Senator summarizes stimulus

Pike County officials hopeful as fund begins to flow

By TOM KANE

WASHINGTON, DC - The Pike County Commissioners say there is great benefit for Pennsylvania residents and businesses coming from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). And they urged residents to find out how they can be on the receiving end of the stimulus funds.

The best way and the fastest way is to consult www.casey.senate.gov?Senator Bob Casey’s website.

“This is the first time in my memory that the federal government has allocated $130 million for rural communities for public buildings,” said commissioner Harry Forbes at their meeting on Wednesday, March 4.

Forbes will be traveling to Washington, DC to attend the conference of the National Association of Counties. “Undoubtedly, the stimulus package will be uppermost in people’s minds,” he said. “I’ll know a lot more about how to maneuver through the package.”

“The state will receive $9.8 billion, about $7 billion to be used for fiscal stabilization, helping with the budget,” said commissioner Karl Wagner.

Wagner said that counties can directly apply for these funds and not go through the state.

Here are some local highlights:

As for jobs, the White House estimates the act will create 143,000 jobs in Pennsylvania. Any resident collecting unemployment insurance will have the first $2,400 of income tax temporarily suspended. Weatherization assistance will be set at $258.8 million.

State schools will have access to $25.4 million in additional education technology funds for computers and software. Title 1 Education for the Disadvantaged will see an additional $523.8 million. Department of Labor grants for adult training will reach $16.7 million and the Department of Labor’s youth grants will reach $41.1 million.

Emergency food and shelter programs, Headstart, childcare and development and community service agencies will be the recipients of new monies.

Formula funding to state programs will receive an infusion for highways and bridges, mass transit, clean water, violence against women and other similar programs. Competitive grants will also be available to develop broadband capability, transportation programs, brown-field redevelopment and other programs.

Discretionary grants will be available for high-speed rail and aviation. Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) allocations will also see an increase.

Counties have been asked to make a list of “shovel ready” projects that could be funded immediately. Such projects should have already passed through the permit process.

“We have submitted our list to the senator, as well as to Congressman Carney and also to the Northeast Pennsylvania Alliance (NEPA),” said Rich Caridi, commissioners’ chair.

Caridi said that the exact method for funneling the funds to the state and the counties has not yet been finalized.

“We’ll be ready for them whenever they want to get started,” Caridi said.