BY JIM BARON

PROVIDENCE — Unlike several other Republican governors across the country, Gov. Donald Carcieri does not intend to turn down any of the federal stimulus money targeted for Rhode Island.

The legislature could override a gubernatorial decision to refuse any part of the funds, but it does not appear that is going to be an issue. Asked if the governor would reject any of the federal money, which comes with strings attached in many cases, Spokeswoman Amy Kempe said, “No, not that we believe.”
Kempe added that “there may be some pieces that we need some clarification on; new details are forthcoming from Washington every day.
A short time later the governor’s office issued a press release saying that Carcieri will hold an official signing ceremony at the State House this afternoon to certify that Rhode Island “will request and use funds to support activities that will create jobs and economic development” as is required by the law.
In a presentation to the House Finance Committee Wednesday, House Fiscal Advisor Michael O’Keefe said the information from the federal government about how much money the state will have at its disposal and what it can or can’t do with it is incomplete. Until rules and regulations are written by various state agencies to carry out the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act signed into law by President Barack Obama Feb. 17, O’Keefe said, “there is more we don’t know than we do know” about how the law will affect the Ocean State. He allowed, however, that “we know more now than we did last week.”
With a copy of the 1,100 page law sitting on the table in front of him, O’Keefe told the panel that 30 budget analysts from the House, Senate and the Carcieri administration worked through last week poring over the measure to determine what it means.
A significant portion of the funding, O’Keefe said, is in the form of competitive grant programs the states will have to vie for.
Simplifying the complex law for the committee, O’Keefe said “it doesn’t much change the way things are done, it just increases the scale of them dramatically.
In many cases, he said, the objective is not to create new spending but to avoid the need for cuts in a variety of state and municipal functions.
Good news for local municipalities: O’Keefe distributed a chart of estimated amounts of increased school aid, both for special education and for Title 1 aid in reading, math and literacy distributed to school districts according to the poverty level of the students.
Pawtucket will receive a total of $7.2 million in increased assistance over the next two years. Central Falls is in line for $3.1 million; Woonsocket, $5.2 million; Cumberland, $1.9 million; Lincoln, $1.3 million; North Smithfield, $596,000; East Providence, $3.1 million; Burrillville, $1.2 million; Glocester, $386,000; Foster-Glocester, $523,000; West Warwick, $2.1 million, and Coventry, $2.1 million.
House Finance Committee Chairman Steven Costantino warned that the figures are still rough estimates, based on the distribution of state aid to local school districts in the most recent budget, and do not account for changes in poverty levels or population.
On another stimulus front, Sen. Jack Reed announced Wednesday that $79 million in housing aid for Rhode Island.
Almost half of the money, $36,561,674, will be in the form of Section 8 project-based housing contracts and will enable owners to undertake project improvements to maintain the quality of affordable housing.
Another $18.8 million will enable local public housing agencies to improve the state's affordable housing infrastructure. Another $11.9 million will help state Housing Finance Agencies kick-start the production of stalled affordable rental housing projects that rely on Low-Income Housing Tax Credits.  These agencies will distribute the funds competitively and give priority to housing projects that can begin construction immediately
Of $6.9 million in homelessness prevention money, $3.2 million will go to the state; Pawtucket will receive $845,934 and Woonsocket will get $545,802. Providence is in line for $2.3 million.
There is $4.5 million in Community Development Block Grant funds. Pawtucket will get $552,000; Woonsocket, $356,744; East Providence, $215,387; Providence $1.5 million and the state $1.3 million.
The money enables local governments to target their own community development priorities. Most local governments use this investment to rehabilitate affordable housing and improve key public facilities - helping to stabilize communities and create jobs locally.
 “The Obama Administration is following through on its pledge to get this money out swiftly and effectively,” Reed said in a press release. “I am pleased Rhode Island’s cities and housing authorities will receive this critical federal funding to put people back to work building and renovating affordable housing. This funding will help keep people in their homes and stabilize neighborhoods that have been hit hard by the economic downturn.  It will also help make public housing more energy efficient, which will help save families on their energy bills and reduce our dependence on foreign oil.  Releasing this round of funding is a positive step toward strengthening our communities, improving our housing outlook, and bolstering the local economy.”
In yet another stimulus development, two state representatives are calling for a special legislative oversight committee to watchdog the spending of the stimulus funds.
Coventry Rep. Raymond Sullivan and Cranston Rep. Joshua Miller propose a 15-member committee, which would include five representatives and five senators, as well as the four members of the state's congressional delegation or their designees and the director of the Department of Administration. The panel would be charged with devising the systems by which the stimulus funding should be acquired and appropriated, and then providing oversight.
"This is an unprecedented influx of funding,” Sullivan said, “and we don't currently have any kind of structure in place to ensure that it is administered in a way that is appropriate, fair, efficient and transparent. “There should be public hearings and input into the way this money is spent,” he added, “and there also must be careful oversight to ensure that it is used as it is intended."