Obama Authorizes More than $8 Billion for Mass Transit for Oregon and Other States

President Obama, Vice President Biden, U.S. Transportation Secretary LaHood, Announce Availability of $75.71 Million in Public Transportation Investments for Oregon.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) - President Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today announced the availability of $75,716,939 from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) for Oregon in public transportation funding.

The funding was part of $8.4 billion made available to repair and build America’s public transportation infrastructure.

“All over the country, resources are being put to work not only creating jobs now – but also investing in the future. A future that strengthens our transit system, makes us more energy efficient and increases safety,” said Vice President Joe Biden.

“With this recovery package, we will be creating jobs, saving jobs, and putting money in people’s pockets. And with these resources, we’ll not only be rebuilding roads and bridges and schools, we’ll be rebuilding America.”

“Investments in public transportation put people to work, but they also get people to work in a way that moves us towards our long term goals of energy security and a better quality of life,” said Secretary LaHood.

“That is why transit funding was included in the ARRA and why we think it is a key part of America’s transportation future.”

The U.S. Department of Transportation has already committed $540 million in federally financed loans, about one-third of the total cost, for the intermodal center, which is proceeding on time and on budget.

The U.S. Department of Transportation will monitor state compliance and track job creation.

The projects will be web-posted for the public to see with information on projects accessible at recovery.gov.

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Henry Ruark March 7, 2009 7:55 pm (Pacific time)

Toall: Re mine 3/7/7:47 am, does anyone wish to contend that th Founders were NOT responsible, accountable, reasonable and rational ? Given those characteristics, is it not rational and reasonable to expect anyone stating "opinion" to be responsible and accountable ? How possible when refusing ID-characterization on request and continuing hiding behind refusal to be r. and a. ??? Does it make difference if one is small business, or corporate PR, or teacher, or preacher, or soldier, or ?? Does surely help to know source, illuminating not only motives but also background from which all opinion doth flow...which is why journalism and all literary effort has used by-line for centuries...

Henry Ruark March 7, 2009 7:57 am (Pacific time)

Ken R. et al: Agree absolutely with yours re DOOMSAYERS and future. They cannot make solid case vs what must NOW be done, have no practical solution or other source for solution of their own, cannot possibly cover horrendous damage of outmoded, failed policies --so have no intellectual cover except to attack and cast whole issue into the indeterminate future, unknowable and thus with all consequences easily avoidable NOW. That reflects familiar neocon pattern of "defy, deny, delay and thus defeat" ANY action, with ANY means or method or in ANY manner possible. Entire protocol since Reagan era reflects pattern, openly proclaimed and promised in public statements --with GOP Noise Machine so dedicated.

Henry Ruark March 7, 2009 7:47 am (Pacific time)

To all: Comment 3/6 2 pm to Anon was mine, sent inadvertently UNsigned. I regret error. IF you do not believe in what you write enough to sign your name, known to readers, with ID-available to show whence you cometh, you are abusing First Amendment, which Founders clearly intended to require responsibility and accountability as other side of an essential human right. One without the other is a moral and an intellectual anomaly, reflecting their disdain for royal right to act without either --a major cause of the Revolution of 1776.

Jeremy March 6, 2009 1:01 pm (Pacific time)

This whole business about Rush Limbaugh is nothing more than a distraction. We have important things happening to our economy and people in Washington DC are using Limbaugh as a distraction from what's happening in our free market system. Why?

Anonymous March 6, 2009 1:00 pm (Pacific time)

Noble: Yours totally perverts what President Obama clearly stated in public and via the Congressional actions he seeks. His strongest emphasis is directly on stimulus; the references to health, education and energy are for study and inclusion as areas needing obvious national emphasis and providing the kinds of job-building activities demanded for real stimulus with lasting results. Yours indicates either you did not read the legislation or reputable summary, or you simply do not understand what is now demanded. Either way, your charge vs the President is ill-founded and failure-supportive.

ken ramey March 6, 2009 10:48 am (Pacific time)

Those who say Oama will fail are PROPHETS OF DOOM who HOPE he will fail. Disciples of Russ Limbaugh and the Religiious Right. I'm betting they are wrong.

James Noble March 6, 2009 8:26 am (Pacific time)

Clever politics, but intellectually dishonest to the core. Health, education and energy -- worthy and weighty as they may be -- are not the cause of our financial collapse. And they are not the cure. The fraudulent claim that they are both cause and cure is the rhetorical device by which an ambitious president intends to enact the most radical agenda of social transformation seen in our lifetime. He will fail.

Henry Ruark March 5, 2009 6:13 pm (Pacific time)

Stephen: SO would you prefer to double, triple or quadruple the amounts involved ? Do you mean to seek still more fed funds, or is it already too much for your Christian conscience to bear ? Since dollars go to state, for infrastructure jobs now waiting, reporter's experience indicates probably double total expenditures involved. That might run just long enough to see families through till work heaves over horizon. If NOT --do we stop-then, let kids starve, parents off job, out of work, none in sight ? Would you take one kid into YOUR home ? We may well come to that situation, within a year...as suffered in Real Depression. I know, I was there, in town where sawmill had burned down, every family (of some 50) on reduced welfare, except two --they ran grocery stores serving welfare stuff to all others. Meanwhile life continues as possible,in 21/Century-start, with best plan yet devised. What's YOUR plan ? Do NOTHING, and it'll all go away ? WHAT did you DO to prevent this consequence, of Bush, Reagan, Bush again ? Here, in exceptional complex meltdown worldwide, fed-funds of this amount surely better than kick in stomach, right ? Esp.if stomach in workers desperate for ANYthing, ANY way, to keep bread in kids' mouths, roof over family heads. Visit 'em and SEE for self what ANY respite means... Would you do NOTHING? Do you really say to those-desperate already:"Let 'em go hungry ! Too little, too late, too much bother..." and go strumming musical strings on your own way to warm dinner ?? OR are YOU awaiting last day on job NOW, knowing NOTHING else in sight ? You abuse common sense by attacking only possible thing we can now do, after cataclysmic failure we ALL allowed to happen via BOTH parties, but primarily since Reagan neocon nastiness began.

stephen March 5, 2009 2:19 pm (Pacific time)

500,000 people, times 20 dollars an hour = ten million dollars. Ten million times 160 hours (one month) = One billion, six hundred thousand dollars. Times three (three months) = four billion eight hundred thousands dollars. Working in the Construction industry, if I ever had to get a fast ball park bid out, I relied on labor hours equals material. Total: 9 billion, six hundred thousand. This does not include admin costs nor the higher prices for materials. SO basically, the U.S. is getting about two months work for 500,000 people. The same amount of jobs that will be lost this week. While the banksters.. ah, never mind, you get the point. Throw the dog a bone? Now who but lil ol Stephen would have actually thought to add up the numbers? :-) Math corrections accepted, not my best subject in school. I use to skip math and head to the music room to play the instruments. :-)

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