A “measured approach”… this is the phrase Governor Patrick has used to defend his Administration’s plan to manage federal stimulus transportation funding known as ARRA funding. This week, Democratic Congressman James Oberstar, Chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, sent a scathing letter to the Patrick Administration criticizing its lack of use of the transportation dollars that had been distributed to Massachusetts. The letter came on the heels of a recent poll released by the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure that listed Massachusetts as 49 out of the 50 states for actual spending of the federal transportation stimulus money. Of the $437 million Massachusetts has been given, only $99 million has been put to use.
The Governor continues to explain that his “measured approach” is best because we are picking smarter, better projects that will create stronger long-term jobs. While that may make a nice sound bite, it’s hardly comforting when you are unemployed and just looking to be able to provide for yourself and your family today. The very point and purpose of states participating in the receiving and distribution of Federal ARRA money was to stimulate the emaciated economy immediately. It was to inject this astronomically large amount of taxpayer money into the American economy to jumpstart projects and put people back to work. So far, Massachusetts has been second to last in the nation in accomplishing this goal.
It is now past the time for full disclosure. Along with the grand amount of money doled out to states, the promises that were made were even bigger. The President promised that more than half the jobs created with ARRA money would come from highway projects, but with 5 months to go we are still waiting to see the unemployed put back to work. Every month the unemployment rate continues to rise, and people fall further behind on their mortgages and bills. This slow rate of using the money for its intended purpose is unacceptable. My constituents and the people of the Commonwealth deserve better. The transportation stimulus money needs to be put to work immediately to help create jobs and get our economy moving again.
