This editorial appeared in The Anchorage Daily News.
Details emerging from the $825 million economic stimulus package that the Obama administration is pushing should be reassuring to Alaskans.
The plan appears headed in a good direction, with the share going to each state based largely on existing formulas, which ensures fairness.
The friction that surfaced earlier this month between Gov. Sarah Palin, who warned she wouldn't support earmarks as part of the package, and Alaska's congressional delegation in the end won't matter. The plan does not rely on earmarks. And there will be plenty of money to go around for any project that's ready to go.
As described so far, the plan would put additional federal money to work in improving education, buying health insurance for low-income Alaskans and building roads and airports. Those projects would add jobs and help lift the economy.
For transportation funding, one version calls for about $238 million extra for Alaska, another for significantly less than that.
To read the complete editorial, visit The Anchorage Daily News.