Economic Stimulus Package Comes to the Inland Empire?

December 13, 2008

The Whittier Daily News reported  yesterday that the federal economic stimulus package may end up funding infrastructure projects in the Inland Empire.

• A federal economic stimulus package could breathe life into long-postponed infrastructure projects in the San Gabriel Valley and Whittier areas.

• The multi-billion-dollar package would pay for street repaving, bridge repair, airport improvements and solar panel installation

• Cities in the San Gabriel Valley, like those across the nation, are busy compiling lists of projects that are "shovel ready," Obama's phrase to describe projects that are beyond the engineering, environmental-review and government-approval stages. These projects theoretically could start employing construction workers right away.

• Any stimulus package likely would include strict requirements that projects must start within a set timeframe, such as 120 or 150 days.

Could we see Obama out there installing new asphalt on 6th street?  I would not count on it, but it is fun to think about.

Ironically, in that same article, CMC professor Marc Weidenmier is quoted saying Obama's infrastructure projects are unlikely to change much... in case you are interested in reading that too.