Tuesday, November 22, 2005

Burning Bridges to Nowhere

The Wastebasket Volume X No. 39 - November 22, 2005

After months of unending criticism, taxpayers can breathe a sigh of relief now that the Congress gave in to public outrage and reluctantly stripped two “bridges to nowhere” in Alaska from the transportation bill. This victory shows what can happen when taxpayers stand up to the most powerful big spenders in Congress.

In this summer’s transportation bill, Congress approved $454 million in earmarks for the two “bridges to nowhere” – one to connect Ketchikan to an island where less than 50 people live and the other, un-humbly named “Don Young’s Way” after Rep. Young (R-AK), to connect Anchorage to an undeveloped, unpopulated plot of land. With the strong support of Rep. Young and Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK), a powerful voice in the Senate, it looked like taxpayers were going to have to buy the bridges.

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