VA Road plans to rely on Tobacco Settlement money
08/13/99
Virginia Democrats upped the ante today in the debate over transportation spending, proposing a $2 billion package for road and transit improvements with half the money coming by borrowing against the state's share of the national tobacco settlement.
States nationwide expect to get a total of $206 billion from tobacco companies in settlement of their anti-smoking lawsuits. Although states are reserving portions of the money for health campaigns, politicians throughout the country expect to spend much of it on unrelated projects such as new crosswalks or flood controls.
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