Use it or Lose it

Obama Tells States “Use It or Lose It” for $470 Million in Transportation Money

I don't know about where you live but here in my town public re-engineering of streets and bridges has been going on all summer with more 'needed' work just published.  Now this is really not job creating but just work for the well connected.  Being as we have no money, why not put funds to better use like balancing the budget or lowering the taxes on the few of us who are still paying taxes.

I have had many many an out-of-towner (?) ask what the heck has happened with the construction in your town? Can not get from one place to another. 

 We have a bridge that needed repair and work was started 5 (five) years ago and as yet to be completed.   Be it lowest bidder got the job or not, one thing you can most always say is money spent, money lost, and no accountability from those public officials for job not well done or not well done or finished at all.  

States will lose out on millions of dollars in federal highway money if they sit on the cash without putting it to immediate use, the White House said in a statement today.

The U.S. Department of Transportation is making freeing up $473 million in unspent highway earmarks for other projects  ”that will create jobs and help improve transportation.” The move is intended to speed the stimulus and job creation impact of federal transportation spending, much of which goes to large projects that can take years to plan and execute.
President Barack Obama said, “We’re not going to let politics stand between construction workers and good jobs repairing our roads and bridges.”
According to the DOT, $473 million in highway earmarks remain unspent from 2003-2006 appropriations. Today’s authorization allows state transportation departments to take that earmarked money and use it on other highway, transit, passenger rail or port projects.