Tiny percentage of Montana's federal ARPA funds spent

OF THAT MONEY HAS BEEN SPENT,SO FAR.{MTN CHIEF POLITICAL REPORTERMIKE DENNISON: "FIRST, LET’STAKE L AOOK AT THE RAW NUMBERSAND THEN, WE’LL TALK ABOUTTHE DEBATE OVER THE PACE OFTHAT SPENDING.}{ARPA AWARDED MONTANA STATEGOVERNMENT $1.8 BILLION ANDGAVE THE STATE DISCRETION OVERABOUT HALF THAT MONEY.}{ITS ALLOCATION INCLUDES:}{$460 MILLION FOR LOCAL ANDSTATE INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTSMOST OF WHICH ARE LOCALWATER-AND-SEWER PROJECTS}{$400 MILLION FOR PUBLIC ANDPRIVATE SCHOOLS, TO DEAL WITHCOVID-19 IMPACTS}{$275 MILLION TO EXPANDHIGH-SPEED INTERNET INMONTANA}{ANOTHER $120 MILLION FOR YET-TO-BE-IDENTIFIED INFRASTRUCTURE, THAT MAY INCLUDE MOREHIGH-SPEED INTERNETEXPANSION}{$150 MILLION FORBUSINESS-AND-WORKFORCEDEVELOPMENT}{AND, NEARLY $400 MILLION FORHEALTH-AND-HUMAN-SERVICEPROGRAMS INCLUDINGEVERYTHING FROM DAY-CAREASSISTANCE TO COVID-19 TESTINGAND VACCINES TO HOME-HEATINGASSISTANCE}{BUT AS OF LAST MONTH THEGIANFORTE ADMINISTRATION HADSPENT ONLY ABOUT $50 MILLIONOF THAT MONEY ON DESIGNATEDPROJECTS AND PROGRAMS JUST2.7 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL}{GIANFORTE’S OUTGOING STATEBUDGET DIRECTOR KURT ALME SAYSTHAT AMOUNT UNDERSELLS HOWMUCH THE GIANFORTEADMINISTRATION HAS DONE, ANDIS NOW DOING}{FIRST, HE NOTES THAT MONTANAHAS RECEIVED ONLY HALF THEMONEY FROM THE FEDS -- $1.1BILLION APPROVED SPENDINGMOST OF THAT, AND OBLIGATED,OR CONTRACTED, $230 MILLION}{HE SAYS THE GIANFORTEADMINISTRATION AND COMMISSIONSSET UP BY THE LEGISLATURE AREACTING AS QUICKLY AS THEY CANTO APPROVE FUNDS}{KURT ALME, OUTGOING STATEBUDGET DIRECTOR: "WE STILLDON’T HAVE ALL THE GUIDANCE WENEED FOR ALL THE FUNDINGSTREAMS. AND THEN, ONCE WERECEIVE GUIDANCE, THEN WE HAVEOUR ADVISORY COMMISSIONS MEETAND PROVIDE FOR THE PROCESS OFPUBLIC COMMENT.

IT’S CRITICALHTOEAR FROM MONTANASTAKEHOLDERS ABOUT HOW TO BESTUSE THESE DOLLARS.}{MO OSTF THE WATER-AND-SEWERFUNDS HAVE BEEN AWARDED ANDMONEY GOES OUT AS WORK BEGINSON THE PROJECTS, SAYS OUTGOINGARPA DIRECTOR MIKE FOSTER}{HIGH-SPEED INTERNET OJPRECTSWILL TAKE MANY MONTHS, TOIDENTIFY AND DEVELOP}{AND, SCHOOL DISTRICTS AREDEVELOPING PLANS ON HOW TO USETHEIR MONEY}{BUT SOME CRITICS SAY THEGIANFOE RTADMINISTRATION ISMOVING MUCH TOO SLOWLYPARTICULARLY ON PROGRAMS THATDIRECTLY AFFECT INDIVIDUALS,AND WORKERS.}{DEMOCRATIC STATE REP.

MARYCAFERRO OF HELENA, AN ADVISORYCOMMISSION MEMBER, NOTES THATNONE OF THE $110 MILLION TOASSIST CHILD CARE HAS BEENENSPT OR ANY OF THE MONEYFOR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, ORHEATING ASSISTANCE, ORAFFORDABLE HOUSING}{MT REP.

MARY CAFERRO,D-HELENA: "IF THEY WOULDINVEST IN CHILD RECA, INVESTIN IT, WORKERS’ WAGESTARGETING THE CHILD-CAREFACILITIES THAT CLOSED DOWNDURING THE PANDEMIC, AS WELLAS THE STARTUPS.

BUT, NO, THEYPUT FORWARD A RECOMMENDATIONTHAT IS HEAVY IN BUREAUCRACY,HEAVY IN DUPLICATION ANDDOESN’T BENEFIT OR TARGET THEVERY PARTS OF THE STATE WITHTHE BIGGEST WORKFORCESHORTAGES, AND DOESN’TDOANYTHING ABOUT WAGES.}{THE ADMINISTRATION APPROVEDSPENDING SOME ARPA CHILD-CAREFUNDS, INCLUDING SOME FORPERSONNEL COSTS ANDAPPLICATIONS FOR THE FIRSTSEGMENT OPENS THIS WEEK}{BUT OTHER CHILD-CARE GRANTPROGRAMS ARE NOT YET READY}{CAFERRO SAYS HUMAN-SERVICEMONEY SHOULD GO THROHUGEXISTING PROGRAMS, WHICH KNOWHOW TO DISTRIBUTE IT}{MT REP.

MARY CAFERRO,D-HELENA: "INSTEAD OF DOINGSOMETHING OUABT THOSE PROBLEMSTHAT WERE EXACERBATED BY THEPANDEMIC, THIS ADMINISTRATIONIS STICKING THEIR HEAD IN THESAND.}{FOSTER AND ALME SAY THEGIANFORTE ADMINISTRATION ISN’TSLOW-ROLLING ANYTHING BUTWANTS TO BE DELIBERATE, ANDENSURE THEUN FDS ARE SPENTWISELY, FOR THE LONG TERM}{MIKE FOSTER, OUTGOING ARPADIRECTOR: "I DON’T BLAMEPEOPLE FOR WANTING IT TO COMEOUT IMMEDIATELY, BUT AGAIN, WENTWA TO BE VERY THOUGHTFUL ANDCAREFUL WITH HOW WE PROCEEDWITH ALL THE ARPA FUNDS TOMAKE SURE THAT WE’RE TAKINGCARE OF ALL THE DETAILSAPPROPRIATEL"Y}{KURT ALME, OUTGOING BUDGETDIRECTOR: "WHAT WE DON’T WANTTO DO IS CREATE A SUGAR-HIGHOF PUTTING OUT MONEY THATCREATES A ONE-TIME BUMP, ORONE-TIME ASSISTANCE,UT BDOESN’T HELP PEOPLE REALLYWEATHER COVID AND HELP PEOPLEGET BACK ON THEIR FEE}."{MTN CHIEF POLITICAL REPORTERMIKE DENNISON STANDUP: "ISUPPOSE A‘SUGAR HIGH’ MAY BEIN THE EYEF OTHE BEHOLDERAS TO WHAT ASSISTANCE ONENEEDS.

BUT THE PROOF WILL BEIN THE PUDDING, SO TO SPEAKAS THE GIANFORTEADMINISTRATION DOLES OUT THISMONEY IN THE COMING MONTHS.

ATTHE CAPITOL, MIKE DENNIS,