Misinformation about Alaska abounds

Voice of the Anchorage Times ^ | 10-01-05 | By Lew M. Williams Jr.

[akdonn]

Alaska can help finance the recovery from recent hurricanes. It also can secure an energy supply and generate future revenue, thus avoiding tax increases.

But first, Americans have to get the facts straight about Alaska. The misinformation is atrocious. For example, Steve Doocy of Fox and Friends reported Tuesday that the 2005 highway legislation appropriated $223 million for a bridge (at Ketchikan) to serve 50 people, or about $4.5 million per person. That is ridiculous and exhibits the sloppy reporting costing major media their viewers and readers.

The bridge would replace an expensive and inadequate shuttle ferry to a regional airport used by civilian and military aircraft. Ketchikan lies at the south end of the 500-mile-long Alaska Panhandle. The only roads into the Panhandle are at the extreme north end. Ketchikan's closest access to the continental highway system entails a six-hour ferry ride to Prince Rupert, British Columbia, plus a two-day drive to the nearest state.

[skeptoid]

I do not agree.

A cursory examination of demographic distribution of federal disbursements shows that per capita, Alaska is the leader in Government largess. (And there are three or four states with less population than Alaska.)

[skeptoid]

But they're passing thu. They do not get off the airplane. It's a short stop. A more accurate measure of traffic would be passengers on the four-minute ferry ride to the airport. MINUS the daily workers who cross.

And by the way, the time to travel to the airport will be longer with the bridge, since there are several miles of low-speed road involved. (versus the current short ferry ride)

[konaice]

But they're passing thu. They do not get off the airplane.

I'm only counting ticket sales to and from Ketchikan. Its a regional hub. Small feeder airlines come there. The military uses is as well.

Further, half the cost is being paid by Alaska out of state funds.

If you have ever waited for that ferry you would not make your silly statemtne of travel time.

[akdonn]

You're right, and as proud conservatives we are very happy about that. Republican Gov. Jay Hammond and a bunch of Democrats in the Alaska Legislature dreamed up the Permanent Fund give-away program and it has made Alaska a solid Republican state. Back when we didn't have two nickels to rub together everybody was a Democrat.

A cursory examination of that political sea change might indicate that investing in the people pays off!

[skeptoid]

Alaskans DO think big.

In fact, Ketchikan residents just started driving on the most expensive stretch of road in the state....a Federally-funded two-lane project less than a mile long (an engineer friend just told me it's closer to a half-mile) that cost between 26 and 29MILLION DOLLARS (it's hard to nail down, I guess). This is in an ISOLATED community with a total population of less than 14,000 people.

And did you know the population is shrinking on an annual basis for the last several years? There is no pressure of expanding population there....the population is actually shrinking for the last several years!!

So after the recent $2000 per capita project, they now deserve a $22,500 per capita project. With no growth in sight.

The State of Alaska will be eager to accept any federal funds these days since they are collecting huge revenue in oil royalties.....high wellhead price = high revenue for the state. They can meet any match the Federal porkers can dish out.

Think about it.....$22,500 per man, woman and child.......that rate would give a city the size of Spokane, Washington FOUR BILLION DOLLARS plus. This is unprecedented, over-the-top, monument to stup.... oops, I'd better calm down, here.

[skeptoid]

The beloved, Saint Hammond, the best Governor of Alaska there ever will be,(read his 2 autobios) realized (along with Oral Freeman) that the Proceeds of the Pipeline could be squandered by the ruling class or divvied up among the people who voted them in. It's a matter of perspective, and I think spreading the revenue among the voters makes a lot of sense instead of stuffing the relatively few pockets of the powerful. In fact, don't the permanent fund checks go to every bona fide resident from birth till death?

[skeptoid]

I think KTN is actually listed as and 'International Airport"

And I believe it has at least 6 Alaska Airlines flights a day for the summer season...(5-6 months?).
But there are way less than 14000 people living there. It is a waypoint and a regional distribution center without any road surface connecting with ANY other island. Ketchikan is on an isolated island. Six-eight hours from the nearest road to the North American Continent by ferry. You cannot get there without swimming, flying, or taking a boat ride. (Unless you have an arrangement with the Starship Enterprise). The bridge project will not influence that at all. It will just make it a longer and more expensive proposition to get from the population center of Ketchikan to the Ketchikan International Airport than it does by the current ferry. Which has run every 15 minutes for the last 30 years. Am I correct?

I was in the USCG in KTN

[skeptoid]

Oh, and half the cost of what, specifically, is being paid for by "state funds"?

[OldFriend]

Mark Levin has been going on and on and on and on about that bridge in Alaska.

Be nice if at least one or two people on our side got the facts before they began bashing Bush with the bridge.

[Mark was here]

Alaska's politics, a direct reflection of it's voters, suck.

If they really gave a damn about the environment they would of put in a navigational system to of prevented the Valdez accident.

Instead of building needed infrastructure, (billing the American people who bought and gave them the land), they partied with the oil revenue.

[Erik Latranyi]

If they really gave a damn about the environment they would of put in a navigational system to of prevented the Valdez accident.

You are making statements like a Troll.

I have navigated Prince William Sound, I know where the Valdez ran aground and it could only take a sheer drunk idiot to wreck there (oh yeah, that's what happened).

Before you shoot your mouth off, get the facts.

PS: The only harm to the environment remaining is the sterilized beaches where the environmentalists washed the rocks with boiling water.

[Mark was here]

You are making statements like a Troll.

So you are saying a modern navigation would not of alerted others aboard the ship that it was off course?

Before running under the cover of screaming troll, how about a little honesty?

Would a better system of helped?

Did you receive any oil royalty cash yourself?

[Erik Latranyi]

So you are saying a modern navigation would not of alerted others aboard the ship that it was off course?

There was no better navigation system available at the time. Today there is and all tankers use it.

Did you receive any oil royalty cash yourself?

Now you reveal yourself--you imply that oil royalties are wrong.

I suspect you just shoot your mouth off too much.

[Mark was here]

There was no better navigation system available at the time. Today there is and all tankers use it.

Bunk. There was a better system available but the State of Alaska refused to pay for it because the navigational system was a Federal responsibility. Sorry if the truth deflates your fantasy world.

I note that you are unable to answer yes or no to the question of weather you revived any oil royalty funds from the State of Alaska. You run for cover complaining about identifying yourself, what a bunch of baloney.

The State could of done more to prevent the oil spill, they had the funds burning a hole in their pocket, and the State decided to party with the funds instead.

What did you buy with your windfall?

[dangus]

Aw Heck, the giant in-your-face polar bear mounted over the doorway to greet whiny liberal PETA types is one of the things I LIKE about Rep. Young. tee-hee.

[dangus]

BZZZZZZ!!

WRONG!!!

The money came from New Yorkers, and Californians, and Michiganders, etc. The gas tax is a point-of-sale tax charged to consumers. Rush would argue that the ultimate cost is borne by the sellers (but that isn't execatly true because gas is commoditized; the removal of the tax would bring lower prices, not higher profits). But the sellers are the gas and oil companies.

What's funny is too see Alaskans dribble like Stalinists... Boo-hoo! "We [Alaskans] didn't pay for it, we never owned it, but it's ours because it came from under our STATE."

[Erik Latranyi]

Bunk. There was a better system available but the State of Alaska refused to pay for it because the navigational system was a Federal responsibility.

So how does the state build its own navigation system when the waterways fall under the purview of the federal gov't?

I note that you are unable to answer yes or no to the question of weather you revived any oil royalty funds from the State of Alaska.

First, you imply that if I received oil royalty money that I am biased or tainted. Perhaps since you received none, you are jealous and hate the state of Alaska?

Second, if you really want to know, I have never received any oil royalties from anywhere.

Lastly, I object to your condemnation of the people and state of Alaska as it suffers from environmental brainwashing rather than reasoned fact.

[wolfcreek]

I say, if the military uses it, then make it part of the defense budget. That should cut down this rhetoric.

[Mark was here]

So how does the state build its own navigation system when the waterways fall under the purview of the federal gov't?

Simple, you call them up, you make the case for the equipment, and you hand over the cash, this gets the project on track. It is a simple mater of priorities, now isn't it?

Perhaps since you received none, you are jealous and hate the state of Alaska?

Yep, I believe everyone should be treated equally under the law, and if the government is giving away cash, they should give everyone the same amount. Now if you equate believing everyone should be equal under the law with jealousy that is your issue, not mine.

Lastly, I object to your condemnation of the people and state of Alaska as it suffers from environmental brainwashing rather than reasoned fact.

Why do keep deluding your self that you have the facts right? Point is the had the money to prevent the disaster and chose not to use it.

[Mark was here]

Should of said:

Why do you keep deluding your self that you have the facts right? Point is the had the money to prevent the disaster and chose not to use it.