A new storm cloud for Republicans appears to be forming over the state of Alaska. Having served nearly 40 years in Congress Alaska Senator Ted Stevens home near Anchorage is being closely scrutinized for evidence of possible payoffs from oil field service contractor Bill Allen. As co-chair of the Defense Appropriations Committee, and longest serving Republican in Congress, Senator Stevens is a powerful member of the U.S. Senate.
Having just started a series entitled “outrage of the week” this investigation, if the FBI/IRS can prove any illegal transactions between the senator to any contractor, surely deserves to be included. We read about “earmarks” and “pork” in every federal budget such as “the $200 million dollar bridge to no-where” in Ketchikan, Alaska as waste of taxpayer funds.
What message are both parties sending to our children and the rest of the world? Where’s today’s roll models? Even in the world of sports we await the outcome of the investigation of Atlanta Falcon QB Michael Vick.
It’s not just former Congressman “Duke” Cunningham nor LA Congressman William Jefferson. Those are the ones we know about. How many other elected officials are yet to be caught? It’s sad for all the honest representatives that serve inside the beltway to be linked to a few bad apples for their transgressions.
While I will withhold judgement on Senator Stevens until the FBI/IRS conclude their discovery and possible follow up if any is deemed necessary, what’s your view of this latest news?
I think Stevens should be sent to go break apart some rocks with Duke if he gets convicted.
Don’t pick on Teddy…he is a true
Moderate Republican….he never
saw a gun law he didn’t like. He
never saw a social program he wouldn’t buy into. Come on now…
Ted….he must be the salt of the
earth! Afterall, who would have
the bravery to ask for millions..
so he could drive over to his own
house?
While I have been to Ketchikan and will again, in a few short weeks, the “Bridge to no where” has been way overblown by the media and others who don’t understand the local situation there at all. If others would like to know more about it I would be happy to explain it in some detail. Just ask if your really interested.
As far as the corruption investigation goes, I think there may be some real issues brewing in the background. We will have to wait and see what actually floats to the surface.
Good morning Carl.
At a time when our fexderal government can’t findfunding for much needed roads and related infrastructure the State of Alaska was given $223 million in federal dollars to build a bridge from Kitchikan to Gravina Island’s roughly 50 people, on the warmest day, is justifiable? Spending over $300 million to replace the ferry and ease access to an airport. Is that what you label as fiscal responsibility?
Did they move to that island contingent on American taxpayers from Kansas to Texas providing the funds for this “abuse of power.” I thought Abuse of Power was the book on property rights written by Steven Greenhut!
At the time even John McCain called this “pork barrel” spending.
Larry,
I didn’t say I thought that it was a good investment, nor that I supported it. I said it was way overblown by the media. And much more complicated. I totally agree that as an earmark, it should be line item vetoed or removed from it’s attached bill.
The greatest tracks of private land that are available for development, and relatively easy to develop are on the island. And is currently being logged. A great deal of the area surrounding the city is undevelopeable because it is owned by the Feds. The city is expanding. If you can’t get financing you can’t build because you can’t get someone to buy it when you build it, because they can’t get financing to purchase it. When you have no overland route you can not get conventional financing. No FHA, no VA loans for housing, insurance rates are higher as well as construction costs. Very little of this has been available publicly in the lower 48, just the headlines about the “Bridge to Nowhere” that some of the city would like to be somewhere some day.
As I understand it, now there is growing support for the no bridge/highway crowd. There is also the other side that say’s “The reason we moved here was to get away from the roads.” Some, point to who it is that would like to develop their land near a jet capable airport and great fishing, and think that they just want the easy development money to exploit the resources. Many who live there don’t want to see it go in. Very much like our own issues her in Santa Ana and a certain building. I understand both sides of it, especially after having been there a few times. It is a very tough local decision, that should be made locally.
Thank you Carl for your in-depth and personal knowledge comments.
While I can agree that it should be a “local decision,” the fact that over $200 million of the project’s (uneven matching) funds came from Washington, DC, including money from both you and I, requires justification.
Especially in light of comments we read that the Fed is running out of money to fix infrastructure. No, I will not jump on the devastation on the I 35 bridge yesterday.
Speaking of examples of “pork” abuse we only need to look east to the “King of Pork”, Senator Robert Byrd, ranking member, Senate Appropriations Committee, who has the distinguished record of getting over $one billion dollars in earmarks for his constituents. And you wonder where the expression of being a “donor” state originated. In the case of W. VA.,the opposite is true.
Larry,
Sorry for being so breif in my response, but I am having some serious problems typing the last few days. As you could probably tell my resopses to everything, they have been very short for me.