HARRISBURG — Gov. Ed Rendell on Wednesday pledged an efficient and publicly accountable effort to spend Pennsylvania's billions from a federal economic stimulus package designed to help stabilize the country's sinking economy and put people back to work.

All told, Pennsylvania's share will approach $18 billion over three years, Rendell said, including dollars for tax breaks, alternative energy projects and public school districts.

Of the $9.8 billion set aside for state and local government agencies, Rendell estimated that $5.8 billion will be spent this year.

"I think we'll get the bulk of this money out quickly and it will be spent effectively," Rendell said.

Officials estimate that about $8 billion will come to Pennsylvania in the form of lower federal taxes and other benefits. Another $4 billion is slated for the state's Medicaid program, which provides health care for nearly 2 million poor, elderly and disabled residents.

To get money flowing quickly to highway and bridge projects, Rendell tapped his general services secretary, James Creedon. His responsibilities will include streamlining an often bureaucratic contracting process that can slow down project work.

In addition, Rendell said he will appoint a new chief accountability officer in the coming weeks to evaluate the contracts.

The state will maintain a Web site — www.recovery.pa.gov. — to allow the public to review how the state's share is spent.

Rendell shrugged off calls for the creation of a bipartisan oversight committee.

"If we did all this we'd spend most of our time dealing with the oversight commissions instead of getting this money out creating jobs," he said.