Federal infrastructure money is coming... just not all at once

Most people are familiar with the “Big Check.”

You see the Big Check at things like telethons, golf tournaments or Publisher’s Clearinghouse commercials. It’s a ridiculously oversized piece of foam board that’s a real attention grabber. 

But of course the “Big Check” is just a prop. You would have a little trouble heading to your neighborhood bank and making a deposit. It might be kind of fun to try, though.

This subject occurs to us at the ‘ol ADOT Ranch because some people think we just got the Big Check with the recent passage of the federal infrastructure bill. 

While it’s true that this new law will pump a fair amount of money into the state for various infrastructure-related projects, there is no Big Check. The money, while definitely appreciated, has to travel through a pretty complex process that takes time and a lot of cooperation between the State, the federal government as well as local and regional government entities.

Truth be told, government funding for lots of things, including transportation, requires a great deal of scrutiny before it gets directed to one thing or another. And that’s a good thing because it’s your money. Your tax dollars at work, as the saying goes. 

It’s important that as the funds come in, they are accounted for and distributed in strict accordance with the law and through a transparent and public-facing process. This recent news release explains that process.

All of this detail to accept and distribute these new funds may seem cumbersome and maybe even frustrating. But that’s OK because those processes are there by design to make sure no rash decisions are made and everyone has a chance to examine and comment on what’s going on. 

We will admit, however, that getting a Big Check would be kinda fun.