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REGION HAS PLANS FOR FEDERAL CASH
Fredericksburg-area governments develop lists of projects they would spend money on if federal stimulus package comes through
Date published: 1/31/2009
BY KELLY HANNON Stafford County could use $47 million to widen U.S. 17. Spotsylvania County would like $27.5 million to expand State Route 3 from Chewning Lane to Gordon Road. Caroline County is seeking $19.3 million to improve the Interstate 95 interchange at Ladysmith. Fredericksburg needs $950,000 to rehabilitate the U.S. 1 bridge over Route 3. These projects, and dozens more, have been put forward by governments in the Fredericksburg area as examples of long-desired transportation improvements that could be accomplished with the federal economic-stimulus money. The package worth $800 billion to $900 billion is chugging its way through Congress. Consolidating all the needs and wishes into one place, specifically identified as a proposed federal economic-stimulus package, seems like a good idea. Caroline County Administrator Percy Ashcraft said he kept hearing that "shovel-ready" projects that could be started within 90 days will be considered for funding, and the county wanted to have examples ready at hand. "It's wasn't hard," Ashcraft said. The county looked at projects it hadn't been able to fund, and made a list. The federal stimulus comes with a hitch: No one knows yet exactly much money will be available, at least until Congress passes a final version of the bill. Or how that money will be distributed. Some states have created lists of road, infrastructure and public transit priorities as they wait. The Virginia Department of Transportation has not created a list, citing the uncertainty. "We just don't know what the rules are going to be," said Jeff Caldwell, VDOT chief of communications. Virginia Secretary of Transportation Pierce Homer has said that, in general, priorities will include fixing structurally deficient bridges and paving roads. The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials in Washington has been tracking the stimulus bills closely. The House-passed version does have specifics on funding levels and the process, said AASHTO spokesman Tony Dorsey. He cautioned that it could all change depending on the final bill. But at least at the end of this week, the House version would give Virginia between $750 and $800 million to spend on transportation.
Date published: 1/31/2009
No Free Lunch
(posted by
JoetheAmerican
, Jan. 31, 2009 8:51 am)
The federal government is giving away federal money? Wrong. Obama is borrowing money from tax payers by taking on debt to pay for this stuff. Would you vote for local bonds to do all this? Sports stadiums? New government buildings? This borrowed money has to be paid back. And the only way to do that is increase taxes. Your taxes. Enjoy what you bought. Even if it does not get built here we and our kids are paying for it.
62 cents per 100 is cheap?
(posted by
wideopenspace
, Jan. 31, 2009 8:27 am)
Your neighbors in Orange are paying 47 cents. Sorry, Spotsy is not nearly the cheapest in the state. Even with our tax hike, we'll still be cheaper. Many counties in VA are cheaper than Spotsy. Mecklenburg County is paying 39 cents.........
Dean, Dean, Dean...
(posted by
jdsdad
, Jan. 31, 2009 8:01 am)
You, of all people, should know that counties, not VDOT, decide what road improvements are built. VDOT only holds the money and does the work for them.
You are so wrong
(posted by
southwest
, Jan. 31, 2009 7:31 am)
blitzburgh, you are so wrong in your statement about taxes. Spotsylvania County has one of the lowest tax rates in the state and the nation (62 cents per $100.00). I would say that building and repairing roadways and building much needed new fire/rescue stations are much more important than building a "skateboard park" that would only be used by a very small percentage of the population. This taxpayer says, build your "skateboard park" with private money not with my tax dollars.
My Idea
(posted by
blitzburgh
, Jan. 31, 2009 6:26 am)
We need a skateboard park for the kids in spotsy! Lancaster Co. just built one for their youth. But not here, with the extremely high taxes we pay, the b.o.s. decided to build new fire houses and put brick sidewalks in front of the Spotsy Spot cafe that's now out of business. This sux!
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