Comments (7)

Rob K wrote on July 9, 2007 11:52 AM:

I often like to play word games, and one in particular. It involves switching the first letter(s) of a person's first name with the first letter(s) of the last name... and in the case of my home state U.S. Representative, I find it quite fitting, as well as highly entertaining.....

Who proposes bridges to nowhere? Yon Dung!
Who takes the money from many to give to the few?
Yon Dung! And whom do the people of Alaska seem to step into time and time again? Yon Dung!

Rob K wrote on July 9, 2007 11:53 AM:

I often like to play word games, and one in particular. It involves switching the first letter(s) of a person's first name with the first letter(s) of the last name... and in the case of my home state U.S. Representative, I find it quite fitting, as well as highly entertaining.....

Who proposes bridges to nowhere? Yon Dung!
Who takes the money from many to give to the few?
Yon Dung! And whom do the people of Alaska seem to step into time and time again? Yon Dung!

jeffgee wrote on July 9, 2007 11:56 AM:

Yes, a bridge to nowhere is good for the entire country.

Anonymous wrote on July 9, 2007 12:36 PM:

Too few Americans have been to an oil republic like Alaska where welfare and zero education are the majority.

Don Young is a hero for standing up to all these edumucated Americans. Most Alaskans smoke, are alcoholics, they never graduated high school, and they make good money here. If they are retired military, they get generous benefits. Don Young "stands up" for them. Alaska is like one big truck stop.

TPM readers might hate Don and Ted but it gives them the ability to exploit the victim card that Alaskans truelly love in election cycles. They will win easily even if indicted.

Remember Alaskans have been done wrong by a phantom enemy mystified by Don and Ted, but Alaskans could never describe how. Don and Ted and AK media have told them for that for 30 years!

Jake H. wrote on July 9, 2007 1:01 PM:

I'm fascinated by the way the Congressional delegations of the non-contiguous states conduct themselves and view the world. Members from sparsely populated states are generally pretty focused on bringing home the bacon, but when it comes to Alaska and Hawaii that mentality is intensified tenfold.

I couldn't tell you whether there are any ethics allegations floating around Stevens' bestest buddy Dan Inouye, but I can tell you that Inouye views his role in the Senate the same way that Stevens does: my state is somehow being excluded from something by the lower 48 (who don't REALLY believe that we are a state) so it's my job to counterbalance that by unapologetically fighting for every last dime I can wring out of the federal Treasury. It is indeed a persecution complex, as the anonymous Alaskan poster above argues.

Because of this, there is absolutely no chance in hell that one of these guys loses his seat over "pork" generically. It would need to be a full-blown ethics scandal, and the population of the state would need to recognize that he's a crook...and even then, I'm not so sure they wouldn't stick by Their Guy who stands up to Washington on their behalf.

kazoom wrote on July 9, 2007 3:04 PM:

Wow!! As an Alaskan I have to comment on the earlier post that says "Don Young is a hero for standing up to all these edumucated Americans. Most Alaskans smoke, are alcoholics, they never graduated high school, and they make good money here. If they are retired military, they get generous benefits. Don Young "stands up" for them. Alaska is like one big truck stop."

First, no question, alcoholism is a problem in Alaska and the rate of smoking is probably somewhat higher than many other states, but to generalize the statement that it is true of "most Alaskans" is absurd. Also, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, “Alaska, Washington, Minnesota, Utah, Wyoming and Colorado had the highest share of high school graduates. Although Alaska had the highest estimate at 93 percent, this value was not statistically different from that of Washington, Minnesota, and Utah.” And I don't believe our retired military receive any different benefits than anyplace else. We have our share of problems up here, but can this person be serious?? Please tell me it was tongue in cheek and I just failed to see the humor.

Also, I feel compelled to say that they are not "bridges to nowhere." There are legitimate arguments both for and against both bridges (Ketchikan and Knik Arm), but it is not because they are bridges to nowhere anymore than the Golden Gate Bridge or the Mackinac Bridge were bridges to nowhere when they were built. The arguments would be much more meaningful if issues like cost/benefit, potential environmental harm in Knik Arm, whether Anchorage needs additional space for development since new space is getting pretty scarce in the Anchorage bowl and improving access to the island where the airport is in Ketchikan, a city of about 10,000 people (the only way out of Ketchikan other than by boat).

Biff Spaceman wrote on July 10, 2007 3:05 AM:

The bridges to nowhere actually did go somewhere, and may yet, even though the studies to build them have been ready for decades. Anchorage has less than 2000 buildable lots left. The Matanuska Valley (home of Valley Trash (c)!) is absorbing the population spillover, but it takes more and more time on that four lane freeway at commute time.
We have redneck socialism here. Kids with ability leave as soon as they can, for the most part, often to remarkably good schools in the 48. Government money has driven our economy since the first relief boats came up to rescue destitute gold rush prospectors, through our toy railroad, or our ABM system, or our fractured transportation system. Any time we try to mine or drill something, some trout hunter wants it stopped. Any time our Native corporations make some money, the other gimmes start griping because they aren't getting enough favors. It can't last, but here it is the way we made it!