Friday, February 13, 2009

Waiting for Passage

If we get final passage of the stimulus bill today, Ohio will get some help, according to the Dispatch:

...Democrats say the $8 billion or so expected to flow into Ohio will help create or save thousands of jobs, allow Gov. Ted Strickland to reduce the state's budget shortfall and give more than 4 million Ohioans at least a modest tax break....

....Ohio stands to gain about $900 million to build or repair roads and bridges. State officials had identified $2.7 billion in "shovel-ready" projects -- including safety enhancements, reduced-pollution buses, new roads and bridges -- so only a third of the transportation wish list will be filled. State Transportation Director Jolene Molitoris said yesterday that she's working with Strickland's office to determine which projects will be funded....

Republicans, like John Boehner, are completely against the stimulus. If a small shot in the arm helps Ohio, what could be wrong with that? The Republicans said that this all will add to the debt. Didn't they worry about the debt when they were rubber stamping all those Bush tax cuts and the Iraq war?