By David Beard, The Dominion Post
BE INFORMED: This is one in a series of articles to mark Sunshine Week, which is a national initiative to educate the public about the importance of open government.
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The new round of federal COVID-19 relief for states, counties and cities included in the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan – which spends a lot of money on a lot of other things, too – will soon go out.
This round of federal money will be distributed differently, following complaints that many governors – including West Virginia’s – exercised dictatorial control over the CARES Act money.
Many West Virginians, including many legislators of both parties, complain that Gov. Jim Justice should have involved the Legislature in appropriating the CARES money, and there’s still more than $600 million of the $1.25 billion of CARES cash unspent.
The arguments for and against how Justice handled the money have been recounted many times in The Dominion Post. This report looks just at the numbers for CARES, as reported on the state auditor’s transparency website and gives a preview of what’s coming, via charts circulated by Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va…
To read more: https://www.dominionpost.com/2021/03/14/a-look-at-cares-spending-and-money-coming-under-the-american-rescue-plan/