What will Jax take from the $16.2 Billion in the Stimulus Bill for the big winners of rail, mass transit, and Amtrak? Should be a chance to make "dreams come true"!QuoteWinners and losers in the final stimulus bill
From Lisa Desjardins
CNN Radio
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Here is a breakdown of who gained, who lost and who survived in the final economic stimulus bill that the House and Senate are expected to vote on Friday:
Winners
High-speed and inner-city rail: Went from $300 million in House bill to $2.25 billion in Senate to $8 billion in final version. There also is a $6.9 billion provision for public transit.
Amtrak: Picked up $500 million from both House and Senate versions to total $1.3 billion. The bill stipulates that no more than 60 percent can go to the Northeast Corridor.
National Institutes of Health: Ends up with $10 billion in the final bill. The House proposed $3.5 billion and the Senate wanted $10 billion -- $8.2 billion goes to the NIH director for his discretion.
Government oversight: Board to oversee stimulus bill spending will get $84 million to do the job. House bill allocated $14 million while the Senate bill called for $7 million. There is also more than $100 million more for various inspectors general in different agencies.
NASA: Banked just more than $2 billion, including $400,000 for science/global-warming research.
Losers
Veterans: Nearly all items for Veterans Affairs were reduced and the $2 billion the Senate wanted for VA construction was wiped out altogether. The VA did get one thing: $1 billion for medical facilities renovation and retooling.
Military construction: Cut and put into a general pot, a change from targeted money for each branch of the services. Army construction alone went from $600 million in the Senate and $900 million in the House to $180 million in the final bill. But negotiators compromised over a general military construction fund -- the House wanted $3.75 billion while the Senate allocated $118 million and settled on $1.45 billion for all services.
FBI: Senate had allocated $475 million but all was cut out of final bill.
Survivors
Pandemic flu research: Although senators agreed it wouldn't produce jobs, it's getting $50 million in the final bill, down from nearly $900 million.
Damage control
Foreclosures: $2 billion is set for a neighborhood stabilization program that helps areas plagued with foreclosures by buying back properties and preventing blight.
Homeless: $1.5 billion is directed to homelessness prevention.
Passports: $90 million is going to the State Department to deal with domestic facilities that deal with passports and training.
Social Security: $500 million goes to replace its 30-year-old computer system.
Tax breaks
Car buyers: Anyone who buys a new car in 2009 gets to deduct the sales tax. To qualify, buyer must make $125,000 individually or $250,000 jointly. Cost is $1.7 billion.
Homebuyers: First-time homebuyers who purchase this calendar year get an $8,000 tax credit which does not have to be repaid like a similar measure last year. This phases out for people making more than $75,000 individually or $150,000 jointly. "First-time homebuyer" is defined as someone who has not owned a home for the past three years. Cost: $6.63 billion.
Paying for college
Pell grants: will increase to a maximum of $5,350 per student in 2009-2010 year thanks to two provisions in the stimulus.
Tax credits: Individuals making less than $80,000 or families making less than $160,000 can get up to $2,500 in tax credits for college tuition. 40 percent ($1,000) of the credit is refundable. Cost: $13.9 billion over 10 years.
Making work pay
Tax credits: Anyone making $75,000 individually or $150,000 as a family will get refundable tax credit up to $400 per person or $800 per family.
Looks like a good day for rail. I'm sure this will help the proposed projects in the Midwest and random cities like Charlotte and Charleston get off the ground. Since Florida has nothing lined up, we'll probably miss the boat.
When the Obama administration makes it clear what they want in priority projects for the stimulus: rail, mass transit, Amtrak, intelligent transportation, education, energy independence, environment, etc., I just don't get why Jax and Florida can't have a much more comprehensive and advanced ready made list of projects in these areas that they can submit.
The fact that we have so little in these areas on the "front burners" is a snapshot of the usual absence of proactive, visionary thinking present in our local and state governments and says volumes about how these issues, despite political proclamations to the contrary, are really low priorities in our community.
A slightly different perspective:
Progressive Rail Roading - Milwaukee, WI, USA - Stimulus bill to include nearly $20 billion for rail projects, APTA says - 2/13/2009
On Wednesday, House and Senate negotiators reached a compromise on the American Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (H.R. 1/S. 1), which is expected to total $789 billion. Now, the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) has detailed what the bill would include for transportation funding.
The final bill proposes $8.4 billion for public transportation. Half of the funds must be obligated within 120 days of the legislation's passage. Until final legislative language is released, it's unclear exactly how the funds will be distributed within the program, APTA said.
The bill also proposes $8 billion for high-speed rail corridor development, a significant increase compared with the $2 billion originally proposed by the Senate. In addition, $1.3 billion would be available for Amtrak and intercity passenger-rail grants to states.
The economic stimulus package also would include $1.5 billion for a new intermodal discretionary program that could be used for highway, bridge, public transportation, passenger- and freight-rail and port infrastructure projects.
The House and Senate are expected to approve the legislation this weekend, according to APTA.