Foster Backs Needs of District with Transparency
On his 100th Day in Office, New Congressman Releases Appropriations Requests
Rep. Bill Foster (IL-14) highlighted his 100th day in office by fulfilling two of his campaign pledges – to be an advocate for the needs of 14th District families and to reform Washington – by releasing a list of his Appropriations requests.
“I was sent to Washington to serve as an advocate for the 14th District and to also make our government more transparent and accountable,” said Foster.
Members of Congress have the constitutional authority to direct discretionary spending already in the budget toward local projects by submitting requests for federal funding to the House Appropriations Committee. The Committee then selects which requests will receive federal funding.
“My requests were developed from meetings and conversations with local leaders, non-profits and constituents who best know the needs of our villages, towns and cities,” said Foster.
According to new House Rules passed in 2007, each Member must certify that he or she has no financial interest in the Appropriations requests they submit, and Members must also expressly name the intended recipient and description of the proposed project.
In addition, Members are identified as the sponsor of an Appropriations request that is included in the text of the final legislation.
However, Members are not required to release a list of their Appropriations requests, nor are they required to list the amount they requested for each. Rep. Foster has taken an extra step by releasing his full list of Appropriations requests to ensure maximum transparency. The Office of Rep. Foster also reviewed each request to ensure that all of the requests were from not-for-profit entities like colleges and municipalities.
Added Foster, “I am proud to do my part to improve transparency and as a result, provide my constituents the information they need to hold me accountable. The House took a step forward last year by adding additional reporting requirements, but I will continue to work to reform the Appropriations process.”
It is important to note that the submission of an Appropriations request does not guarantee that the request will receive federal funding.
“While it is unlikely that all of the projects that I submitted to the Appropriations Committee will receive funding, each would greatly benefit our neighborhoods and I am pleased to advocate for these worthy causes,” said Foster.
Concluded Foster, “Government is more accountable when it is transparent, which is why I believe that the people of the 14th district of Illinois should have an opportunity to view the projects for which I requested federal funding.”
The following is the complete list of the 27 projects and 1 program request totaling $55,810,631.00 submitted to the House Committee on Appropriations:
| Project: |
Aurora Municipal Airport |
| Location: |
Aurora |
| Amount Requested: |
$1,400,000 |
| Requestor: |
City of Aurora |
| Description: |
The funds would be used to create an entrance road and improve a parking lot to help secure a regional sales and service facility that would bring a number of high paying jobs to Aurora. |
| Project: |
Aurora Police Department |
| Location: |
Aurora |
| Amount Requested: |
$250,000 |
| Requestor: |
City of Aurora |
| Description: |
The funds would be used to help the Aurora Police Department combat crime by providing it with funds to purchase new equipment. |
| Project: |
Reducing Parking Congestion at the Route 59 Metra Station |
| Location: |
Aurora |
| Amount Requested: |
$1,900,000 |
| Requestor: |
City of Aurora |
| Description: |
The funds would be used to create a trolley system and a remote parking lot at the Route 59 Metra Station. These improvements would add 135 new parking spaces. |
| Project: |
The Eola Road and I-88 Interchange Project |
| Location: |
Aurora |
| Amount Requested: |
$4,100,000 |
| Requestor: |
City of Aurora |
| Description: |
The funds represent 50% of the costs for the City of Aurora to purchase the land necessary to create an interchange that would provide relief drivers on Rt. 59. |
| Project: |
Widening Eola Road from Montgomery Road to Keating Drive |
| Location: |
Aurora |
| Amount Requested: |
$6,000,000 |
| Requestor: |
City of Aurora |
| Description: |
The funds represent 80% of the costs for the City of Aurora to provide for a right-of-way acquisition and for construction and engineering. As a result, it would help the City to eliminate the current bottleneck caused by a 0.9-mile section of outdated two-lane roadway situation in between fully improved four-lane divided sections of roadway to the north and south. |
| Project: |
Community Response Team |
| Location: |
Carpentersville |
| Amount Requested: |
$500,631 |
| Requestor: |
Village of Carpentersville |
| Description: |
The funds would help the Village of Carpentersville combat gang and drug violence by expanding the Community Response Team. |
| Project: |
Public Works Facility |
| Location: |
Carpentersville |
| Amount Requested: |
$1,500,000 |
| Requestor: |
Village of Carpentersville |
| Description: |
The funds would help the Village of Carpentersville offset the costs of land acquisition for a new public works facility. |
| Project: |
Unit 8 Street Improvement Project |
| Location: |
Carpentersville |
| Amount Requested: |
$2,200,000 |
| Requestor: |
Village of Carpentersville |
| Description: |
The funds would be used for the placement of sidewalks on heavily traveled streets in and around Bunker Lane, Center Drive, Northlake Parkway, Plainview Road, Ravine Lane and Ravine Road. |
| Project: |
Wastewater Facility Emergency Generator |
| Location: |
Carpentersville |
| Amount Requested: |
$605,000 |
| Requestor: |
Village of Carpentersville |
| Description: |
The funds would help the Village of Carpentersville design and install an emergency generator to ensure that the Village of Carpentersville will be capable of providing electrical power to its wastewater treatment facility during electrical outages. |
Note: The following request is for a program, not a project.
| Program: |
Central Great Lakes Mapping Coalition |
| BAckground: |
The Coalition, made up of seven state geological surveys with the United States Geological Survey, provides critical information promoting sustainable economic development, protecting water quality and quantity in aquifers and public healthy, safety and welfare in Kane County and the northeast Illinois region. |
| Amount Requested: |
$5,000,000 |
| Requestor: |
County of Kane |
| Description: |
Despite matching funds from each state, including Illinois, the Coalition’s efforts have been limited by a federal allocation of $500,000 annually since FY2000. President Bush’s FY2009 Budget does not include funding for this program at all. The request, made in conjunction with dozens of other members of Congress, would restore the program with appropriate funding. |
| Project: |
DeKalb/Taylor Municipal Airport |
| Location: |
DeKalb |
| Amount Requested: |
$2,500,000 |
| Requestor: |
City of DeKalb |
| Description: |
These funds would assist in the operations, maintenance and security of the DeKalb/Taylor Airport. |
| Project: |
Elgin Boys and Girls Club |
| Location: |
Elgin |
| Amount Requested: |
$100,000 |
| Requestor: |
Elgin Boys and Girls Club |
| Description: |
These funds would support an after school program assisting low-income middle school students and would focus on reading and homework assistance, financial literacy, and drug and alcohol abuse prevention. |
| Project: |
Elgin Community College (Automotive Vocational Training) |
| Location: |
Elgin |
| Amount Requested: |
$102,000 |
| Requestor: |
Elgin Community College |
| Description: |
These funds would strengthen the Community College’s automotive vocational training program. |
| Project: |
Elgin Community College |
| Location: |
Elgin |
| Amount Requested: |
$73,000 |
| Requestor: |
Elgin Community College |
| Description: |
These funds would assist the Community College in purchasing computer-aided design prototyping equipment and supplies for its vocational training program and start-up radiography occupational training program equipment. |
| Project: |
Elgin Police Department |
| Location: |
Elgin |
| Amount Requested: |
$250,000 |
| Requestor: |
Elgin Police Department |
| Description: |
The funds would help provide equipment to aid and assist the Elgin Police Department in its efforts to curb crime. |
| Project: |
West Bank River Front |
| Location: |
Elgin |
| Amount Requested: |
$7,500,000 |
| Requestor: |
City of Elgin |
| Description: |
The funding would be used to preserve and make pedestrian friendly the West Bank of the Fox River. |
| Project: |
Henry/Stark County Health Department |
| Location: |
Kewanee |
| Amount Requested: |
$100,000 |
| Requestor: |
Henry/Stark County Health Department |
| Description: |
The funds would help provide mental health services to Henry County residents. |
| Project: |
Institute of Tribology and Coatings |
| Location: |
Sugar Grove |
| Amount Requested: |
$5,000,000 |
| Requestor: |
Institute of Tribology and Coatings |
| Description: |
The Institute for Tribology and Coatings (www.tribologyinstitute.org) is seeking to establish an Army Weapons Center for Wear, Tribology, Corrosion, and Characterization. |
| Project: |
Kendall County Health Department |
| Location: |
Yorkville |
| Amount Requested: |
$25,000 |
| Requestor: |
Kendall County Health Department |
| Description: |
The funds would help the County reduce childhood obesity by promoting healthy eating and physical activity by giving families the tools needed to facilitate healthy behavior on a daily basis through the creation of parent toolkit that would be provided to every parent in the County. |
| Project: |
The Northern Illinois Proton Therapy Treatment and Research Center |
| Location: |
DeKalb and West Chicago |
| Amount Requested: |
$9,500,000 |
| Requestor: |
Northern Illinois University |
| Description: |
These funds would further the development of the Northern Illinois Proton Therapy Treatment and Research Center. This medical and research treatment facility will treat malignant tumors that are uncontrollable through conventional cancer techniques. When completed, the Center will treat up to 1,500 patients annually using advanced medical science and cutting-edge particle accelerator physics. Proton therapy is the optimal treatment for small, early-stage tumors located close to sensitive structures. |
| Project: |
The Northern Illinois University Institute for Neutron Therapy (NIUINT) |
| Location: |
Batavia |
| Amount Requested: |
$5,000,000 |
| Requestor: |
Northern Illinois University |
| Description: |
The NIUINT uses excess beam capacity from Fermilab’s proton linear accelerator to generate a neutron beam that treats advanced radio-resistant malignant tumors. This is the only full-service neutron facility in the U.S. The funding would help provide information on the effectiveness of neutron therapy as an effective adjuvant for the treatment of veterans with selected cancers as well as fulfill a mandate from the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs. |
| Project: |
Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home |
| Location: |
Dixon |
| Amount Requested: |
$25,000 |
| Requestor: |
Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home |
| Description: |
The funding would be used for preservation, grounds improvement and facility upkeep. |
| Project: |
Sauk Valley Community College (Welding Job Training Program) |
| Location: |
Dixon |
| Amount Requested: |
$100,000 |
| Requestor: |
Sauk Valley Community College |
| Description: |
The funding would be used for expansion of welding job training program as well as needed equipment. |
| Project: |
Sauk Valley Community College |
| Location: |
Dixon |
| Amount Requested: |
$80,000 |
| Requestor: |
Sauk Valley Community College |
| Description: |
The funding would help provide computer based training manuals in the medical coding specialist occupational training program; support the early childhood/elder care occupation training program and provide for equipment. It would also improve the advanced graphic design occupational training program and provide for equipment. |
| Project: |
First Street Parking Deck |
| Location: |
St. Charles |
| Amount Requested: |
$1,000,000 |
| Requestor: |
City of St. Charles |
| Description: |
The funding would be used to acquire structured parking providing approximately 430 parking stalls for downtown St. Charles. |
| Project: |
Improving the Intersection of IL-64 and Oak Street |
| Location: |
St. Charles |
| Amount Requested: |
$600,000 |
| Requestor: |
City of St. Charles |
| Description: |
The funding would enable the City of St. Charles to add traffic signals and widen the roadway by providing one additional lane along IL-64 in each direction. |
| Project: |
Waubonsee Community College (Computer Information Training) |
| Location: |
Sugar Grove |
| Amount Requested: |
$250,000 |
| Requestor: |
Waubonsee Community College |
| Description: |
The funding would assist the computer information occupational training program. |
| Project: |
Waubonsee Community College |
| Location: |
Sugar Grove |
| Amount Requested: |
$150,000 |
| Requestor: |
Waubonsee Community College |
| Description: |
The funding would aid the Community College’s automotive technology occupational training program. |
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