halfoffdepot.com
 

Most Viewed

Top 6 articles this week:

Write In

In order to use this feature, please sign in or register.



Advertisement
Centennial Place

The Sunday Paper Staff Blog

Current Articles | Categories | Search | Syndication

Obama's bridge to Katrina

Much has been made of the fact that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin was for the "bridge to nowhere" before she was against it. The proposed bridge connecting the little town of Ketchikan, Alaska with the island of Gravina would have cost $398 million in federal tax dollars, but it was never built. Though Palin was in favor of it when she ran for governor, once in office she reassessed the situation and decided the bridge wouldn't really be worth the cost (not to mention the votes).

There wasn't much else she could do. Congress, with help from Senator Barack Obama and Senator Joe Biden, had already passed the bridge funding package in August 2005. In November of 2005, Congress decreased the amount somewhat and added a very specific stipulation to the money package to Alaska: that the money could be used for things other than the bridge if that's what Alaska wanted, but the state had to use some of it to build an airport. Palin took office as governor in January 2007, after being elected in November 2006--well after the bridge-to-nowhere money had already been released by Congress (with help from Obama and Biden, don't forget) for other uses. She decided to use it on transportation projects throughout Alaska as well as on the airport. There were things Alaska needed more than the bridge. 

There is no failure to be found in anything that Palin has done in relation to the "bridge to nowhere." There is, however, failure to to be found in how Obama and Biden, given the chance to re-route that money in November 2005 to help rebuild areas destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, didn't do so. I'm sure the victims of Katrina could have used the money, but they didn't get it because Congress--including Sen. Obama and Sen. Biden--voted for the money to go to Alaska instead.

Here are my sources: 

This allows you to see the Senate votes on Oct. 20, 2005 on the national transportation plan that included rerouting the Gravina Island Bridge money to Hurricane Katrina recovery projects:

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/vote.xpd?vote=s2005-264


And this tells you about the measure to use the money for Katrina. It's the Washington Post's coverage on Oct. 21, 2005 of the previous day's vote:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/20/AR2005102001931.html

by Stephanie Ramage | Wednesday, September 10, 2008 at 11:15 PM in Opinion | Comments (4) | Permalink

COMMENTS

Commentby Gary | Thursday, September 11, 2008, 9:57 AM

There was a lot more to the bill that Obama and Biden voted through regarding the Bridge to Nowhere, and there's a whole lot more to Obama's treatment of Katrina.

http://thinkonthesethings.wordpress.com/2007/08/29/when-the-cameras-are-off-barack-obamas-hurricane-katrina-record/

Please show us what McCain did to aid Katrina when he was in a position to do so, and maybe your information will be worth something to the educated public.  

Commentby Andrew | Thursday, September 11, 2008, 12:58 PM

Hello Stephanie - I know that what you wrote is only a commentary, but I find it very interesting that you didn't even care to include any sources for your information.

It's simply irresponsible writing, when you make claims on a subject, without backing it up with any credible sources. How do we know you didn't get this information from your next door neighbor, or someone you spoke to at the bus stop, or it's something you thought of while sitting in the toilet?

Unless you prove otherwise, then laying claims on a topic without proof is simply nothing but gossip!  

Commentby Stephanie | Thursday, September 11, 2008, 1:40 PM

Andrew, Thanks for reminding me. Here (and now in the column) are sources:

This allows you to see the Senate votes on Oct. 20, 2005 on the national transportation plan that included rerouting the Gravina Island Bridge money to Hurricane Katrina recovery projects:

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/vote.xpd?vote=s2005-264

And this tells you about the measure to use the money for Katrina. It's the Washington Post's coverage on Oct. 21, 2005 of the previous day's vote:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/20/AR2005102001931.html

 

Commentby Harris | Friday, September 12, 2008, 9:55 AM

Your column clearly points out that Palin took office well after Congress had already decided the funds could be spent on projects other than the bridge.

So it's the claim Palin keeps making, specifically that "I told the Congress thanks but no thanks on the bridge to nowhere" that is the problem with Palin.

Since she clearly didn't tell Congress anything about how to dispense with the funds. Congress had already given up on the bridge and wrote out of the money the mandated ties to the bridge.

Puffing herself up as a Congress bashing tough girl reformer of government over the bridge, when the relevant conversation and decisions had been made far in advance of her taking office - is the real problem with Palin.

Palin's real problem with the bridge - It's called "dishonesty".  

You must be logged in to post a comment. You can log in here.

 
Advertisement
Sharp Residential Banner Block
Half Off Depot
Advertisement
Zifty