Are We Doing Enough for the Stimulus Money?

[stephendare]

The following is an article about the money coming from the Stimulus Plan.

Its pretty pessimistic in tone.

Why?

Should it be?

It seems like there was a whole bunch of stuff that should have been requested that wasnt? 
Whats the hold up?

Are we hoping the philadelphia and san francisco will just choke on all that money that we didnt ask for?

http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2009-02-15/story/how_much_will_we_really_get

In the countryside, money is scarce, bridges are deteriorating and plans for cleaner drinking water could come to a halt.

It's a reality Putnam County Administrator Rick Leary faces as he asks the federal government for $32.5 million. The money, he said, would create jobs while clearing needed but unaffordable public works projects from his shelf.

Putnam, one of the state's poorest counties, begs the question of how the $787 billion American Reinvestment and Recovery Act will be divided among those in need. In Northeast Florida alone, counties have identified more than $1.3 billion in projects that could begin in the next six months - if only the money was in place.

When President Obama said he wanted to rebuild the economy by rebuilding infrastructure, public officials nationwide began putting together wish lists that went heavy on roads, bridges and buildings. Northeast Florida was no different.

But infrastructure money is something critics of the package say was mostly left out.

Much of the $1.3 billion regional request comes from Jacksonville, where Mayor John Peyton has identified more than $700 million in projects.

Peyton had traveled to Washington several times to drum up support for the city. In January, city lobbyist Patton Boggs arranged a brief meeting with Obama for the mayor.

But late last week, as the legislation came closer to a final plan, Peyton wasn't optimistic.

"In reality," he said, "we don't expect to see any of it."

Peyton spokeswoman Misty Skipper later said the mayor was talking about earmarks. The city could still benefit from state transportation funds.

Denise Bunnewith, executive director of the First Coast Transportation Planning Organization, said her hopes for Northeast Florida are low. She said it appears Duval, Nassau, Clay and St. Johns counties will split $24 million to $30 million for road projects.

The state Department of Transportation will get more for state and federal roads. It's not clear how much will go to Northeast Florida.

One massive project on Nassau County's list is a $233 million upgrade to Florida A1A, but County Coordinator Ed Sealover said he may be jumping through a lot of hoops - even hiring a lobbyist - to no avail.

"I guess sarcastically you could say with the state having its financial problems, how much will be sent down to the cities and the counties?" he said. "Probably the counties will get the short end of the stick."

Getting in line

Sealover isn't alone.

St. Johns County hired a lobbyist, too. The $36,000 contract with The Fiorentino Group became effective Tuesday, county spokeswoman Karen Pan said.

St. Johns County Commissioner Cyndi Stevenson said the growing county's challenges demanded a voice in Washington.

"Everything changes every 10 minutes," she said. "It seems like it's become a cottage industry to be heard."

JEA government liaison Bud Para said he will likely spend the next two to three months tweaking project proposals. Until now, the city-owned utility was looking for more than $100 million to help build its Greenland Energy Center.

Para said that kind of project appears to be out of the question, but there are other opportunities in clean energy JEA may be able to use.

A breakdown of potential stimulus spending provided by U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., shows $30 billion going into energy projects, generating an estimated 500,000 jobs.

Other parts of the package focus on education, health care and scientific research. Transportation projects would get $29 billion nationwide, according to the estimates.

During an interview Friday, U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown, D-Fla., commended Congress for finding room for $17.3 billion in additional rail and transit projects although it was unclear how much of that funding could affect Jacksonville.

"We need to give America a face lift," Brown said. "This is part of doing just that."

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi distributed a breakdown showing Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia, combined, would be building or preserving 41,600 jobs, but it's not clear exactly how.

In the Duval County school system, needs are numerous. Spokeswoman Jill Johnson said administrators would like to get money for roofing, parking lot paving and plumbing upgrades, but it's unclear if they will.

"The bill keeps changing," she said. "But it would go toward moving these projects forward. We'll take all we can get."

John Taylor, a senior fellow with the Hoover Institution, a conservative think tank, said a small investment in infrastructure soured him on the package. And the scarce funding could lead to quite a fight among public officials who'd spent months working on lists of public works projects.

"There's no question that there will be issues of power and influence," Taylor said. "This is the nature of politics."

Discouragement sets in

If such a war breaks out, Putnam's Leary is among the least armed.

He's sent letters to Brown and U.S. Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., but can't afford much more.

"I am becoming increasingly concerned and a little bit discouraged ... because of the small amount of [infrastructure] money that's being set aside in both the House and Senate version," Leary said.

He also said he fears counties like his will be vastly outgunned by what he called "entitlement cities and counties," like Miami-Dade and Tampa.

But Department of Transportation District Secretary Charles Baldwin said the plan would come with a requirement that rural counties facing bankruptcy get financial help.

This month U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood told Reuters that money for transportation projects would go through state departments of transportation, which would then allocate the money.

Jacksonville is pushing for stimulus money for Better Jacksonville road projects as well as partial funding for the city's controversial courthouse replacement.

Cragin Mosteller, spokeswoman for the Florida Association of Counties, said having the money go through the state is frustrating for local governments.

Although if some money could go directly to existing programs like community block grants and neighborhood stabilizing committees. They'd like to see more money allocated that way, Mosteller said.

Baldwin said all transportation funds will come to the Department of Transportation through the Federal Highway Administration. The department is accumulating lists from all 79 jurisdictions that Baldwin supervises in Northeast Florida. All are being asked to provide a list of projects that are ready to go.

david.hunt@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4025

larry.hannan@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4470

[thelakelander]

Yes.  We published a front page article on it about two weeks ago.  Here's the link:

http://www.metrojacksonville.com/content/view/1001/115/

[thelakelander]

Btw, just because its on our list does not mean it will be funded.  Most of this stuff will not.

[Charles Hunter]

From an article this weekend in the TU: http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2009-02-21/story/transportation_projects_good_to_go

STATE PRIORITIES OF LOCAL PROJECTS
Here is a tentative priority list of "ready-to-go" area projects that will be submitted for funding by Florida's portion of the economic stimulus plan, according to Gina Busscher, Florida Department of Transportation District Two public information director (proposed cost in parentheses). Priorities are subject to change. * marks projects that have been deferred because of cost increases or revenue reductions:
CLAY COUNTY: Florida 23 overpass at Plantation Oaks, new project ($14,671,695).

*DUVAL COUNTY: Beach Boulevard, six-laning from Hodges Boulevard to San Pablo Road ($29,834,384).

*NASSAU COUNTY: Florida 200 (A1A) from Stratton Road to Griffin Road ($56,634,327).

AREA AGREED-UPON PRIORITIES
Here are the priority projects agreed upon by the area Transportation Planning Organization. All are "shovel ready" and could begin within 90 to 120 days after money is received. Projects are subject to change:
CLAY:
Improvements to Peoria Road from County Road 224 to Moody Road ($1.55 million);
construct a right turn lane at Kingsley Avenue at U.S. 17 ($420,000);
resurface Knight Boxx Road from Blanding Boulevard to County Road 220 ($480,000).

DUVAL:
Resurface and modify the intersections at Alta Drive and New Berlin Road from Zoo Parkway to Florida 9A ($7.5 million); [this is apparently for the Port - looking at a map, it links Dames Point with 9A]
drainage improvements, safety upgrades, and signal system upgrades, and resurface Ninth Street (and South Beach Parkway) from Butler Boulevard to Beach Boulevard ($5 million).

NASSAU:
Resurface Eighth Street from Alachua Street to the Port of Fernandina ($115,000);
resurface 14th Street from Atlantic Avenue to Pogy Place ($660,000).

ST. JOHNS: Ramp improvements at Interstate 95 and Florida 207 ($2.2 million);
signal system upgrade on County Road 210 and Race Track Road ($1.3 million);
various sidewalk improvements ($875,000);
resurface County Road 214 (West King Street) from County Road 13 to U.S. 1 ($2.2 million).

OTHER COUNTY PRIORITIES
Here are priority projects requested by counties outside of the Transportation Planning Organization. Projects are subject to change:
BAKER:
Resurface County Road 125 from U.S. 90 to County Road 127 ($750,000);
resurface County Road 130 from County Road 229 to County Road 125 ($700,000).

CLAY:
Resurface and add paved shoulder to County Road 214 East from Florida 100 to County Road 315C ($1,508,800).

NASSAU:
Resurface County Road 2 from Georgia state line to County Road 121 ($459,000).

ST. JOHNS:
Pipe and box culvert extension for County Road 214 from County Road 13A to Florida 13 ($198,371);
resurface and add paved shoulder to County Road 214 from County Road 13A to Florida 13 ($1,328,421).

Source: Florida Department of Transportation

From what I've heard, the DOT is getting less money than they had anticipated from the stimulus bill.