Gov. Donald L. Carcieri and state economic development officials today proposed a stimulus package that includes more than $200 million in loans and loan guarantees to raise capital for small businesses caught in the credit crunch. State officials intend to have parts of the package in place as soon as Jan. 1.

“Getting capital into the marketplace and helping strong companies grow is one of the most important things we can do to turn the tide and get Rhode Islanders back to work,” Carcieri said during this morning’s 10:30 news conference at the R.I. State House. “We know the need is urgent, and we are prepared to work aggressively to put the stimulus plan into action and get this new capital flowing.”

Full Story: R.I. stimulus plan has loan guarantees, expanded lending by state and 8 banks Source: Providence Business News, December 11th, 2008 Author: Denise Perreault Added on December 11th, 2008 at 1:37 pm, by Matt Mikula