LaHood highlights role of rail in recovery

GALESBURG -- Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood is pointing to the transportation industry as being one of the engines that will help the nation's economy recover from the recession.

Speaking Tuesday at a luncheon Knox College sponsored by the Galesburg Area Chamber of Commerce, LaHood complimented the area for making the railroad a focus of the road to recovery.

He said Galesburg and Knox County knows what their economic engine is, and the federal government is going to help.

LaHood said Illinois' share of the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act is $9.7 billion. He said $935 million is available to help rebuild and modernize the state's transportation infrastructure.

LaHood contended the Recovery Act was responsible for creating or saving 1 million jobs with 1 million jobs in the pipeline. He said the number one priority of the federal government is to get the country back to work.