Rossputin.com Rational Thinking About Our World

re "Bridge to nowhere' stripped from US funding bill" (Reuters, 11/16/05)
http://today.reuters.com/investing/financeArticle.aspx?type=bondsNews&storyID=2005-11-16T200210Z_01_N16597988_RTRIDST_0_TRANSPORT-BRIDGE.XML

and "Two 'Bridges to Nowhere' Tumble Down in Congress" (NY Times, 11/16/05)
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/17/politics/17spend.html

For earmark info, see:
By State
Per Capita

Overall details of the Transportation Bill:
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/safetealu/

For my more in-depth article about this Bill, see this link:
http://rossputin.com/blog/index.php/a/2005/08/01/congress_passes_energy_and_transportatio

This week, the infamous "Bridge to Nowhere" in Alaska, a $223 millilon boondoggle going from the mainland to an island with 50 residents, was stripped from the Transportation Bill's final version. Also, the $209 million bridge planned for near Anchorage and to be named "Don Young Way" (after Alaska's current Congressman) was taken out of the bill.

But before you start celebrating...although the project earmarks were erased, the money for Alaska wasn't. So now the $432 million (NY Times says $442 million...) will simply be given to the State of Alaska to do with as they wish. Not one penny of taxpayer money was saved.

Alaska gets the third highest amount from the bill, behind California and Illinois but ahead of New York! On a per capita basis, Alaska wins by a longshot, at nearly triple the take of the next highest state (Vermont).

Alaska's take from this bill represents the best argument yet for term limits. According to Alaska Senator Ted Stevens' web page: A member of the Senate for 36 years, Ted Stevens is Alaska's senior Senator. Stevens' tenure in the Senate makes him the fourth most senior member among his colleagues, and first among Republicans.

Stevens is Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, which has oversight of the Departments of Commerce and Transportation.

And Alaska's only Congressman, Don Young, according to his web site: First sworn in as a freshman to the 93rd Congress after winning a special election on March 6, 1973, Congressman Young is today the 3rd ranking Republican member and the 8 th ranking overall member of the House of Representatives. He chairs the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Congress’ largest committee with 75 members.

So Alaska's penchant for supporting its incumbents in DC gives the state extraordinary leverage in picking the pockets of the rest of America.

The behavior and influence of Senator Stevens and Representative Young are the best argument in years for term limits. Their hubris is plain to see, and more appropriate of Stalin or King Louis (you choose the number) than of an elected American. When Senator Coburn (R-OK) tried to have the bridge taken out of the bill, Senator Stevens threatened to resign if the amendment passed. Not only was the Anchorage bridge to be named after Congressman Young, but the entire bill, titled SAFETEA-LU is named for his wife, Lu! If that doesn't represent a huge problem with our appropriations process, I don't know what does.

Clearly, our legislators are afraid to take on senior members of Congress. And I don't blame them. If a Congressman fails to get a project for his district while other Congressmen bring home the bacon, that could be a big political liability in his next election. So, if trying to curb the most outrageous pork means that a senior member will oppose your pork, and since legislators care most about winning their next election, they will just let all the pork go through.

The bridges in Alaska were so outrageous that Congress elminated them...but not the money to be spent. All they actually did was reflavor the pork.