Paterson Readies His Infrastructure Wish List For Obama

Not too long ago Barack Obama told the nation he is ready to get a stimulus package going that focuses on our country's infrastructure. As he said, the governors know what projects could get going right away where jobs can be created within a few weeks. New York needed to get on that boat, and our own Governor Paterson has a list he hopefully checked twice.

From The Poughkeepsie Journal:

WASHINGTON - From a $14.6 million resurfacing project on Route 252 in Henrietta, Monroe County, to $75 million in interchange improvements adjacent to LaGuardia Airport, New York has $300 million in ready-to-go highway and bridge projects around the state that Congress is likely to include in an economic stimulus package next month.

And of course infrastructure means a lot more than just roads and bridges. Wastewater facilities are on there too, anything that helps things "go" counts. And then there's the projects that help people move and stay healthy:

Paterson and other state officials say the state is in dire need of federal money not only for infrastructure but also for Medicaid health services for the poor in order to prevent massive cuts in state services stemming from the state's huge budget deficit.

We have a giant budget hole to fix here in New York and a nice chunk of it could be taken care of by President Obama and the incoming Congress. Then if the Governor could move take care of those painful budget cuts by putting more burden on the rich....well, that's not an idea likely to come from him. Though that doesn't mean he and the Legislature will be pushed to consider it