Gov. Kaine Unveils Stimulus.Virginia.Gov
Democratic Gov. Tim Kaine of Virignia didn't waste any time Tuesday launching Stimulus.Virginia.Gov, a new Web portal to gather project ideas for potential funding from the federal stimulus package, which passed the Senate 61-37 the same day. House and Senate conferees are now meeting to merge the packages, which differ considerably, with a goal of sending a final version to President Barack Obama by the end of the week.
"While we wait to learn what conditions will be placed on the federal stimulus monies received by the states, we want to start collecting ideas from all over the Commonwealth to ensure the money is spent in a timely and effective manner," Kaine said in a press release. "Every locality and citizen has a stake in our economic recovery and should have a voice in deciding how this money is spent." Citizens will be able to view proposals in a format that will be updated daily, officials said.
After the $800 billion-plus stimulus package becomes law, projects from Stimulus.Virginia.Gov will be identified that may qualify for funding. Those initiatives will be evaluated and selected through a process similar to the way the state government develops its biennial budget. In some cases, the information will be sent to localities and other appropriate governmental entities because they will be responsible for prioritizing projects, Kaine's office said. Virginia began accepting proposals the day the site went live.
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