NC governor says stimulus isn't all she hoped for

Gov. Beverly Perdue said she is preparing to spend North Carolina's slice of an economic stimulus plan quickly, hoping to infuse the cash into projects to get people to work and get the attention of Washington.

The North Carolina Democratic leader said the bill isn't all that she'd hoped for, arguing that it should have contained more money to cover Medicaid shortfalls and more investment in infrastructure. But, overall, Perdue said she was pleased.

"At this point in time, anything is better than nothing," Perdue said Monday, talking with reporters after a speech at a biotech conference in Raleigh. "It's great money. It's going to quickly put some people in our state to work."

The Democratic chief executive said she is putting together a panel to oversee the spending of the stimulus money and that she's lining up projects so that they can use the money quickly. She wants North Carolina to invest so quickly and efficiently that the state might be able to spend the money before other states that remain stuck in bureaucracy.

Her North Carolina office released a list of billions of dollars worth of "shovel-ready" projects, spanning from roads to school construction to wastewater improvements.

"It is so important in my mind that as the money becomes available that we immediately infuse our projects with resources to begin, so that we might have a shot at a second bite at the apple," Perdue said. "We need to do it quickly and efficiently."

North Carolina is expecting to receive at least $6.1 billion from the $787 billion stimulus plan expected to be signed by Obama on Tuesday. That doesn't include money for tax cuts and other competitive spending.

Perdue had been panned by some in North Carolina for taking a vacation in the midst of the stimulus debate and just one month after taking office. She refused Monday to say where she was during the four-day trip, but she said that she was working.

"If that's all I take flak about taking four days, and knowing that in the 21st Century you're never really off with technology and cell phones you just kind of laugh about it," she said. "This is something that we planned long ago. Every family should have an opportunity to be together if they can."