Federal Stimulus Website Established

Governor Kaine has established a website at www.stimulus.virginia.gov to accept ideas and proposals for spending Virginia's share of the federal stimulus package.

I suggest that we all, including our families and friends, input to this website. I have already done so on behalf of VAFP. It's easy to do. You just need to have an idea for a local or statewide project.

In terms of a statewide project, I suggested "the state park system" and pointed out that funding the unmet maintenance backlogs and new facility construction across the state will have the tandem benefit of putting people to work now and creating resources that will enhance outdoor recreation and tourism for the future. The park system has an on hand inventory of at least $50 million "shovel ready" projects located across the Commonwealth.

Please feel free to use these same ideas or submit local projects that are on the books for your home park. This is a great opportunity to keep the park system's needs in front of the decisionmakers who will be allocating Virginia's federal stimulus funds. The more inputs for the park system, the better.