Obama administration officials fanned out across the country Thursday to tout successes of the nearly 200 day old stimulus plan. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood came to Chicago to praise the Illinois Department of Transportation.
Illinois is number one in putting transportation stimulus dollars to work. That was the message from LaHood at an event today in Chicago.
LAHOOD: Illinois is doing more than any other state in terms of spending the money, getting the money out to contractors and getting people to work.
According to Illinois’ Recovery Act Website—transportation stimulus spending has created around 1,300 jobs.
LAHOOD: All you have to do is drive anywhere in the state and you see orange cones and people working and many of those people were on unemployment in January, February and March.
LaHood says Illinois has promised 80 percent of its transportation stimulus dollars.