Have Shovel, Will Work

So there's been a lot of criticism for the "shovel ready" projects. There's a gaggle of naybobs who are talking about how there aren't any such projects, how they all are road projects, how it'll just be wasted money, and we'll be building bridges to nowhere.

Bull.

Here's a concrete example. In my village we have three projects we submitted for consideration. The requirements for submitting to the block grant (I think we're going as a county-wide thing) are that:

a) Engineering needs to be done (as in finished and ready to go, as of Dec 31, 2008),

b) Isn't frivolous (as in showing a demonstrable need), and

c) Have readily available materials (hint to everybody, asphalt isn't all that plentiful these days, especially in the Northern States).

So, what are our projects?

1) Improved storm water drainage system, as in rehauling the whole system in our village (we had planned to get a grant to do phase 1 - of probably 5 to 7 - this summer). This involves ripping out the old hodpodge installations and install new pipe that's arrange according to an overall plan (that has growth planned in). This is a huge project.

2) Resurfacing of several streets. We have had a list for three years now of the same roads. We've just never been able to find the money. There are three roads, four cul-de-sacs, and our hall parking lot that need resurfacing (or maybe this year some need repaving, which is more intensive and costly). All of these are at a critical stage (we expect out parking lot to disintegrate this summer).

3) A new garage building to house our Street Department and include garage space for the Police Department. Our current structure is barely standing up. We expect the next good wind that hits it just right will knock it down. We don't have nearly enough room to house all the equipment (it's distributed around the Village). And the new building will include a bathroom. The current one the guys use doesn't have one.

All of these projects have been on the books for at least one year (many for much longer). We just haven't had the money to fund them. If we had until the end of the month to get engineering done I can think of three more projects we could have (updated firehall, fix a road that keeps developing a dip, second water tower). And that's just off the top of my head. Give me a moment and I can think of more.

Unfortunately we had just finished up one major project (part of the reason all these others are left wanting) that we could have used this money for. That was "Sunrise Development" (Sunrise, Breezewood, Mist, and Eastwood). That was a five year project to repair a road that the village should never have accepted (very long story).

So when you hear some gasbag go off on how all this money will be "wasted" on "frivolous projects", just keep in mind that I represent a Village of less than 2500 people and I have all these things that need doing and they're all "shovel ready."