Recovery Act results in a new job for Livingston County Resident

June 14, 2010

Builder owes job "100 percent" to stimulus (Michigan)

by Christopher Behnan, Daily Press & Argus, June 14

Livingston County resident Yvonne Lewis almost became another Michigan builder with nothing to build in the state's nearly stagnant homebuilding market. But Lewis, 52 — who hasn't built a home since 2008 — soon had another job, and attributes that directly to the controversial American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which infused $787 billion into the national economy. The federal stimulus act was approved by Congress in February 2009, with the intent of creating new jobs and saving existing ones; spurring economic activity; and improving crucial infrastructure, including roads and bridges across the country.

Lewis, who lives northeast of Howell in rural Deerfield Township, seems to represent the true intent of the plan: creating jobs. She did contract weatherization work for the Oakland Livingston Human Service Agency from 2002-2009, then was tapped last year for a full-time job as OLHSA's weatherization technical coordinator. OLHSA was awarded $11.5 million for weatherization under the federal stimulus program.

Lewis' salary is at least partially funded through the stimulus, and the remainder from other grant funding. Dollars aside, she said she owes her job "100 percent" to the stimulus. "I would not have a job," Lewis said.

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