PA Rep Curt Schroder (R-155) recently discussed the impact of the democrat supported spending bill on Southeastern Pennsylvania with PACC. Representative Schroder is currently working on legislation that requires the Pennsylvania Assembly to approve the transportation projects that will receive this federal funding. The current requirements of the spending bill allow for only 'shovel ready' projects to receive funding. This boils down to 7.37 trillion tax payer dollars allocated for some maintenance projects and a trail in Chester County.
PACC: Let us get this straight: The infrastructure money in the stimulus bill, in Pennsylvania, can only be used for shovel-ready projects that could not make it into the plan prioritizing our most important infrastructure projects?
CS: And by definition there are few, if any, needed projects that are shovel-ready and not in the up front, funding stage of the TIP.
PACC: Seriously. You’re saying, by definition, the first projects to get funded with this money must, statutorily, not be amongst the Commonwealth’s most pressing needs. Why?
CS: Well, that’s a question for President Obama, and Democrats in Congress who wrote the legislation. And, perhaps, Governor Rendell. I couldn’t tell you, exactly. But I can tell you what the result seems to be: Chester County is getting some maintenance paving projects, and a trail. That’s it!
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