Inclusivity is important. As JFK said at American University in 1963, "We must make the world safe for diversity." Great use of $2.1 million in American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 federal funds. Thank you, President Biden. Thank you Congressional Democrats.
Always remember: Every single one of the Republicans in both Houses of Congresss during the 117th Congress ALL voted against this bill, passed in the wake of COVID.
Share their shame. The selfish, smarmy Dull Republicans in the 117th Congress played "Scrooge" with all of us, playing as for fools, acting like tools, emitting ideological malarkey like timorous tedious termagants, toadies and bullies, as they seem to do every single day if we let them get away with it.
Thank you, St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners, Sheriff Robert Hardwick and Kendall Hardwick and Police Athletic League. I strongly supported the motion, which passed unanimously in the SJC BOCC.
But no mention of who voted for ARPA (and who didn't) in SJC, press releases or media coverage.
Wonder why? One-party rule?
Remarkably ungracious, if not uncouth, unkind, unChristian and unAmerican, of addled adolescent St. Johns County and local news media not to acknowledge who proposed and who passed ARPA, which did not receive a single Republican vote.
Jesus wept.
Sadly, too many Florida Republicans love to pat themselves on the back, divide us, but are unwilling to act in a bipartisan fashion. Pray for them.
Thank you, President Biden and thank you House and Senate Democrats.
Pray for partisan Republicans to rise above politics and to show humility for a change. Our SJC BoCC would not even pass a resolution honoring the 100th birthday of President Jimmy Carter. I wrote and asked then-Chair Sarah Arnold and our other County Commissioners to do it: not one responded. Not one. How gauche and louche.
Pray for them. Enough pompous petty partisanship from our putative local "leaders."
Yes, BOCC, you're all Republican, but you should try to rise above it. (Some of my best friends are Republican.)
Press release from St. Johns County:
St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners Approves $2.18M for Diamond of Dreams
An all-inclusive park for children with intellectual and physical disabilities
At their Dec. 3, 2024, Regular Meeting, the St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) unanimously approved two motions that authorized the use of $2,187,252 in American Rescue Plan Act funds and a funding assistance agreement for the St. Johns County Police Athletic League Diamond of Dreams project. It is an all-inclusive specially designed baseball/multipurpose field and playground for children of all abilities planned for southwest St. Johns County. A presentation on the funding and the project was made before the approval by the BOCC.
The Diamond of Dreams project plans include a carpeted, wheelchair-accessible baseball field, dugouts, a press box, family seating, ADA-complaint asphalt parking spaces and restroom facilities, and a wheelchair-accessible playground.
On May 10, 2021, the U.S. Department of the Treasury launched the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds, established by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA). St. Johns County was allocated $51,409,434. One part of the ARPA objective was to provide emergency funding for eligible local governments, to support the immediate pandemic response, bring back jobs, and lay the groundwork for a strong and equitable recovery. Up to $10M of ARPA funding can be appropriated to capital projects under a “lost revenue” category. St. Johns County must commit/encumber ARPA funding by December 31, 2024.
Previous ARPA-funded projects have included the Hastings Vocational School, water/sewer infrastructure, and the West Augustine Medical Facility.
From WJXT:
St. Johns County approves $2 million for all-inclusive baseball diamond, playground for children
ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – The St. Johns County Board of Commissioners approved $2 million to build an all-inclusive baseball diamond and playground for children of all abilities.
The Diamond of Dreams project will have a carpeted, wheelchair-accessible baseball field, dugouts, a press box, family seating, ADA-complaint asphalt parking spaces, bathrooms, and a wheelchair-accessible playground.
Mike Strausbaugh’s daughter has cerebral palsy and some intellectual disabilities. It’s always important for him to find ways to get his daughter involved, but it’s been a challenge in St. Johns County.
He said aside from the Field of Dreams and park in Aberdeen, there aren’t a lot of places that are catered to people with disabilities.
“We take for granted going in and out of stores,” Strausbaugh said. “We take for granted going and playing on the baseball field or going and playing on a swing set.”
Kendell Hardwick is the project’s coordinator and said they hope to be done with the park in a year and a half.
“I want to break down those barriers and have siblings out there playing together, families together, peers playing with you, so I really want to make sure that we’re capturing all of that,” Hardwick said.
Strausbaugh thinks the impact of the park will go a long way.
“I’m sure, when this park opens up, if you come back out here, and you see the smiles on the people’s faces, and it puts people in contact with people that they may have never otherwise come in contact with.
The money comes from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 which provided emergency funding to support the pandemic response. St. Johns County was allocated $51 million and up to $10 million can be used for capital projects.
St. Johns County had to commit or encumber the money by Dec. 31 or it would have had to refund it.
2 comments:
The Tea Party clown show didn't pitch in no pun intended. Just look at that damn website of theirs. Looks like something a middle school student did and some of them are old people. I tell you that's just the sort of education failure that gets the federal government involved in state and local affairs.
Meanwhile Florida's largest insurer cuts over 1/3 rd of their policies.
https://www.newsweek.com/florida-largest-insurer-cuts-policies-2001473
Post a Comment