Moreover, Anchorage Tomorrow believes this year’s “package” for roads, parks, facilities, and public transportation provides a unique nexus of stimulus and opportunity for Anchorage residents because:
• “Shovel-ready” - Much of the emphasis regarding the Federal stimulus package has focused on putting these funds immediately to work in wages and salaries. More than 90 percent of this year’s proposed bonds would be used to fund construction contracts in 2009 that would flow directly into Anchorage’s workforce.
• Leveraging existing grants - There is virtually a dollar-for-dollar match of proposed bonds to existing grants. Thus these bonds have an immediate 100 percent “multiplier effect” in doubling their stimulus impact.
• Attracting new grants - Recognizing the challenges associated with attracting State and Federal grants in the current economy, the Municipality would place itself in the strongest possible position to pursue these scarce funds by committing local matches to these soft monies. Our bond propositions are matched almost “dollar-for-dollar” with grant requests and thus offer the promise of additional stimulus from external funding sources.
• Sustaining economic vitality - In addition to the short-term stimulus to our local economy generated by the construction contracts that would be funded by these bonds, the upgrades to Anchorage’s transportation system would make general transportation and the delivery of goods and services more efficient and cost-effective.