Perdue promises “aggressive” stimulus package
December 9, 2008 at 5:45 pm by Scott Henry in NewsSonny must read the Loaf.
In a speech today in Athens, the governor told reporters he’ll propose a state budget that includes significant spending aimed at giving Georgia’s struggling economy a shot in the arm. The state will use its strong bond rating to borrow a wad of cash, he said. Perdue didn’t mention specific figures or how the money would be spent, but in past years, Georgia has typically issued about $1 billion in bonds for capitol projects.
The borrow-and-spend approach is one that was offered by Alan Essig, executive director of the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute, in my article in this week’s paper. Perhaps the governor was paying attention.
But more likely, it’s commonly accepted wisdom that the state government needs to act to help shore up Georgia’s economy. House budget chief Ben Harbin had told me he thought Perdue was considering a big bond package. No word yet on whether Sonny is thinking about raising taxes, as the experts I talked to suggested…
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