University of Southern California

Stimulus Plan Has Benefits, But 'Not the Solution'

|
December 2, 2008

The Associated Press quoted Richard Little, director of the USC Keston Institute for Public Finance and Infrastructure Policy, about the role of public works spending in economic stimulus plans. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's plan, which involves increased infrastructure spending, won't solve the state's underlying imbalance between annual spending and revenue, critics have said. "It's not about capital expenditures," Little said. "It'll have some benefits, but it's not the solution. We need to align revenue and expenditures ... That's the fundamental thing the governor and Legislature need to wrestle with."