Spokane Valley, WA: State Money Rejected in Favor of Federal Pork

East Spokane, Washington - 2,500 miles outside the Beltway

From the Spokesman-Review:

The Spokane Regional Transportation Council will return $4.2 million the state set aside to complete the Sprague-Appleway couplet in Spokane Valley, opting instead to use federal money for the project that comes with looser deadlines.

No word yet on why federal money should be spent on city streets where even the local impact is limited.

The Sprague-Appleway couplet serves no important federal purpose, has nothing to do with federal property or activity, and runs parallel to an existing Interstate highway. It is a perfect example of a project that should be funded and controlled at the local level, not paid for through federal deficit spending.