Transportation, Treaury, Housing and Urban Development, the Judiciary, the District of Columbia and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act, 2007

TRANSPORTATION, TREASURY, HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, THE JUDICIARY, THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA AND INDEPENDENT AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2007

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Mr. CLEAVER. Mr. Chairman, I want to address two issues in H.R. 5576, the Transportation, Treasury, Housing and Urban Development, Judiciary and District of Columbia Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2007 (TTHUD) that are of great interest to the Fifth District of Missouri: first, the need to redesignate funds in the SAFETEA-LU program to address critical traffic problems along a stretch of highway known as ``Death Valley,'' and second, the woefully inadequate resources for housing and community development.

Let me begin by thanking Chairman Jo e Knollenberg and Ranking Member John Olver both of the House Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation and Chairman Don Young and Ranking Member Jim Oberstar both of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure for all of their hard work on this measure. I know it is through their efforts that we have this bill and I will have the opportunity to help my district fix an alarming problem.

I prepared a very simple amendment to make a technical correction to redesignate funds, and alleviate traffic at one of the most dangerous intersections in Missouri's 5th Congressional District: the intersection of M-291 Highway and Courtney Road in Sugar Creek, Missouri.

Originally, this SAFETEA-LU allocation would have designated $1.6 million for one highway project in my district, and the amendment would have fully transferred the designation to the City of Sugar Creek, so that they could have alleviated the traffic problems along a different stretch of high-traffic highway known as ``Death Valley.''

Within a 22 month span, there were 31 traffic accidents. In 1997, there were 87 accidents and 2 fatalities. In the summer 1998, five people died within two days in traffic accidents.This stretch has truly earned its nickname, and the area has only grown busier.

Overall, there is a large number of truck and car traffic crossing from the outer roadways of M-291 at an uncontrolled intersection North of Kentucky Road and South of Courtney Road. This redesignation would facilitate construction to finish the East and West outer-roadways to Courtney Road to allow for traffic to move safely through controlled intersections.

Until now, the City has only been able to do minimally protective measures, such as reducing the speed limit and adding a red light violator camera system. This redesignation would improve public safety by finishing the extension of the East and West outer roadways and adding desperately needed traffic outlets.

Mr. Chairman, I withdrew my amendment after conversations and assurances with the good Chairmen and Ranking Members, that a more appropriate vehicle for this technical correction and redesignation would be coming up for consideration shortly. I look forward to working with the Chairmen and Ranking Members so that we can put an end to ``Death Valley.''

Today, I reluctantly cast my vote in favor of H.R. 5576. While this legislation allows current 2006-level funding for vital programs affecting the citizens of the 5th Congressional District such as Section 202 housing for the elderly and Section 811 housing for the disabled and slightly increases Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) and Home Funds for programs that directly affect low to moderate income families in our neighborhoods, it also zero's out several programs that have had and would continue to have a significant impact on the revitalization and continued growth of the cities and neighborhoods of the 5th District. The programs targeted to receive no funds include the CDBG Section 8 program, Brownfield program, and Youthbuild program.

In Kansas City, Missouri alone the Section 108 and Brownfield programs have been successfully used to fund job producing economic development like the Vista Hotel, the first Section 108 HUD loan in the nation, Quality Hill neighborhood, 18th and Vine, the Westside Industrial Park (DST plant), H & R Block National Equipment Repair Facility on Brush Creek, Swope Park Health Facility and a number of commercial developments, to name a few. Neighborhoods such as Brooklyn Heights (the old Municipal Stadium site), Little Sisters of the Poor Housing Redevelopment, and subdivisions such as Citidal Gardens and Renaissance Place and elderly developments such as the Residences at West Paseo (the old Robinson Hospital) utilized these programs. None of these developments would be here today without Section 108 and Brownfield funds.

Youthbuild programs have provided vocational training and job opportunities for numerous young people in our district to learn building trades. By combining classroom and practical experience, Youthbuild has enabled participants to get decent jobs that pay a livable wage. In Kansas City, Swope Community Builders in KC received a $700K Youthbuild grant this year (2006) to train 60 youth ages 16 to 24 in homebuilding trades and build two affordable houses for sale. Participants can also get a GED if they didn't graduate from high school. Funding for this program was eliminated in the bill.

Because the House majority leadership has chosen to ignore the successes of these programs and turn a blind eye to the needs of cities that require these ``community building tools'' for future revitalization, I am calling on the Senate, including Missouri's Senators Bond and Talent, to restore these beneficial programs in the Senate appropriations bill.

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