Of course our governors can encourage or mandate certain activities or stimulate or direct particular undertakings--land for railroad building in the 19th century, highway construction and space exploration in this one--but that's a far cry from directing the whole economy.

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The report says the Venezuelan Army Corps of Engineers is now studying construction of a highway between Puerto Cabezas in the Northern Atlantic Autonomous Region (RAAN) and Rio Blanco in the central department of Matagalpa, also to be integrated into the network linking to the Dry Canal.

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In other photos, a wreath in the shape of a Christmas tree dangles above highway construction, and a "Happy Holidays" banner casts its shadow on a highway empty except for a single truck.

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Those local governments in turn used the loans to provide economic stimulus through highway construction and other infrastructure improvements, as well as an overbuilding of homes and office buildings.

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The projects totaling 21 in all include construction of subway and light rail lines in 23 cities, 13 highway projects spanning 2, 000 kilometers, 10 municipal-level projects and three ports and waterway projects.

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Brazil has also shied away from financing a South American development bank, but has enthusiastically worked to finance the construction of the Interoceanic Highway, a freeway that links Brazil to Pacific coast ports in Peru.

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Performance at the company has been steady, but holding, in recent years as congressional appropriators skipped over funding a highway-construction bill.

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Take the reauthorization of the 2005 law on highway and transit spending, which stirred up interest in publicly held heavy equipment, engineering and construction materials companies.

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