The 2009 Federal stimulus program is still being spent. Here's a bird's eye view of Ohio's second largest "stimulus" project, the rebuilding of I-71 in downtown Cleveland near Progressive Field.
The largest one, the Nelsonville Bypass, is also still under construction. So, obviously, the impact was not economically stimulating when it was most needed.
Sadly, no one has indicated any industrial parks are accessible off of either of the top two projects so the projects' stimulus future is debatable too. Where's the future growth capacity?
What are the lessons learned from Ohio's top two projects?
Should there ever be another stimulus, the stimulation of manufacturing industrial growth should be a key part of the stimulus criteria. Speed to market should be too.
No one (at least not me) debates the need for these two projects. However, the concept of growth should be foremost in a stimulus package. Grow the economy first and the income is more likely there in the future for these "fix it" projects.
The catch phrase: Grow it first. Fix it second.
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