Budget woes, stimulus expected to dominate governors’ meeting

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The nation’s governors say they welcome the money flowing to states from President Obama’s landmark stimulus plan and are playing down disagreements among some Republicans in their ranks about how the dollars should be spent.

At the National Governors Association winter meeting this weekend in Washington, NGA Chairman Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania, a Democrat, acknowledged that the $787 billion plan Obama signed into law this week "isn’t a perfect bill." But he says the billions directed to states for health care, education and road repair would help governors mitigate a potential economic disaster in their states.

Vermont Republican Governor Jim Douglas, the NGA vice chairman, largely echoed that view, saying every governor should and will exercise due diligence to make sure that the acceptance of any federal resources is in the best interest of that state and its residents.

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