State government has spent $679.9 million of $701.3 million in federal stimulus money received so far, resulting in the direct retention or creation of 8,284 jobs, according to a preliminary report today from the state recovery office.

Of the $7.7 billion that is expected to flow into the state, $1.92 billion will be filtered directly through state government over the lifetime of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, according to Chris Patton, director of Wisconsin's Office of Recovery and Reinvestment. Another $2 billion will come in the form of tax credits or breaks, while the remaining $3.8 billion will go directly from the federal government to local governments, businesses and non-profits, Patton said.

The report claims more than 6,100 police officer, firefighter and teaching jobs have been saved through the use of fiscal stabilization funds. Patton said the federal reporting requirements don't require states to differentiate between jobs retained or created, or between public and private sector jobs.

"The Recovery Act really did not make a distinction between a private sector and public sector job," Patton said. "There were dollars specifically put into the program to help states and local governments meet the budget challenges they were facing in an attempt not to further create mass layoffs and unemployment."

Senate Minority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, complained Gov. Jim Doyle was touting the creation of more government jobs at a time when the state's private sector continues to hemorrhage positions and said the report underscored what a poor use of taxpayer money the federal stimulus package was.

"This stimulus funding isn't proving to be the jump-start to our economy that the Democrats at the state and national level claimed that it would be," Fitzgerald said.

More press release reaction:

JFC co-chairs Sen. Miller and Rep. Pocan

Rep. Sheridan

Rep. Nelson

RPW chairman Priebus

-- By Greg Bump