Item: Obama wants to offer states help, Gov. Otter isn’t sure he wants the handout/Idaho Statesman

More Info: President-elect Barack Obama is offering states their share of federal economic recovery dollars to start rebuilding America’s crumbling infrastructure. While other states are throwing out their wish lists — some with billions of dollars in proposed projects — Idaho’s conservative governor is taking a more cautious, if not skeptical, approach. “If you are just going to give us money that is going into our general fund, you might as well keep it. That’s like giving alcohol to an alcoholic,” said Jon Hanian, spokesman for Gov. Butch Otter. “Our governor is very cautious about taking blank checks from the federal government. We do not want to add to this country’s problems.”

Question: Should Gov. Otter accept money from the federal government as part of an infrastructure bailout problem (especially when he wants to raise gas taxes to fix Idaho roads)?

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