By Guy Page
Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vermont) presented an oversized photo-op check for $800,000 to the Vermont Department of Transportation on September 4. In the upper left hand corner – where the name of the account from which funds come normally appears – the name “Becca Balint” appears.
It is standard practice for elected officials to use oversize checks to demonstrate that they secured government funds for a local or state project. However, most such photo-op checks do not portray the name of the elected official in the upper left hand corner, where the name of the account owner typically appears.
The ceremonial, not-for-official use check does portray the check signer as “U.S. Treasury.”
In any event, the Vermont Agency of Transportation Facebook post with the photo described both Balint’s involvement in the securing of the federal funds, and the purpose of the funds.
“Today at our Dill Building in Berlin, Transportation Secretary Joe Flynn and Chief Engineer Jeremy Reed were presented with $800,000 in federal funding secured by Congresswoman Becca Balint to replace an outdated culvert in Lowell on Vermont Route 100, one of the key north-south highways that links the Northeast Kingdom with Central Vermont.
“The new culvert will greatly reduce the possibility of a major, unplanned closure that could significantly affect residents and businesses across this region due to the limited number of detour options. This culvert dates back to 1948 and is one of thousands of old, outdated culverts installed during the Eisenhower Interstate era of the 1960s and 1970s that are susceptible to failure, resulting in significant community disruption.
“If this culvert in Lowell were to fail, an emergency closure would require a detour of 27 miles for area residents, visitors, truck freight, and public transportation and also place pressure on local roadways. The new 15-foot-wide culvert will replace three 6-foot-wide culverts. Work is excepted to begin next summer and be completed by next fall.
“This federal funding was secured by Rep. Balint as one of 15 Community Funding Projects across Vermont in the 2024 fiscal year.”