RALEIGH, N.C. – Only half of North Carolina voters support the recently passed economic stimulus package passed by Congress and signed into law last week by President Barack Obama according to a new poll released Tuesday by the Civitas Institute.

According to the live caller poll of 600 voters, when asked if they supported or opposed the recently passed economic stimulus package, 50 percent of the voters responded they supported the bill while 36 percent opposed it. Thirteen percent were unsure.

However, when asked the likelihood that the stimulus package will make things worse instead of better, 49 percent of voters responded either somewhat or very likely to make things worse. Only 39 percent said it was unlikely to get worse.

“Our poll shows that while half of North Carolina voters support the plan, nearly the same number thinks there is a good chance the bill will actually exasperate the current economic problems,” said Francis De Luca, executive director of the Civitas Institute.  “The popularity of this stimulus package appears to be tied directly with the opinion of President Obama’s job performance. How this package does over time will have a direct impact on his job approval numbers.”

When certain details of the contents of the economic stimulus plan were revealed to voters, support for the plan further decreased.

Fifty percent of voters said they would be less likely to support the plan if they knew that the tax cuts in the plan would only yield the average worker approximately $13 more per week. Nearly one-quarter of voters who originally voiced support for the plan said this fact would make them less likely to support the bill.

“The public is fairly well convinced that something needs to be done to help spur economic growth, however, they are very skeptical that this bill is the right way to go,” added De Luca.
Full text of questions:
Do you support or oppose the $789 billion stimulus package?
Support – 50%
Oppose – 36%
Not Sure – 13%

How likely is it that the final economic recovery plan passed by Congress will make things worse instead of better?

Very Likely – 19%
Somewhat Likely – 30%
Somewhat Unlikely – 25%
Not at all Likely – 14%
Not Sure – 11%

If you knew that the tax cuts in the stimulus package would only yield the average worker approximately $13 more per week in their paycheck, would you be more or less likely to support the package?

More – 40%
Less – 50%
Not Sure – 10%

The study of 600 registered voters was conducted Feb.16-19, 2009. All respondents were part of a fully representative sample of registered voters in North Carolina. For purposes of this study, voters we interviewed had to have voted in either the 2004, 2006 or 2008 general elections or were newly registered voters since 2008.

The confidence interval associated with a sample of this size is such that: 95 percent of the time, results from 600 interviews (registered voters) will be within +-4% of the “True Values.”  True Values refer to the results obtained if it were possible to interview every person in North Carolina who had voted in either the 2004, 2006 or 2008 general elections or were newly registered voters since 2008.

Here’s a pdf explainer on what North Carolina will get from the stimulus package.

WASHINGTON – As the $789 billion economic stimulus package headed to President Barack Obama’s desk, the question on everyone’s mind was, “Will it work?”

Even Obama couldn’t say. While he’s optimistic about his plan, he also has been candid about the uncertainty.

“I don’t have a crystal ball. And as I said, this is an unprecedented crisis,” he said at his first news conference Monday. “But my hope is that after a difficult year…if we get things right, then, starting next year, we can start seeing significant improvement.”

For everyone else, the question was subject to partisan interpretation.

Republicans said the package was still too porky and wouldn’t solve the nation’s economic problems. They complained it remained too costly – even though the compromise was smaller than either bill passed by the House or Senate.

Congressional Democrats heralded the jobs, tax cuts and help for families the package will create. They called it a triumph for the new president and the American people, even though the Democrats had to give up funding for education and cash-strapped cities and states.

Both sides cited competing economic analyses, and you can find an economist to tell you whatever you want to hear. Some say there’s no need for any stimulus whatsoever. Others predict the current package will fail because it’s too small.

Obama has promised transparency for how the money is spent at a new Web site, www.recovery.gov.
He outlined three criteria people can use to measure the success of his overall economic program, eventually.

Are jobs being created? He hopes the plan will save or create 4 million jobs.

Are people and businesses able to borrow money?

Are housing foreclosures slowing and housing values stabilizing?

The next day, he flew to Fort Myers for a town hall meeting to highlight the need for the plan.

Though the plan had not yet passed, two economically distressed people got help simply because he showed up to talk about it – and they became instant celebrities in the process.

Henrietta Hughes, 61, told the president she and her son are homeless and living out of their car. The wait for public housing is two years, she said. They need help now.

Obama responded, “We’re gonna do everything we can to help you, but there are a lot of people like you.” He added, “I’ll have my staff talk to you after the town hall.”

Before that could happen, the wife of Republican State Rep. Nick Thompson grabbed Hughes’ hand and offered her the use of a house, according to a report in The News-Press in Fort Myers.

Julio Osegueda, 19, told Obama he has worked for McDonald’s for 4 1/2 years and still doesn’t have job benefits. The exuberant youth asked Obama if the stimulus package had anything for people like him. He said he wants to major in communications in college and maybe become a disc jockey.

Osegueda quickly got an offer to be the radio color announcer for the Fort Myers Miracle minor league baseball team on Opening Day in April. He told MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann that he felt like “success is around the corner.”

There’s something simultaneously invigorating and disconcerting about the way media limelight can transform someone’s circumstances. Remember Joe the Plumber?

Hughes and Osegueda got help not because they’re more deserving than millions of others. They got help because individuals in their community suddenly saw their plight because the president was in town.

The media glare happened to spotlight these two of the millions of people in dire circumstances around the country who need help.

That’s a lesson for us all. It needn’t take a presidential visit — or nearly a trillion dollars – to create individual success stories.

The effects of Obama’s economic plan won’t be known for months or years. But every community has churches, community groups and agencies that house the homeless, feed the hungry and help people get back on their feet.

While we’re waiting for the stimulus money to trickle through the economy, wondering if Obama’s plan will work, we can help our needy neighbors.

According to the governor’s office, the following are preliminary estimates for NC’s portion of the Stimulus Conference Agreement.

These are all two-year totals except the Medicaid portion, which is a 27-month estimate. No legislative language has been released at this time and these details may affect our estimated allocations. We will update this information as legislative language and official estimates/allocations become available.

FISCAL STABILIZATION

Education:
House: $1,121,422,000
Senate: $916,057,000
Conference: $1,181,633,000
General Purpose (Flex Fund):
House: $716,974,000
Senate: $0
Conference: $252,878,000

MEDICAID

Medicaid:
House: $ 2,405,788,000
Senate: $2,243,362,000
Conference: $2,350,000,000
Medicare Repayment to States:
House: $ 0
Senate: $ 73,043,000
Conference: $ Not Yet Known

TRANSPORTATION

Highways and Bridges:
House: $802,259,000
Senate: $729,907,000
Conference: $775,517,000
Transit Capital Grants:
House: $ 110,979,000
Senate: $131,121,000
Conference: $131,121,000

Rail Modernization:
House: $358,000
Senate: $0
Conference: $0

INFRASTRUCTURE

Drinking Water SRF:
House: $67,307,000
Senate: $66,132,000
Conference: $66,132,000
Clean Water SRF:
House: $104,764,000
Senate: $71,827,000
Conference: $71,827,000

ENERGY

Weatherization:
House: $140,013,000
Senate: $78,206,000
Conference: $112,914,000

State Energy Program:
House: $77,246,000
Senate: $12,266,000
Conference: $Not Yet Known

LIHEAP:
House: $18,421,000
Senate: $0
Conference: $0

HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Emergency Food and Shelter:
House: $6,140,000
Senate: $3,070,000
Conference: $3,070,000
Commodity Assistance/TEFAP:
House: $3,326,000
Senate: $3,326,000
Conference: $3,326,000

Preventive Health Block Grant:
House: $8,602,000
Senate: $0
Conference: $Not Yet Known

Immunization:
House: $36,186,000
Senate: $0
Conference: $Not Yet Known

Foster Care/Adoption Assistance:
House: $10,266,000
Senate: $13,913,000
Conference: $Not Yet Known

Elderly Nutrition:
House: $6,096,000
Senate: $3,669,000
Conference: $3,669,000

Child Care:
House: $ 67,543,000
Senate: $67,543,000
Conference: $67,543,000
Social Services Block Grant:
House: $0
Senate: $13,637,000
Conference: $0

Community Services Block Grant:
House: $26,245,000
Senate: $5,249,000
Conference: $26,245,000

HOUSING

HOME:
House: $34,717,000
Senate: $40,607,000
Conference: $40,607,000

Homelessness Prevention:
House: $29,225,000
Senate: $29,225,000
Conference: $29,225,000

EDUCATION

Head Start:
House: $16,824,000
Senate: $8,378,000
Conference: $16,824,000

Title I:
House: $338,712,000
Senate: $323,313,000
Conference: $338,712,000

Special Education:
House: $369,346,000
Senate: $369,346,000
Conference: $333,771,000

Vocational Rehabilitation:
House: $16,325,000
Senate: $16,325,000
Conference: $16,325,000

Education Technology:
House: $24,678,000
Senate: $25,268,000
Conference: $16,041,000

School Lunch Equipment:
House: $0
Senate: $2,879,000
Conference: $0

SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION

K-12:
House: $363,695,000
Senate: $0
Conference: $0

Higher Education:
House: $187,457,000
Senate: $0
Conference: $0

Public Housing Capital Fund:
House: $83,848,000
Senate: $83,848,000
Conference: $67,100,000

STATE AND LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT

Crime Victims Assistance:
House: $0
Senate: $1,937,000
Conference: $0

Internet Crimes Against Children:
House: $0
Senate: $744,000
Conference: $0

Violence Against Women:
House: $0
Senate: $8,467,000
Conference: $0

Byrne/JAG:
House: $85,263,000
Senate: $41,457,000
Conference: $85,263,000

WORKFORCE/EMPLOYMENT SERVICES

UI State Admin Grants:
House: $14,761,000
Senate: $14,761,000
Conference: $14,761,000

Employment Service:
House: $13,702,000
Senate: $10,873,000
Conference: $10,873,000

WIA – Adult:
House: $10,442,000
Senate: $10,442,000
Conference: $10,442,000
WIA – Youth:
House: $25,324,000
Senate: $25,324,000
Conference: $25,324,000

Dislocated Workers:
House: $31,872,000
Senate: $31,872,000
Conference: $38,246,000

NC TOTAL FOR THOSE ITEMS WITH CURRENT ESTIMATES:
House: $7,361,363,000
Senate: $5,462,631,000
Conference: $6,089,387,000

RALEIGH, N.C.  – North Carolina officials say the state will receive about $6 billion from the $789 billion federal stimulus package that’s nearing a final vote in Congress.

The bill spelling out how much each state will receive during the next two years is headed for votes Friday in the U.S. House and Senate.

The state budget office said a preliminary breakdown of the bill’s spending plan shows about $1.2 billion for school modernization and other education programs in North Carolina. The state will also get $2.35 billion to help provide Medicaid health insurance for low-income residents.

Gov. Beverly Perdue is counting on federal aid to help narrow a gap in the current year’s state budget of about $2 billion, but state officials caution they don’t yet know if there will be limits on how all of the $6 billion is spent.

WASHINGTON  – President Barack Obama is hailing the economic recovery package while warning much more work is required to fix the ailing economy.

Speaking in the East Room, Obama said congressional passage of the $790 billion bill is critical but only the beginning of what needs to be done to turn the economy around.

He spoke as Congress was poised for a final vote on the legislation.

Obama said other needed actions include implementing the new plan for a $700 billion financial industry bailout program, announcing an effort to stem home foreclosures and reforming the regulation that governs the nation’s financial sector.

Obama plans to announce a housing program, perhaps as soon as next week.

WASHINGTON  – Final House and Senate votes on President Barack Obama’s $789 billion economic stimulus measure are on track for tomorrow.

Some last-minute bargaining to cut costs has led to some tax provisions being dropped or cut back, including a $15,000 tax credit for buying a home over the next year.

Nearly $50 billion of the money would to go to highway and other transportation projects.

Officials say the measure would also bring about $13 a week more in people’s paychecks this year.

Governor’s office spokeswoman Chrissy Pearson released the following statement in regards to the passage of the stimulus package:

“We are encouraged that the final stimulus package appears to restore some funding for the states to make critical infrastructure enhancements, including monies for school improvements, but many details remain unclear. Our staff will continue to analyze what the passage of this bill will mean for North Carolina as the specifics are made available.

“With this final package, one thing is clear, however: Federal money will not be the magic bullet North Carolina needs to balance our state budget. Gov. Perdue and her budget staff continue to prepare for the tough choices that remain ahead as we seek a balanced budget that best serves our citizens and maximizes our investments in key areas such as job creation, education and health care.”

CNN reports that President-elect Barack Obama is asking Congress to take “dramatic action” on his economic aid package as soon as possible, warning that a failure to do so would have devastating long-term consequences for the nation.