[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 107 (Thursday, July 16, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1814]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          EARMARK DECLARATION

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. DONALD A. MANZULLO

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 16, 2009

  Mr. MANZULLO. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership 
standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information 
regarding the earmark I secured as part of H.R. 3170, Financial 
Services and General Government Appropriations Act, 2010.
  My request, totaling $100,000, will come from the Small Business 
Administration's (SBA) Salaries and Expenses account for the River 
District Association to develop and recruit small businesses in the 
downtown River District in Rockford, Illinois. The aim of this Small 
Business Development Initiative is to create an environment that 
encourages new small business development, enhances the growth of 
existing small businesses, and creates sustainable jobs for downtown 
Rockford, the second largest city in Illinois. The downtown area still 
faces significant challenges with numerous vacant buildings, blighted 
areas, and lagging private investment in Rockford's urban core. This 
problem has grown more acute in recent months with the unemployment 
rate in Rockford reaching 14.5 percent in May, one of the highest rates 
in the nation. The initiative will consist of market knowledge 
research, business growth strategies, and a cooperative marketing 
campaign centered on encouraging people to patronize businesses in 
downtown Rockford. The entity to receive funding for this project is 
the River District Association located at 127 North Wyman Street, 
Rockford, Illinois, 61110.
  Madam Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to thank the Chairman 
of the House Appropriations Committee, Representative David Obey, and 
the Ranking Minority Member, Representative Jerry Lewis, and the 
Chairman of the Financial Services Appropriations Subcommittee, 
Representative Jose Serrano, and the Ranking Minority Member, 
Representative Jo Ann Emerson, for working with me in a bipartisan 
manner to include this critical request in this spending bill.

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