Idaho's federal stimulus payout $1.2 billion and counting

Idaho got its first taste of stimulus money this month when Gov. Butch Otter outlined his recommendation for spending $1.2 billion coming to Idaho as part of the $787 billion federal stimulus law. But that's just the beginning. Within days of Otter announcing his plan, federal agencies announced millions more in grants for energy and heath care. Money is coming to cities and other agencies. And Idahoans will get millions in tax breaks and reductions. Here are highlights of what we know so far about the money that will flow to Idaho:

PUBLIC EDUCATION $260.4 MILLION

What will the money do? $166 million will help pay school bills through 2011.

• Who gets it: Local school districts, to cover lost revenues as state tax receipts plummet.

• How will it be spent? $85 million will keep from having to cut public education this year. In 2010, legislative budget writers want to put $60 million into the schools budget to help ease teacher pay cuts. Gov. Butch Otter wants to hold the remaining $81 million on the side in case it is needed to shore up schools budget.

• What's next: Legislature and governor must work out their differences on the budget and how to spend the federal education stimulus money.

$24 million will boost learning for low-income students.

• How will it be spent? Money goes to schools with significant numbers of low-income students to improve learning. Low-income students typically encounter more learning difficulties than other students.

$55 million will be spent on more resources for special education

• How will it be spent? The money go to improving special education instruction in K-12 and preschool. Additional stimulus money may allow some school districts to take part of their own money out of special education and put it to work elsewhere in the district.

$13.5 million will be available through grants for improving learning, technology

• Who gets the money? Schools lagging academically can apply for $10.6 million in competitive learning grants. Schools could also seek $3.2 million in grants if they have novel ideas on how to use technology in learning.

• Where does the money come from? U.S. Department of Education.

SENIOR MEALS, JOB TRAINING $610,000

How will the money be spent?

• More meals: $485,000. Expand meals for homebound people and through feeding sites such as senior-citizen centers.

• Job help: $125,000. Train low-income senior-citizen workers who want to re-enter the work force.

HOUSING $15.2 MILLION

What will the money do? • More apartments: $8.8 million. Build new units for low-income housing.

• Help the homeless: $4.4 million. Reduce the homeless population through rental subsidies and moving assistance.

Where does the money come from?

• Housing and Urban Development through the Idaho Housing and Finance Association.

UNEMPLOYMENT $159.9 MILLION

What will the money do?

• Fatten unemployment checks: $40 million. Adds $25 to weekly unemployment checks for some recipients in 2009 and 2010.

• Lengthen the time to collect unemployment: $75 million. Extend benefits an additional six months for many unemployed.

• Add new benefits: $33 million. Provides alternative way to qualify for benefits and help part-time workers and those in state-approved training programs.

What's next?

• The Legislature must adopt laws for benefits changes, which could provide $33 million immediately to help pay unemployment claims.

ENERGY-SAVING BUILDINGS $28 MILLION

How will the money be spent?

• Energy-efficient schools: $16 million-$19 million. Survey schools for energy-work upgrades. Make some small improvements such as minor adjustments to heating and air conditioning. Could create up to 15 percent in energy savings for schools.

• Solar projects: $5 million to $6 million.

Outfit a handful of Idaho schools with solar energy that would allow them to contribute to the power grid during summers when schools aren't used. Could reduce schools' annual power bills.

Where does the money come from:

• U.S. Department of Energy

IDAHO ARTS $294,000

How will the money be spent?

• Help professional arts organizations around the state that have incurred or face job losses.

Where does the money come from?

• National Endowment for the Arts

HEALTH, WELFARE $408 MILLION

How will the money be spent?

•Paying medical bills for low-income people: $255.7 million. The federal government will take over more Medicaid costs in 2009 and 2010. Increased federal contribution will free up about $125 million in state money that can go elsewhere.

• More food stamps: $64 million. Increase payments to recipients by 13.6 percent beginning in April. Average recipient would get about $127 a month.

• Boost energy-efficiency in houses: $31.5 million. Replace windows, caulking and heat sources to cut home-heating costs for low-income seniors, disabled people and families with children under age 6.

• Computerize health records: $17 million. Digitizing health records for Medicaid providers and connecting Idaho hospitals and other medical facilities on a health-data exchange.

ROADS, SIDEWALKS, BRIDGES $181.9 MILLION

How will the money be spent?

• State projects: $148.6 million. Complete eight road projects including the Interstate 84-Vista Avenue interchange and rebuilding the deficient Dover Bridge in North Idaho.

• Local roads, sidewalks: $27.8 million. Complete local projects in several Idaho communities, including the 36th Street bike and pedestrian bridge over the Boise River and sidewalk improvements near St. Luke's Health System and the Idaho Elks Rehabilitation Hospital.

Where does the money come from?

• Federal Highway Commission.

HEALTHY FORESTS $8.8 MILLION

What will the money do?

• Fire prevention: $2.3 million. Reduce hazardous forest fuels on 2,000 acres of private land that can lessen forest-fire potential in North Idaho.

• Fix up a forest: $6.5 million. Improve roads, trailheads and recreational areas in the Caribou-Targee National Forest in Eastern Idaho.

Where does the money come from?

• U.S. Forest Service.

What's next?

• Look for more U.S. Forest Service projects - possibly in Idaho. The agency released money for only the first 10 percent of projects it intends to complete with stimulus dollars.

GOV.'S DISCRETIONARY MONEY $44.8 MILLION

Where will the money be spent?

• Drinking water improvements: $5 million. ® Waste water system improvements: $10 million.

• Transportation: $29 million.

Why is the money going here?

Gov. Butch Otter bypassed more than 1,000 ideas for projects on which to spend his discretionary stimulus money in favor of boosting work already being done for these projects, arguing they would get the most people to work most quickly.

ENVIRONMENT $61 MILLION

How will the money be spent?

• Clean up the Bunker Hill mining site in North Idaho: $20 million

• Improve drinking water: $19.5 million

• Improve water waster systems: $19.2 million

What's next?

• Some of the water money will be offered as loans, but some economically struggling communities won't have to repay the principal.

Editor's note: Figures may not add up because the list includes just highlights.

FEDERAL TAX CUTS $259 MILLION

Credit to working families: $209 million.

• How much: A tax credit will return $400 a year for workers earning up to $95,000 and $800 for couples earning up to $190,000. Workers will likely see this break in less withholding from paychecks.

• Who benefits: An estimated 523,000 Idahoans.

(Total savings estimate based on minimum credit.)

Help with college:$50 million.

• How much: A college tuition tax credit of up to $2,500 has been expanded to include more lower-income students.

• Who benefits: An estimated 20,000 Idahoans.

(Benefit estimated on everyone getting maximum credit.)

STATE TAX BREAKS TOTAL ESTIMATE NOT AVAILABLE

If the state piggybacks on federal tax breaks, Idahoans could save money. So far, no bills have been introduced in the Legislature. But Idahoans could benefit several ways. Here are a few examples:

Tax break on unemployment checks: $4.7 million.

• Suspend income tax on first $2,400 of unemployment benefits.

Help with car purchases: $1.68 million.

•Deduct sales and excise taxes on new-vehicle purchases up to $49,500.

Tax break for business:$5 million in 2010.

• Recover cost of new equipment in 2009 more quickly than usual.

MONEY FOR PROPOSED PROJECTS, PROGRAMS

Who could get it?

• Micron Technology:

The company is hoping it can tap into part of the Department of Energy's share of the stimulus package spent as renewable energy grants. Those will be awarded to renewable developers and manufacturers to cover 30 percent of the value of their plants.

Micron's solar and lighting proposal is similar to a project President Barack Obama touted in Boulder, Colo., when he signed the stimulus package last month.

•Fish habitat:

The U.S. Forest Service is planning to spend stimulus money to expand existing contracts for habitat-improvement projects.

Trout Unlimited has several projects around the state and the agency has expressed an interest in having the group do more if possible, said Kim Goodman Trotter, director of the Trout Unlimited water program in Idaho.