Posted on 01/20/2006 9:13:03 PM PST by NapkinUser
(CNSNews.com) - A government watchdog group Friday named Alaska Republican Gov. Frank Murkowski "Porker of the Month" for supporting construction of the infamous "Bridges to Nowhere" and for a proposed taxpayer-funded PR campaign "to repair the damage that the bridges helped inflict on" the state's "national reputation."
According to Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW), Congress set aside $452 million in the transportation bill for two bridges - $229 million for the Gravine Island Bridge, which connects the island with a population of 50 people to the town of Ketchikan, and $223 million for the Knik Arm Bridge.
"For favoring wasteful pork-barrel projects that may also benefit his own family, proposing the use of tax dollars in a hopeless attempt to prove that Alaska politicians are not porkers, and especially on behalf of its 2,733 members and supporters in Alaska," CAGW named Murkowski "Porker of the Month for January 2006."
The Knik Arm Bridge was renamed Don Young's Way after House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Don Young (R-Alaska). The Gravine Island Bridge would replace a five-minute ferry ride, while the Knik Arm Bridge would serve as "an alternate route from Anchorage to a nearly deserted port," the group noted.
The "Bridges to Nowhere" project became "a symbol for congressional excess in the pork-stuffed transportation bill," CAGW said.
Congress removed the earmark instructions from the transportation bill in November, so despite Murkowski's budget plan for the bridges, the final decision on how to spend the money is up to the state Legislature.
Opponents of the bridge proposal say Gravina Island is adequately served by its ferry and building a bridge would take away money from more urgent transportation priorities, according to the group.
CAGW also noted that Murkowski, whose daughter is Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), has a vested interest in the bridge to Gravina Island, because "his wife owns acreage there and development on the island would drive up property values.""
Last week, the governor announced a $1.2 billion state budget surplus, a portion of which he proposed be used to hire a public relations firm to help combat the image that the state's politicians are taking advantage of taxpayers.
"Instead of trying to convince the country they are not porkers, perhaps Alaskan politicians should stop being porkers!" CAGW said.
Since 1999, Alaska politicians brought home more than $3 billion in federal pork, thanks mostly to former Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), the group claimed.
Also, the state ranked number one in per capita pork since the group began calculating the statistic in 2000, amounting to $984.85 worth of pork per resident in 2005, CAGW said.
The Alaska Senators get all the pork because nobody stops them.
Sen. Colburn tried and got slapped but, Stevens is a tough cookie and, just like the Rats Byrd, been there a little to long.
the internet has finally exposed these porkers for what they are. It's amazing, for example, in NY the Tappan Zee bridge was built in the '50's at the WIDEST part of the Hudson river AND it was built in an S shape instead of directly across- rumor has it so the unions could milk the Feds and state for truckloads of more money. Meanwhile studies show that the bride has now almost reached the end of its lifetime.
I'd like to think something like that would never happen again, given all of the awareness now-a-days.
What is it with Republican senators in general, and pork in particular?
RINOs oink just like hogs.
Oil.
Well there are senators like John McCain, Tom Coburn and Sam Brownback who fight the good fight on pork spending. I can't think of any one democrat in the senate who does the same.
Few people, and lots of land.
If built, the Knik Arm Bridge would quickly become a bridge to somewhere. There's not a ton of developable land left near Downtown Anchorage. The city is growing, and people need to live somewhere. I'm not sure I can say the same for the Ketchikan-Gravina Island bridge.
Feds had a difficult time getting statehood vote passed by alaska. They had to bring in 30 thousand military and change the voting law to get state vote thru. Alaskans I know that are still alive tell me most people wanted to keep alaska just like the phillapines.
This is a state that gives each and every citizen a cash payment every year from resource sales. If that bridge had any importance to Alaskans then they should build it from their own budget.
The distances "require" infrastructure.
There appears to be quite a bit flat land to the north. But the pork is not about accommodating an Anchorage population burst that does not exist per flattening out mountains.
They need to have regulations to take politicians' money when they get caught pulling this nonsense...
Let the Alaska bashing begin by those who know little or nothing about Alaska and Alaskans.
Are you implying that the Anchorage population burst does NOT exist? Just curious here....
I don't know. Does it? It had about a quarter of a million folks in 2000. That makes it equal to about the population of say Plano, Texas.
Anchorage is bursting at the seams with no where to go, but inland. It's a long, dangerous drive in the winter to Palmer and Wasilla. The military housing requirements alone have had an impact.
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