Thread by @AlecMacGillis

I'm not sure it's sunk in just how flush state (and many local) governments are now, between higher than expected tax revenues and the surge in federal aid. The challenge is figuring out how to spend it well. Officials just aren't used to this largesse. washingtonpost.com/local/virginia…

And many local governments also lack the capacity to spend the money well, because they've been so stripped down by lack of funding in recent years. There's a mismatch between a thin government infrastructure and this massive wave of one-time money to spend.

I mean, this is wild: "All told, Virginia has received or is slated to receive about $26.5 billion in federal aid to state and local governments — an amount roughly equivalent to the state’s general fund."

Or this: "Maryland is expected to receive $55 billion to $60 billion in total from federal stimulus spending. The amount is equivalent to about *11 percent of the state’s entire economy*." (emphasis mine)