Oct. 4--TRIAD -- One point that supporters and critics of the stimulus can agree on is that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act involves significant amounts of money.

So far this year, $39.6 million in stimulus money has been received or committed in Davidson County, $33 million in Randolph County and $155.2 million in Guilford County, according to the NCRecovery.gov Web site coordinated through Democratic Gov. Beverly Perdue's office.

Reflecting the scope of the stimulus, the federal money to counties is split into 22 categories on NCRecovery.gov, from food stamps and extended jobless benefits to road projects and support for law enforcement agencies. As of late September, the state of North Carolina had received 2,325 separate awards totaling $4 billion, according to the White House-maintained Web site Recovery.gov.

Advocates for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act say local projects and spending incrementally have helped and will assist the economy as it recovers from the worst period since the Great Depression. Detractors of the stimulus, proposed by President Barack Obama and passed by the Democratic-controlled Congress at the first of the year, say the funding hasn't turned around the economy and has only added to the massive debt burden on future generations.

Rep. Howard Coble, R-6th, who voted against the stimulus, remains skeptical of the promises of better days because of the spending.

"Overall, if it's done any good, it's very limited," the congressman said.

When the president and Democratic congressional leaders were campaigning for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, they said the stimulus would limit the problem of unemployment, Coble said. But in the months since the stimulus began to kick in, national, state and local jobless levels have climbed to levels not recorded in nearly 30 years.

But Coble acknowledges that it's difficult to determine what might have happened with the economy had the stimulus not been passed. The White House and Democratic leaders argue that the economy would be in worse shape now if the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act hadn't materialized.

"I can neither confirm or reject that proposal. But it surely hasn't delivered as we were told it would deliver," Coble said.

pjohnson@hpe.com -- 888-3528

series breakouts

TODAY: Funding makes Triad projects possible, though program still has supporters and detractors.

MONDAY: Judging overall impact of stimulus program will prove tough, economists say.

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