Those funds are designated for infrastructure and science (including
money for a revolving loan fund for drinking water, clean water and
public transit); education and training (including special education
funding and education for technology); energy; protecting the
vulnerable (school lunch assistance program, emergency food assistance,
food stamps, emergency food and shelter, senior meals programs, and
community block grants); law enforcement; and several other types of
benefits.
Many economists argue that the federal stimulus package does not do
enough to help the country and predict that a second stimulus package
will follow shortly. Two things become obvious.
One, the governor need not insist on such draconian cuts in state
services that impact the neediest Vermonters. There are federal funds
in this first stimulus package to help the state through the budget
shortfall. To persevere with the cruelest of the budget cuts is simply
that, cruel. It hurts those who most need help.
Two, money is coming in this bill that will be available for
infrastructure projects. And money will be coming in the next package
to be used for similar infrastructure projects. Projects that are
"shovel ready" can best be positioned to receive money when it becomes
available.
Recently, members of the Waitsfield Planning Commission discussed a
proposed municipal wastewater project for the town. Voters rejected the
project at Town Meeting last year, in part, some feel, because it would
have had a townwide tax impact of 3.5 cents per $100 of assessed value
(or about $40 per year on a house valued at $250,000).
Waitsfield's best chance to get in line to obtain some of the massive
federal infrastructure spending that is coming down the pike is to get
this project back ready to go again and get it back before voters with
a promise to bring it to fruition if and when significant federal/state
funding becomes available.
If Waitsfield does not get in line for this federal windfall, rest
assured other towns in Vermont will not hesitate to engineer and
prepare their projects for approval.
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