Hare: To get federal dollars, start lobbying state lawmakers
Quad-City officials need to begin lobbying state legislators now for projects they would like to seefinanced from the proposed $825 billion federal stimulus bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives Wednesday.
Congressman Phil Hare, D-Rock Island, said early Wednesday he planned to vote for the proposed America Recovery and Reinvestment Act because "to do nothing is to sin by silence."
He said any stimulus money eventually spent by the federal government will be distributed through the states, which is why it's important work for "people (to) make sure their state representatives get in line and submit requests for funds."
The House version of the bill calls for spending $550 billion oninfrastructure, education and health projects, along with $275 billion on tax relief. A Senate version of the bill is also moving through the process.
Rep. Hare said the House version of the bill does not require states to match any federal money received through the stimulus bill. Projects funded by the money need to be "shovel ready" so that people can be quickly put to work, he said.
Congressman Hare said there are numerous projects in the 17th District that need money to proceed. "Whether we are rebuilding locks, schools, bridges -- the bridge in the Quad-Cities, the Interstate 74 bridge that has been on the drawing board for a long time ---there are so many projects to list," he said.
Governments in the Quad-Cities region have submitted suggestions for projects totaling billions of dollars, though the lists don't specify which of the dozens of projects are "shovel-ready."
Rep. Hare is a big supporter of funding for Amtrak, and also mentioned all schools in the district will receive education funding for No Child Left Behind, special education, and some for construction projects. "I know of a school in Silvis that desperately needs to be rebuilt," he said.
He did not a have a breakdown on how much Illinois will receive in stimulus funding in the various categories.
Congressman Hare said he is supporting the bill because it is putting people back to work. Economists have said it has the potential of creating three to four million jobs and for every dollar invested in infrastructure there will be a $5 dollar return.
"This is an investment. It is not just throwing money at something," he said.
Congressman Hare likes the oversight that is a part of the stimulus bill. All of the money has to be reported and the states have a use it or lose it provision that expires in 90 days.
Rep. Hare said he doesn't like to go into debt and admitted the stimulus bill is expensive.
"Some members wanted to see more. I don't know how much more would be, as $825 billion is in anyone's sense of the imagination a lot of money. But we need to do it," he said.
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