Thursday, February 26, 2009

Stimulus saves Gateway Freeway

Transportation officials have brought funding back to the Gateway freeway through the money coming to Arizona as part of the stimulus package.

On one hand, this is good news because as I have said before, this freeway will benefit the entire Southeast Valley. However, with such a large chunk of the stimulus going to this one mile of freeway, its very uncertain how the Pinal County portion of the freeway is going to be funded. I understand that a large chunk of money is in the upfront costs, but with three alignments still up in the air, it seems like the rest of the freeway project could get mighty expensive.

Also, I just don't know how going into even deeper debt and raising $1 trillion in taxes is the long-term solution for creating a healthy economy. We have already seen out here in Arizona what happens if you boost spending artificially and pay for things we can't afford. Eventually, when the one time money runs out, your budget "ponzi scheme" as some people have called it, collapses.

This stimulus, in all of its earmarked glory, is just another one time fix. While it will help boost the local economy and get people back to work in the short term, I don't know what its doing to attract other economic opportunity.

1 comment:

Heath Reed said...

the whole so called stimulas package is a joke. Sorry, but it you can keep giving money out and then turn around and tax the rich. They are the ones who are giving jobs out. This is the wrong kind of change we were told we were getting, well, in his emotional speeches I guess.

Freeways on the other hand are huge waist to money. Yes it does so much, but is one of the most expensive cost to tax payers. They in the long run cost taxpayers so much, more then what people want to talk about the light rail. But, this is something we will need and so will this area. I just wish the stimuls package would go more to commuter rail then all of these freeways.