The Bridge-to-Nowhere...Just when you thought it was safe...

$1.4M in federal funds OK'd for Knik bridge
TOLLS? Legislature approves $150 million for project.

JUNEAU -- Legislators have signed off on another $1.4 million in federal money to pay planners of the controversial Knik Arm bridge and are talking about ponying up state dollars for the project next year.

The bridge would connect Anchorage to mostly undeveloped Mat-Su land near Point MacKenzie. Supporters estimate a cost of about $700 million, and critics nationally ridiculed it as a "bridge to nowhere" when Congress provided initial money to help.

Bills cleared the transportation committees in the state House and Senate this year to give $150 million in state money for the bridge and declare financial obligations made by the Knik Arm Bridge and Toll Authority "obligations of the state."

Those bills will remain alive when the Legislature returns to work in January and lawmakers are interested. "I'm a big supporter of the Knik Arm bridge," said Chugiak Rep. Bill Stoltze, in charge of construction funding in the House.

http://www.adn.com/2011/04/09/1801924/1 ... d-for.html

Wow, just when you thought the Republicans couldn't get any more hypocritical, they've found a new way to pump life into a project that we all thought had a stake through it's heart... But like Dracula Rising, it's baaaaaaack. Never let a chunk of pork go to waste... Perhaps we should ask Mike Pense or one of the other "save-a-buck-for-the-Gipper" crowd if they're okay with that.... Hmmmmm?

Is this a thread about Pork Barrel Spending? If so let's talk about all the Pork that Liberals can't do without, as well, and see who are the most guilty. Maybe like Harry Reid with his crying over not being able to fund Cowboy Poetry. Maybe there are plans to develop communities over this bridge? Have you ever been to Alaska? I have and there are many places that the only way to get there is by plane, or boat. Just saying!!!!!!!!!!!


Oh, this isn't about any of that, is it? It has something to do with hating Sarah Palin, doesn't it??

Funny, I don't remember seeing Palin's name anywhere... No, actually, it was something to do about the millions spent by the hypocrite Republicans building a bridge-to-nowhere...

Having a bit of Palin-Derangement-Syndrome there, are we, Sunshine?

Of course, you are free to go off on any deflection tangent you wish... I'll continue to talk about the Republicans resurrecting a porkbarrel project to pour more money into it.

Perhaps a better approach to guessing at whether a project is pork is to first balance the budget, then prioritize spending within the budget. In the mean time, there is really no justifiable reason for the Fed to fund that bridge. The current use of ferries works, is self sustaining and provides jobs without increasing our debt.

Finally... a voice of reason on the other side....

On another side...........

Interesting to see Alaska still getting so much pork. They are one of the few states that isn't billions in debt. ($100 oil helps.)
Now if Alaska people themselves want to build the bridge, I say go ahead.

One other reason why I would like to see less federal taxes and spending and letting the states keep their own money.

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Pentagon said Monday the military intervention in Libya cost the U.S. an extra $608 million in the first few of weeks of the operation. Spending is down significantly, though not as much as expected.

http://apnews.excite.com/article/20110411/D9MHH1680.html

From the bridge article referenced for this thread:

Supporters estimate a cost of about $700 million,

We could be in a much better financial condition if we were not in Iraq, Afghanistan and now Libya. It seems the war industrial complex is getting its fair share of our money along with the banks.

Yep... I couldn't agree more... Two unnecessary wars, going on a $TRILLION; plus the cost of the war on Libya, and a $700million bridge?...(and a $700 million unpaid-for prescription drug benefit????

(I think this where someone reminds me that "Bush was a better president than Obama....") ?!??!?

If they'd cut the legs out from under the war-making machine instead of the teachers and doctors, I think we'd be in a helluva lot better shape....

LadyJazzer wrote: (I think this where someone reminds me that "Bush was a better president than Obama....") ?!??!?

Yup, he was.