Political Quotes

“The northern border region, from Maine, to New Hampshire, to Vermont, to New York, is a particularly hard hit economic area. The Northern Border Regional Commission has been a tremendous asset to help folks across that region--by the way, inhabited by Republicans and Democrats--to start reviving their economy. The Commission is modeled, by the way, after the Appalachian Regional Commission and provides Federal funds for critical economic and community development projects throughout the Northeast. These lead to new jobs and stronger communities. Importantly, the Northern Border Regional Commission helps orient Federal appropriations toward State-prioritized projects. The State is very much a player in allocating where this money goes. Through the collective vote of the Governors of these States, they coordinate with the Federal co-chair to rank the funding applications. This ensures accountability and effectiveness. It has worked. In Vermont, for instance, the Commission has helped fund a number of projects: $226,000 for Lyndon State College to establish a new 4-year degree in hospitality and tourism management, one of the big drivers of our economy in the Northern Border Region; $250,000 to the Northern Community Investment Corporation for telecommunications infrastructure that rural areas have to have; and $250,000 to the Vermont Agency of Transportation to connect with the Washington Railroad network in Barton, Vermont.…”