17 Cents

USA Today contends the President's stimulus bill appears to be missing its mark:

States hit hardest by the recession received only a few of the government's first stimulus contracts, even though the glut of new federal spending was meant to target places where the economic pain has been particularly severe.

Nationwide, federal agencies have awarded nearly $4 billion in contracts to help jump-start the economy since President Obama signed the massive stimulus package in February. But, with few exceptions, that money has not reached states where the unemployment rate is highest, according to a USA TODAY review of contracts disclosed through the Federal Procurement Data System.

While New Hampshire is not the focus of the story, as the state is not yet struggling with the same unemployment issues as other states in the nation, USA Today has put together a chart confirming a key finding of STEWARD’s economic study.

The paper found that of all the states in the Northeast region so far awarded contracts, New Hampshire ranks last in the per capita value of stimulus spending.

While New York’s contracts are valued at almost $18 per person and Massachusetts comes in at nearly $9 each, New Hampshire has received a paltry .17 cents in stimulus finding per capita.

As the nation’s public debt continues to soar, in large part because of the stimulus, New Hampshire residents should be expecting more of a return on investment from the Administration’s plans to reinvigorate the economy.