How dare Bush scoff at Oberstar's proposal to raise the gas tax to pay for bridge repair.
Excuse me, but it was a fucking Republican, Don Young (R-AK), who chaired the House Transportation Committee that allowed the most amount of earmarks/pork barrels to be included in the reauthorization of federal transportation bill. For christs sake, Young named the federal bill after his wife, Lulu. The federal bill is called SAFETEA-LU (Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient, Transportation Equity Act, a Legacy for Users). And let's not forget Young's favorite pork barrel project, dubbed "The Bridge to Nowhere." The bridge in Alaska would connect the town of Ketchikan (population 8,900) with its airport on the Island of Gravina (population 50) at a cost to federal taxpayers of $320 million, by way of three separate earmarks in the recent highway bill.
Don ain't done yet. His second favorite project he even named after himself, "Don Young Way", a $223 million span near Anchorage that would connect that city with a nearly deserted port. Art Nelson, Mr. Young's son-in-law, is part owner of 60 acres of what he described as "beautiful property" on land that will be opened up to development by the bridge.
And Don likes to send pork to his friends, even if the community, or state DOT, doesn't want it!
Oh, and remember Ted Stevens, the longest running Republican in the Senate, who just happens to be being investigated by the FBI for corruption (the FBI just raided his ski chalet last week)? Not only is he just as skilled as Don Young in bringing home the pork, but he has a knack for giving taxpayer dollars to his kin. A nonprofit agency, the Alaska Fisheries Marketing Board, gave Alaska Airlines a $500,000 grant to paint their jets to look like Alaskan salmon. They call 'em Salmon-Thirty-Salmons (pretty cute, dontcha think?)
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 senator's son, state Sen. Ben Stevens, is chairman of the agency's board of directors.
Of the $24 billion in earmarked projects in the most recent transportation bill, nearly $1 billion went to Alaska, putting the nation's 47th most populous state just behind California and Illinois. The measure provided $1,597 in earmarked funding for every man, woman and child in the state.
6,371 special projects, or "earmarks," are in the Transportation Equity Act, a six-year $286 billion bill. Roughly $1 out of every $11 in the legislation will be spent on pet projects instead of building roads and reducing congestion, oh, and maintaining the nations bridges. One out of four bridges in this nation are rated "structurally deficient".
Aren't you the pot calling the kettle black, George? My guess is Georgie doesn't give a flying fuck about helping the Republican party's chance at anything significant in 2008 (which is fine by me). It's out of self-interest at this point for this nation's worst lame duck prez. It's the same reason he's keeping Gonzalez in place.
