Posted on 02/10/2022 10:30:28 AM PST by Oldeconomybuyer
Reuters) - Erie, Pennsylvania could use a facelift. The lakefront city of 100,000 has been adding jobs and businesses downtown, but it remains saddled with vestiges of its industrial past: abandoned factories, ugly concrete buildings, decaying houses.
Leaders have written a stack of development plans, but lack the money needed to turn them into reality.
Now their dreams seem possible. Congress last year passed President Joe Biden's $1 trillion infrastructure law, which provides $550 billion in new funding for bridge repair, environmental cleanup and other projects that could transform places like Erie.
To win the money, local governments will have to apply for it -- and after decades of belt tightening, many lack the bureaucratic muscle to do so.
"Nobody is ready because nobody has needed to be ready until now," said Perry Wood, executive director of the Erie County Gaming Revenue Authority, which distributes gambling money for redevelopment projects.
The White House last week released a 461-page guidebook that breaks down the law's funding opportunities, and the Transportation Department has held outreach sessions for local governments.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
No problem at all. The cities will just conduct multiyear feasibility and enviro studies and consume 60% of their rehab budgets and then float bond issues to make up the shortfalls.
Another infrastructure bill that is not quite “shovel-ready”
Doesn’t matter.
The Democrats are ready to buy their yachts and condos in Hawaii.
Hey, it’s the new “shovel ready”. 🤣
Given that only 10%+/- of the money is actually going to infrastructure it can’t be too hard.
You’re a Democrat? Here is your money.
You’re a Republican that was dumb enough to vote for this? After we get done giving out all these other checks, we’ll get back to you and let you know how much is left. Thanks for your support.
Dang, you beat me to it!
+1
5.56mm
My friend runs a cement company (close to Erie PA, actually) that pours foundations for new homes and commercial real-estate. He can’t find or keep workers to save his life. He has been turning down all kinds of work for the past year.
So now stupid progressive ideologues and knee-jerk keynesians in Fed.gov want to pour $1 Trillion into “stimulus” - will that magically create new cement and steel workers? More truck drivers? Will it create new supply of energy?
NO - it will just pass through the pockets of bloated government, and what little bit trickles down will merely drive up prices further.
It would be better if they just flushed all the money down the toilet—would save everybody a lot of time.
GIVE THE PROPERTY TO SOMEONE ELSE
Let them fix it
Use it or lose it.
Health /Safety Hazard? Comdem it. Take it. Sell it.
90 days to start construction, or you lose it.
Next.
Does that mean the shovel ready jobs aren’t there. OOOH NOOO!
In the Third World USA, the only thing that is “shovel ready” are piles and piles and piles of “studies”.
Infrastructure projects usually just die of exhaustion.
Ah yes, to this shallow writer, the only solution is federal tax payer money!
You obviously have experience in these matters.
It is not a a windfall.
It’s an inflation call and savers are gonna take the hit.
Since there is no proof, or even evidence that masking has saved a single life, NO!
OOPS! Replied to the prior post on this one...
The cities are not ready because everyone has taken the year off to “work” remotely. Plus, the people who would actually do the work don’t want to be Jabbed Lab Rats.
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