Eye on the Stimulus

The first details are trickling out on how thousands of cities stand to benefit from the stimulus package. Housing and Urban Development has released city breakdowns for each of its major programs.

For example, the New Orleans Housing Authority will get $34.5 million to modernize and develop public housing. Elkhart, Ind., will get $3 million to reduce lead paint. And Los Angeles will get $29.5 million to prevent homelessness.

You can find all the Excel spreadsheets here:

• Project-Based Rental Assistance
• Community Development Block Grants
• Lead Hazard Reduction
• Homelessness Prevention
• Tax Credit Assistance
• Native American Housing Block Grants
• Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grants

Here's a great story on how the economic stimulus package will be used to cleanup abandoned mines from former Fort Worth Star-Telegram environmental reporter Scott Streater.

Recovery.gov has added a few new features. The government Web site tracking the stimulus now has a map of state Web sites and a list of agency Web sites on the recovery package. So far, three governors - from Michigan, Texas and Wisconsin - have certified that they will request funds to create jobs and spur economic growth.

Republican lawmakers announced Thursday that they're going to start their own watchdog group to root out waste and abuse in the federal stimulus, according to Roll Call. They join the watchdog pound that already includes four-star inspector general Earl Devaney, the Coalition for an Accountable Recovery and ShovelWatch.org -- ProPublica's joint project with WNYC public radio.