(STATEHOUSE) March 25, 2009 - Elkhart County members of the Indiana General Assembly are working to funnel stimulus dollars to the economically depressed region in hopes of bringing stability back to the once vibrant area. Last week, the Elkhart County delegation sent a letter to Gov. Mitch Daniels, commending his ongoing efforts to carefully target stimulus dollars and offering local information that may help the governor with this process. Reps. Wes Culver (R-Goshen), Bill Friend (R-Macy), Tim Neese (R-Elkhart) and Jackie Walorski (R-Jimtown) and Sens. Carlin Yoder (R-Middlebury) and Joe Zakas (R-Granger) signed the letter and attached information from the Elkhart County Commissioners. Later, the group sent information from the City of Elkhart. "While you may already have this information at your disposal," the legislators wrote, "we understand that to make difficult and important decisions, one must have access to all the facts." President Barack Obama promised, in a recent visit to Elkhart, that stimulus dollars would be targeted to regions like Elkhart where they are needed most. As far as the Elkhart delegation of legislators is concerned, stimulus funds are most needed to stimulate job growth. Elkhart County's unemployment rate has reached a new high of 18.3 percent, putting its rate among the highest in the nation. The Elkhart County delegation of Indiana legislators has made restoring economic stability and the entrepreneurial spirit its top priority. |
