September, 02 2008, 01:00pm EDT
Palin Was For "Bridge to Nowhere"
McCain's VP did not reject Congressional funds for infrastructure projects in Alaska
WASHINGTON
John McCain has chosen governor of Alaska Sarah Palin as his running
mate and potential vice-president. Palin, who in September 2007
rejected $233 million in Congressional funds for a bridge from
Ketchikan, Alaska to an airport on Gravina Island (better known as "the
bridge to nowhere"), has been criticized for supporting the bridge
project during her 2006 Gubernatorial campaign.
Even though the money had been earmarked specifically for the
construction of the bridge, in August 2007 Congress said the $233
million could be used by the state of Alaska for any purpose. On
September 21, 2007 A press release from the Governors office said that
since project costs had ballooned to 398 million dollars the state
would be considering alternatives to the bridge. Govern Palin said "we
are about $329 million short of full funding for the bridge project,
and it's clear that Congress has little interest in spending any more
money on a bridge between Ketchikan and Gravina Island." Ironically,
McCain points out wasteful spending as the main problem with the
political process, proudly claiming that he never sought an earmark for
Arizona.
Different media outlets have proven Palin's earlier support of the
Ketchikan bridge. However, when McCain made a big deal of her rejection
of the money for the project, which he called a pork-barrel project,
Palin came under much criticism by Democrats and even a few
Republicans, including Mike Elerding, who helped Palin in her running
for governor in 2006. Palin, who was once "insulted" by the term
"bridge to nowhere," referred to the project by that same name when she
was officially introduced as McCain's vice-presidential choice.
Although her evolution from supporter to detractor of the Ketchikan
bridge was a slow and covert process, Palin's administration never gave
back any of the money that was originally earmarked for the bridge
project. Instead, that money was used in federal funds to build a road
on Gravina Island that is supposed to link up to the bridge whenever it
is built.
Watch the full story on The Real News Network: Palin Was For "Bridge to Nowhere"
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