What does Transit Stimulus have to do with Wartime Supplemental? Well Claire, I guess about as much as you think guns have to do with credit cards.  (See her slam on Republicans in above post.) Don’t be so hypocritical Senator, it may bite ya.

News from

Senator Claire McCaskill

For Immediate Release               

May 12, 2009

McCaskill Urges Stimulus Money for Transit Programs to

Include Operational Needs

Stimulus change would help public transportation systems in Saint Louis and Kansas City

address layoffs and cuts to services

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill put pressure on key members of Congress to change stimulus rules to help Missouri public transportation survive the recession:

• The Problem: Stimulus funding designated for transit programs can only be used for construction and capital improvements. As a result, in cases like Metro St. Louis and the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority, layoffs and cuts to services based on operational budget shortfalls are working against the intent of the economic recovery effort.

• The Solution: McCaskill sent a letter today to Senate leaders calling for a change that would allow American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding to support operations, in addition to paying for transit construction projects.  If this change was made, Kansas City and Saint Louis transit systems could use stimulus dollars to retain or rehire workers recently laid off or restore routes that have been cut.

In Kansas City and St. Louis, the transit agencies have faced declining tax revenues, forcing officials to make deep cuts in services.  Eliminating bus routes and services is a double hit on the local economies by forcing layoffs of transit employees and impacting the ability of citizens to travel to and from work.

McCaskill’s letter:

Dear Chairman Inouye and Vice Chairman Cochran:

I am writing to request that the Committee on Appropriations include a provision in the fiscal year 2009 wartime supplemental to help transit agencies prevent layoffs and service cuts and weather this recession.

Across the country, transit agencies are struggling to fund their transit needs as tax revenues decline. In my state of Missouri, transit agencies in Kansas City and St. Louis are having serious problems because of dwindling sales tax revenues.  The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority [KCATA] recently approved a service reduction on 25 of 66 routes.  Things are even worse in St. Louis, where Metro St. Louis had to cut transit service drastically beginning March 30th.  Metro St. Louis eliminated 2,300 bus stops and laid-off over 550 employees who made a good wage and contribute to the community.

In addition to the immediate affect these cuts have to transit employees, local employers have expressed strong concerns about the impact service cuts have on their employees being able to get to work.  Cuts to transit service reverberate throughout the economy and will slow our recovery.

Therefore, I urge you to include language in the supplemental to allow transit agencies to use funding they are provided under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) for operations.  As you know, the ARRA included $8.4 billion in formula grants for public transit projects.  Given the layoffs and system cuts that are occurring throughout the country, Congress should allow these ARRA funds to also be used for operations, just as Congress has helped states meet their operations needs with stabilization funds.

I look forward to continuing to work with you on this issue and others to help our communities recover and grow.

Sincerely,

CLAIRE MCCASKILL

United States Senator

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