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February 3, 2010
Funding for St. Louis/Chicago High-Speed
Rail Project Announced
On
January 28th President Barack Obama announced $1.1
billion in federal funding to the State of Illinois for a
high-speed rail line between St. Louis and Chicago. The
federal award will cover roughly one-fourth of the total cost of
the improvements planned for the Chicago/St. Louis corridor.
The funding will be used to upgrade
track, signal systems and existing stations along the 284-mile
route, as well as improve safety by implementing state-of-the-art
train control technology. The improvements are expected to allow
passenger rail service to operate at speeds up to 110 mph, thus
increasing reliability and cutting approximately 90 minutes off
the current five-and-a-half hour trip.
Illinois Governor Pat
Quinn and U.S. Senator Dick Durbin
(D-IL) visited Alton for the announcement and stated that the
project would create an estimated 6,000 jobs and help improve the
environment. U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray
LaHood said that the groundbreaking program would "help
transform transportation for the entire Midwest region."
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Illinois Governor Pat Quinn lauds
the
$1.1 billion federal grant
for high speed rail improvements, which is estimated to create
6,000 jobs. (background from left) Madison
County Treasurer Frank Miles and Illinois Representative Dan
Beiser (D-Alton).
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U.S. Senator Dick Durbin
(D-Illinois) speaks about the project while (from back
right) Madison County Treasurer Frank Miles, Southern
Illinois University-Edwardsville Chancellor and RCGA Board member
Vaughn Vandegrift, and Congressman Jerry Costello (D-Belleville)
look on.
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The State of Missouri also received $31
million for passenger rail upgrades between St. Louis and Kansas
City. The funding will be used to provide a second
railroad bridge over the Osage River, universal crossovers in
Webster Groves, and grade crossing improvements to allow trains
to arrive on time more frequently.
A total of 13 projects in 31 states
received part of the $8 billion in federal stimulus funding. The
Federal Railroad Administration received more than 250 grant
applications requesting $57 billion in funding.
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| Missouri Governor Jay Nixon speaks on the
federal grants for high-speed rail improvements from St. Louis to
Chicago and Kansas City as Dr. Edward Montgomery, Executive
Director of the White House Council on Automotive Communities and
Workers (left) and U.S. Representative Russ
Carnahan (D-St. Louis) (right) look
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U.S.
Chamber of Commerce Visits RCGA to Discuss Federal Transportation
Issues
On January
29th the RCGA hosted a roundtable discussion featuring
Janet Kavinoky, Director of Transportation Infrastructure
for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, with business and
transportation leaders from the St. Louis region. Kavinoky, the
U.S. Chamber's senior lobbyist on transportation, also serves as
the Executive Director of Americans for Transportation Mobility,
a national coalition led by the U.S. Chamber that unifies
transportation stakeholders to support increased federal
investment in an interconnected, multimodal transportation
system.
The
reauthorization of the federal transportation funding bill
(SAFETEA-LU) is being discussed on Capitol Hill, but Kavinoky
felt the bill has been pushed down Congress's priority list,
and said that Congressional members react favorably when
constituents can show how transportation investment boosts their
local economy and creates jobs.
The U.S. Senate is currently considering
the "Jobs for Main Street" bill, passed by the U.S. House of
Representatives, that would provide $75 billion in redirected
TARP Funds to create or save jobs. The bill includes $27 billion
for highway infrastructure investment and $8 billion for
transit. Kavinoky also spoke about the importance of the
nation's inland waterways system as vital to international
commerce and the U.S. Chamber’s advocacy to reassert the
importance of maintaining navigation along the rivers.
The U.S.
Chamber of Commerce has initiated a nationwide
FasterBetterSafer Campaign to advocate for increased
federal investment in the nation's aging and overburdened
transportation system and to demonstrate to leaders in Washington
the groundswell of public support for making transportation a
national priority. The campaign is a program of the
U.S. Chamber's Americans for Transportation Mobility Coalition.
Kavinoky encouraged St. Louis business and transportation leaders
to sign up for the campaign at fasterbettersafer.org to get updates and alerts on federal
transportation legislation and key information on infrastructure
issues.
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(from left) RCGA Board member Eric Cowan,
Director of Public Finance at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, and
RCGA Chair for Infrastructure Clark Davis, Vice Chairman of HOK,
meet with John Gonzales and Janet Kavinoky of the U.S. Chamber of
Commerce.
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The FasterBetterSafer
Campaign
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The FasterBetterSafer Campaign
is a nationwide effort by business, labor and transportation
organizations, along with concerned citizens, to advocate for
increased federal investment in the nation’s aging and
overburdened transportation system.
An estimated $60 billion investment gap
exists to adequately rebuild our nation's transportation system.
Each dollar invested in highway
construction generates $1.80 of Gross Domestic Product
(Standard & Poor's). Every dollar taxpayers invest
in public transportation generates about $6 in economic returns
(Cambridge Systematics).
For more information go to fasterbettersafer.org
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Focus on Illinois: Legislators Discuss
Budget, New Markets Tax Credit During IPAC Meeting
On January 22nd Illinois Senate
President John Cullerton (D-Chicago), Sen. Dave
Luechtefeld (R-Okawville), Sen. Kyle McCarter
(R-Lebanon), Rep. Tom Holbrook (D-Belleville) and Rep.
Eddie Jackson (D-East St. Louis) addressed the RCGA's
Illinois Public Affairs Committee (IPAC) regarding the 2010
legislative session and how to deal with the state's projected
$12.3 billion budget deficit.
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Illinois Senate President John Cullerton
(center) addresses the Illinois Public Affairs
Committee. (from left) RCGA Board member Vaughn Vandegrift, Chancellor of
Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, new chair of the
Leadership Council Southwestern Illinois Mark Tade of Granite
City SteelWorks, RCGA Senior Vice President of Public Policy Chip
Casteel, RCGA Board member and IPAC chair Doug Sitton, President
of Sitton Construction Group, Advantage Capital Partners Senior
Vice President Jeff Craver, Sen. John Cullerton, Sen. Kyle
McCarter, Bill Grogan, Managing Director at St.Clair County
Transit District, and Ronda Sauget of East County Enterprises.
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The legislators
agreed that both chambers of the General Assembly must work in a
bipartisan manner to resolve Illinois' financial crisis
before the State becomes insolvent. They also shared the opinion
that continued borrowing cannot close the budgetary gap, and
that the State will likely need to make significant budget cuts
across all agencies. The legislators suggested Governor Pat
Quinn should focus on funding the $31 billion Capital Bill passed
last year, as well as work on reforming the State pension and
workers' compensation systems.
Advantage Capital Partners Senior Vice President
Jeff Craver spoke to the IPAC about expanding the State's New
Markets Development Act. Sen. James Clayborne
(D-Belleville) and Rep. Art Turner (D-Chicago) are
sponsoring bills (SB
2534 and HB
4887) to raise the
program's cap from $10 million to $40 million, since it has
already hit the original cap level. The program spurs economic
development in low income communities by offering incentives for
qualified business investments in those areas. |
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Incentives for Green
Buildings and Developments Presented as part of RCGA's High
Performance Building Initiative
On February
2nd, the RCGA hosted the third seminar in the High
Performance Building Initiative, entitled "Greening of Existing
Buildings - Incentives and Certifications". The
mission of the High Performance Building Initiative, a
partnership between the RCGA and the U.S. Green Building Council
- St. Louis Regional Chapter, is to "green" every office in St.
Louis. The seminar series has helped to educate the St.
Louis business community on the value of green buildings and
the financial incentives available for green building
construction and renovation.
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Emily
Andrews, Executive Director of the U.S. Green Building Council,
speaks to a packed house at the RCGA. The three seminars in the
High Performance Building Initiative have been attended by more
than 300 RCGA and U.S. Green Building Council members.
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Deborah Chollet Frank, Vice President of
Sustainability for the Missouri Botanical Garden, and Michael
Levinson of Energy Solutions and LEED consultant to the
Garden, described the Missouri
Botanical Garden's efforts in receiving Silver Certification for
LEED-EB Operations and Management in January, 2010. Frank said
the process required significant staff commitment and rigorous
documentation of their sustainability policies. Performance
metrics were established for all operations at the Monsanto
Center, including snow removal, landscaping, waste management
and building cleaning. The Garden will now take the knowledge
gained from the LEED-EB process and apply it to their Commerce
Bank Center for Science Education. To view their
presentation click here.
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Greg
Lovett, AmerenUE Managing Supervisor of Energy
Efficiency presents Deborah Frank and Paul Brockmann, Senior
VP of General Services for the Missouri Botanical Garden, with a
check from the AmerenUE Business Energy Efficiency Program. The
Garden installed new energy efficient equipment at the
Monsanto Center to earn LEED-EB Silver certification.
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Green Street
Properties is developing Chouteau Crossing, a 6-acre green
development at the corner of Jefferson and Chouteau in midtown
St. Louis. The site will be home to DynaLabs and the Sheet Metal
Workers Local 36 Training Center and Business Office. The Local
36 building will be the City of St. Louis' first commercial
LEED-certified Platinum building with onsite renewable energy
from wind, solar, and geothermal sources. Phil Hulse,
Principal of Green Street Properties and Brian Pratt, Vice
President of Business Development for Green Street Properties
described the financing behind this $13 million
project. Traditional urban incentives such as federal
New Market Tax Credits and Missouri's Brownfield tax credits
assisted in the equity investment supporting the project, and
green incentive grants such as the federal Business Energy
Investment Tax Credit, AmerenUE's Business Efficiency Programs
and Laclede Gas' Commercial Rebate Program will assist with
on-going cash flow. The groundbreaking for the Local 36 Training
Center and Business Office is scheduled for March 2010. To view
the Chouteau Crossing presentation
click
here.
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Phil Hulse,
Principal of Green Street Properties explains the Chouteau
Crossing development and the Sheet Metal Workers Local 36
project.
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Terra-Wise LLC and the U.S. Green Building
Council St. Louis Regional Chapter's Advocacy Committee
closed the seminar with a comprehensive listing of federal,
state, and local incentives for green buildings. To view
his charts, click
here.
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UMSL Hosts RCGA's
Missouri Legislative Breakfast in Jefferson
City
On January 27th the University of
Missouri-St. Louis sponsored the second RCGA biweekly
legislative breakfast in Jefferson City honoring members of the
2010 Missouri General Assembly. UMSL Chancellor Tom
George and Molly Tallarico,
Director of Government Relations for the University of Missouri
System hosted the breakfast, which attracted many
legislators and RCGA Public Policy Council members.
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(clockwise, from upper left) Molly Tallarico,
Director of Government Relations for the University of Missouri
System, UMSL Chancellor Tom George, Lt. Governor
Peter Kinder, and House Speaker Pro Tem Bryan
Pratt (R-Blue Springs).
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Chancellor Tom George and Rep. Gina Walsh (D-
North St. Louis County).
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Molly Tallarico, Rep. Walt Bivins (R-
South St. Louis County), and Chancellor Tom George.
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Sen. Yvonne Wilson (D-Kansas City)
(left) and RCGA Public Policy Council member Ann
Brand, Director of Government Affairs for St. Louis Community
College.
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Rep. Ted Hoskins (D-North St. Louis County) and
Molly Tallarico.
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| UPCOMING
EVENTS
Feb.
10 - Biweekly Missouri Legislative Breakfast
Join us for our next Biweekly
Missouri Legislative Breakfast, sponsored by Ford Motor
Company, on Wednesday, February 10th
from 7:00 to 8:30 a.m. at the Doubletree Hotel in
Jefferson City. RSVP to Sherri Bailey at sbailey@stlrcga.org.
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Feb. 11 - Green Business Challenge Kickoff -- Still
time to enroll!
The first participants in the
RCGA's St. Louis Green Business Challenge will learn about the
Challenge scorecard, how to form sustainability teams, and what
local resources are available to help "green their offices". The
seminar is from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. at the RCGA's Regional
Collaboration Center [One Metropolitan Square, Suite 1300]. To
enroll in the St. Louis Green Business Challenge and RSVP for the seminar, contact Eric Schneider at
eschneider@stlrcga.org
Feb. 16 - Energy and Environment Council meeting
Dr. Himadri
Prakasi, Director of Washington
University's International
Center for Advanced Renewable Energy and
Sustainability,will
describe the Center's research on biofuels and clean energy, as
well as work with their McDonnell Academy Global Energy and
Environment Partnership and the Consortium for Clean Coal
Utilization. Tom Shrout, Executive Director of
Citizens for Modern Transit will discuss the transit tax measure
on the April 6th ballot in St. Louis County, and Roger
Walker, Executive Director of REGFORM, will discuss
funding shortfalls in the air and water programs at the Missouri
Department of Natural Resources. This meeting will be from 7:30
to 9:30 a.m. at the RCGA's Regional Collaboration Center [One
Metropolitan Square, Suite 1300]. To RSVP, contact Sherri Bailey
at sbailey@stlrcga.org.
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The
RCGAdvocate is published periodically to inform RCGA
members and government officials about important public policy
matters at the state, federal and local levels. It seeks to
provide timely, in-depth coverage on regional issues, and, at
times, to call RCGA members to action. We welcome your comments
and suggestions.
Richard C.D. Fleming ~ President & CEO ~ (314)
444-1100 ~ dfleming@stlrcga.org
Chip Casteel
~ Senior V.P. of Public Policy ~ (314) 444-1107 ~ ccasteel@stlrcga.org
Susan Stauder ~ V.P. of Infrastructure
& Public Policy ~ (314) 444-1155 ~ sstauder@stlrcga.org
Eric
Schneider ~ Senior Director of Energy & Environment ~ (314)
444-1148 ~ eschneider@stlrcga.org
Kevin Riggs ~ Director of Illinois
Government Affairs ~ (314) 444-1108 ~ kriggs@stlrcga.org
Christine Snively ~ Director
of Government Affairs ~ (314) 444-1144 ~ csnively@stlrcga.org
Sherri Bailey ~ Executive Assistant for Public Policy ~
(314) 444-1134 ~ sbailey@stlrcga.org
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