San Antonio seeks $1 Billion in Federal Stimulus Money: What's on the list? (foreclosure, credit)

[Scarface713]

It's too bad San Antonio doesn't have a rail plan in place (with studies done, etc.), because they could have petitioned for money for it.

[TX_AGGIE13]

I think using some of that money to support the building and maintenance of the tollways that have been proposed would be great. I know it wouldn't be anything new that isn't already proposed, but I know how toll roads can be a hastle when you travel them daily. Im not looking forward to that monthly bill for sure. Just direct that money into them so we don't have to deal with it.

[wCat]

Originally Posted by Angel713

It's too bad San Antonio doesn't have a rail plan in place (with studies done, etc.), because they could have petitioned for money for it.

According to the article its not too late!

[dendox]

I just stumbled across this website. It has a listing of all things San Antonio requested in their "wish list". The descriptios for a lot of them are very vague. Can anyone here shed some more light into them?

Stimulus Watch: Keeping an Eye on Economic Recovery Spending

Maybe we should discuss?

I like the request for road improvements (two requests actually), but I have no idea what $150M (85ish for one and 68ish for the other) is actually requested for.

Convention center improvements.....$200M - really?

[tgannaway89]

Originally Posted by dendox

I just stumbled across this website. It has a listing of all things San Antonio requested in their "wish list". The descriptios for a lot of them are very vague. Can anyone here shed some more light into them?

Stimulus Watch: Keeping an Eye on Economic Recovery Spending

Maybe we should discuss?

I like the request for road improvements (two requests actually), but I have no idea what $150M (85ish for one and 68ish for the other) is actually requested for.

Convention center improvements.....$200M - really?

There are very ambitious plans plans for the convention center that may include rerouting Market St. and an enclosed walkway to the Alamodome.

[TX_AGGIE13]

It all looks like the start of a huge city service member fraud ordeal....lol. I can see San Antonio getting the money now, and doing exactly what the banking industry has done thus far....nothing. Im sure a select few will have super fat pockets out of that money, and as far as the list goes.....a whole bunch of nothing. Yes, certain city streets projects, and public safety projects need money, but not any more than they are already getting. This "stumulus" package shouldn't be considered an easy way to pay for things that already have to be maintained with, or without the package, but rather a large sum of money to be used for something "grand", and "new". The only thing I saw that was semi on that track was a new airport terminal, which btw really isn't all that impressive of an idea.

Tack one more on for the idiotic administration we live under!!!!

[tgannaway89]

Originally Posted by TX_AGGIE13

It all looks like the start of a huge city service member fraud ordeal....lol. I can see San Antonio getting the money now, and doing exactly what the banking industry has done thus far....nothing. Im sure a select few will have super fat pockets out of that money, and as far as the list goes.....a whole bunch of nothing. Yes, certain city streets projects, and public safety projects need money, but not any more than they are already getting. This "stumulus" package shouldn't be considered an easy way to pay for things that already have to be maintained with, or without the package, but rather a large sum of money to be used for something "grand", and "new". The only thing I saw that was semi on that track was a new airport terminal, which btw really isn't all that impressive of an idea.

Tack one more on for the idiotic administration we live under!!!!

The purpose of the stimulus is to create jobs. This is only a "wish list" for SA. Most of it will probably not be funded. Only projects which are shovel ready (able to break ground SOON) and will create plenty of jobs will be funded. Some of these items can create quite a few jobs.

[Spock's Beard]

Originally Posted by wCat

I'm actually dumbfounded. The whole article seemed to be "hurry up and toss out some ideas so we can get some money!"....and $1.1bil?? for just San Antonio? I'm just at a total loss as the approach to doling out funding without much notice. I have so many questions my head is spinning.....and that is truly unsettling.

We're sitting here watching the feds bail out trillions of dollars to private sector businesses....we're in a recession....and the government is going to magically find MORE money to stimulate the economy? And at the same time give tax breaks to low to low middle income families....AND increase jobs? This just sounds like a fairy tale to me.

If anyone does their history homework, FDR's New Deal included the creation of the CCC camps where the people who were in breadlines ended digging ditches and laying railroads and setting telephone poles for very small wages. It was dirt cheap labor ...and it DID create jobs ....but it was not what people NOW have in mind as far as a working living. It was a good temporary fix in hard times....not a long term solution. Personally, I feel many of our prisoners who are non violent offenders or probationers need to be out doing this kind of work to pay for the expense of their incarceration...instead of watching TV, learning computer skills, rec time and other social activities etc. But then that's just a drop in the bucket compared to what they are talking about here....and multiply this times a LOT of US cities????

I'm sorry...this is just insanity to me. Like Rocky and Bullwinkle..."watch me pull a rabbit out of my....hat!" I suppose time will tell. It just scares the daylights out of me......everyone has their hand out....and who's writing that check?

I too am astonished by it. The economy is in crisis, and all these cities want pork projects with no regard for taking care of their people. The river walk, anti-smoking money....how will this fix the damn economy????

This is only a "wish list" for SA. Most of it will probably not be funded.

The city shouldn't have even wasted taxpayer money to send delegates to lobby for pork projects. The city should be ashamed of themselves for doing this. It is not a free-for-all. Construction projects won't fix the economy. This isn't the 1930's and we have an entirely different economy than from back then.


The government needs to use the money to prop up the individual citizens, not the cities or companies. The citizens are in this hole, and as long as we are, the government and businesses will be too. Use the money to pay against all the debt of citizens (since technically the money IS the debt of the citizens) caused by the mortgage and credit meltdowns so the citizens can become solvent again. These banks and lenders are just taking taxpayer money not to fix the problems with the credit mess, but for nothing. The problems are the late fees, foreclosures, and hyper-inflated interest rates and fees that keep the population's credit in ruins and everyone broke. Spend the money on that, not on the indulgences of cities and businesses that had their chances to fix the economy and blew it.

[wCat]

Originally Posted by tgannaway89

The purpose of the stimulus is to create jobs. This is only a "wish list" for SA. Most of it will probably not be funded. Only projects which are shovel ready (able to break ground SOON) and will create plenty of jobs will be funded. Some of these items can create quite a few jobs.

Creating jobs is a good thing, but the word "stimulus" implies...just that....to "stimulate" the economy. Some of these projects do add jobs which will in turn do what the stimulus promises. All of that is really just short term, however. Creating a job that only lasts a couple of years is not a fix....we need the stimulus backed with stability....long lasting industry and a financially sound economy. I would LOVE to see ONE of our leaders address that issue. People are putting too much hope in the latest buzz word...."stimulus". Honestly, it sort of makes me cringe when I hear it because it has become a catch all term for funding anything in all these discussions.

[TexHwyMan]

Originally Posted by Spock's Beard

The government needs to use the money to prop up the individual citizens, not the cities or companies. The citizens are in this hole, and as long as we are, the government and businesses will be too. Use the money to pay against all the debt of citizens (since technically the money IS the debt of the citizens) caused by the mortgage and credit meltdowns so the citizens can become solvent again.

That is inherently unfair to people like myself who have planned, sacrificed, and been responsible with our money and have not gotten into out-of-control debt. All bailing anyone out (corporations or individuals) does is teach them that there is no reprocussions for irresponsiblity.