dreamed up this idea really needs a reality check. Let the owner of the Patriots pay for any improvements to the infrastructer not the state, not on my dime.

[Dorothy]

We can use the money for housing, education and small business rather than building a bridge at Foxboro for the Patriots. I mean I am a fan but I think money can be better utilized where it best serve the people. We are spending a lot on shelters when than money could be used to increase Section 8 housing certicates. It could be used to fund small business already operating or ones that want to start up.

[Joe Smith]

Your last question first - I don't think the average person knows how ARRA is affecting his community. I live in the city of Lowell, and recently the city councilors had to request a report on how ARRA was assisting the city government. It was a satisfactory report for them, but I don't think it excited the average citizen. What the average citizen may see is a set of road projects, without clear knowledge that it is ARRA funds, although I have recently seen site postings noting that.

What is not clear is how the ARRA funds are being leveraged to boost private investment, and more importantly to create not only immediate jobs, but sustaining ones. I think the biggest payoff would be if you could create the infrastructure modifications that would enable creative jobs in key areas, such as in the vicinity of the universities so as to encourage productive investment. And for the State universities in particular, the research efforts that lead to jobs should have a payback analysis for State investment - payback to the State, not merely the universtity. The combination of ARRA funded infrastructure and State funded research facilities should lead to value-added jobs that will boost the entire economy of the area.

So not only make the investments, but have a good way to measure success and report it to the public. With unemployment so high, it is too easy to listen to those who consider ARRA in a negative light.