Stimulus package an opportunity for N.C.

Some state officials are excited at the prospects of an infusion of federal money to jump-start state and local projects, particularly construction, repair and maintenance of highways, bridges and public transportation. President-elect Obama has indicated he wants to see a stimulus package that would provide money to the states to create 250 million jobs. That has state officials salivating. North Carolina, which had fared fairly well with its budgets for the past few years and had increased state spending, is now facing a money shortage. As the News & Observer states, the state has more "wants" than it can afford.

There are plenty of projects that could use a boost from the federal stimulus package. Recurrent proposals to turn Interstate 95 into a toll road should be shelved, and repair and upgrade of the vital north-south corridor should get top priority from federal money. I-95's sad state (just drive through Johnston County; I dare you) is the result of years of negligence as money went to more populous areas and to pet projects of powerful politicians.

Likewise, the Interstate 540 loop around Raleigh is being held up with plans on the table to make the southern portion of that loop a toll road. Raleigh residents, naturally, are not happy about the prospect. If the federal money comes through, North Carolina would have a good reason to drop the entire N.C. Turnpike Authority, which is pushing a number of toll roads across the state.

North Carolina once had a proud tradition of excellent roads and highways. No more. North Carolina's roads are visibly and tangibly inferior to roads in many neighboring states. A federal stimulus package for improvement of highways could give North Carolina the opportunity to regain its title as The Good Roads State. That will happen only if Congress finds the money to create the package with a minimum of specified projects and if state officials don't divert the federal money to wasteful pet projects.