COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A $787 billion injection into the American economy has supporters hoping for new jobs, a way to keep old ones and help erase a long and deep recession.
As President Barack Obama was signing the bill into law, Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman was making plans to visit the President this week, saying he's going to fight for every dollar, NBC 4's Mike Bowersock reported.
President Obama mentioned Central Ohio directly in his speech about the stimulus package Tuesday.
"Recruits like the ones in Columbus, Ohio, who were told that instead of being sworn in as officer, they were about to be let go," he said.
"I think the President recognizes that Columbus is a very important part of this country or he wouldn't have mentioned it in the signing of this stimulus bill," Coleman said.
Coleman is going to Washington on Thursday to meet with the President and ask for stimulus money to bring those Columbus police recruits back.
Twenty-seven Columbus recruits were cut in January following months of training and just days before they were scheduled to join the force.
Safety was on the minds of Columbus residents Tuesday night.
More than 400 positions have been eliminated in the last year, but it's the police positions that are most alarming.
But if the money will come, when that would be and the amount Columbus will see isn't certain yet.
"There's no way to know right now. We're fighting for every dollar," Coleman said.
The funds cannot be used to fill in the budget gap, officials said. The money would have to be used to create jobs.
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