Parkway a poor use of stimulus money

The City of Sammamish was awarded $3.5 million by the state last week. These funds were part of the Federal Stimulus money. The City of Sammamish will be using it on the East lake Sammamish Parkway. The Puget Sound Regional Council website states that the money is to be used on projects that create jobs, therefore stimulating the economy. Building a community center with a pool, a senior’s center, or widening congested area roads would also be projects that would create jobs and actually bring something to the community. This morning on the news (Friday, March 13) the Federal Government stated it will be announcing guidelines as to how states are to award this stimulus money. The State of Washington has already allocated their funds. Citizens For Sammamish opposes this government stimulus grant being used towards the East Lake Sammamish Parkway project. Our own city has admitted that the parkway project will produce no benefit to commuting times. Unfortunately this money was granted for that specific reason to the City of Sammamish. It is imperative now that we watch closely so that the parkway project, that was agreed to at the council meeting on December 16, 2008, remain the same, and this stimulus money does not become an excuse for the city to re-plan this project. Lori Barnett Sammamish Citizens For Sammamish

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