Difference between revisions of "Gravina Island Bridge"

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A '''Bridge to nowhere''' is an American political term popularized in 2005-2008 meaning a large government project of little worth.  It angers Americans who believe that wasteful government spending is a form of [[corruption]].
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'''Gravina Island Bridge''', the so-called "'''Bridge to Nowhere'''", was a proposed 2007 project in [[Alaska]], requested by Alaskans, and meant to link the city of Ketchikan with inaccessible Gravina Island. The proposed project was used to criticize a since-failed Congressional [[earmark]] sponsored by Alaska Senator [[Ted Stevens]] during a [[partisan]] [[Witchhunt]] to unseat the senior [[Republican]] senator.  In an unrelated case, Stevens was ultimately found not guilty due to prosecutorial misconduct, falsification of evidence, albeit not until after his losing a reelection bid.<ref>[https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/04/07/judge-expected-toss-stevens-conviction/ U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan dismisses case against Sen. Ted Stevens]</ref> The bridge project had no relationship with allegations brought against Sen. Stevens, nonetheless Sen. Stevens suffered from smears and innuendo by partisan opponents and main stream news organizations seeking to taint the proposed project with the aura of [[corruption]].
  
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[[Image:BRIDGE.JPG|thumb|400px|Tom Toles (Dec. 1, 2008) cartoon lampoons Federal bailout efforts as a badly designed bridge to nowhere; note the multiple changing designs.]]
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It was also used for partisan purposes to paint [[Sarah Palin|Governor Sarah Palin]] with corruption in the same way.
  
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Though Governor Palin originally supported the earmark spending on the Ketchikan bridge (“to nowhere"), which was the usual procedure for all state governors in dealing with [[Congress]]ional "[[earmarks]]", she eventually killed the project, choosing to spend Federal money on other infrastructure programs.<ref>[http://www.cdobs.com/archive/our-columns/obama-and-biden-voted-for-bridge-to-nowhere,1628 Chicago Observer, Aug. 31, 2008; Obama and Biden Voted for Bridge to Nowhere]</ref> Most of the [[Mainstream Media]] were not overly eager to report that the [[Democratic Party]] standard bearers, Senators [[Barack Obama]] and [[Joe Biden]] both voted to approve funding for the earmark, and later voted against an attempt by Sen. Tom Coburn to redirect the money to [[Hurricane Katrina]] disaster relief.<ref>[http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/109/senate/1/votes/262/ 109th Congress / Senate / 1st session / Vote 262]</ref>
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{{cquote|<big>'''Ketchikan desires a better way to reach the airport, but the $398 million bridge is not the answer.</big> <small>-- Gov. Sarah Palin, 9/21/2007'''</small> <ref>[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20908207/ Associated Press; Alaska ends plan for 'Bridge to Nowhere']</ref>}}
  
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Senator [[Ted Stevens]], Republican of Alaska, and Congressman Don Young, Republican of Alaska, insisted upon and got a large Federal appropriation for a $398 million bridge to an island in Alaska. The island has few people but does have the airport for the town of  Ketchikan (population 7400). The Gravina Island Bridge was designed to replace a ferry that works just fine. The project was widely ridiculed by both parties but Stevens and held firm. A compromise was reached whereby Alaska got all the money but the governor could decide how to spend it. Gov. [[Sarah Palin]] took the money but spent it on worthwhile projects and the bridge was never built. Democrats alleged that she supported he bridge in the first place because she officially signed off on Steven's request.  She explained she never wanted the bridge but in January 2007, she sent a budget to the state legislature that canceled the proposed $185 million state share of the bridge funding. Palin proudly claimed to have killed the bridge and rescued the money.
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== Time Line ==
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* Palin expressed support for the bridge while running for office.
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* Congress removed earmarks for both bridges long before Palin was elected.
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* Palin chose not to use the money for the Gravina bridge but kept it for other projects, including the Knik Arm bridge.
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* [[Biden]] and [[Obama]] voted for the authorization bill, which included the earmarks, and the final appropriations bill, which didn't.
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* [[John McCain|Senator John McCain]] '''voted against''' the authorization but was not present for the vote on the final appropriations bill.
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* [[Joe Biden|Senator Joe Biden]] and [[Barack Obama]] while still a Senator, voted against redirecting the money intended for Alaska to Louisiana.<ref>[https://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/23/biden.earmarks/index.html CNN; Biden, Obama helped keep 'Bridge to Nowhere' alive]</ref>
  
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[[category:corruption]]
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<ref>[https://www.factcheck.org/askfactcheck/whats_the_full_story_on_the_bridge.html Factcheck.org; Full story on "Bridge to Nowhere"]</ref>
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== See also ==
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*[[Ted Stevens]]
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*[[Sarah Palin]]
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*[[Barack Hussein Obama]]
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*[[Joe Biden]]
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== References ==
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{{reflist}}
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[[Category:Politics]]
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[[Category:Deceit]]
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[[Category:United States Presidential Election, 2008]]
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[[Category:Liberal Deceit]]

Latest revision as of 14:30, April 9, 2019

Gravina Island Bridge, the so-called "Bridge to Nowhere", was a proposed 2007 project in Alaska, requested by Alaskans, and meant to link the city of Ketchikan with inaccessible Gravina Island. The proposed project was used to criticize a since-failed Congressional earmark sponsored by Alaska Senator Ted Stevens during a partisan Witchhunt to unseat the senior Republican senator. In an unrelated case, Stevens was ultimately found not guilty due to prosecutorial misconduct, falsification of evidence, albeit not until after his losing a reelection bid.[1] The bridge project had no relationship with allegations brought against Sen. Stevens, nonetheless Sen. Stevens suffered from smears and innuendo by partisan opponents and main stream news organizations seeking to taint the proposed project with the aura of corruption.

It was also used for partisan purposes to paint Governor Sarah Palin with corruption in the same way.

Though Governor Palin originally supported the earmark spending on the Ketchikan bridge (“to nowhere"), which was the usual procedure for all state governors in dealing with Congressional "earmarks", she eventually killed the project, choosing to spend Federal money on other infrastructure programs.[2] Most of the Mainstream Media were not overly eager to report that the Democratic Party standard bearers, Senators Barack Obama and Joe Biden both voted to approve funding for the earmark, and later voted against an attempt by Sen. Tom Coburn to redirect the money to Hurricane Katrina disaster relief.[3]

“ Ketchikan desires a better way to reach the airport, but the $398 million bridge is not the answer. -- Gov. Sarah Palin, 9/21/2007 [4] ”

Time Line

  • Palin expressed support for the bridge while running for office.
  • Congress removed earmarks for both bridges long before Palin was elected.
  • Palin chose not to use the money for the Gravina bridge but kept it for other projects, including the Knik Arm bridge.
  • Biden and Obama voted for the authorization bill, which included the earmarks, and the final appropriations bill, which didn't.
  • Senator John McCain voted against the authorization but was not present for the vote on the final appropriations bill.
  • Senator Joe Biden and Barack Obama while still a Senator, voted against redirecting the money intended for Alaska to Louisiana.[5]

[6]

See also

References

  1. ↑ U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan dismisses case against Sen. Ted Stevens
  2. ↑ Chicago Observer, Aug. 31, 2008; Obama and Biden Voted for Bridge to Nowhere
  3. ↑ 109th Congress / Senate / 1st session / Vote 262
  4. ↑ Associated Press; Alaska ends plan for 'Bridge to Nowhere'
  5. ↑ CNN; Biden, Obama helped keep 'Bridge to Nowhere' alive
  6. ↑ Factcheck.org; Full story on "Bridge to Nowhere"
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