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: Minter says the maintenance was important for keeping economic growth, particularly in tourism, strong. Other states, however, took a different tack. Arkansas used 81 percent of its money for new projects and none on transit; it also has a higher unemployment rate than Vermont. And unlike other states near the bottom of the list, just 38 percent of its roads are in good condition, according to a report by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, a trade organization. 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.”