Our Congresswoman, Carol Shea Porter proudly reported today that she had secured all of $1.5 million to fund two local New Hampshire projects. One million of this was for streetscape improvements in the Gaslight District in Manchester and $500,000 for infrastructure improvements for the Berwick Bridge in Somersworth.
Great, thank you! In the meantime, the State Department of Transportation has a Red List of 77 bridges most in need of repair. The projected cost, according to DOT, would be $403 million. The DOT estimates that there are resurfacing needs on highways that would cost $58.7 million. A quick calculation shows that this appropriation represents 3/10 of one percent of what New Hampshire needs.
Without Federal funds, Concord does not have the money to undertake many of these projects for several years and some would not be funded at all. This is the kind of spending which the Federal stimulus package should be used for: spending which provides immediate job creation and insures the safety of our citizens. Such spending will strengthen New Hampshire and America today and into the future. Unfortunately, the so called stimulus bill has been spent on virtually everything else but infrastructure.
I don’t know what school Carol went to, but I can tell you that where I went to school, 3/10 of 1 percent rounded down to zero – which is the grade she deserves for her services as our Congresswoman.
“The money appropriated in this bill for Manchester will help make needed improvements to a part of the city that is ripe for future development. This investment will make this part of Manchester more pedestrian friendly and will allow the city to draw in more business,” said Congresswoman Shea-Porter. “This funding is for a worthy project in our state’s largest city and will help create local construction jobs.”
Regarding the funding for the Berwick Bridge, Shea-Porter said, “The Berwick Bridge is a major road connector and this funding will help keep it safe for commuters.”
The funding Shea-Porter secured for Manchester will assist the City’s revitalization’s efforts on Elm Street in the Gas Light District of Manchester. The funding secured for Somersworth’s Bridge will provide necessary improvements to achieve long-term safety goals.
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Bob Bestani is a Visiting Scholar at Stanford University and a candidate for the U.S. Congress in New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District.