Delaware on the list to receive infrastructure funds

More than $270,000 is making its way to Delaware now that the Obama Administration refuses to allow earmark projects, basically money designated for specific programs or directs specific exemptions from mandated fees to sit around.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood made the announcement Friday afternoon which will also benefit 48 other states since the nationwide total of available money is $473 million in unspent earmark projects.  Such projects which included some that have sat around at least 10 years waiting for approval. They will now go to states to improve their highways and create thousands of construction jobs in the process.  Effective today, most states including Delaware which is listed as only having one earmark project (from 2006) have a deadline to use infrastructure funds.

“We’re releasing these funds so Delaware can get down to the business of moving transportation projects forward and putting our friends and neighbors back to work,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

According to recent reports President Obama has vowed to veto any bill that comes to his desk with earmarks and would support legislation to permanently ban them. 

“My administration will continue to do everything we can to put Americans back to work,” said President Barack Obama. “We’re not going to let politics stand between construction workers and good jobs repairing our roads and bridges.”

 October 1st is the deadline for states to identify the projects they plan to use the funds for and by December 31, 2012 many of the projects should be close to active.