IS THE STIMULUS PACKAGE WORKING?
Unemployment has skyrocketed in the recent years. It is currently at 8.9%, which is higher than President Obama predicted it would be when he introduced the bill. When he debated the importance of the bill, Obama made clear that the bill would help prevent an extreme unemployment rate however the stimulus package has yet to help the growing rate. Many people are continuing to lose their jobs at alarming rates. some believe that the stimulus package has yet to begin to help the countries economy and others believe that the unemployment rate would be far worse without the stimulus package.
MONEY TO GO TO AMERICORPS
President Obama passed the Serve America Act, which is being called “the most sweeping expansion of national service programs since the creation of AmeriCorps.” AmeriCorps was created in 1993 by President Clinton as a way to provide adults of different backgrounds with the opportunity to help those in their communities. Recently, Obama has declared that he will be stepping in to help the non profit organization. He has stated that by helping AmeriCorps he will be creating new jobs for graduating college students and many others. On April 21, 2009, President Obama signed the legislation to dump almost $6 billion over the next five years into AmeriCorps.
NEW JERSEY’S $29.8B BUDGET
New Jersey’s Governor, Jon Corzine, wants taxpayers to dish out more money to support a proposed $29.8 billion dollar state budget. Corzine says that this move will “put our state on a stronger footing for tomorrow”, when discussing the potential effect on the state’s future. The governor wants to eliminate property tax rebates for all except the elderly and citizens that make less than $75,000 a year. He also wants to raise taxes on on the rich and employers. The $2 billion that New Jersey will receive from the federal stimulus package will reportedly go to education and medical needs. Raising taxes is also part of the budget plans whick will not sit well with many. Click here for more details on the NJ budget plans.
GAS PRICES ARE SLOWLY RISING
After last year’s horrific summer at the pumps, gas prices look like they are slowly rising as it gets warmer again. The average gasoline price for unleaded gas has risen about 30 cents since December. The demand for gas dropped significantly during last summer’s price increases past $4 dollars. As the prices went down, the demand increased but seems like the prices are just going back up. If it continues, this summer will be horrific for many once again. Also, analysts say that gas prices will be rising another 5-25 cents within the coming weeks. Play it out smart everyone because times are rough and this will makes it worst.
