White House puts out a playbook to help rural areas get infrastructure funding

White House puts out a playbook to help rural areas get infrastructure¹ funding

Transcript²

President Biden's $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill is great for small towns, where raising money is challenging. But rural communities have fewer staff to apply for and manage federal assistance.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Members of President Biden's Cabinet are traveling in rural America this month. They're encouraging local officials to seek funding from the infrastructure law that Biden signed last year. Local officials in smaller communities have concerns about the paperwork. Here is Arizona Public Media's Megan Myscofski.

MEGAN MYSCOFSKI, BYLINE³: Mignonne Hollis heads the three-person economic development organization in Cochise County, Ariz., home to about 125,000 people.

MIGNONNE HOLLIS: Elected officials, they really like it as a buzzword and when it's sexy, but economic development, to its core, is dirty and hard.

MYSCOFSKI: The infrastructure law will provide money to fund dozens of the kinds of projects that Hollis works on, but...

HOLLIS: It's a lot of work. Typically, it's just me trying to do all of that. And then that process can take such a long time that you're missing out on other opportunities for your organization.

MYSCOFSKI: The White House has put out a rural playbook that highlights funding opportunities for those outside cities. Adie Tomer researches infrastructure policy at the Brookings Institution. He says applying for infrastructure law funding is going to be a stretch for small offices like Hollis'.

ADIE TOMER: Cities like Phoenix⁴ and Tucson, they're going to have the staff around. They may not be assigned to it right now, but they can quickly get up to speed.

MYSCOFSKI: And unlike COVID relief funds, the bulk of this money will go through state governments first. Mildred Warner teaches city and regional planning at Cornell University. She says local governments are going to need help from above to get the federal money and to put it to use effectively.

MILDRED WARNER: What's been happening in the last - I don't know - 20 years is this cooperative federalism has become a little less cooperative.

MYSCOFSKI: What she means is, some states pass responsibilities down to the local level without money or assistance.

WARNER: And I would call that an uncooperative federalism.

MYSCOFSKI: Arizona's Republican governor, Doug Ducey, is philosophically⁵ opposed to big-government solutions and has clashed with the Biden administration on COVID relief funding. Last week, Ducey announced a task force that'll plan for how the infrastructure law money will be used in the state.

HOLLIS: But this building is just for people that are starting off...

MYSCOFSKI: Back in Cochise County, Mignonne Hollis knows a little federal help can go a long way. She got COVID relief money to set up a rural telemedicine center and quickly hired Sarah Challender to help.

SARAH CHALLENDER: She was very intent and passionate⁶.

HOLLIS: I was very intent about talking to Sarah.

MYSCOFSKI: Challender helps people who come in with telemedicine appointments, something many county residents don't have a strong enough internet connection to do at home.

HOLLIS: It's a very calming blue. In telehealth, especially for behavioral health, it needs to be this shade of blue.

MYSCOFSKI: Hollis says the federal assistance is making a difference. Now with infrastructure law money on the table, she's looking into what else she might be able to do.

HOLLIS: And when you look to see where we are, we need lots of help. And we've got to get it now before there's nothing left.

MYSCOFSKI: In a town where the population is declining as people leave for better jobs and quality of life, Hollis says they're not going to attract flashy, big businesses. So she says it's crucial they don't miss out on this historic funding opportunity. For NPR News, I'm Megan Myscofski in Tucson.

1 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

2 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

3 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

4 phoenix   

n.凤凰，长生(不死)鸟；引申为重生

参考例句：

• The airline rose like a phoenix from the ashes.这家航空公司又起死回生了。
• The phoenix worship of China is fetish worship not totem adoration.中国凤崇拜是灵物崇拜而非图腾崇拜。

5 philosophically   

adv.哲学上；富有哲理性地；贤明地；冷静地

参考例句：

• He added philosophically that one should adapt oneself to the changed conditions. 他富于哲理地补充说，一个人应该适应变化了的情况。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Harry took his rejection philosophically. 哈里达观地看待自己被拒的事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 passionate   

adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的

参考例句：

• He is said to be the most passionate man.据说他是最有激情的人。
• He is very passionate about the project.他对那个项目非常热心。