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Alaska: Where Pork Lives
The AP teamed up with Taxpayers for Common Sense to take a hard look at how Alaska has benefited from earmarks:
More than 2,000 projects worth $7.5 billion have gone to Alaska since 2000, says Taxpayers for Common Sense. Alaska received a little over $1 billion in the 2005 highway bill.A 2005-2007 study of earmarks by the group showed that Alaska _ ranked 47th in population _ has done far better than other states, when spending is calculated per person. Spending over the three-year period came to $4,311 per person in earmarked projects for Alaskans, while Hawaii was a distant second at $1,812. At the low end were the populous states of Texas, at $98 per person, and New York, $95 per person.
Part of the difference can be explained by Alaska's special needs, with its remote geography, rough terrain and extreme weather. But the clout of Stevens and Young also has played a huge role.
Here are a few of the more, ahem, interesting projects.
Josh
Zachary
Alaska Christian College? My tax dollars went to pay for religious ed? What happened to the separation f church and state thing? This pisses me off even more than painting a salmon on an airplane or paying for some company to incorporate salmon into baby food.
August 14, 2007 4:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
Interesting comparison between Hawaii and Alaska earmark monies. As someone living in Hawaii, I can say that Alaska has no corner on the "remote geography" market. While we may not appear a likely candidate for 'extreme weather' like Alaska (note that Hurricane Flossie is making its way toward us as I write), the 44 days solid of rain that killed seven and did $$ millions in road, crop and sewage pipe infrastructure damage last year is certainly not trivial.
Not that I'm asking for a Senator like Stevens, of course, don't get me wrong. But yeah, does seem like things are a little lopsided. At least all our bridges go somewhere....
August 14, 2007 4:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well...
At least we have some consolation. After all, once the case is decided against Stevens, Stevens, Young, and Murkowski, and they are all found guilty of fraud and misappropriation of taxpayers' dollars and bribery... after this occurs... at least we taxpayers will be reimbursed now, won't we?
We really do not have justice (justice: n. 1. The quality of being just; fairness. 2. a. The principle of moral rightness; equity. b. Conformity to moral rightness in action or attitude; righteousness. 3. a. The upholding of what is just, especially fair treatment and due reward in accordance with honor, standards, or law. b. Law The administration and procedure of law) anymore, though, do we...
August 14, 2007 5:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
From the AP:
_$1 million in 2005 went for mobile computers for police cars in Wasilla, Alaska, population 6,700.
I just checked the Wasilla 2007 capital budget and it has $4,250,000 in federal aid budgeted for wideband mobile communicatons in 2007. I linked to the budget below - see p. 22 of the actual budget, p 30 of the PDF file.
Wasilla's entire 2007 budget is $13,140,971.
I think Alaska needs to be audited.
August 14, 2007 5:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
Any interest on the part of TPM's editors to conduct a similar audit of the spending in Jack Murtha's district -- how about just to the defense contractors that use his brother's lobbying firm?
Or how about Rep. Mollohan from West Virginia. Seems like the reporting on him was that just about every dollar in campaign contributions he received came from people connected to non-profits that operated exclusively on federal grant money directed to them by Mollohan earmarks.
August 14, 2007 10:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
Any interest on the part of TPM's editors to conduct a similar audit of the spending in Jack Murtha's district -- how about just to the defense contractors that use his brother's lobbying firm?
Or how about Rep. Mollohan from West Virginia. Seems like the reporting on him was that just about every dollar in campaign contributions he received came from people connected to non-profits that operated exclusively on federal grant money directed to them by Mollohan earmarks.
August 14, 2007 10:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
1. Since Alaska's total population is that of a mid-size city while covering an area 2 or 3 times larger than Texas, any project of magnitude here will cost more per person. While interesting, per person federal spending is no more statistically valid for states at the extremes of population than simply comparing Alaska's total federal spending with that of other states.
2. I trust there will be articles on earmarks in others states, e.g. as what Tom Coburn got in Oklahoma, or Ted Kennedy in Massachusetts- who recently got a $100 million earmark to produce jet engines (in Lynn, MA) that the Air Force DOESN'T WANT.
Picking on federal spending and earmarks only in Alaska may the the sport du jour, but it's not fair.
August 14, 2007 10:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
Alaska brainwashing. TPM readers remember Ted and Don have a huge victim following in Alaska
you must remember everyone is a victim in Alaska including Ted and Don according to Ted and Don
August 14, 2007 11:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
If you really wanted to dig, look into the preferential federal contracts for Alaska Native-owned corporations. How sweet it is!
August 15, 2007 10:20 AM | Reply | Permalink
I wonder how much of the easiness with which the Alaskan Congressmen got pork had to do with the administration's want to open up the wildlife rfuge to oil companies???? Were they given carte blanche so Big Oil could make a buck?
August 15, 2007 12:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
The news folks have missed the value of the rights to "buy" ALL the pollock, the nations most valuable fishery, and crab in the Bering sea free from competitive bidding FOREVER! Stevens did this through approp riders.
Imagine giving Exxon the right to all the oil in the US in perpetuity. Or Weyerhauser the rights to all loggin on US lands forever.
These earmarks are worth billions, and they didn't go to Alasskans.
August 18, 2007 11:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
In fact,the receipients of over 50% of the Processor Quotas are not even Americans, they are the two largest fishing companies in the world, both Japanese, Maruha and Nippon Suisan, represented by Frank the Banks former aide.
These multi billion dollar foriegn companies needed to be "protected" from small individual Ameican fishermen.
code word color, as in green cash to politicians.
August 19, 2007 8:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
أكبر مناقصة لعام 2007
لرجال الأعمال والمستثمرين
لأدارة وأستغلال أكبر بحيرات العالم لأنتاج الاسماك
أدارة وأستغلال
بحيرة السد العالي
لمدة ثلاث سنوات
منطقة الاستزراع بمساحة 22636 فدان
المنطقــــــــة الشاطئية بمساحة 204 فدان
منطقــــــة الأعماق بمساحة 60469 فدان
وذلك لتوريد 4000 طن سنوياً من الانتاج
للشركة المسئولة عن الموقع
جلسة 10 / 9 / 2007 الساعة 12 ظهراً
تأمين دخول المزاد 100000 جنية مصري
يزاد التأمين النهائي إلي مليون جنية
للأستعلام وكراسة الشروط
مكتب الخبير المثمن / يحيي ألفي
6006 شارع 9 المقطم
0165336646
assalfy@gmail.com
The largest bid for the year 2007
For Businessmen and investors
To management and exploitation of the world's largest lakes of fish production
Management and Utilization
High Dam Lake - Egypt
For three years
Fish's farms area of 22636 acres
The beach area of 204 acres
Depth the area of 60469 acres
To supply About 4000 tons per year of production the company responsible for the site
Meeting September 10, 2007 at 12 o'clock
Bid bond auction 100000 pounds to be
Increased up to million pounds
For information and documents.
assessor / Yehia Alfy
6006 street 9 Mokatam
0106950028
assalfy@gmail.com
August 26, 2007 10:50 AM | Reply | Permalink