Friday, October 16, 2009
Stimulus Water Projects Delayed By "Buy American" Rules
Bloomberg News (8/6, Drajem) reports that due to the stimulus programs "Buy American" rules, "Contractors are searching the U.S. in vain for filters as well as bolts and manhole covers needed to build wastewater plants, sewers and water pipes financed by the economic stimulus. As officials wait for federal waivers to buy those goods outside the U.S., water projects from Maine to Kansas have been delayed." General Electric Co. makes water filters in Canada. The stimulus fund includes "$6 billion for municipal water projects."
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Go Blue Nets a lot of Green: $100M in Stimulus Funding for University of Michigan
Concentrate, 9/23/2009
A lot of federal stimulus money is starting to roll into the University of Michigan, and more is on the horizon.
The university just passed the $100 million mark last week for federal stimulus money, which is up nearly $40 million in a little over a month. And a lot more federal stimulus research grants are expected to migrate into university coffers.
"They just keep rolling in," says Jim Erickson, senior public relations officer for the University of Michigan. "Every couple days they come in.
Most of this money is coming from the stimulus money cache of the National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation. One of the bigger grants is $19.5 million for a new U-M research center to explore new materials for solar cells.
More money is expected to come in throughout the rest of the year. Just how much is possible is unknown at the time, but Erickson guesses it will be a lot.
"We had a lot of faculty aggressively pursuing these [funds] Erickson says.
Source: Jim Erickson, senior public relations officer for the University of Michigan
Writer: Jon Zemke
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Whew! EPA Eases Stimulus 'Buy American' Rule
Water Technology Online (08/10/09)
Under a nationwide waiver from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the "buy American" rule in the stimulus package will be eased somewhat for "de minimis incidental components" of eligible water infrastructure projects receiving stimulus funding. These could include the "thousands of miscellaneous, generally low-cost components that are essential for, but incidental to, the construction and are incorporated into the physical structure of the project, such as nuts, bolts, other fasteners, tubing, gaskets, etc," EPA said. The components covered by the waiver can "cumulatively comprise no more than a total of 5 percent of the total cost of the materials used in and incorporated into a project."
Under a nationwide waiver from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the "buy American" rule in the stimulus package will be eased somewhat for "de minimis incidental components" of eligible water infrastructure projects receiving stimulus funding. These could include the "thousands of miscellaneous, generally low-cost components that are essential for, but incidental to, the construction and are incorporated into the physical structure of the project, such as nuts, bolts, other fasteners, tubing, gaskets, etc," EPA said. The components covered by the waiver can "cumulatively comprise no more than a total of 5 percent of the total cost of the materials used in and incorporated into a project."
High Speed Rail? Not So Fast, Says Samuelson
Back on August 5th, we shared news about Michigan's Governor Granholm joining forces with seven other Govs of midwestern states to finance a regional high speed rail system. Here's an article from the Washington Post (8/24)that demonstrates considerably less enthusiasm for the project:
Samuelson Skeptical About High Speed Rail Plans.
In a column for the Washington Post (8/24), Robert J. Samuelson writes, "The Obama administration's enthusiasm for high-speed rail is a dispiriting example of government's inability to learn from past mistakes. Since 1971, the federal government has poured almost $35 billion in subsidies into Amtrak with few public benefits." According to Samuelson, "What's mainly being provided is subsidized transportation for a small sliver of the population. In a country where 140 million people go to work every day, Amtrak has 78,000 daily passengers. A typical trip is subsidized by about $50." The Obama administration "promises fabulous benefits," as "high-speed rail 'will loosen the congestion suffocating our highways and skyways.'" But "There's only one catch: The vision is a mirage," says Samuelson. "The costs of high-speed rail would be huge, and the public benefits meager," he concludes.
Samuelson Skeptical About High Speed Rail Plans.
In a column for the Washington Post (8/24), Robert J. Samuelson writes, "The Obama administration's enthusiasm for high-speed rail is a dispiriting example of government's inability to learn from past mistakes. Since 1971, the federal government has poured almost $35 billion in subsidies into Amtrak with few public benefits." According to Samuelson, "What's mainly being provided is subsidized transportation for a small sliver of the population. In a country where 140 million people go to work every day, Amtrak has 78,000 daily passengers. A typical trip is subsidized by about $50." The Obama administration "promises fabulous benefits," as "high-speed rail 'will loosen the congestion suffocating our highways and skyways.'" But "There's only one catch: The vision is a mirage," says Samuelson. "The costs of high-speed rail would be huge, and the public benefits meager," he concludes.
Monday, August 31, 2009
$20 Million for DBE Bonding Assistance
From Roads & Bridges Executive News Summary
August 31, 2009
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced $20 million in recovery funds to create the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Bonding Assistance Program, an initiative that will help small and disadvantaged businesses better compete for work on transportation projects funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).
Through this new program, which will be administered by the Department of Transportation’s Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU), small and disadvantaged businesses can apply to be reimbursed for bonding premiums and fees incurred when competing for, or performing on, transportation infrastructure projects funded by ARRA. The program will be especially helpful for businesses with traditionally less working capital than larger contractors.
Read the rest of the article.
August 31, 2009
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced $20 million in recovery funds to create the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Bonding Assistance Program, an initiative that will help small and disadvantaged businesses better compete for work on transportation projects funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).
Through this new program, which will be administered by the Department of Transportation’s Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU), small and disadvantaged businesses can apply to be reimbursed for bonding premiums and fees incurred when competing for, or performing on, transportation infrastructure projects funded by ARRA. The program will be especially helpful for businesses with traditionally less working capital than larger contractors.
Read the rest of the article.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Michigan Part of the Midwest Eight
Midwestern Governors Create High-Speed Rail Partnership
The Detroit News (7/28, Hornbeck) reports Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm "was among the governors to sign an agreement today setting up an eight-state partnership to work toward financing a regional high-speed rail plan for the Midwest. The system, which includes a Detroit-Pontiac-Chicago line, would connect cities across the region with frequent, high-speed and conventional inter-city rail service." The group "will coordinate the states' application for a share of the $8 billion in federal stimulus cash for rail projects."
What led to the spirit of cooperation among the states? According to The Infrastructurist's Daily Dig blogpost on July 17, there have been 278 applications to US DOT for stimulus funding for high speed rail projects. Read more about stimulus and high speed rail at: http://www.infrastructurist.com/2009/07/17/the-daily-dig-high-speed-rail-edition-10/
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
$12 Billion to Stimulate Community Colleges
From American School & University:
$12 billion proposal would boost community colleges
Jul 20, 2009 2:39 PM
From The New York Times: The Obama administration is proposing to spend $12 billion to bolster the nation’s network of community colleges. Most of the funding would go toward programs enticing community colleges to do more to lift graduation rates and better prepare students for jobs. Some would go to the modernizing of facilities as well, and some to the development of an Internet curriculum available to students everywhere.
SIDEBAR: Obama's community college proposal is widely seen by educators as explicit recognition of the two-year colleges’ importance to the economy.
Working in the built environment, we're keenly interested in how these dollars will be spent to modernize facilities, but lifting graduation rates contributes to our mission: Advancing Communities. Especially here in Michigan. What's your best idea to increase graduation rates from community colleges?
$12 billion proposal would boost community colleges
Jul 20, 2009 2:39 PM
From The New York Times: The Obama administration is proposing to spend $12 billion to bolster the nation’s network of community colleges. Most of the funding would go toward programs enticing community colleges to do more to lift graduation rates and better prepare students for jobs. Some would go to the modernizing of facilities as well, and some to the development of an Internet curriculum available to students everywhere.
SIDEBAR: Obama's community college proposal is widely seen by educators as explicit recognition of the two-year colleges’ importance to the economy.
Working in the built environment, we're keenly interested in how these dollars will be spent to modernize facilities, but lifting graduation rates contributes to our mission: Advancing Communities. Especially here in Michigan. What's your best idea to increase graduation rates from community colleges?
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