LAUREL, Md. - With President Obama's $789 billion stimulus bill headed toward final passage and his signature, local leaders are lining up with their wish lists. But not everyone agrees on what should be done.

Taxpayers and business leaders in Laurel said Thursday they believe their historic train station is likely to get on the stimulus list. But some questioned whether it would be the best use of taxpayer funds when it comes to stimulating the economy.

"I just feel that it should go to place that need it," Laurel resident Bonnie Doornbos said. "I'm not saying a train station doesn't need it. But it needs to go to people that are losing their jobs, losing their homes and it needs to go somewhere that we know it's being done correctly."

"I would say skeptical of spending a trillion dollars in such a quick fashion," Laurel resident Tim Abell said. "I don't even know how many zeros are in a trillion dollars. How can you possibly put together in such a short fashion that kind of money to spend?"

To sell the stimulus plan, Vice President Joe Biden visited Laurel and hosted a press event at the centuries-old station. Now Rob Lambert is hoping to put people to work by bidding on part of the contract.

"What a job like this would do for any community is that it would put people to work," he said. "This contract happens to be one of the contracts that's ready to go. The stimulus package is going to go to contracts that are ready to go, that need to be done."

There are numerous projects across Maryland and Virginia officials hope to get on the stimulus spending list, including $2.9 million for modernizing the Laurel MARC (web | news) train station and $15 million for updating the Patuxent Research Refuge Center.

In Virginia, leaders hope to use $41 million to buy new trains for the overcrowded Virginia Railway Express and $60 million to help fund the completion of the Fairfax County (web | news) Parkway.

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