Excerpts from Bridges Meeting News report

Bi-state bridges authority looks for funding answers

Questions on local impact again raised

By BRADEN LAMMERS

finding money for the $4.1 billion project will not be an easy feat for the 14-member panel, which may have additional obstacles to clear, several funding sources to contend with and will need to move expeditiously so it will not limit money available to other transportation projects.

...t’s all about location for Louisville and Southern Indiana, as it has developed as a crossroads to distribute products across the country and the world.

...The lack of infrastructure around the highways is the major detriment to the area, said Jeffersonville Mayor Tom Galligan.

“They are an economic drag — not being here — on our community and on Louisville and the metropolitan area,” he said, referring to the bridges. “When we talk to customers about locating in our region, they want to know how they can get across the bridge.

“We have to tell them to go across at night or in the middle of the day and that’s not good for economic development.”

...Indiana has already pledged about $1.15 billion raised through the lease of the Indiana Toll Road in Northern Indiana. Kentucky has pledged to sell $100 million in GARVEE bonds.

...One answer may be through a Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act, or TIFIA, loan.

The federal secure loan could cover nearly one-third of the project cost — which would be a maximum of $1.2 billion — with the term of the loan lasting 35 years, said Thomas Howard, executive director of Kentucky’s office of financial management. If the full amount were approved by the U.S. government, it would be the largest amount pledged to a single project, he said.

Another avenue being pursued is a National Infrastructure Innovation and Finance Fund, or NIIFF, grant — a blend of TIFIA and TIGER grants — which could provide up to $2 billion in grants. It has yet to be approved.

MITCH DANIELS DEMANDS TOLL BRIDGES!!!

The inclusion of the tolls, at least from the perspective of Gov. Mitch Daniels, R-Ind., is a foregone conclusion.

“It pretty much resolves to tolls or no project,” he said in an interview Wednesday afternoon.

Daniels was not in attendance at Wednesday’s bridges authority meeting.

“It’s not really fair to ask [all] Hoosiers to pay taxes for a bridge that most aren’t going to use,” he said. <(Mitch and his friend Miss Piggy)

The actual tolling facility would also have to be determined in order to move forward for not only the bridges, but for Kentuckiana Regional Planning and Development Agency’s travel model.

“If tolls are being brought into the process, we need to know how much, where and things along those lines so that we can try and get a more accurate update as to how the travel model will operate,” said David Burton, KIPDA transportation planner. “We cannot proceed with the travel model process without that information.”

GOLIATH'S ANALYSIS

YOu is not going to SEE no bridge in yOUR LIfetime. Even if You sees 100 years of age. I might stand a chance

because Me is 3,000 and some odd year old. BUT NOT you guys. Kentucky promise and pledge ONLY 100 million

and INDiana Nots going to pay another dime till them Kentuckians come to Table. Louisville 'SHot it's wad" when

it got ARENA through ...THEm boys from out in the State and Lexingtons be quite HAPPY to see Louisville Wither

away and DIE cause LOuisville not really KENTUCKY no how.

Mitch Daniel...HIm Big REpublican from George W. Bush!!! Why him care if Democrat laden Clark and Floyd Counties

wither away and DIE on the I-65 VINE...That why him say "TOLLS OR ELSE" ....YOU WANT IT? YOu pay for it!!!

Thaanks MITCH DANIELS!!! Happy times coming for you good folks in rest of STATE!! Politicians Like Mitch

and others can stand on TEE VEE and say "YEs get a bridge! By all means! Do it NOw!!" That look real good on

the tee vee. But meanwhile them not give a good damn (what's in it for ME them think?) NOTHING. So to

Louisville, Jeffersonville and all of CLARK and FLOYD County ME say "SO SORRY!!!" They just declared YOUR
HOME TOWN a LONG TERM LOSER!!!

GOLIATH SOLUTION:

HAve JEff and COunty ENgineers Field Test the Clark Memorial Bridge and Condemn that there due to already

noted STRESS FRACTURES. SHUT DOWN the CLARK. BACK TRAFFIC UP All teh GOOD WAY to INDIANAPOLIS

WATCH INDIANAPOLIS SHUDDER AND SHAKE!! DOes You have the AUTHORITY to SHUT DOWN BRIDGE?

DEAR LEADERS....If YOU CAN CREATE TOWNS and YOU CAN DREAM up CANALS and what nots...YOU SHORE
CAN SENd Police cars UP ;there and shut it down!!! WATCH THEM FANCY FELLERS like Mitch Daniels and

David Williams HUStle and Moan!!