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Charleston Mayor Joe Riley joined the nation’s leading mayors in Washington, D.C., on Monday to request emergency federal funding for public infrastructure projects aimed at putting people to work. The U.S. Conference of Mayors’ “Ready to Go” report includes 11,391 projects that would cost $73 billion and would create 847,641 jobs, including thousands in the Charleston region.
By Molly Parker
mparker@scbiznews.com
Published Dec. 8, 2008
Charleston Mayor Joe Riley joined several of the nation’s leading mayors in Washington, D.C., on Monday to request emergency federal funding for public infrastructure projects. The goal is to reverse soaring unemployment rates by putting people to work in a New Deal-era fashion.
The mayors outlined a report by the U.S. Conference of Mayors that contains thousands of projects slated for cities across the nation that could be started and completed in two years.
The Main Street economic recovery “Ready to Go” report includes 11,391 infrastructure projects that would cost $73 billion and would create 847,641 jobs. The Conference of Mayors called on President-elect Barack Obama to extend federal assistance to states within 100 days of his swearing-in.
The news conference included heavy hitters such as New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Miami Mayor Manny Diaz, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Dallas Mayor Thomas Leppert. The mayors were joined by Rep. Charlie Rangel, D-N.Y., chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.
“We stand ready to help President-elect Obama and the Congress create sustainable jobs that fix our crumbling infrastructure and promote energy independence,” said Diaz, president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
The 803-page wish list includes dozens of projects in Charleston. The city is requesting millions for construction of schools and roads, airport upgrades, energy-efficiency and affordable housing projects, among other things.
A few examples:
| Project | Cost | Employment |
| Construct an intermodal terminal for the Amtrak station in North Charleston | $7.8 million | 250 |
| Kiawah homes interior renovation (public housing project) | $2.1 million | 67 |
| Convert Charleston County digital radio system | $1.75 million | 4 |
| Improve playgrounds at 20 Charleston County schools | $7.8 million | 120 |
| Rebuild St. Andrews Elementary School | $37 million | 555 |
| James Island highway improvement project | $20 million | 30 |
| Replace incandescent traffic signals with LED technology | $5 million | 75 |
See the complete list of area projects. Charleston’s requests start on page 353, followed by Columbia’s.
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