Missouri lawmakers have set aside no federal stimulus dollars for KC

[proud2BlibKansan]

JEFFERSON CITY | As the 2009 session of the General Assembly grinds to an end today, one mind-boggling question hangs over Kansas City’s delegation:

Why did the city get virtually shut out when it came to the money grab for hundreds of millions in federal stimulus dollars? In one bill alone that passed last week, legislators doled out $381.3 million in stimulus money.

Kansas City’s take: zip.

“I just didn’t hear any of Kansas City’s interests articulated,” said Rep. Chris Kelly, a Columbia Democrat. “If they needed something, somebody should have said something.”

The St. Louis area, meanwhile, made off with $12 million for mass transit, $9.3 million for a mental health facility, $750,000 for a prisoner re-entry initiative, and $500,000 for a high school dropout program.

more . . . http://www.kansascity.com/637/story/1198404.html?storylink=omni_popular