Obama signs the stimulus bill at 12:40 Colorado time
at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. I sense some snark from this Denver Post writer:
But Obama will make his grand national gesture in a state where two of his pet industries of the future are thriving
on new ideas and ambition, and which are ready to spend money as soon as he caps his pen.
The stimulus includes billions in credits and grants meant to promote green-energy production and independence from Middle East oil. Democratic Gov. Bill Ritter has long made those ideas key to his vision of creating Western jobs.
Pete Austin of Cañon City is poised to implement the stimulus bill's expanded subsidies for wind energy and business-equipment purchases. He said he will train and hire installers for solar panels and wind turbines and will finally lock up the loan he has been putting off for new trucks.
"I'd like to thank them from the bottom of my heart," said Austin, taking a break from installing a home-based solar array in Pueblo West. "I'm tickled to death that we're moving forward with legislation and policy that directs this country into energy that's diversified. We're very happy they have kept the promise."
Money for health care
Kaiser Permanente Colorado president Donna Lynne might be able to tell Obama the same thing in person. She will be near his elbow for the museum signing. The stimulus includes billions of dollars in grants to help speed patient information among doctors' offices,
Drawing on previous grants, Kaiser linked to Denver Health, University of Colorado Hospital and Children's Hospital to share files. In practice, that might mean an emergency room patient at Children's would avoid the delay and cost of an X-ray if a doctor could quickly download a previous X-ray taken by Kaiser.
"The kind of money being put up in the stimulus bill is hugely significant to both improve the quality of care and reduce cost in the system," Lynne said. "That's an immense commitment to information technology that will really put us on a pathway to improving health outcomes." Read more
Why is Obama signing the bill in Denver? According to Denver officials:
So far, it appears the state is holding up better than most others on measures like unemployment, income gains and job growth. People also continue to move to Colorado; and 4.8 percent of Colorado mortgages were delinquent in the third quarter of 2008, compared with 7.3 percent nationwide.
Colorado's emphasis on alternative-energy development and a perception that local governments will quickly turn the shovel on large infrastructure projects are why Clark said he thinks the stimulus bill is being signed here.
"We are the poster child for the new energy economy and for regional cooperation in doing big projects," Clark said.
By choosing Denver, the president is attempting to cast the stimulus package as an investment in the future rather than a remedy for past failures, said Michael Orlando, an economist with Economic Advisors in Denver.
