Strings attached
An LA Times article gives some insight into how the federal government is operating now:
"Officials in the governor's office say a politically powerful union may have had inappropriate influence over the Obama administration's decision to withhold billions of dollars in federal stimulus money from California if the state does not reverse a scheduled wage cut for the labor group's workers."
California is trying to balance its budget, which requires massive spending cuts.
Apparently the feds are using stimulus money as leverage to stop the state from making cuts that will nick the administration's union supporters.
These are the "strings attached" that some governors cited when expressing reservations about accepting stimulus money in the first place. But turning down billions just isn't a realistic option.
The bottom line is that Washington is assuming the power to dictate policy and budget decisions by the states.
That's worrisome, but it's worse if political influence has something to do with it.
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