Stimulus Projects in Grand Rapids

[arcturus]

Some look pretty ridiculous.

http://www.stimuluswatch.org/project/by_st...mp;per_page=200

[John E]

I sure like the street improvements for the BRT - Silver Line system.

http://www.stimuluswatch.org/project/view/6176

~John

[GRDadof3]

I'm not completely sure, but I think all of the stimulus projects have been announced/chosen/whatever the terminology.

I didn't see anything in the Grand Rapids list that I'd call ridiculous, or did you mean all of the city projects arcturus?

[John E]

Granholm is trying to use more of the money for the East side of the state rather than spreading it out fairly throughout the state.

http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/0...ms_plans_f.html

~John

[Veloise]

Granholm is trying to use more of the money for the East side of the state rather than spreading it out fairly throughout the state.

http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/0...ms_plans_f.html

~John

[gvsusean]

Bill Hardiman, the loose cannon of the state legislature. are they thinking that a geographic distribution would be more "fair"? By all means, make sure that Newberry and Au Gres get some!

[Veloise]

if gr/hollad/muskegon get $62 mil. and ann arbor/flint gets $100+ million, Thats BS it should be distributed by population not at the canadians discretion

[arcturus]

I'm not completely sure, but I think all of the stimulus projects have been announced/chosen/whatever the terminology.

I didn't see anything in the Grand Rapids list that I'd call ridiculous, or did you mean all of the city projects arcturus?

[Allison Slater]

In the '30s we spent (what was then a lot) of money on a performing arts hall and a pipeline to draw water from the lake (even though we were already getting water from the Grand River.) The construction of such was also excessive, using way more concrete than was structurally needed in the performance center. Yet, the point was to generate jobs and stimulate the economy. Providing things that way may not have needed but have proven to be beneficial. If the city hall glazing will increase the structure's energy efficiency and creates jobs, is it really much different from the projects done in the '30s?

[jas49503]

More of a priorities issue. When I see 'City Hall Glazing Replacement' for instance surely there's better use of our dollars. What also concerns me is the precedent set ... it's quite likely the new city mindset will be 'hey, let's continue to rely on gov't bailout funds.'

Removing incentives to trim excess fat from budgets is dangerous. As you know, once precedent is set it's difficult to change.

[arcturus]

If the city hall glazing will increase the structure's energy efficiency and creates jobs, is it really much different from the projects done in the '30s?

[gvsusean]

Per the link provided by arcturus,

Projects in Michigan

Below are the "shovel-ready" projects the mayors of this state submitted in the 2008 U.S. Conference of Mayors report. You can click on a project to read (and add to) its description. You can also discuss the project and vote on whether you believe it is critical or not. For a more local view, you can drill down to projects in a particular city. Just choose a city from the following list.

Not sure what "the Canadian" (who, BTW, became a US citizen more than forty years ago) had to do with the mayoral submissions.

[GRDadof3]

Does a criminal who breaks a window create new employment/jobs for the window industry?

It's the 'broken window' fallacy ... http://jim.com/econ/chap02p1.html

Substitute the government for the tailor and ask where the government got their money.

[Ted]

Does a criminal who breaks a window create new employment/jobs for the window industry?

It's the 'broken window' fallacy ... http://jim.com/econ/chap02p1.html

Substitute the government for the tailor and ask where the government got their money.

[Veloise]

...the Canadian reference is just because I do not like Granholm and it was the nicest "mean" thing I could say

[crinzema]

I'm sorry for my cheesiness?

[GRDadof3]

Seriously, does every topic have to be taken over by this cheesiness?

[Allison Slater]

As long as said cheese is pepperjack.

So, all of these things listed are already 100% going to happen, yes? Or is there more voting to be done yet on these?

[tracer1138]

I'll agree that Grand Rapids seems to have gotten slighted on this one, but if we really want to make things fair "per capita" then the detroit region should really have gotten $425 million rather than $246 million (or $346 mill if you guess $50 million each for Flint and Ann Arbor. Also, being from Kalamazoo, I really not thrilled that so much is being spent to widen I-94. While I happy that the region commands that much (which is probably unfair) I really think this money needs to be spent on small fix-it-first projects before adding capacity. Money on new projects should wait until the current administration/congress can come up with a coherent vision for future transportation funding priorities.

[Grandrapidsne]

60 million thats it? It seems like a little favoritism is being played with the Eastside of the State winning there is no way that the Flint Saginaw area should be getting that much money last I checked the population was growing in this area not over that way.

[jas49503]

maybe they figure that flint/saginaw need the money a lot more than GR. having lived in flint, I can tell you that if there were ever two towns that needed a stimulus it would be those two.

[arcturus]

Uh, that's a stretch. The economy is comprised of people either making new things or making existing things better. Adding new glazing to windows to make them more energy efficient might not only create business for the window company, it might cause the window company to become even more innovative, which can then translate into more potential business. It might also allow the government to cut costs on their energy bills. It's not like they're just creating a job to sweep dirt from one corner to the other, which adds no value but gives someone a job.

[GRDadof3]

Read the subsequent pages to the link I provided, it explains this in more detail including the consequences of an unbridled printing press of money.

[fiest from the window]

good to see the energy stuff on there i guess, thats all we get plus some pipes and road extensions.