Jonathan Smith is a web designer, graphic designer, and photographer in Harrisburg, PA.

The web site StimulusWatch.org has a nice listing of projects that are “shovel-ready” for Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The site is nice because it lists a description of each project and allows users to vote for against each project whether money from federal stimulus funding should go towards each of these projects. It’s a nice overview what the people want and what they don’t want.

Here are some highlights.

The citizens of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania seem to be interested in the following:

1. Water and Sewer Line Replacements, Upgrades and Elimination of Combined Stormwater/Wastewater Lines into seperated lines (+6)
2. Reconstruction /repaving of 75 Streets (+7)
3. Installation of rooftop wind turbines on public sites, including their grid connections (+5)
4. Purchase natural-gas powered mass transit buses, including downtown trolley buses (+9)
5. Build Regional Rail Stop at HBG. International Airport (+10)

And here is a list of projects that the citizens of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania are not interested in:

1. Downtown Streetscape Improvement Project: Complete upgrade and expansion of all sidewalks, curbs, streetlights, street furniture. Intersections and signage of central business district (already designed) (-5)
2. Obstruction Removal Work at Harrisburg International Airport (removal of vacant power plant, other out buildings) (-12)
3. Construction of 2 downtown hotels (-32)
4. Construct and open first-ever Ex-Offender Re-Entry and Job Training Center, including equipment (-6)
5. Construction of Department of Public Works Building (-6)
6. Build citywide Rec Center & Skating Rink (-8)
7. Hire Community Relations Coordinator and 5 support staff (for greater police-public interaction, crime watch group support, public information role) (-5)
8. New, energy-efficient bus stops with LED information screens (-5)

It will be interesting to see if any federal stimulus funding goes towards the projects that the people are in favor of. And of course, which projects get funding because of favortism which seems to happen most of the time in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

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