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Friday 30 September 2022

States spend federal COVID aid on roads, buildings, seawalls

Continued from Front it’s OK under the Treasury’s
flexible rules, the lawsuit
“We didn’t need it, to be contends it’s a “a gross and
quite honest,” said Kan- illegal misuse” of pandemic
sas House Appropriations relief funds.
Committee Chairman Troy A coalition of more than
Waymaster, referring to two dozen construction,
the $1.6 billion the state re- business and local gov-
ceived. ernment groups is pressing
But the Docking build- Congress to grant even
ing does need to come more leeway to use pan-
down, he said, and the demic aid on transporta-
new space for events and tion projects.
meetings could allow bet- “Having a good infrastruc-
ter social distancing during ture that allows us all to
a COVID-19 resurgence or live and thrive” ultimately
future pandemic. “leads back into public
If “the building itself could health,” said Stan Brown,
be used during a pandem- past president of the Amer-
ic, then it somewhat justi- ican Public Works Associa-
fies the use of ARPA funds tion.
for the renovation or infra- Missouri, which has yet
structure projects,” said to categorize most of its
Waymaster, a Republican. projects, also is investing
A Kansas preservationist heavily in infrastructure by
group has asked a court to directing hundreds of mil-
block the demolition, argu- lions of dollars to buildings
ing that Democratic Gov. at community colleges
Laura Kelly’s administration and public universities. The
hasn’t followed proper pro- NextGen Precision Health
cedures to tear down the initiative at the University of
65-year-old structure that This photo from Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022, shows the Robert B. Docking State Office building in Missouri will get nearly $105
Topeka, Kansas, named for a Kansas governor.
was added to the National Associated Press million for improvements
Register of Historic Places that include finishing off the
earlier this year. expenditures — when in- term because it’s one-time and the businesses from fourth floor of a new build-
“There’s some wronghead- cluding roads, bridges, money,” said Dr. Georges future storm surge and sea ing named for retiring U.S.
ed action going on here buildings and public works Benjamin, executive direc- level rise,” said Sonia Bru- Sen. Roy Blunt.
to demolish what really is projects reported in other tor of the American Public baker, Miami’s chief resil- “A lot of this was already
a perfectly suitable build- categories. Health Association. ience officer. going to happen,” al-
ing,” said Paul Post, a re- By contrast, governments Some states reported no Louisiana also listed no though no specific timeline
tired Topeka attorney and reported less than $12 billion public health expendi- planned expenditures in had been set, said univer-
member of the Plains Mod- of planned expenditures in tures with their discretion- the Treasury’s public health sity spokesperson Christian
ern preservationist group. the Treasury’s public health ary American Rescue Plan category. But the state Basi. “Then COVID hits, and
All states recently were category — even though it funds. Those included Flor- plans to spend $863 million then ARPA funds are avail-
required to file annual re- was broadly construed to ida, which received the on roads and bridges, $750 able. It’s coincidental odd
ports with the Treasury De- also include such things as fourth largest allotment million on water and sewer timing, but it turned out to
partment detailing their “community violence inter- from the federal govern- infrastructure and $27 mil- be a very, very helpful thing
progress under the Ameri- ventions,” substance use ment. Florida instead de- lion for improvements to for us.”
can Rescue Plan. The doc- services and COVID-19 aid voted $1.8 billion for high- the domed stadium where Like Missouri, Utah catego-
uments show states have to small businesses. way, $1.9 billion for water the New Orleans Saints rized $90 million for a new
planned expenditures for Some state officials may projects and more than play football. mental health research
about three-fourths of their have decided not to use $2.5 billion for construction Democratic Gov. John Bel facility as a replacement
funds. up significantly from the relief funds for pub- and maintenance of pub- Edwards said the stadium of lost revenue for govern-
an initial slow pace. lic health because they lic buildings, including the subsidy was critical “to ment services. Construction
The Treasury asked states had other federal funding Capitol, university facilities keep that venue competi- is to begin next year on the
to classify projects in seven streams for vaccines, test- and K-12 schools, accord- tive.” building, which will host re-
general categories, with 83 ing and health initiatives. ing to the AP’s analysis. North Carolina Gov. Roy search on suicide and the
subcategories. It can re- For example, a separate The state’s water initiatives Cooper, a Democrat, also effect of social isolation on
coup funds if it determines section of the American include up to $700 million defended $46 million of children’s mental health,
by the end of 2026 that Rescue Plan provided near- for a grant program to grants to upgrade grand- among other things.
spending fell outside the ly $8 billion for state and lo- fight flooding associated stands, walkways, bath- The planned work aligns
law’s wide guidelines. cal health departments. with climate change. The rooms and infrastructure at nicely with the intent of the
Governments reported But the large influx of funds city of Miami was awarded racetracks across his state. federal aid, said Mark Ra-
more than $22 billion of may also have stirred con- about $50 million for a half- “Motorsports are part of the paport, CEO of the Hunts-
planned expenditures for cerns about sustainability. dozen projects, including fabric of North Carolina,” man Mental Health Institute
the Treasury’s infrastruc- Though public health has one that will nearly double he said earlier this year. at the University of Utah.
ture category of water, historically been under- the height of a sea wall in Alabama prisoners have “A lot of what we’re doing
sewer and broadband. But funded, “a lot of health an area devastated by a sued the Treasury Depart- is directly related to tack-
the AP identified a total of officials have struggled to storm surge from Hurricane ment to try to stop the state ling issues that have been
about $36 billion for infra- get their policymakers and Irma in 2017. from spending $400 mil- exacerbated by the pan-
structure projects — nearly their bosses to commit to The goal of the project is lion on prison construction. demic itself,” he said.q
one-quarter of all planned hiring people for the long- “to protect the residences Though the state agues