Posted on 06/19/2010 7:08:53 AM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
Arizona abruptly canceled plans today to spend $1.25 million to build bridges for a colony of 250 squirrels so they would not have to cross a rural road and could avoid becoming road kill.
John Halikowski, director of Arizona's Department of Transportation, halted the bridge project that was being paid for with federal highway funds.
"ADOT will not spend funds simply because they are available," he said in a statement.
"Protection of the red squirrel may be an appropriate effort," Halikowski said, "but not with transportation funding."
The money was being spent, officials said, because cars kill about five of these squirrels each year. The Mount Graham red squirrel is on the endangered species list.
The cancellation came after news reports, including one from ABC News, highlighted the planned expenditure.
Halikowski did not specify how the $1.25 million would be used now, but said in his statement "if necessary, the department will forfeit the $1.25 million project cost and return the funds to Washington, D.C." rather than spend it on squirrels.
David Kincaid, city manager of the nearby town of Safford, welcomed the news.
"People were just bewildered about why would we spend $1.25 million on a project like this," he said. "I think it's probably best that it was handled this way."
The DOT planned to install 41 "canopy tunnel crossings," essentially ropes over the road, at a cost of $400,000. Another $160,000 was to be spent on cameras to monitor the bridges, and the rest of the money will fund a project to monitor the rodents.
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
It was a nutty idea to begin with.
“Arizona abruptly canceled plans today to spend $1.25 million to build bridges for a colony of 250 squirrels so they would not have to cross a rural road and could avoid becoming road kill.”
Don’t worry squirrels, the ACLU will be there to rescue you and your families from this atrocity and violation of your civil rights.
Dad and I could accomplish the same thing with $200 worth of rope and an afternoon of work. Of course then we would sit in lawn chairs on the side of the road and use the squirrels for target practice!
When life gives you rodents, make squirrel jerky.
In Yellowstone, they lowered the speed limits to reduce the number of collisions with animals. If Arizona really wanted to protect this endangered squirrel, maybe that would be a low cost way to do it, since the slow zone required might be pretty small.
I usually speed up to squish the rodents. I’ve had it with them stripping my fruit trees clean every summer for 25 years. I must feed every squirrel within 5 miles with my last three trees.
Can’t someone go to Home Depot and get some boards to create a little bridge for these little creatures for about 10 bucks.
Oh, I forgot; the money really isn’t for the little creatures. It’s to line the pockets of the crooks.
Not every problem deserves a government paid solution.
If animal lovers and environmentalist are really concerned, let them seek donations and build these bridges with private money.
How long before some idiot within the socialist Demonrat party complains about the cancellation and its detrimental effect on the state budget due to the lack of toll revenue form the squirrels.
BRIDGES FOR SQUIRRELS! WFT has happened to this country?!
Keep the money and tell Obama it is a start to reimbursing us in AZ for the cost of ILLEGAL ALIENS.
Heck, squirrels live for the dream of dying on the highways after first having left a chain of accidents caused by over-considerate drivers breaking for them. What in the world made these idiots think that building a “bridge” for the things would make them stop running across the highway?
We won’t even go into why they needed a $1.25 million bridge...
They’re just bushy tailed rats.
Pray for America
I have peach trees. I have no other comments to make about squirrels.
4 squirrels, cut into pieces
1 c. chopped onion
4 cloves garlic
1/2 c. burgundy wine
1 tbsp. chopped parsley
1 tbsp. flour
1 stick butter
1/2 c. chopped green bell pepper
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp. chopped onion tops
4 oz. or more mushrooms
Tony's creole seasoning
Ah, the internet strikes again.
They can’t hide anymore which splains why certain folks want the internet tamed!!!!
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