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Perdue ready to put N.C.'s part of the stimulus money to work
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Published: February 17, 2009
RALEIGH
Gov. Bev Perdue said yesterday that she is preparing to spend North Carolina's slice of an economic stimulus plan quickly, hoping to infuse the money into projects to get people to work and get the attention of Washington.
Perdue, a Democrat, said that the bill isn't all that she had hoped for, arguing that it should have contained more money to cover Medicaid shortfalls and more investment in infrastructure. But, overall, Perdue said, she is pleased.
"At this point in time, anything is better than nothing," Perdue said, talking with reporters after a speech at a biotech conference in Raleigh. "It's great money. It's going to quickly put some people in our state to work."
Perdue said she is putting together a panel to oversee the spending of the stimulus money and that she's lining up projects so that they can use the money fast. She wants North Carolina to invest so quickly and efficiently that the state might be able to spend the money before other states that remain stuck in bureaucracy.
Her office released a list of billions of dollars worth of "shovel-ready" projects, spanning from roads to school construction to wastewater improvements.
"It is so important in my mind that as the money becomes available that we immediately infuse our projects with resources to begin, so that we might have a shot at a second bite at the apple," Perdue said. "We need to do it quickly and efficiently."
North Carolina is expecting to get at least $6.1 billion from the $787 billion stimulus plan expected to be signed by Obama today. That doesn't include money for tax cuts and other competitive spending.
Perdue was criticized by some for taking a vacation in the midst of the stimulus debate and just one month after taking office. She refused yesterday to say where she was during the four-day trip, but she said she was working.
"If that's all I take flak about -- taking four days, and knowing that in the 21st century you're never really off with technology and cell phones -- you just kind of laugh about it," she said. "This is something that we planned long ago. Every family should have an opportunity to be together if they can."
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