Title: Which States Squandered Their Stimulus Money?
Headings: Which States Squandered Their Stimulus Money?
Which States Squandered Their Stimulus Money?
David A. Graham
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Content: The state’s approach mirrors the model the federal government uses for routine infrastructure appropriations to the states, sometimes derided as the “peanut butter” system: Spread the money across the board. Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department spokesman Glenn Bolick says the commission was to make sure the money reached workers in a variety of different industries across the state. “ Our philosophy was that was how to spread economic development opportunities,” he says. “ We were making the attempt to stimulate all the different types of contractors all across the state.” So why not tie funding to results? “ As Congress is the overseer of responsibly spending federal taxpayer money, there ought to be some requirement of results,” says Geoff Anderson, president of Smart Growth. Approaching infrastructure policy from a jobs-first angle has drawbacks, too, says Nicole Gelinas, a fellow at the Manhattan Institute, a right-leaning think-tank. It’s important to give states some leeway, she says, or else we risk ending up with superfluous projects—light-rail lines to nowhere instead of the fabled bridge to nowhere. “ They say public transport creates more jobs per dollar spent versus new things,” Gelinas says. “