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Editorial: Youngs Earmark Stinks
Rep. Don Young's (R-AK) ethically and legally questionable $10 million Coconut Road earmark doesn't smell right to the editorial board at the Naples Daily News, the paper that originally broke the story.
From the earmark's mysterious appearance in the 2005 transportation bill for the narrowly tailored project, to the revelation that the allocation came from a far-flung congressman, the editorial board didn't like what it saw.
Now comes the worst smell test failure. A study compiled by a retired veteran of congressional funding practices shows the earmark was changed to specify Coconut Road between the time an overall transportation bill was passed by Congress and later signed by President Bush. Editing solely for style rather than substance is supposed to take place at that stage.
As we reported last week, this is an extremely unusual case.
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Comments (5)
Roberta wrote on August 14, 2007 4:08 PM:First, please put an apostrophe in "Youngs."
Looking at the handy chart Josh posted on Talking Points Memo, it's clear that Alaska's senators and congressman have been very effective in taking care of their state.
I'd like to think that there would be general outrage in Alaska over the behavior and dealings revealed about these representatives, but the cynic in me sees voters in the "new state" thinking that if Stevens, Murkowski, and Young are taking a little off the top for themselves, that's just the cost of getting so much federal money.
We OUTSIDE the state are outraged. But what about the voters up THERE? Even if only a third of the money they've brought into Alaska goes to programs that help Alaskan residents instead of into the pockets of business cronies, they're still getting almost $100 a person more than the next continental state.
Unless the Congress itself does something about these three wheeler-dealers, I don't see them getting voted out of office anytime soon.
Richard L. Adlof wrote on August 14, 2007 9:58 PM:The Officers of Veco are no longer happy . . .
PalmerBuyer wrote on August 14, 2007 10:34 PM:The people in Alaska are not happy either. We are tired of the arrogance, the lies, and the sense of entitlement that these skunks we elected have. Some of us have been tired of it for a long time.
I hope that we DO vote the thieves out. I also hope we don't replace them with more thieves. Unfortunately, with some politicians, the only thing you can be sure of is that they are lying - again.
Stevens - way past time to go. PLEASE retire. And take your son Benny with you. You have lost your effectiveness. Bully ways might have worked once, but most people see you as someone who should have retired. It will be time for ALL of us eventually. The trick is to leave before you get KICKED out and before you have lost all credibility.
Young - an embarrassment to ALL ALASKANS. He is a joke, and has been for years. He isn't 'direct', he is obnoxious. No loss if he loses. My cat could do a better job.
Murkowski - the jury is still out, but she can't help feeling 'entitled'; she learned it at her daddy's knee. And HE is about as ethically challenged as anyone we have ever had. I had high hopes for her.
Wish us luck in getting rid of the ethically challenged. Alaska deserves better.
Hank Gillette wrote on August 16, 2007 1:34 AM:How can this guy not be in jail? Why aren't both parties of Congress voting unanimously to expel Young? I can't believe than anyone could possibly approve of what he did.
Ginger Yellow wrote on August 16, 2007 7:08 AM:It's things like this that make me amazed the Read The Bills Act can't get any momentum. I know I'm being somewhat naive, given the media's and the general public's lack of interest in the integrity of the legislative procedure. Still, this sort of thing makes America look like a recently decolonised basket case, not the self-proclaimed greatest democracy on earth.