When the State Bond Commission meets next Friday, it is expected to approve a $5 million allocation "to provide grants-in-aid for transit-oriented development projects."
The state Transportation Department request designates these as "transit-oriented development pilot projects":
(1) Station area development in all towns on the New Britain to Hartford busway corridor;
(2) Station area development in Windsor and Meriden on the New Haven to Springfield rail line;
(3) Station area development on the New Haven rail line from West Haven to Stratford; and
(4) Station area development in New London on the Shore Line East rail line.
Projects within a half mile of a proposed station can qualify for between $250,000 and $1 million.
There's nothing to say that the busway station areas will actually get any money, but the listing of the busway may be an indication that Gov. Dannel Malloy may be willing to back the busway.
We'll see how it plays out.
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
7 comments:
What are you suggesting?
That a 5 million dollar proposal is stepping us to the 600 million dollar one?
Why do these areas need "development"? A better idea it to scrap this whole expenditure.
Both proposals will be a drag on the state budget and the TAXPAYER.
Multiple states are on the abyss of bankruptcy, financial turmoil and incapable of paying thier bills, why?
It is definitely not because those of us that pay taxes pay too little.
So, who do we hold accountable in times like these when multiple finacially obligated promises have been made and not kept (by both parties). When the lottery came into being in the late 70's for the sole purpose of funding schools and both parties saw what a windfall the state would reap and created multiple entitlement programs that had nothing to do with schools they raided the funds. Stil, a good percentage of our school systems are still in trouble. In the 90's it was the state income tax that was sold to us under the lie of "just until we are in the plus again". But he did close the budget gap and yet we are broke once again.
We also struck a deal with the casinos for billions in revenue from the slot machines. Again, both sides of the aisle are equally guilty for raiding the funds and creating unecessary entitlement programs.
We lost a congressional seat but still the biggest employer in the state of Connecticut remains the State of Connecticut.
Do we get mad at Union workers because in some people's opinion you are greedy? There is a valid argument for that. Remember, you are a taxpayer also because muliple tax-payers are payng for your salaries and benefits. So again, the taxpayer in my argument wins that battle. Do we hold those that have mispent, robbed and created unsustainable entitlement programs with thier wreckless spending of taxpayer monies? That is a more valid argument.Concerning the union, the money WOULD be and SHOULD be there for you had not this state plundered our funds.IT is time to renegotiate. Take a sample of what the average median income and benefits are in Bristol and say maybe put in a 10% buffer and that is what you get. You get exactly what we get. While not directly respondible for this mess, the political machine has been.The people you have voted for the last 25 years are the ONES WHO SCREWED YOU. Not us.
Do I expect the best, absolutely. But use this as an example. Do I have any means to challenge a police officer that has been working 100 hours a week for his top 3 to retirement? No. Do I believe police officers working 60, 80 90 hour shifts to get thier top 3 in are going to be at the top of thier game if and when a "real" emergency comes along? Heck it's few and far between to get your body adjusted to the graveyard shift and be at your best let alone the toll of working so many hours week after week.
Schools in Bristol seem to be on the never ending Carousel of suspension due to sub standard test scores to decent at best. It is best said that those who can't do, teach. While again I believe there are many fabulous teachers in this town, we cannot reward them properly or get rid of the dead wood. Do your time and collect our dime. Most of us spend 13 years in school, for the sake of argument and being generous, why should a taxpayer have to pay 60% of thier taxes to fund education for life. Cap it at 20 years. That pays for the 13 that you used Bristol schools, plus 7. The term "public servant" is just that. You know the risks that are inherint to the job you are taking. Is it my responsibility to pay you fairly? Absolutely. Is it my responsibility to pay you a salary that is unsustainable and not justifiable because you chose this position? Absolutely not. If people do not wake up and take responsibility for the real issues that we are going broke, nothing will ever change. There sums up Bristol in a nutshell. Moan, groan, complain but vote the same people into our Federal, State and local positions of authority over and over and over. It is like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole thinking one day you are going to do it. Well, that one day is here and if you do not step up and recognize the crisis that is facing this country caused by BOTH parties, we will just slowly float downstream until we drown....
Tom Condon makes a pretty convincing argument in favor of the busway in the Sunday Courant. I'd still prefer commuter rail but maybe the busway can work as a transition to rail, since most seem to agree rail will take a while to get going.
Nicatros ain't gonna like that!!!
@amark,
I didn't think it was convincing.
I basically got from it, hurry spend it now, or somebody else will get it. It's this kind of thinking that has driven us to debt.
600 million dollars is a lot of money. I see a need for mass transit, I just don't think this is a very good use of all that money.
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