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Press Release:
Governor Announces Federal Stimulus Package Includes $8.2 Billion in Funding for Ohio
Ohio Governor Ted Strickland today announced that Ohio will receive at least $8.2 billion in federal funds as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that President Barack Obama signed into law today.
“I applaud President Barack Obama’s visionary leadership and the efforts of Senator Sherrod Brown and the other members of Ohio’s congressional delegation who voted for this vital and necessary bill,” Strickland said.
“The effects of this recession reach deep into the lives and pocketbooks of everyday Ohioans. The federal stimulus is the right investment at exactly the right time to jumpstart the stalled economy. These resources will save or create more than 130,000 jobs for Ohioans and provide tax cuts to working families, while also helping to protect essential state services that Ohioans rely upon every day,” Strickland said. “The stimulus resources will enable Ohio to make targeted investments in the critical sectors of our economy that will create and grow jobs – laying the foundation for future economic growth and shared prosperity.”
Impacts of the $789 Billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act on Ohio
According to Federal Funds Information for States (FFIS) and the General Accounting Office (GAO), Ohio is estimated to receive at least $8.2 billion in federal stimulus resources, which are outlined below.
In addition, state and local governments and other entities will be able to compete for other federal stimulus funds. Finally, other resources, such as Pell Grants and Unemployment Compensation, will be available to individuals who qualify.
Direct Relief through State Fiscal Stabilization Funds and Enhanced Federal Medical Assistance Percentages (FMAP): $4.8 billion
The legislation provides direct fiscal relief to Ohio through state budget stabilization resources, including approximately $3 billion in increased Medicaid reimbursements, $1.5 billion for education (including school modernization) and $326 million in general government operations which will be allocated for health and human services, public safety, education, and protecting and preserving Ohio’s natural resources.
Infrastructure: $1.5 billion
The legislation allocates $971 million for highway and bridge projects, $203 million for transit capital grants and $9 million for rail modernization. Additionally, the legislation provides $58 million for the Drinking Water SRF program and $224 million for the Clean Water SRF program.
Education: $981 Million
The legislation provides $461 million in special education funding, $472 million in Title 1 funding, $44 million for vocational rehabilitation for Ohioans with disabilities, $23 million for technology in schools, and $3 million for school lunch equipment.
Health and Human Services: $597 million
The legislation provides $146 million for the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), which includes training and employment services for dislocated workers as well as training and counseling activities for adult workers and youth.
Additionally, $68 million in stimulus funds will be allocated for child care services, $27 million for the Head Start program and $39 million for community services block grants. The legislation also allocates significant resources for food and housing assistance, including $129 million to the Public Housing Capital Fund, $65 million to the HOME program and $66 million for homelessness prevention efforts.
Energy: $399 million
The legislation provides $277 million in home weatherization assistance and $123 million for the State Energy Program.
Criminal Justice: $75 million
The legislation provides $62 million for the Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) and additional funds for crime victims assistance, Internet crimes against children and violence against women.
200 million for transit? Wonder how that’s going to play out…
Of the $1,183 Million for transportation, only 17.2% is for transit compared to 82.1% for highways/bridges. That’s even lower than the typical split of federal transportation money. Disappointing.
Hopefully Ohio can win some of the national competitive grants for things like high speed rail.
roads and bridges are what FDR used to get us out of the depression…or at least kept some people working. high speed rail will come…
Roads and bridges because they didn’t already exist, not rehabbing existing roads and bridges…big difference. Had FDR put a couple hundred million into the Pony Express, it’d be a more suitable comparison.
Also there is this from Gongwer
PLAN FOR AUTOMATED SPEED CAMERAS IN ROAD CONSTRUCTION ZONES DRAWS SUPPORT, CONCERN IN HOUSE SUBCOMMITTEE
The Department of Public Safety assured a House panel Tuesday that a plan in the pending transportation budget to install automated cameras to catch speeders in construction zones would not be expanded without additional legislative approval.
The proposal to employ the same kind of systems that many cities now use to catch red light violators drew no outright opposition in the House Finance Transportation and Justice Subcommittee.
Republicans, however, raised concerns about whether citations in such cases would follow a vehicle owner or a driver, and about whether the bulk of revenue raised would go to a vendor instead of the state.
Public Safety Director Henry Guzman said that based on experiences elsewhere, use of the automated speed enforcement system would reduce the number of accidents, making work zones safer for construction crews and motorists.
“It’s very difficult for the highway patrol to enforce speed limits in construction zones. At least 13 fatalities occurred in construction zones in 2008,” he said. Overall, he said, 4,830 accidents occurred in the same areas.
Mr. Guzman told the subcommittee, which is reviewing Gov. Ted Strickland‘s proposed two-year, $7.5 billion transportation budget, that the department would seek bids from vendors to operate the cameras.
As with red light traffic cameras in municipalities, the contractor selected would receive a percentage of fine revenue. Citations would be civil, and violators would not see points added to their driver’s licenses.
Rep. Peter Ujvagi (D-Toledo), the subcommittee chairman, wondered if the department was considering expanded camera use outside of construction zones.
“If there is an interest in changing the policy you would have to come back to the legislature?” he asked.
Director Guzman did not rule out the eventual possibility, but said there were no plans to do so at present.
“It would be naïve for me to come here before you and indicate that everything is off the table … (but) at this point in time we’re only concentrating on construction zones,” he said.
“This legislation is specific to construction zones only,” Mr. Guzman said. “We would have to come back to you.”
Use of cameras to nab red light violators has drawn some opposition in Toledo and other cities.
Chairman Ujvagi said the devices have reduced accidents. “I know there’s a lot of debate around this issue. But it has had a positive impact on safety,” he said.
Automatic cameras in construction zones represent one of two safety initiatives for which legislative authority is being sought in the transportation budget (HB 2).
The second would elevate to a primary offense the failure of motorists to use seat belts. Police could stop them for that alone in the absence of another violation, which is required under current law.
Director Guzman said enactment of the seat belt provision would qualify Ohio to receive about $27 million in federal grants for highway safety purposes. He said states that enact such measures also have the potential of receiving additional unallocated federal funds.
Rep. Ross McGregor (R-Springfield), the ranking minority member on the panel, said he was keeping an open mind about the speed cameras, but acknowledged he does not like the systems used to cite red light violators.
“I am concerned, with any automated enforcement device, that revenue generation is being masked in the name of safety,” Rep. McGregor said in an interview.
“There are a lot of concerns. For example, who is going to get the fine? Is it the driver or the owner of the car? Speeding is only caused by the person behind the wheel. That’s where the penalty lies, not just because they’re driving a car that doesn’t happen to be theirs,” he said.
Rep. Cheryl Grossman (R-Grove City) sought clarification about how revenue the cameras generate would be distributed. She indicated the major portion of proceeds from red light cameras in cities goes to vendors who supply them.
“I want to make sure construction workers are safe out on the roads, no question on that,” Rep. Grossman said. “But someone’s getting a big portion of these administrative fees other than the state of Ohio.”
The seatbelt provision drew an endorsement from the AAA East Central.
Brian Newbacher, the group’s director of public affairs, said the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates passage of the measure in Ohio would lead to an increase of seven percentage points in belt usage.
“Based on this likely increase in usage rates, Ohio would save 64 lives with a primary law, prevent 1,574 serious injuries and save $280 million in costs on an annual basis,” Mr. Newbacher said.
He tried to counter opposition arguments that government should not intrude on a driver’s personal choice about whether or not to use safety belts.
“AAA believes it’s actually an imposition on others’ rights when society is forced to pay more money for health care for people who don’t buckle up,” Mr. Newbacher said.
Chairman Ujvagi initially advised members that any recommendations for changes, “not necessarily direct amendments,’ be submitted by Wednesday night.
He expects to deliver a subcommittee report to the full Finance & Appropriations Committee, where a substitute bill likely will be prepared. He said amendments would be offered in the full committee.
Rep. McGregor requested the deadline be extended to 4 p.m. Friday. Chairman Ujvagi said he did not think that would be a problem.
“Let me speak with leadership,” Rep. Ujvagi said. “This has to be moved over to the Senate very expeditiously.”
The transportation budget must be enacted by April 1 in order for it to take effect with the start of fiscal year 2010 on July 1.
On other matters, Director Guzman said in response to subcommittee questions that:
Once the state completes changes being made to Ohio driver’s licenses and identification cards, it probably will be 99% compliant with the federal Real ID law. “We will be doing the kind of security encryptions to our cards that … will make them almost failsafe,” he said.
Even after about $106 million in motor vehicle related fee increases proposed in the budget, amounts charged in Ohio would be at or below corresponding levels in surrounding states.
Both the seat belt and construction camera proposals were driven by safety concerns.
In other testimony, the Ohio Public Works Commission said its spending request represents a continuation budget to maintain existing programs and staff.
“The commission’s operating budget is modest when compared to the size of the capital programs it administers and the role we are playing in implementing Ohio’s bipartisan economic stimulus programs,” said Director Mike Miller.
Administrative costs for construction programs the agency oversees are paid from interest income, not the general revenue fund.
The commission’s all-funds budget amounts to $238 million in FY 2010, including state capital improvement, local transportation improvement, local infrastructure development, and Clean Ohio conservation programs.
“We currently have over 1,800 active infrastructure and Clean Ohio projects, and over 1,600 active loans,” Mr. Miller said. He expects the number to increase as the commission continues to process submissions for funding from 19 districts.
Gene Krebs, co-director of Greater Ohio, suggested that the Department of Transportation should be required to pay for the maintenance of state highways that pass through cities, instead of stopping maintenance at a city’s edge.
“Requiring ODOT to take care of state routes in cities will have a disproportionate impact to the benefit of smaller and midsize cities, as for many of them the state routes constitute the ‘main drags’ for their communities,” Mr. Krebs said.
He suggested requiring ODOT to report to the General Assembly on the costs and implications of implementing such a policy.
Missed it, but apparently Obama gave a direct shout out to the Columbus police recruits in his speech.
The president said his huge economic stimulus package includes money to prevent layoffs of police recruits such as those in Columbus who were told that instead of being sworn-in as officers, they would be let go.
http://www.wtte28.com/template/inews_wire/wires.regional.oh/2c8f4525-www.wtte28.com.shtml
well, if that is true, then i hope that is not all that Obama will stear towards Columbus.
More on that in the Dispatch too. LINK