Murphy Secures Vital Funding for Meriden's West Main Street Project

Press Release

This week, the President signed the omnibus appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2008, which included more than $490,000 in a direct, one time grant secured by Congressman Chris Murphy (CT-5) for Meriden's West Main Street streetscape project.

"Downtown Meriden has been undergoing a transformation in recent years. The funds I was able to secure this year will help the city continue its efforts," said Murphy.

The federal funding will be used to continue similar improvements made by the City of Meriden to West Main Street in the City's downtown central business area. The funding secured by Murphy will augment the city's efforts to implement street improvements, including sidewalk repair, street paving, landscaping and other amenities such as benches, decorative street lighting and waste receptacles. The total cost of the project is estimated at $1.4 million.

"We thank Congressman Murphy for his efforts in securing $490,000 for the City of Meriden. The West Main Street Streetscape project will improve one of Meriden's main thoroughfares and continue to revitalize our city. It is these local, state and federal partnerships that are critical to rebuilding communities," said Mayor Benigni.

Despite repeated threats from President Bush to veto spending bills that funded programs at levels above his request, Murphy was still able to secure this funding for Connecticut's Fifth District.

"Mayor Benigni came to me in January and asked for my help with his plan to clean up West Main Street. This money will start this important project moving forward," said Murphy.

Other programs that were given a boost by Congress in the Fiscal Year 2008 budget bill include:

- $94 million for brownfields remediation, $4.5 million more than what the President requested.

- $587 million for the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program, for a $45 million increase from Fiscal Year 2007. The President had planned to cut the program by 94% in Fiscal Year 2008.

- $750 million for Firefighter Grants, more than double what the President asked for.

- $24.8 billion for K-12 Education, more than a billion dollars more than what was appropriated last year.

- $2.6 billion for LIHEAP, the program that helps low-income people heat their homes in the winter, almost a billion more than what the President asked for.

- $3.6 billion for Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), almost a billion dollars more than what the President requested.

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