Governor, Where is the Stimulus Money?

Governor: Where is the Stimulus Money?

As Part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act passed by Congress in February, Connecticut was slated to receive over $3 Billion from the federal government to stimulate job growth in construction and infrastructure projects, transportation, weatherization, and other projects. There was also funding devoted to health care, education and unemployment benefits to provide a sturdier social safety net for those who need help paying medical costs, help school districts retain teachers, and ease the pain for the unemployed.

Governor Rell promised our state that a total of $600 Million dollars would soon be spent into the economy in time for the spring road construction season to begin, and that this money would create thousands of new jobs in Connecticut. Unfortunately, the Governor was way off, again. The reality is that we are far behind where the Governor told us we would be. At a hearing last week we found out that only one quarter of the money Connecticut was supposed to receive and spend on highway construction has actually been awarded in contracts by the state Department of Transportation. That equates to a total of 9 construction projects that have generated a mere 164 jobs. While it is better than nothing, this job creation figure is woefully inadequate; especially considering that Connecticut lost another 2,800 jobs in the month of July alone.

What are some of the reasons for these delays? For one, the working group Governor Rell set up to evaluate the merits of some of the stimulus fund projects has not even met since April. That is typical of this governor’s hands-off management style. Also, remember that gross mismanagement and faulty oversight resulting in shoddy repair work to storm drains along I-84 near Waterbury? Because that botched construction overseen by the Rell administration used federal highway dollars, Connecticut is now under greater scrutiny when seeking federal road construction funds. Thus, it takes us longer to win federal transportation grants.

One more recent development may also be causing delays to Connecticut receiving and spending stimulus dollars: Governor Rell’s early retirement program designed to cut the state payroll enticed at least 1,000 more public servants than expected to retire early. This deprives our state agencies across the board of the most savvy and experienced professionals whose help would be crucial to moving through federal red tape quickly and getting stimulus funds into the economy where it was meant to go. Early retirement is a good way of cutting the payroll, but it must be done without crippling our state’s ability to provide essential services. Unfortunately, Governor Rell did not appear to think through this program and consider the impacts of a mass exodus from state ranks.

At the recent hearing concerning the slow pace of stimulus funds awarded by the Rell administration, Donald Shubert, President of the Connecticut Construction Industries Association hit the nail on the head when he said, “Instead of providing a stimulus, it's barely going to provide a stabilization. We thought it was going to be a jolt in the 2009 construction season, and now it looks like it's going to mean survival for a lot of people going into 2010.” We’ve had enough of mismanagement, delays, and poor excuses. Our economy needs help, that’s why the stimulus bill passed in the first place. While the federal government made a major attempt to jump-start our economy earlier this year, the Rell administration acts like a roadblock delaying the start of new projects. It’s time for a change in Hartford. It’s time for real leadership.

IN YOUR COMMUNITY:

I recently spoke at the Old Saybrook Democratic Town Committee campaign kickoff brunch on Sunday, August 23rd about our state budget crisis and my plan fut Connecticut's economy.

STANDING UP FOR CONNECTICUT'S AEROSPACE INDUSTRY.

My father and many members of my family worked decades for Pratt & Whitney and other branches of United Technologies Corporation. The Prospect that Pratt may shut down operations at facilities in Cheshire and East Hartford would do irreparable damage to our already battered economy. Click here to read an article I recently submitted to the Hartford Courant expressing my commitment to keeping Connecicut's aerospace engineering industry strong and home grown. Not only for our economy, but for education, our manufacturing base, and our national security.