ATLANTA -Governor Sonny Perdue announced today the approval of two Georgia Fund loan commitments of $5,200,000 and one Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) commitment of $1,000,000 as part of his vision for sustainable economic development. The Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority (GEFA) executive committee approved the commitments to help finance water infrastructure projects for the cities of Carrollton, Monroe and Roswell. "GEFA's programs are a tangible commitment by Governor Perdue and the General Assembly to assist local governments across the state with their efforts to provide clean water, sewer and solid waste improvements," said Phil Foil. "In addition to the public's health and safety, these projects are critical to a community's ability to prosper economically." GEFA helps communities prepare for economic growth and development through the provision of low interest loans and grants. The Georgia Fund is a state funded loan program administered by GEFA for water, wastewater and solid waste infrastructure projects. The loan program has maximum flexibility and accessibility, providing fast loan approvals. The Georgia Fund finances loans to local governments for projects such as water and sewer lines, treatment plants, pumping stations, wells, water storage tanks and water meters. The DWSRF is a federal loan program administered by GEFA for water infrastructure projects. Eligible projects include public health-related water supply construction.
As a water professional, I can't help but be excited about the above news snippet from one of my local professional associations. Yeah, engineering work! However, as a Georgia taxpayer, I am deeply dissatisfied by this news. What they hell does he mean, "community's ability to prosper economically"? Roswell has one of the richest zip codes in Georgia. And, since I work on this stuff all the time, I know that Atlanta's water infrastructure is in far worse shape than Roswell's. Anyone who's been trapped in a sink hole inside the perimeter knows that. It's stories like this that make the amount I don't know about local politics seem vast indeed. -janelane |
