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Speed, compliance, transparency.
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Those are the three words New York state will have to abide by if it wants to take full advantage of the $24.6 billion Washington has bequeathed via the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
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Add accountability to the mix because it”™s a word that disappeared from the American lexicon over the past few years in much of the mortgage, banking and financial industries.
The Obama administration does not want this deepening recession to continue. It wants to coldcock the doom and gloom that has settled over Wall Street and the nation.
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Time to rebuild and recover, the president told the nation last week. Sunnier days in the past were squandered by profit takers in government and profiteers in financial circles. Time for that “change” he campaigned on to take place.
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Gov. David Paterson acknowledged that in order for change to take place, the rules attached to the stimulus funding need to be complied with and then some.
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A day after the president spoke, Paterson ”“ in a bit of governmental transparency and good public relations ”“ met with legislative leaders in a news conference that was also webcast to discuss the stimulus package and its potential impact on the state.
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He and Timothy Gilchrist, the newly appointed state stimulus czar, pounded home the message that there would be no “bridges to nowhere” in the state, referring to pork barrel items such as the proposed span in Alaska a few years back the would have cost close to $400 million and serve an island with a population of about 50.
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Echoing their sentiments was Marty Mack, deputy secretary for intergovernmental affairs, who said, “States need to act as stewards of this money.”
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It”™s one thing to receive the money and another to account for its uses. Paterson recounted a story that could serve as a cautionary tale for government leaders as they line up for their piece of the federal pie.
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At the National Governors Association meeting in Washington, D.C., Paterson ran into
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour who told of how a large portion of money they had received from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina was later “deobligated” by the Feds.
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FEMA demanded that millions of dollars in disputed funds be returned. Paterson was told by the two governors that they lost 10 to 15 percent of the money they initially received.
Be careful, but be fast, Gilchrist warned. To help with the oversight of the use of the billions of dollars, the Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Cabinet was created. The cabinet serves as a “command center for ensuring cross-agency coordination and broad regional representation.”
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In anticipation of the signing of the stimulus package, the Paterson administration had been in talks with municipal officials and county executives across the state since late last year.
The federal government, Paterson said, is measuring the state by the speed of its actions and compliance. But Paterson said nothing should be rushed through for the sake of expediency. There are unique sets of circumstances in specific geographic areas, he said. A project might be shovel ready, but water under the soil could create a problem. “We”™re looking for knowledge, not just participation” from municipal officials.
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While the Hudson Valley just got passing mention in the governor”™s meeting, we are hopeful that the 800-pound gorilla, the Tappan Zee Bridge, will not be overlooked. But with 2,100 projects proposed to Gilchrist statewide with a projected price tag of $14 billion and just $11 billion being allotted to the state under the stimulus package, count on the bridge not being included.
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After a full review and vetting, Gilchrist doesn”™t expect all projects to be eligible. Count on more patchwork for the bridge, unless of course a high-speed rail line runs across it.
A high-speed rail initiative was the one item that enthused Paterson and Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith, specifically upgrades of the tracks between New York City and Buffalo.
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Paterson said high-speed rail would be a priority. Air traffic between cities in the state has lessened, he said. Rail improvements would be a catalyst for economic development, he said. But with such improvements in the estimated $10 billion range, let”™s have some specifics and not put out any false hopes.
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Keep in mind, the fixes for the Tappan Zee have been kicked around for some 20 years.