Funding for a road management system was among the area projects in a recent appropriations bill signed by President Barack Obama, according to U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan's office.
In a press release on Friday, the two-term lawmaker who represents District 13 said he opposed the $450 billion omnibus package, which increased spending by a total of 12 percent.
”I am not opposed to worthwhile spending on important public projects,“ Buchanan said. ”But this bill spends too much money at a time of record deficits. We need to change the way we do business in Washington and cut wasteful spending.“
Despite that, Buchanan trumpeted the $3.1 million in appropriations for the area, including the sums that will benefit Manatee County.
The $500,000 in the bill will help pay for the Advanced Traffic Management System, which will supposedly reduce road congestion in Sarasota and Manatee counties.
”This funding will allow Sarasota and Manatee counties to coordinate efforts to monitor and improve the flow of traffic,“ Buchanan said. ”The project will reduce congestion, increase safety, and conserve energy.“
The project is expected to reduce vehicular delays by 9.5 million hours per year and reduce fuel consumption by 3.8 million gallons per year.
”Congressman Buchanan’s help has been essential in enabling us to implement a high-tech signal-control system and to construct a joint Sarasota-Manatee regional traffic management center to provide coordinated, efficient traffic management,“ said Jon Thaxton, Sarasota County Commission chairman. "With these federal dollars, we can provide Sarasota and Manatee county citizens with an advanced traffic-management system that improves traffic flow and safety.“
An appropriation of $250,000 was included in the bill by Buchanan to help address nursing shortages by supporting educational development at the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee Campus.
”Critical nursing shortages continue to grow as our population ages,“ Buchanan said. ”The University is preparing to establish a College of Nursing on campus that will allow them to reach and educate the southern-most portions of Florida.“
The federal funding will support the development of a teaching simulation laboratory, equipping a videoconference classroom, and the development of Web, on-site and blended courses at the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee Campus.
”We are delighted at this point in our separate accreditation process to get additional support for the College of Nursing, as this continues to be a strong workforce issue in the state of Florida,“ said USF Sarasota-Manatee President Dr. Arthur Guilford. ”This will enable us to expand nursing opportunities to include even more coursework in south Sarasota County and help us to educate more nurses in our region.“
Finally, the bill includes $100,000 Buchanan requested to help New College of Florida engage and enhance the digital assets at the Jane Bancroft Cook Library, a joint-use facility for New College of Florida, the University of South Florida Sarasota/Manatee, State College of Florida, and residents of Manatee and Sarasota counties.
”Libraries are no longer about books and card catalogs,“ Buchanan said. ”This funding will help the Jane Bancroft Cook Library become a center for community research and civic engagement.“
”This gratifying enhancement of the Smart Library will underwrite our capacity to stay current with the rapidly changing technologies affecting college and university libraries,“ New College of Florida President Gordon E. Michalson said. ”Moreover, this support affects not simply New College and neighboring institutions, but the entire region of Southwest Florida in ways that will benefit citizens of the state for years to come.“
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