The $49.3 billion in federal stimulus funding set aside for transportation work generated none of the rancorous clamor raised by the banking and financial-sector bailout. Instead, politicians and officials in cash-strapped state highway departments are joining nervous contractors and engineers in nearly universal praise for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA).
Any criticism has been muted. The public perceived the American International Group executive bonuses as tax dollars profiting those who were culpable for financial excesses and bad decisions. Not so for transportation spending: “These funds are vital to putting Coloradans back to work, getting our economy moving again and building a modern, 21st-century transportation system,” said Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter Jr. (D).