Greater Ohio Policy Center

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The Federal Stimulus: A subsidy for sprawl?

The Federal Stimulus is having some unexpected side effects as state's determine how to use the transportation portion of the package. Even though the Obama administration stresses the importance of sustainable growth, it failed to put sufficient regulations on the money going out to states to enforce this ideology. The New York Times article, "Stimulus Ideals Conflict on the Texas Prairie" exemplifies this issue. Given the nature of the federal stimulus and the rapidity at which it was dealt out to states, how can we as advocates for sustainable growth encourage states to use the transportation money for smart growth projects instead of subsidizing sprawl?