The billions in transportation stimulus dollars that President Barack Obama promoted as a way to create jobs shortchange counties that need the work the most, an Associated Press analysis has found.
The AP’s review of more than 5,500 planned transportation projects nationwide is the most complete picture available of where states plan to spend the first wave of highway money. It reveals that states are planning to spend 50 percent more per person in areas with the lowest unemployment than in communities with the highest. The Transportation Department said it would attempt to replicate the
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AP’s analysis as it continued pressing states to dole out money fairly.
One result among many: Elk County, Pa., isn’t receiving any road money despite its 13.8 percent unemployment rate. Yet the military and college community of Riley County, Kan., with 3.4 percent unemployment, will benefit from about $56 million to build a highway, improve an intersection and restore a historic farmhouse.
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said the findings didn’t mean that the neediest communities would not benefit.
“Just because a road project is in one part of one county doesn’t mean the benefits of those jobs created or the economic impact of that spending is simply isolated to that one area,” he said. Others responded to the analysis Monday with concerns about the way the administration has represented stimulus spending and its effect on areas hardest hit by unemployment.
“To some extent, I think the administration oversold the transportation aspect of this,” said Jim Berard, spokesman for Rep. James Oberstar, D-Minn., chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. “It was sold as the heart and soul of the package, and it really just isn’t.”
The AP reviewed $18.9 billion in projects. They account for about half of the money set aside for states and local governments to spend on roads, bridges and infrastructure in the stimulus plan.
The very promise that Obama made, to spend money quickly and create jobs, is locking out many struggling communities needing those jobs.
The money goes to projects ready to start. But many struggling communities don’t have projects waiting. They couldn’t afford the millions of dollars for preparation and plans that often is required.
“It’s not fair,” said Martin Schuller, the borough manager in the Elk County seat of Ridgway, who commiserates about the inequity in highway aid with colleagues in nearby towns. “It’s a joke because we’re not going to get it, because we don’t have any projects ready to go.”
Republicans cited the analysis Monday as another example of what’s wrong with Obama’s economic stimulus program.
“The problem comes from the fact that the bill was not written right in the first place,” said Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn. “And the bill not addressing where the money is needed to go, but just addressing, ‘Let’s get this money out of here as quickly as we can.’ ”
