Stimulus money gets kick

The Concord Monitor runs David Tirrell-Wysocki's piece for the AP on New Hampshire'a ability to spend federal money quickly:

The U.S. Transportation Department said the state is among the top 10 in the percentage of stimulus money for transportation already put to work.

Overall, more than $145 million has been contracted for areas such as transportation, insulating homes and boosting unemployment benefits.

To get there, the state has sped up contract approvals, changed laws and designated a statewide stimulus director, Bud Fitch, who requires every stimulus-funded proposal to be topped with a green cover sheet signifying "Go."

"Everyone has been instructed . . . grab the green ones, they go to the top. Try to turn them around in a day," instead of the typical several days, Fitch said.