Alaska Airlines takes flying fish to a whole new level--$500K fed grant pays for custom paint job

Anchorage Daily News ^ | October 2, 2005 | Wesley Loy

[Republicus2001]

That WILL be the day pigs fly!

[microgood]

I wonder if this plane will take tourists to the Bridge to Nowhere.

[OrioleFan]

Next year American Airlines will be flying The Velvet Elvis out of Nashville hub.

[Wally_Kalbacken]

Isn't dat dere a Muskie, eh?

[Diana in Wisconsin]

You betcha, Ya Hey! But I've caught bigger, true da ice... ;)

http://www.roadsideamerica.com/attract/WIHAYfish.html

[Bar-Face]

Back when Denver International Airport opende, we said DIA really meant Democrats in Action.

Now I know what RIA means.

US Senator Ted Stevans and his son State Senator Ben Stevans

Gov. Murkosky (sp?) and his ditzy daughter US Senator Murkosky.

It is getting so bad that now it is as if they are turning the 'family business' over to the kids.

[Bar-Face]

Back when Denver International Airport opende, we said DIA really meant Democrats in Action.

Now I know what RIA means.

US Senator Ted Stevans and his son State Senator Ben Stevans

Gov. Murkosky (sp?) and his ditzy daughter US Senator Murkosky.

It is getting so bad that now it is as if they are turning the 'family business' over to the kids.

[T.Smith]

Isn't Alaska the state that has so much oil money lying around that they give the citizens rebates every year? Why, then, do they ever need federal funds?

[RedBloodedAmerican]

Thet are in Seattle, not Alaska.

[arthurus]

It's terriffic and a great publicity move except the part where I have to pay for it in April. I don't think I should be paying for somebody else's advertising.

[rottndog]

Now that's COMPASSIONATE Conservatism.

[HiTech RedNeck]

The money came out of about $29 million in federal funding U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska and his congressional colleagues have appropriated to the marketing board, created in 2003, to promote and enhance the value of Alaska seafood....

The state's commercial salmon industry has struggled for years due to competition from foreign, farm-raised salmon, but the promotional dollars are helping the industry make a comeback, said Bill Hines, the marketing board's executive director.

Why didn't they just paint the airliner with "EAT ALASKA SALMON"? It would have been cheaper AND gotten the message across better.

[freepatriot32]

Libertarian ping.To be added or removed from my ping list freepmail me or post a message here

Your tax dollars at work folks think about it the when you punch the clock at work in the morning.

[Diddle E. Squat]

just mentioned by Brit Hume bump

[weegee]

The ACLU would charge that such an undertaking discriminates against muslims:

Winnie the Pooh and Piglet Banned in the Name of Religious Tolerance

[Enchante]

Great, next every state in the union will need to have airliners painted with their state marketing slogans, scenic wonders, state birds, etc. Several thousand airliners of all carriers can be painted for billions of dollars (at our expense, of course) with everything imaginable..... then cities will demand that THEY not be left out of the porkfest.... and San Francisco will demand at least one plane painted with images of the delights (sic) of sodomy...... which will be called 'art'..... where does it end?

[akdonn]

All around the world people are farming salmon and doing great damage to the wild salmon industry of Alaska. This effort by Alaska Airlines to promote wild Alaska salmon is good for everybody. Further, because the airline industry is in such desperate straits now, finding new ways to make necessary government subsidies create interest in flying makes alot of sense. I think you take your concern to an extreme to make a point, but as an Alaskan I would say our state deserves to have whatever we can get out of the federal government as long as our congressional delegation is as powerful as it is. Every other state gets their share with a hell of a bigger delegation than our two senators and one house member!

[bamahead]

Ted Stevens is also the porker who procured $1.5 million in federal dollars for a bus-stop in Anchorage.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7900977/

Our money folks. Money you worked hard to earn...
Dems can't be trusted with it
Repubs can't be trusted with it
Ted Stevens porking is a systematic problem.

[thackney]

Follow the money. This is not taxpayer money but from import levies on fish. From the above article:
A local nonprofit agency, the Alaska Fisheries Marketing Board, gave Alaska Airlines a $500,000 grant to paint the jet.

USA Plan for Saltonstall-Kennedy Funds: A National Seafood Marketing FundSenate Appropriations Committee approved a U.S. Commerce Department Budget that includes $20 million for seafood marketing in Alaska. The money will come from the Saltonstall-Kennedy Fund, which is fueled by duties and tariffs levied against foreign seafood imports.

Alaska Fisheries Marketing Board up and running by year end
The pool of money comes from so called Saltonstall Kennedy funds, derived from duties and tariffs on seafood products imported into the U.S.

[mdefranc]

Uh, "duties and tariffs" ARE TAXES.