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Strengthening Communities and Economies

The financial challenges facing our nation today are translating into some tough times for many families, businesses, and communities. The SRDC is committed to highlighting important information in the following resource areas:

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In the News

Weekly wrap: Reports spell deep trouble - November 13, 2009 - The recession has cut so deep that state governments will suffer for at least 10 years — or what the National Governors Association bluntly calls “the Lost Decade.” That was among the conclusions in a trio of reports this week that should raise eyebrows over just how bad states’ finances have become. More
Employers, Low-Income Young Adults, and Postsecondary Credentials - November 6, 2009 - This report highlights programs in 14 communities that are successfully addressing the challenge of providing disadvantaged young adults with the technical and postsecondary education that may qualify them for skilled positions. More
Rural Stocks and Economy Show Weakness - November 2, 2009 - The stocks of publicly traded companies dropped sharply in October, after reaching 2009 highs —and the companies doing much of their business in rural America saw their shares fall the most. Rural companies and products are particularly unsettled now, even as the latest economic reports show a national economy that grew in the third quarter of 2009. More
Stimulus Fueled Much of Expansion - October 30, 2009 - The U.S. economy would have turned in a far worse performance in the third quarter without help from the federal government. Now the question is whether growth can continue without that support. More
U.S. Consumer Spending Jumps; Jobless Claims Up - October 1, 2009 - The government’s “cash for clunkers” program jump-started personal spending in August as car buyers took advantage of taxpayer-financed rebates, the government reported on Thursday. The 1.3 percent spike in spending was the largest in nearly eight years, but economists said it was not the foundation for any long-term rebound in the consumer sector. The government’s $3 billion clunkers program has ended, and automakers are bracing for a drop in September sales from a month earlier. More
G.D.P. Shrank Less Than Expected in Quarter - September 30, 2009 - The American economy performed better than expected this spring, contracting at its slowest pace in a year, the government reported on Wednesday. The report offered more evidence that the recession probably ended this summer, and that the economy would now grow through the end of the year. More
More Children Fall Into Poverty as Family Incomes Shrink - September 29, 2009 - Poverty rose in the West and Midwest last year, as slowdowns in housing and manufacturing sent more families below the poverty line, according to a Census Bureau report released Tuesday. The report, part of the agency's annual American Community Survey, was the latest to measure the recession's toll on low-income families, after a boom in which low-skilled workers relied on plentiful jobs and overtime -- often in construction and retail -- to raise their incomes and prospects. More
The Geography of Jobs - September 14, 2009 - This animated map provides a striking visual of employment trends over the last business cycle using net change in jobs from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on a rolling 12-month basis. We used this approach to provide the smoothest possible visual depiction of ongoing employment dynamics at the MSA level. By animating the data, the map highlights a number of concurrent trends leading up to the nation’s present economic crisis. The graphic highlights the 100 largest metropolitan areas so that regional trends can be more easily identified. While ending in July 2009, the timeline begins in 2004 as the country starts its recovery from the 2001 recession, following the bursting of the dot-com bubble. More
Recession in Rural America by the Numbers - September 13, 2009 - Once a year the folks at the Economic Research Service publish a report on rural America. It’s called Rural America at a Glance and this year’s edition focuses on the recession.
No surprise there. Friday we learned that the recession has “plunged 2.6 million more Americans into poverty, wiped out the household income gains of an entire decade and pushed the number of people without health insurance up to 46.3 million,” according to the Washington Post. More
The Towns That Build Entrepreneurs - September 10, 2009 - Several recent Yonder articles have highlighted the virtues of rural entrepreneurs: we’ve had stories of Alabama residents adapting their textile skills to provide customized clothing, heard about the resiliency of flea markets to the recession, and listened to some policy ideas about promoting individual entrepreneurs. Timothy Collins even shared a brief history of entrepreneurial development in rural areas, indicating that entrepreneurship has been a “bootstrap approach” to income and jobs for residents with few other alternatives. More
Schools Aided by Stimulus Money Still Facing Cuts - September 7, 2009 - Children are returning to classrooms across the nation during one of the most tumultuous periods in American education, in which many thousands of teachers and other school workers — no one yet knows how many — were laid off in dozens of states because of plummeting state and local revenue. Many were hired back, thanks in part to $100 billion in federal stimulus money. More
States Ignoring Stimulus Welfare Fund - September 7, 2009 - Word of the money spread quickly. New York state had put hundreds of dollars in federal stimulus money into food stamp accounts, and if it wasn’t withdrawn by 4 p.m., 9 p.m., midnight—depending on the version of the rumor—it would disappear. So on a sultry August day, lines stretched at ATMs all over the state, a literal run on the bank. More
Economy at a Glance - August 21, 2009 - The Bureau of Labor Statistics released a summary of data concerning some important economic indicators. This summary includes data on the unemployment rate, change in payroll employment, average hourly earnings, the consumer price index, the producer price index, and the US import price index. More
Jobless Rate Went Higher in 26 States Last Month - August 21, 2009 - Unemployment rates rose in 26 states in July, a sign that the labor market will take time to improve and that budget crises in states across the nation may deepen. More
Stimulus Spending by State - August 6, 2009 - How some of the major spending in the stimulus legislation will be shared among the states. View the accompanying map to see spending by social (education, housing and urban development, health, crime fighting, job training, arts, food and farming, social security, and americorps) and infrastructure, (transportation, water, energy, military, veterans, government, outdoors, emergency shelters). More
Welcome to the Exurban Recession - August 4, 2009 - Jobs have been lost all over the country. But losses are higher in exurban counties, the fast-growing communities that can be found between the cities and rural America. More
State stimulus Web sites get mixed marks - August 03, 2009 - All 50 states have Web sites that are tracking the stimulus or providing accounting of state spending. This article discusses which states are reporting what and who is in charge. More

*Earlier In The News* Stories**
In The News: July	In The News: June	In The News: May
In The News: April	In The News: March	In The News: February
In The News: July (Click to hide) Tracking the recession: Lawmakers dreading end of stimulus dollars - July 27, 2009 - Whether they welcomed or snubbed the federal economic stimulus package, state lawmakers took advantage of the bailout dollars this year to help patch their state’s shaky finances. Now, as they start thinking ahead to next year’s budget and the 2010 elections, lawmakers are increasingly apprehensive about what will happen when the stimulus money dries up. More… GDP Data Likely to Herald an Upturn - July 27, 2009 - The government will report on Friday how the U.S. economy performed in the second quarter, and economists expect it will say the economy contracted at about a 1.5% annual rate, marking the fourth consecutive decline. That typically would be seen as bad news -- but not after gross domestic product, the value of all goods and services produced by the economy, shrank by 6.3% in the fourth quarter More… Which states get the most federal money? - July 24, 2009 - Federal spending rose last year at a nearly double-digit rate – 9.3 percent – even before the government embarked on big economic rescue efforts such as bank bailouts and the Obama stimulus... but that [money] was not distributed among evenly among the 50 states. More… The Landscape of Recession: Unemployment and Safety Net Services Across Urban and Suburban America - July 22, 2009 - In the 20 months since the current recession began it has taken a toll on people and places across the country, whether measured by job losses, unemployment, or increased demand for emergency and safety net services. However, as documented in the first edition of the Brookings Metro Program’s MetroMonitor, the magnitude of these impacts has varied significantly across the nation’s major metropolitan areas. More… Q&A: What is the next big budget concern for states? - July 21, 2009 - Even if the U.S. economy were to turn around by the end of the year, states are worried their own fiscal conditions will get worse before they get better. Several governors shared their concerns for the new budget year that began July 1 with Stateline.org during the National Governors Association’s July 17-20 meeting in Biloxi, Miss. Their responses reflect how individual states’ economies differ widely, but how their fortunes are tied closely to a national recovery. More… State tax revenues see record drop - July 17, 2009 - It’s no wonder states are having problems balancing their budgets. The decline in state tax collections in early 2009 was the "sharpest on record," according to a new report released July 17. More… Jobless Rate Passes 10% in 15 States - July 17, 2009 - Unemployment topped 10 percent in 15 states and the District of Columbia last month, according to federal data released Friday. The rate in Michigan surpassed 15 percent, the first time any state hit that mark since 1984. More… Plunging revenue causes new problems - July 9, 2009 - A wave of states that had balanced budgets earlier this year are facing new or widening shortfalls as May and June tax revenue collections are declining more than expected. More… The Recession: Rural Employment Winners and Losers - July 9, 2009 - Nationally, the recession has been a job killer. But the economic downturn varies from place to place. Today, the Yonder looks at the rural, exurban and urban counties that have done the best, and worst, over the last year. More… Rural Unemployment High, But Losses Moderated in May - July 8, 2009 - Since May of 2008, rural America has lost a smaller proportion of its jobs than urban or exurban regions. Rural counties have 3% fewer jobs this May than they did in 2008. Both urban and exurban counties have lost close to 4% of their jobs during this same period. Unemployment continued to be higher in rural counties than in urban and exurban ones in May, but those job losses were concentrated in a few states. In much of rural America, unemployment rates were at or below the national average. More… Rural Stocks Best Dow, S&P Over Two Years - July 2, 2009 - Two years ago today we began tracking the rural economy through the companies that do much of their business in small towns. We picked 40 publicly-traded companies that reflected different sectors of the rural economy. We called this group the Yonder 40 and then tracked the progress of these stocks compared to broad measures, such as the Dow Industrials and the Standard and Poor’s 500. More… Obama Sends Cabinet Secretaries to Rural Communities - July 1, 2009 - Vice President Joe Biden is joined by two cabinet secretaries in Wattsburg, Pennsylvania, Wednesday to talk about rural broadband service. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, Federal Communications chairman Julius Genachowski and Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack will join the VP at Senaca High School as part of an Obama administration “listening tour” of rural America, the President announced Tuesday. More… In The News: June (Click to hide) Power Line Frenzy Hits Rural America - June 29, 2009 - To get power from wind turbines to customers in the cities will require thousands of miles of new transmission lines. Wind is the easy part. Building the lines is tougher. More… Buyers Win, Sellers Win - June 25, 2009 - As companies like General Motors, Lehman Brothers, Washington Mutual and WorldCom, Inc. have gone belly up, the humble flea market is soaring like an eagle. What makes these tiny local businesses recession proof? Possibly it's because both buyer and seller win – small businesses make a profit and consumers save, people find a way to get what they want or sell what they no longer want or need. More… More Isn't Better In Health Care Spending - June 23, 2009 - It’s true that some people are sicker than others. Also, some procedures are more expensive in some parts of the country than others. But even when these variables and many more are taken into account, there is still a twofold difference in health care spending per person from from the most expensive region in the United States to the cheapest. Medicare spends twice as much to care for people in New York as it does for people in Hawaii. More… Energy Research, Nukes to Propel Rural Economy - June 22, 2009 - Ruger reported a $136.3 million backlog. Smith & Wesson reported a 45% increase in handgun sales this year over 2008 and the number of instant background checks in May increased more than 15% over a year ago after even larger gains in preceeding months. More… Tracking the recession: States target jobs - June 22, 2009 - While the Tennessee Legislature was slashing programs and laying off 700 state employees to close a budget gap last week, Gov. Phil Bredesen was touring a manufacturing company in the Swiss village of Birr...that he says could help Tennessee get through the economic downturn. More… Recovery's Missing Ingredient: New Jobs - June 22, 2009 - Despite signs that the recession gripping the nation's economy may be easing, the unemployment rate is projected to continue rising for another year before topping out in double digits, a prospect that threatens to slow growth, increase poverty and further complicate the Obama administration's message of optimism about the economic outlook. More… Stimulus money is slow to translate into jobs - June 22, 2009 - All that Bill Donahue wanted to know was: "Where do I get one of those stimulus jobs?" Out of work for 15 months, the laid-off charter-boat crewman living in South Jersey figured that, somewhere, there must be lists of openings made available by the $787 billion stimulus program. More… Tracking the recession: States target jobs - June 22, 2009 - While the Tennessee Legislature was slashing programs and laying off 700 state employees to close a budget gap last week, Gov. Phil Bredesen was touring a manufacturing company in the Swiss village of Birr. More… Stimulus Sparks a Summer Jobs' Comeback - June 19, 2009 - Thomas Hollister Singleton wants a car. Specifically, a Dodge Challenger, black. And while it will be several years before Singleton will be able to get behind the wheel of a vehicle — he's only 14 years old — he is hoping to start saving up with the money he makes this summer working in his first job: helping to clean and maintain classrooms at his school in Strayhorn, Miss. And what would he be doing otherwise? "Honestly, I'd probably just be hanging out, maybe at the beach," he says. More… Rural Americans Adopt Broadband, But Gap Remains - June 17, 2009 - Rural Americans increased their adoption of broadband Internet technology at a rapid rate over the last year, according to a report released today by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, but rural communities still lag far behind urban regions in the spread of fast Internet connections. More… What Makes A Good Rural School - June 11, 2009 - Three Alabamians went looking for the best of that state’s rural schools. They drove more than 10,000 miles, conducted more than 300 interviews and tested hundreds of teachers. “We did not expect to find Lake Wobegon where Garrison Keillor tells us ‘all the women are strong, all the men are good looking and all the children are above average,’” they wrote. More… Federal stimulus dollars, state deficits -- and federalism - June 11, 2009 - The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) provided a significant infusion of federal funding to states that already has had some positive effects. Namely, the money released so far has helped limit state budget cuts and tax increases, which in turn has had a positive economic impact. Despite this, the depth and extent of the downturn is continuing to adversely affect overall state fiscal positions. More… Chrysler's Closings Penalize Rural Dealers - June 11, 2009 - On Tuesday, Chrysler ended its contracts with nearly a quarter of its car and truck dealers across the country as part of the corporation’s bankruptcy and restructuring. In an analysis of those closings and 2008 U.S. Census estimates, the Daily Yonder has found that the number of rural car dealers who’ve lost their Chrysler franchises is disproportionately high. More… What Makes A Good Rural School - June 11, 2009 - Three Alabamians went looking for the best of that state’s rural schools. They drove more than 10,000 miles, conducted more than 300 interviews and tested hundreds of teachers. “We did not expect to find Lake Wobegon where Garrison Keillor tells us ‘all the women are strong, all the men are good looking and all the children are above average,’” they wrote. More… Despite stimulus, schools feel budget pain - June 11, 2009 - More than $100 billion in federal economic stimulus will help public schools and colleges survive the recession over the next two years, and for districts in dire straits, that money is a lifeline. More… Rural Americans long to be linked - June 7, 2009 - The people who live here are still waiting for the digital revolution to arrive. The local phone company, Windstream, offers high-speed DSL service in part of Plains (population: around 1,450). But those who live outside the city limits, including farmers such as Jeff Roper, don't have a lot of choice. More… Rural Entrepreneurs v. Straw Men - June 6, 2009 - Some development pros are recommending that small towns go back to recruiting outside companies. Tim Collins argues that a strong base of local entrepreneurs has to be the first order of business. More… Car Dealers, Reeling, Get Senate Hearing - June 5, 2009 - The U.S. Senate's commerce committee asks why Chrysler and GM are cutting out nearly 2000 car dealers, closing hundreds of small town businesses. Three rural car dealers sat elbow to elbow with the chiefs of Chrysler and General Motors in Senate hearings Wednesday that exposed the harsh, often bewildering maneuvers underway in the auto industry and the gruesome consequences of corporate restructuring on small businesses. More… Rural Layoffs: Losing A Grip On Retirement - June 4, 2009 - Randy Badman thought he was set for life. After all, he was born and raised in DeWitt, Neb., home of the plant making Vise-Grip locking pliers. Vise-Grips were invented in a blacksmith shop in DeWitt in the 1920s, and in past years the plant had more jobs than the rural town of more than 500 had people to fill them. More… Is Your State's Unemployment System in Danger? - June 3, 2009 - As part of our investigation into unemployment insurance, here's a look at how individual state systems compare. Thanks to a historical compromise, each state has its own unemployment insurance system, and they come in 51 different flavors -- one for each state and Washington, D.C. More… Buying The Farm: A Good Bet For Rural Retirees - June 3, 2009 - When the economy suffers, the nation's farmers also suffer — including those close to retirement. At least, that's been the pattern in the past. But in the current recession, those who invested in farmland — and not 401(k) retirement accounts — made good bets for retirement. More… First, Interstate Highways, Now Broadband - June 1, 2009 - The United States built the Erie Canal, the transcontinental railroad, the interstate highway system and, given that history, the country can provide every citizen with high speed Internet access. Or so says the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission in a report entitled “Bringing Broadband to Rural America.” More… Slumping Economy Tests Aid System Tied to Jobs - June 1, 2009 - For nearly two decades, Americans have built a safety net that is tough on those who fail to work and rewards those who do. Insisting that the poor should work and agreeing that work should pay, policy makers spent the 1990s cutting welfare rolls while pouring billions of dollars into programs like wage and child care subsidies aimed at the working poor. More… Understanding the Stimulus Package - June, 2009 - Foundation for the Mid South is dedicating a webpage to sharing information and links to resources to help answer many of the questions we are receiving with regard to the ARRA. More… In The News: May (Click to hide) Treasury Invests $108 Million in 12 Banks - May 28, 2009 - Twelve more banks have joined the pool of bailed-out institutions, receiving $108 million from the Treasury’s “healthy” bank program, the Capital Purchase Program. The money went mainly to small and mid-size banks in the Midwest, with Missouri’s Diamond Bancorp and Kentucky’s Commonwealth Bancshares leading the pack with $20 million each. More… Tracking the recession: Car dealer closings will add to state budget woes - May 26, 2009 - Just when many state governments are weeks away from the start of another budget year, a new crisis has emerged that threatens their finances: the closing of nearly 2,000 automobile dealerships. More… Top 10 Stimulus Road Projects And More - May 22, 2009 - After a lengthy, bureaucratic process, Virginia became the last state to secure funds for road and bridge projects under the federal stimulus package, according to U.S. Department of Transportation data. More… What Works — and What Doesn't in Rural Development - May 20, 2009 - Recently, the president of Iowa State University announced that he will lay off 77 county extension directors and consolidate county offices into 20 regions. Jay Howe, with the Adair County Free Press wrote about what this loss would mean to rural Iowa. More… Is the Stimulus Stimulating Jobs? We May Never Know for Sure - May 20, 2009 - The Obama administration has unveiled its plan for measuring how well the stimulus package works, and the bottom line is: Many questions will remain unanswered. More… Some Stimulus Reports Come In - May 19, 2009 - Yesterday we wrote about some deadlines in the stimulus package requiring federal agencies to submit reports to Congress and publish guidelines for new programs. Some of the reports have trickled in—10 of 17—but others remain MIA. More… Stimulus Deadline Passes, But Where Are the Reports? - May 18, 2009 - Times up. Pencils down. Today is the 90th day since President Obama signed the stimulus package, and the milestone carries a series of deadlines for federal agencies to submit reports to Congress and publish guidelines for new programs. More… The Path to California's Fiscal Crisis - May 15, 2009 - California has always been a trendsetter. What happens in California often pops up elsewhere. Which raises this question: Are the perpetual billion-dollar deficits that haunt California state government unique to the Golden State or the harbinger of what other states can expect? The answer, analysts say, is that although most states are experiencing some of the same financial stress, California’s woes are its own. At the same time, other states can take a cue from California's troubles. More… The Presidential Budget, where does rural America fit? - May 15, 2009 - Total 2010 budget outlays are projected at nearly $3.6 trillion with a deficit of $1.26 trillion or 8.5 percent of the Gross National Product. More… Through Boom and Bust: Minorities, Immigrants and Homeownership - May 12, 2009 - The boom-and-bust cycle in the U.S. housing market over the past decade and a half has generated greater gains and larger losses for minority groups than it has for whites, according to an analysis of housing, economic and demographic data by the Pew Hispanic Center, a project of the Pew Research Center. More… The Creativity of Rural America - May 7, 2009 - Could the sound of rural America’s newest economic engine be the dulcet sounds of a hand crafted duck call cascading across flooded rice land in rural Arkansas? Or could rural America’s competitive advantage lie in the unique Western art being created in the open spaces around Sheridan, Wyoming? Or how about an artist in every nook and cranny of Yancey and Mitchell County, North Carolina? More… Foreclosure Trouble Spreads to Those Who Bet the Farm - May 5, 2009 - The home-foreclosure crisis, which began in cities and suburbs, has spread to rural America. When the mortgage mess erupted, some economists believed that rural America wouldn't be heavily affected. Farms were prospering. The housing boom largely bypassed small rural towns. And exotic, new mortgages at first were seen as an urban and suburban phenomenon. More… In The News: April (Click to hide) Ranks of Discouraged Workers and Others Marginally Attached to the Labor Force Rise During Recession - April 2009 - When economic conditions deteriorate, greater attention is paid to persons who are without work and seeking jobs—the unemployed. At such times, there is also greater interest in a group of persons who do not meet the official definition of unemployment but who have shown interest in labor force participation. More... The Geography of Jobs - April 28, 2009 - View Net Job Gains / Losses by Metropolitan Statistical Area from March 2004 to March 2009. More… Does it Take More than Broadband? Well, Duh... - April 26, 2009 - The Washington Post discovers that there may be something more to economic development in rural America than just broadband. More… Rural Riddle: Do Jobs Follow Broadband Access? - April 23, 2009 - President Obama has touted broadband as a means toward transforming rural and low-income areas, setting aside $7.2 billion in the stimulus plan to help create jobs and close the "digital divide." He has been joined in his support by a chorus of countries, including Australia, which recently said it would spend $31 billion laying fiber and other networks to get ahead in an emerging high-tech global economy. More… Slump Creates Lack of Mobility for Americans - April 22, 2009 - Stranded by the nationwide slump in housing and jobs, fewer Americans are moving, the Census Bureau said Wednesday. The bureau found that the number of people who changed residences declined to 35.2 million from March 2007 to March 2008, the lowest number since 1962, when the nation had 120 million fewer people. More… Tracking the Recession: Tuition Programs in Danger - April 20, 2009 - The future of a popular program in 19 states that allows parents to prepay college tuition at public schools is shaky because of recent stock market losses and a wave of tuition increases. More… Untangling Rural Unemployment Rates - April 20, 2009 - Research has shown that the economic downturn has been harder on rural manufacturing areas than on farming communities. Taking a closer look at how rural counties have fared and potential influences, SRDC Director Lionel “Bo” Beaulieu and Research Associate Roberto Gallardo have found that outmigration, long-term poverty and other socio-economic features may account for the disparity. More… A Town and Two Companies - April 15, 2009 - President Obama’s initial attempt to end agriculture commodity payments to farm operations with over $500,000 in annual income has been rejected by key members of Congress. The focus and fuss about high income farms and crop subsidies, however, ignores the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s more important mission — bringing self-sustaining prosperity to rural America. More… When Did Your County's Jobs Disappear? - April 15, 2009 - The economic crisis, which has claimed more than 5 million jobs since the recession began, did not strike the entire country at once. A map of employment gains or losses by county tells the story of how those job losses first struck in the most vulnerable regions and then spread rapidly to the rest of the country. More… Western North Carolina Nonprofit Pathways Offers Contingency Workshop - April 13, 2009 - Does your organization need to get a firm handle on where you stand and where you’re headed in this rocky economic environment? Plan to attend this one-day workshop on contingency planning. More… Rural Job Losses Slow in February; Unemployment Rises - April 12, 2009 - Job losses in rural America slowed to a trickle in February, but unemployment increased as more people reported that they were looking for work. The unemployment rate in rural counties jumped to 9.8% in February, well above both the rate for exurban counties (9.2%) and for urban counties (8.7%). More… First Education Stimulus Aid Flows to States - April 1, 2009 - The first of $44 billion in economic-stimulus aid for education began flowing out to states last week—along with new teacher-quality reporting requirements for states and districts, and significantly more spending flexibility on school construction than many administrators had expected. More... Stimulus Guidance Spotlights Teacher Evaluations - April 1, 2009 - U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today started rolling out $44 billion in economic-stimulus aid for education that comes with new teacher-quality reporting requirements for states and districts, and also with significantly more spending flexibility on school construction than many administrators had expected. More… Stimulus Providing Big Funding Boost for Early Childhood - April 1, 2009 - Advocates for early-childhood education are taking President Obama at his word that the billions of dollars for programs like Head Start included in the recent economic-stimulus package are merely a “down payment” on future expansion. More… States Eye Education Stimulus to Fill Budget Gaps: Local Officials Crying Foul As Governors Grab for Aid - April 1, 2009 - Desperate for cash to fill growing budget deficits, state governments are starting to tangle with federal and local officials over a $39.8 billion pot of economic-stimulus money that was designed to prop up the budgets of local school districts, but is increasingly being eyed as a patch for states’ own financial woes. More… In The News: March (Click to hide) Rural Counties Losing Jobs Faster Than Cities - March 30, 2009 - Rural America has lost more jobs, and at a faster pace, than in the previous two severe economic downturns. In this recession, rural counties have already lost 3.4% of their jobs. In the 2001 recession, job losses mounted to just above 1 percent, which was higher than the recession of 1990-01. More… Rural Job Losses Jump in January - March 27, 2009 - Unemployment across rural America jumped to 9.4% in January, far higher than the 8.25% rate in the nation's cities. The number of Jobs lost in rural areas contributed to outpace employment declines in urban areas. More… A Small Town Loses a Pillar: Its Only Bank - March 27, 2009 - With fewer than 3,000 residents, Glascock County is not big enough to have its own hospital, jail or Wal-Mart. But for more than 100 years, it had a bank — until late last Friday afternoon, when regulators arrived to shut it down. More… The End of Excess: Is This Crisis Good for America? - March 26, 2009 - Don't pretend we didn't see this coming for a long, long time. In the early 1980s, around the time Ronald Reagan became President and Wall Street's great modern bull market began, we started gambling (and winning!) and thinking magically. From 1980 to 2007, the median price of a new American home quadrupled. The Dow Jones industrial average climbed from 803 in the summer of 1982 to 14,165 in the fall of 2007. More… The Phantom Recovery - March 26, 2009 - A new Pew Research Center report finds that for the typical American household, the Great Recession that began more than a year ago came on the heels of a less dramatic but equally unusual economic phenomenon: a Phantom Recovery. More… The Economy, the Stimulus Package and the States - March 23, 2009 - The best estimate, though likely a conservative one, is that states will face budget gaps of about $250 billion over the next 2.5 years, through fiscal 2011. Because of balanced-budget requirements, states on their own would have no alternative but to cut budgets and raise taxes to close this gap. More… States’ Money Woes Worsen - March 12, 2009 - Last year ended badly for states, and the first part of 2009 looks to be even worse, according to the Rockefeller Institute’s latest “flash” report on state revenues, released March 12. Three-quarters of states reporting saw tax collections drop at the end of 2008, compared to the same quarter of 2007. Overall, states' revenues fell 3.6 percent in the quarter. More… Vilsack Announces First Wave of USDA Economic Stimulus Funding - March 9, 2009 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced USDA will be delivering its first actions implementing the $28 billion provided in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act). More… Economic Stimulus Package Provides Tax Breaks for Individuals and Businesses [PDF] - March 3, 2009 - The massive $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) signed into law on February 17, 2009 provides $288 billion in tax relief for individuals and businesses. Two-thirds of the $787 billion is focused on government spending initiatives intended to create jobs and to jumpstart the economy. More… In The News: February (Click to hide) Kauffman Foundation Launches Entrepreneur-Training Program to Spur Job Creation - February 22, 2009 - The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation has announced a new $1 million effort to offer entrepreneurial training programs in communities that have been hit hard by layoffs and the recession. More... When the Stimulus Money Runs Out - February 19, 2009 - What will happen to state budgets when the new financial assistance included in the federal stimulus legislation expires? Senior Fellow Donald J. Boyd examines that question in a recent Institute report. His conclusion: Budget gaps in fiscal 2012 are likely to rival those facing states before adoption of the stimulus package. More…

About the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009

The Legislation

Complete American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 [PDF]
Ensuring Responsible Spending of Recovery Act Fund [PDF] - Memorandum from the President for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies

Its Impact on Communities

Accessing Federal Stimulus Dollars: A Guide for Local Governments - The Ferguson Group will provide periodic updates to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. These continuing alerts will give you up-to-date information from the Federal agencies as that information is released on the various programs funded in the economic stimulus legislation.
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009: State-By-State Estimates of Key Provisions Affecting Low- and Moderate-Income Individuals - The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities provides state-by-state estimates for a number of the major spending and tax provisions that will affect low- and moderate-income Americans.
Federal Transit Administration - This site discusses the transit formula program related provisions of the ARRA and provides program and grant application requirements for these funds, to be made available through Federal Transit Administration (FTA) assistance programs.
Get Your Hands on Stimulus Money - Gus Ezcurra, CEO of Advanced Telemetry, explains how business owners can take advantage of the stimulus bill's energy rebates.
Helping Small Business Start, Grow and Succeed, Q&A for Small Business Owners [PDF] - Business questions answered about the ARRA by the U.S. Small Business Administration
How the 2009 Federal Stimulus Package Will Affect Agriculture - The University of Minnesota Extension discusses tax cuts and spending programs related to agriculture and presents related sources.
Information Related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 - In order to help Appalachian communities find information on ARRA grant opportunities, the Appalachian Regional Commission staff has identified links to agency postings that may be of interest to economic and community development leaders and organizations in Appalachia.
No Small Change: The Stimulus Package and Its Impact - Patton Boggs Analysis of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
No Small Change Part II: Distribution of Federal Competitive, Discretionary, and Formula Funding - Patton Boggs Analysis of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
Recovery.gov - Recovery.gov is the main vehicle for finding out how taxpayer dollars are being spent to rejuvenate our economy.
Southern Education and The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act [PDF] - An Analysis of Historic Federal Funding to Improve the South’s Low-Achieving Schools
Strategies for Education Leaders to Obtain Stimulus IT Funding - If you are managing IT at an educational institution, you are trying to understand the best and most valuable way to benefit from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). There are dozens of provisions in the act - which ones match up best with your organization’s goals? This webcast will help Education leaders answer these questions, and understand how technology can both further their organization’s overall mission and fit into the provisions of the ARRA.
Stimulus Bill Provisions for Rural Communities - President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), the stimulus bill, on February 17, 2009. It is intended to jumpstart the nation’s economy, create or save jobs, and address other economic challenges. We discuss the most promising programs for rural communities and farmers and ranchers in this article.
Stimulus Funds Can Renew Rural Communities - In this issue you can read about many of the funding opportunities available in the federal stimulus bill. Tapping these programs at the local and regional level can provide new opportunities for rural community revitalization, but the key to unlocking the full potential of the stimulus bill is creative and innovative uses of the available funds.
Stimulus Legislation Community Resource Guide - Find summaries and copies of the full legislation, as well as copies of provisions and summaries of the broadband provisions, Health IT provisions, and science and technology provisions.
Stimulus Stings Some Businesses - When Congress approved the Obama administration's economic stimulus package in February, a little-known provision aimed at easing the pain of healthcare costs for laid-off workers triggered a financial affliction for business owners.
Top Small-Business Questions about the Economic Stimulus Package - The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 provides tax relief for American workers, but raises questions for many small-business owners about how to make the changes required under the new law. To help business owners comply with provisions of the $787 billion stimulus package, payroll-tax experts from Paychex, Inc.—a leading provider of payroll, human resource, and benefits outsourcing solutions for small-to-medium-sized businesses—have identified six top questions about the law from the company’s small-business clients.
Understanding the Stimulus Package - We in the Mid South have an unprecedented opportunity to access hundreds of millions of dollars in stimulus funds to improve the region’s economy. Information is key to understanding who and which programs are eligible to access these funds. This page will pass along important links and information on what the act is, how to access funding, and how the money is being used.

Grant Opportunities

Broadband Technology Opportunities Program - The U.S. Congress has appropriated $4.7 billion to establish a Broadband Technology Opportunities Program for awards to eligible entities to develop and expand broadband services to unserved and underserved areas and improve access to broadband by public safety agencies.
Focus on the Economic Crisis by the Foundation Center - View maps to see which areas are receiving funding as well as funders in your area with specific interests from community and economic development to food assistance.
Grants for Rapid Response Research (RAPID) - The RAPID funding mechanism is used for proposals having a severe urgency with regard to availability of, or access to data, facilities or specialized equipment, including quick-response research on natural or anthropogenic disasters and similar unanticipated events.
In Their Own Words: 2009 Foundation Giving Forecast - View list of foundations that have publicly announced their plans for how they will respond to the economic crisis.
Recovery Act Opportunities on Grants.gov - Find Recovery Act opportunities and view granter agency recovery site.
Rural Business Enterprise Grant Program Notice (RBEG) - This notice announces the request for grant applications from units of State, tribal or local government, land-grant colleges, universities, or other institutions of higher education (including 1994 Land Grant (Tribal Colleges) and 1890 Land Grant Colleges and Historically Black Universities), rural electric cooperatives, and public power entities to provide energy audits and renewable energy development assistance for agricultural producers and rural small businesses. Due date is June 9, 2009.
UK’s Overview of ARRA Funding Opportunities - The University of Kentucky has linked to ARRA grant opportunities by federal agency.
USDA Seeks Applications Seeks Applications For Grants To Repair Rural Housing - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today that USDA is accepting applications for grants to help low- and very-low-income rural residents repair their homes.

Educational Resources

Citizen Engagement Strategies

Everyday Democracy - Ideas and Tools for Community Change
Kettering Foundation - The Kettering Foundation works on strategies to strengthen democracy.
Public Deliberation Resources - Expanding Engagement through Public Deliberation and Action.

Economic Development Strategies

Business.gov - The Office Business Link to the U.S. Government
Business Retention and Expansion Course - Ongoing training to help support existing business develop and expand in today's global economy.
Entrepreneurs & Their Communities - Featured articles, activities, and Webinars for entrepreneurs and small business owners.
Focus on the Economic Crisis - The Foundation Center’s resource for responding to the economic crisis
National e-Commerce Extension Initiative - Helping people, small businesses, and communities adopt technology.
The Right Way to Handle Layoffs - On paper, cutting staff can make sense. In practice it's a painful process that, if poorly executed, can hamstring turnaround efforts
Sales Strategies in an Economic Downturn - First and foremost stay calm and don't panic! Recessions and economic downturns have occurred before. Prepare now to position yourself and your business to benefit from the eventual and inevitable climb back to success.
Surviving in a Down Economy - Courses available from the U.S. Small Business Administration
Upward Communities - Exploring viable opportunities for low-wealth communities in the Delta

Family Financial Management Strategies

10 Warning Signs of Predatory Lending - The Mortgage Bankers Association provides questions to make sure you're not being misled about your mortgage loan.
Answers for Managing Tough Times - Learn to make hard choices during tough times. Find answers from reliable resources and experts backed by research at Iowa State University Extension’s new Web site “Managing Tough Times.”
eXtension Financial Crisis Community Page - The Financial Crisis has been identified as a timely issue for special attention and content collaboration across eXtension's subject matter specialists.
Financial Crisis - News and publications related to financial crisis from Purdue University’s Department of Agricultural Economics.
Financial Security for All - A resource area on personal finance.
Financial Security: Managing Money in Tough Times - More Americans feel added stress and anxiety about their financial future as talk of rising consumer debt, falling housing prices, rising costs of living, and declining retail sales bring up worries about the nation’s economic health.
A Guide to the Recent Financial Crisis - Colorado State University Libraries presents a guide to the recent financial crisis in the U.S.
Helping Friends Cope with Financial Crises [PDF] - Montana State University Extension presents this guide on understanding how to reach out to a friend experiencing a financial crisis can help you assist them during their time of need. Knowing what resources are available can prepare you to help your friend. And being aware of signs of depression can alert you to a friend’s need for professional help.
If You Can't Pay Your Bills - The cost of living is increasing, yet the buy-now/paylater syndrome, greater expectations, higher standards of living, and sloppy buying habits are all contributing to a large number of Alabamians finding themselves in financial trouble. If you are one of these and feel that matters are getting beyond your control, don’t despair. There are several things you can do.
Managing Money in Tough Times - Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Web page
Money Management Calendar 2009 - Good money management skills should become habitual. The money management calendar is a resource that can help build and improve your budgeting skills. Begin today using this calendar to list your fixed, occasional, and flexible expenses. You will immediately be able to determine your comfort level with using a budget.
Moneywise: Decision-Making in Today’s Economy - University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service’s Web site designed to help people make informed financial choices.
Rip-offs and Fraud Cost Money - Rip-offs and fraud are unscrupulous ways to separate people from their hard-earned money. Many consumers are unaware of deceptive tactics that exist in the marketplace. Being a savvy consumer means more than just knowing how to find a good bargain. It also means consistently recognizing fraud and knowing how to avoid a bad deal.
Thriving in Challenging Times - Alabama Cooperative Extension System’s active blog addressing the economic downturn.
Thriving in Challenging Times: The Road Head - Designed as a road map to help you find your way through challenging economic times, this 28-page publication is based on information written for the ACES Web front page Thriving in Challenging Times blog. It is packed with practical tips about shopping on a limited budget, managing and overcoming debt, keeping yourself and your family physically and emotionally healthy, and saving on energy costs. The emphasis is on the basics: caring for yourself, safeguarding your family, and facing up to the challenges many people encounter along the way to recovery.
Thriving In Today's Times - The South Dakota Cooperative Extension Service offers a variety of services and resources to help individuals and families manage their resources. This site offers references to Web sites , publications, and a variety of information backed by research for planning meals, family relations, home conservation, community resources, and more to help you manage your family's resources in these tough times.

Research Reports and Statistics

The 2008/2009 World Economic Crisis: What It Means for U.S. Agriculture – The Economic Research Service reports that so far, the overall impact on U.S. agriculture is not as severe as on the broader U.S. economy because the record-high agricultural exports, prices, and farm income in 2007 and 2008 put U.S. farmers on solid financial ground.
Community Response to the Foreclosure Crisis: Thoughts on Local Interventions [PDF] - Dan Immergluck, a visiting scholar in Community Affairs at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, shares the range of responses to the foreclosure crisis in which local organizations have been engaged in recent years.
Economic Crisis 2008: What Should Rural Oklahoma Expect [PDF] - Oklahoma State University Agricultural Economics Rural Development presents data on real estate, retail sales, labor statistics and energy prices.
Economy at a Glance - Summary of leading economic indicators.
Entrepreneurs and Recessions: Do Downturns Matter? - In this study, Kauffman Foundation Senior Fellow Paul S. Kedrosky presents findings from collecting and analyzing data to find out how economic conditions impact startup success.
Findings from a National Survey & Focus Groups on Economic Mobility - In the midst of an historic economic crisis, Americans insist that despite the recession it is still possible for people to improve their economic standing, and most believe that they control their economic destiny.
Food, Housing or Health Care: Latino Immigrants Face Quandary, Research Shows - Do you feed the family, or pay the rent or medical bill? That’s reality for many Latino immigrant families in Iowa. Data from the multi-state Rural Families Speak project show the tough choices these families face as they figure out how to stretch their limited incomes to cover food, housing and health care costs.
Is Rural America Facing a Home Price Bust? [PDF] - The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City discusses the rural housing market.
Overview of the U.S. Economy: Perspective from the BEA Accounts - BEA produces some of the most closely watched economic statistics that influence decisions of government officials, business people, and individuals. These statistics provide a comprehensive, up-to-date picture of the U.S. economy. The data on this page are drawn from featured BEA economic accounts.
Rural Broadband at a Glance, 2009 Edition - This Economic Information Bulletin, produced by the Economic Research Service, discusses the size and growth of U.S. Internet use and connectivity.
A Special Report on Entrepreneurship - Below is a series of articles on entrepreneurship from The Economist
Stateline’s Recession & Recovery site - Read the latest news, analysis and research on the economic crisis in the states from Stateline.org and the Pew Center on the States, plus top headlines from around the country.
Stimulus and the States - The enormity and complexity of the federal stimulus program weigh heavily on cash-strapped states, which are required to keep track of numerous deadlines and reports for the $49 billion of recovery funds flowing into their coffers this year. Follow how states are managing the stimulus and see which programs are receiving these funds.
Through Boom and Bust: Minorities, Immigrants and Homeownership - The boom-and-bust cycle in the U.S. housing market over the past decade and a half has generated greater gains and larger losses for minority groups than it has for whites, according to an analysis of housing, economic and demographic data by the Pew Hispanic Center, a project of the Pew Research Center. More…
Transportation Challenges of Rural America [PDF] - Testimony to the House Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development on March 12, 2009