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Entire Alaska Delegation Contributed Earmarks To 3 Mile Road
Recently, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) appeared in the news for purchasing property on the Kenai River at far below market value last year from Alaska businessman Bob Penney. It turns out, the plot is nearby one of her more notable earmarks: a three-mile stretch of road that abuts the property of about 50 residents, for which Murkowski has secured $6 million in federal funds since 2003.
Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) and Rep. Don Young (R-AK) rounded up an extra $2 million for the three-mile road project, which is just under half mile from Murkowski’s plot, which she sold back to Penney in the wake of the controversy. And even that's not all. To cover matching costs required by some of the federal money, Murkowski's father, then-Gov. Frank Murkowksi ponied up another $325,000 in state funds. It’s unclear whether the project, construction for which is set to begin next year, will boost the value of the land.
Local residents initiated what they coined the Keystone Drive Project back in 2002. The 3-mile road leads to the National Kenai Wildlife Refuge, passing some 50 residents, one of whom is retired NBA star Karl Malone. The locals were fed up with the influx of tourists on their gravel road during the last two weeks in July, when nature enthusiasts come to fish, camp and visit the refuge. So, they rallied neighborhood support and first took their case to the local government. When that didn't pan out, they pressed on to their federal representatives in Washington.
Keystone Drive resident Jane Madison, who spearheaded the effort, said a group of neighbors flew to Washington to take their case directly to the delegation in 2002. They had meetings with all three offices, and then, serendipitously, they sat in front of Murkowski on the flight back home.
"We discovered that this woman is a very, very bright, very, very focussed woman," Madison said. "Even though other people were tapping her on the shoulder, she focussed right on us, so we told her the story of Keystone Drive. She said 'I'll do everything I can to help you.'"
And help she did.
Pleased with the results of Alaskan-style direct democracy, Madison said she thinks Murkowski has kept her word.
Madison cited a number of reasons why the road deserved the improvements -- from better access for emergency vehicles to runoff prevention. But her chief argument remains that the increased traffic is caused by the public attractions, including the refuge and two public Kenai River boat launches, making the federal and state government responsible for the road. Madison claims that during the peak weeks in summer, they see as many as 1,000 additional vehicles on their road each day, though where those cars are going is unclear since there appears to be only two small parking lot at the end of the road.
To be sure, a nicer road would benefit those tourists, however many there are. But when I asked if any of the $8 million has been set aside for extra or improved parking lots, Madison was initially puzzled. The answer is no. The project is solely for the road, without any plans for other amenities that would benefit the public.
Though Penney lives just up the road, he doesn't appear to have had a hand in the repaving campaign. It also appears that Murkowski would not have needed to use the road when heading to the main highway. But had she been able to hold on to her sweetheart land deal with Penney, her road-paving earmarks would have made her pretty popular in the neighborhood.
Josh
Zachary
Is the road gold plated? Just trying to figure out why it's going to cost more than $2.5 million a mile for the grading and paving of an existing gravel road.
August 7, 2007 7:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
Looks like Alaska could use a visit by Diogenes.
August 7, 2007 10:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
Is the road gold plated? Just trying to figure out why it's going to cost more than $2.5 million a mile for the grading and paving of an existing gravel road.
I don't know anything about this particular road project, but I did live and work in Alaska for over a decade and it is a fact that construction of any kind, including roads, entails a whole lot more cost than in the lower 48. Just building up a roadbed in the swampy muskeg that is much of south central Alaska takes a tremendous amount of fill and you've got to do things a lot more heavy duty than in the lower 48 due to the severe winters. It would not surprise me in the least if road construction in Alaska is 5-10 times more expensive per mile than in say, Texas.
That doesn't justify the cost in this particular instance which I know nothing about. I'm just saying it doesn't immediately strike me as unreasonable.
August 7, 2007 10:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
No wonder Kenai River land prices were going up higher than a cat's back... the entire delegation was petting the little beast.
Let's do a little test - we just need about 35,000 Alaskan readers to each buy a lottery ticket for $10 apiece. Then we'll use the $350,000 to buy the property from Mr. Penney at fair prices. We'll select the owner name out of the tickets. Next, that person will send a letter and simply ask little "who's your daddy" Lisa to finish that pavement right up to your new front door, and throw in a little extra for a boat launch. Then you can contribute to her next campaign - or legal defense funds - and we'll all call it square and even.
From Kodiak, AK
Codeword: chance - as in NO CHANCE! and as in this is a chance to walk down to the FBI building in DC and turn yourself in, girl!
August 7, 2007 11:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
Let me know when the tickets go on sale.
I'll buy one for each of my grandkids too!
I'm not sure we would 'improve' the neighborhood. I mean, I haven't known Bob Penney since I was four, but I'll bet we could be loud and fun neighbors!!
I plan to have LOTS of parties.
August 8, 2007 12:06 AM | Reply | Permalink
she is going to keep throwing this boomerang until it brings us her head. she sounds just smart enough to be a stupid criminal.
August 8, 2007 1:11 AM | Reply | Permalink
Well gollly gee PalmerBuyer, you sound like just the feller we was looking for, so we have already reserved a winning ticket for you - as that's how the Kenai property game is played. And we have signed up a host of companies to provide your new establishment with free French wine, Alaskan art, and even some scrimshaw tusks for the mantle place. Your grandkids can inherit it all, without even buying a ticket for them. And needless to say, you are invited to the Don Young Pork Luau as well as to the golf tournaments now.
Once you are in the aristocracy it's an inheritable right! Now, we've already taken care of that item for you, since you knew Penney when you were knee high, we'll even hint that if you'd buy a vacant lot in Anchorage, not too far from downtown, that maybe we could arrange for lighting to strike twice in your lucky life, and rain federal funds right out of the political clouds upon your new lot, too! We'll have the City provide the parking.
No need to thank us, ... why to the contrary, our thanks are to you - for being willing to play the Alaska influence-buying game. We'll let ya known when the next Petroleum Club party is too, so you can bring the campaign contribution envelopes from all your friends down for the punch bowl.
Now you know why we don't even bother to collect your $10, as no one is ever gonna audit us anyway. We'll just dummy up a receipt for it. I'm sure there's no need to mention it, but let's just keep the winks and nods between us, o.k.?!
Codeword: Party - as in you don't even have to identify whether you are R or D - because you are "a friend of the company"! And as in make it loud!
See ya'll across the fence, now.
'Tex' (lottery accountant, GS-13)
August 8, 2007 1:49 AM | Reply | Permalink
China threatens 'nuclear option' of dollar sales
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2007/08/07/bcnchina107a.xml
Whoop! Whoop!
Anyone seen this mentioned in the US media?
August 8, 2007 3:28 AM | Reply | Permalink
Lisa, Lisa, Lisa, we thought you might be our only shining star for AK. Now it looks like you've taken lessons from TS, DY, & your papa on how to manipulate the system for you and your cronies' benefit. It looks like Sarah will be the only one carrying the torch of integrity when the press & DOJ get done. I can't even drive the mile to work on Mission Road in Kodiak with driving through bomb craters like in Iraq. We need our roads fixed and maintained all over Alaska before we need another "Road to Nowhere". Do all Alaskans a favor, admit you've done wrong, so we can try to forgive you. Ted and Don are going to jail for their indiscretions, as they've definitely broken public trust.
August 8, 2007 3:54 AM | Reply | Permalink
Lisa, Lisa, Lisa, we thought you might be our only shining star for AK. Now it looks like you've taken lessons from TS, DY, & your papa on how to manipulate the system for you and your cronies' benefit. It looks like Sarah will be the only one carrying the torch of integrity when the press & DOJ finish their work. I can't even drive the mile to work on Mission Road in Kodiak without driving through bomb craters like in Iraq. We need our roads fixed and maintained all over Alaska before we need another "Road to Nowhere". Do all Alaskans a favor, admit you've done wrong, so we can try to forgive you. Ted and Don are going to jail for their indiscretions, as they've definitely broken public trust.
August 8, 2007 4:16 AM | Reply | Permalink
ugh... ok, I'm a D and I'm glad to see as many Republicans go down in flames as possible, but I'm also an Alaskan and I'd just like to point out that not all of our politicians are corrupt. Our former two term Governor, Tony Knowles got elected in this reddest of red states, and then got RE-elected (1994-2002). Knowles ran against Lisa Murkowski when she came up for "re"-election, after being appointed by her Daddy to the Senate seat. Knowles was heading for a narrow victory until Ted Stevens came out a week before the election and said that "a vote for Knowles is a vote against me." This comment shifted the race 20 points, from a 10 point Knowles lead to a 10 point Murkowski lead. Anyway, I seem to have gotten a bit off track. Our current Governor, Sarah Palin, ran on an episode in which she caught the head of the Alaska Republican party conducting illegal campaign activities. She won the Republican primary in a landslide and beat Knowles by a surprising 8 points (polls had the race a toss-up). So, yes, our congressional delegation is pretty sorry, but we're not total dolts. Last election cycle Don Young was not even embroiled in a scandal (just his own supidity) and a totally unknown challenger took 40% from him! We're got good D challengers for both Young and Stevens this coming election, so stay tuned, it should be interesting.
August 8, 2007 4:53 AM | Reply | Permalink
The D's in AK are generally crooked as a bucket of snakes,too.
Who are you trying to fool?
August 8, 2007 5:17 AM | Reply | Permalink
salmonshark:
Can you even name a single Alaskan Democrat who has been convicted of any sort of corruption in the past 20 years?
August 8, 2007 9:20 AM | Reply | Permalink
Question: 6 million which eventually goes to construction companies in Alaska. Is there anyway to check for contributions from those companies or executives to Murkowski(s), Young, Stevens?
August 8, 2007 9:41 AM | Reply | Permalink
"Is there anyway to check for contributions from those companies or executives to Murkowski(s), Young, Stevens?"
Of course there is:
www.opensecrets.org
You can bring up any politician and use the sidebar links to sort their contributions by sector, by donor, etc.
August 8, 2007 10:32 AM | Reply | Permalink
alaskagrown11: "Last election cycle Don Young was not even embroiled in a scandal (just his own supidity)..."
Well, Young was already tied in with the Abramoff mess, especially regarding the Saipan sweatshops. He was even dragged into the Mark Foley mess.
Kent... there was the whole George Jacko mess. I see he's now working as a lobbyist.
August 8, 2007 11:21 AM | Reply | Permalink
good point about Young. I was just trying to say that Benson put up a great showing against him even before he got caught up in the Veco thing.
August 8, 2007 4:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
So here's a Alaskan Nugget of corrupt info... so how did Mr. Penney get all that land on the Kenai River?
From homesteading and he wasn't supposed to subdivide it, but he did. Then the land was transferred to the Alaska Mental Health Trust Lands Office (AMHTLO), and back in the late 90's staff (S. Planchon and A. Smith) at the AMHTLO pondered how to deal with Mr. Penny and his little illegal subdivision problem. It was supposed to be leased and the funds go to AMHTLO, but Mr. Penny always protested and wouldn't pay a dime. Should we prosecute or not was the question for the trust lands office staff... it was subdivided in the 70's and sold off to the benefit of MR. Penny. Little Tutka Bay had the same problem and well it ended up that AMHTLA would not go after Mr. Penny. BUT many other homestead lands now pay lease funds to AMHTLO and that includes Little Tutka Bay lands. It would cost the state of AK Dept. of Natural Resources AMHTL office too much money to go after Mr. Penny. So they let it drop and now hope it goes away... look it up someone... The Alaska Mental Health Trust Lands Office decided to not go after Mr. Penny cause he had too much money and too many friends in high places....
August 8, 2007 5:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
Dear alaskagrown11 - surely research can come up with past corruption that forced a D out of office. But that aside, your example of Tony Knowles is humorous - as those aware of the $450,000 Governor's Fund know.
Just thinking.
August 8, 2007 5:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ask for the Record of Decision (ROD)for the Bob Penney lands along the Kenai River. The ROD from the Alaska Mental Health Trust Lands Office. Someone will have to be very specific, because the staff at the AMHTLO won't be happy to reveal the info. Then Penney gets federal funds to fix the road... good grief what a crook...
August 8, 2007 5:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
"Kent... there was the whole George Jacko mess. I see he's now working as a lobbyist."
Oh yeah...Jacko. But as I remember that was all about sexual harassment not corruption. Or did Jacko also get crosswise on corruption charges that I don't know about?
Still, the number of Republican scandals in Alaska outnumber the Democratic scandals by at least 50 to 1.
August 8, 2007 8:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
Mr. Taufen
I haven't received my lottery ticket yet. Was it mailed?
My grandkids are already planning the parties. They have lots of friends; some are even reputable. They'll be absolutely HEART BROKEN if they don't get to fish from the shore. And I'm already planning for the 'skeet shoot contests' when Bobby Penney's helicopter flies overhead at inconvenient times.
Are you sure the lottery ticket wasn't given to someone else who DID know Penney? Such a shame........ah well, I guess I'll have to live with the disappointment.
And BTW, if we're talking about Alaskan nincompoops, don't forget John Lindauer. He had so many loose screws he jingled when he walked.
August 10, 2007 8:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hey Palmer ol buddy ol pal, sorry about disappointing the grandkids, but that shouldn't bother them any more than the $100 billion missing from the Permanent Fund... as it appears that the Justice Department intercepted the winning ticket along with their search of Bob Penney's mail from the SEC about the Florida deals he was in on with some fish company giants back in 1996. But Boy Oh boy, it is looking like you may be able to take the kids right over to Bob's house and cast a line from his private villa... as he'll be bunking elsewhere with his uncle, Ted. Check out today's CREW report at their website triple-W dot citizensforethics dot ORG, and read the Lisa and Ted and Don reports! They all made the A-list of most corrupt Congress members for 2007! They must be immensely proud of their mighty power and top status!
Stephen
September 18, 2007 10:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
Does Verne Martell Lisa's husband have a prior federal conviction?
If so, for what?
December 1, 2007 7:02 PM | Reply | Permalink