Tuesday, November 30, 2010

BREAKING: Voinovich introduces bill that gives Ohio flexibility on train funds

Kasich doesn't want to spend $400 million on a passenger rail system Ohio doesn't need.

Instead, he'd like to use that money to pay for the real transportation needs facing Ohio.

All along, Kasich discussed how, in his experience, Congress had found ways to reallocate awarded funds using the tools of the legislature.

And now, Congress has stepped up - specifically, Senator Voinovich. From a letter released today:
U.S. Senator George V. Voinovich (R-Ohio) introduced a bill Nov. 29 to allow Ohio to repurpose grant funds received from the Federal Railroad Administration for capital projects in the stimulus bill for other transportation projects, such as roads and bridges. Giving the state of Ohio the ability to allocate funds would benefit the state’s economy and workforce without the excessive burden placed on the state’s budget by the proposed 3C rail project.

In a Nov. 17 letter, Sen. Voinovich asked Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood to work with Congress and governors to give state leaders the flexibility to allocate transportation dollars to projects which will best create jobs. A copy of the letter is attached below.

“As a former governor, I recognize that state and local leaders, those closest to the economic circumstances in the area, are better able to determine the most beneficial uses of funding …. As someone who has worked for the past two years to push, prod and plead for this administration to work to pass a robust surface transportation reauthorization, I know providing funding for road construction would provide a much-needed boost to the state’s road construction industry and those industries, like steel and concrete, which supply it,” Sen. Voinovich wrote to Secretary LaHood.

9 comments:

  1. So Voinovich decided to actually show up and DO something for the state rather than abstain or just straight-line party vote. Kudos for him.

    Let's say this actually works. Kasich wants Strickland to immediate cease and desist all studies that would empirically evaluate and recommend the actual transportation needs of the state. So if Ohio can use these funds for something other than 3C, how are we supposed to know how to best use those funds?

    Additionally, Voinovich and Kasich, and honestly every other GOP that will be sworn in to protect this great State in January, have railed against any type of stimulus spending. STIMULUS IS BAD, they say, IT MAKES DEFICIT GROW. WE NO WANT DEFICIT. WE NO WANT STIMULUS (I use caveman speak here because it seems it's the only reason-free language GOPers and Faux Newsers understand).

    So again, which is it? Don't spend any govt money at all that is labeled "stimulus" and definitely don't research where we need it most...or gimme gimme gimme for my political livelihood?

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  2. LOL at "straight-line party vote" in regards to Voinovich...on the same day he voted for SB510 and against a ban on earmarks.

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  3. The 3C train idea orginated with the Voinovich Administration.

    Chances this bill has to become law before January? A gasoline snowball in hell's chance.

    Voinovich is just trying to help Kasich save face

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  4. @Scarlet - you never actually answer the question posed. Which is it? Disregard the need to research where the money must go or completely reject the same money Voinovich is trying to get the State to have the ability to spend wherever it wants.

    Either the stimulus is evil and must be stopped or it isn't.

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  5. I was just pointing out the silliness of you post about Voinovich and his voting record. But here goes: I don't think the state needs a $25M study to determine where it needs infrastructure improvements. Don't we have ODOT for that?

    Your petty condescension notwithstanding, the Stimulus (as legislated) was a failure. That being said, there was some support for an infrastructure-based stimulus, but that went down in partisan flames and we got the $865B Pelosi Porkulus.

    If you want to get into a deficit discussion, I don't think you will like my suggestions.

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  6. Just because some spending is labeled 'stimulus' does not mean it is good or necessary. Are we to believe that money designated for the so-called 3C train is the highest and best use for that money? I find it hard to believe that there are not other better, and clearly evident, uses for that money in the transportation area.

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  7. Scarlet>Fire

    Wow. ODOT finds this out by doing studies... like the one for $25 million. That's precisely HOW ODOT learns what the feasibility and infrastructure needs are for the state.

    Building a passenger rail system will be a better use for the money than what Kasich and now Voinovich proposes. It will create more jobs, create longer-term jobs, and impact a wider number of the population than craming another $400 million into Ohio's roads and bridges that is already got more money to fix than it's ever had thanks to the stimulus.

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  8. Complete nonsense. ODOT has a budget with current improvement needs and project needs. If they do not, then they are not doing their job.

    $400M for a system that will end up costing closer to twice that number to inefficiently shuffle people around on a slow train, while requiring a taxpayer subsidy ad infinitum is not a "better use" for any money...short of just throwing it away.

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    ReplyDelete

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