Arizona's share of stimulus funds

The first breakdown of stimulus funds for Arizona came across my screen this afternoon. The entire list is at the Democratic Policy Committee site.

Some of the funding items that are of most interest to the geoscience community include:

Infrastructure and science:
• $55.8 million through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund to address the
backlog of drinking water infrastructure needs
• $26.9 million through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund to address the
backlog of clean water infrastructure needs
• $522 million in Highway Funding to be used on activities eligible under the Federalaid
Highway Program’s Surface Transportation Program and could also include rail and
port infrastructure activities at the discretion of the states

Arizona’s Energy - investments in areas critical to the development of clean, efficient, American energy, including modernizing energy transmission, and research and development of renewable energy technologies.
• $54.7 million through the State Energy Program

The single largest item is "$803.5 million through the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund to local school districts and public colleges and universities in addition to incentive grants as a reward for
meeting key education performance measures and additional funding for other high priority
needs such as public safety and other critical services, which may include education."

It's not entirely clear what this means, but it seems like it could help cover much of the state budget shortfalls for education.

Additonal information is coming from all directions. Federal guidance and websites:

• OMB releases first guidance on the Recovery Act: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/assets/memoranda_fy2009/m09-10.pdf

• The Department of Education has created a specific ARRA web page: http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/leg/recovery
• 
  
• The Recovery.gov web site (http://www.recovery.gov/) is now live.

The National Governor’s Association (NGA) is working on an “implementation memo” to brief governors’ with this weekend at their winter meeting. In addition, the word is that within the next few days Federal OMB will be providing some guidance to the federal agencies and to states.