Sarah Palin has been the talk of the nation. As each new story is revealed, citizens wonder if John McCain really did his homework in chosing this vice presidential candidate. From teen pregnancy to a legislative ethics investigation, over 45 problems in just 35 hours have erupted with the presumptive Republican VP choice. From forcing her daughter to have a hypothetical rapist’s child to not supporting McCain in the primaries, Palin may soon be the biggest embarrassment to the Republican Party since George W. Bush. As of last week, you may have never heard of Sarah Palin if you lived in the lower 48; however, you’ve probably heard of Alaska’s infamous “Bridge to Nowhere”.
The “Bridge to Nowhere“, aka the Gravina Island Bridge, was advocated by Ted Stevens, who was indicted on federal corruption charges. Palin jumped on the bandwagon in supporting the $398 million project as part of her 2006 campaign for governor. The bridge would have been as long as the Golden Gate Bridge, and it would have replaced a ferry currently used to transport the island’s 50 residents, as well as tourists, to an international airport. In 2006 when asked about the bridge, Palin stated:
I do support the infrastructure projects that are on tap here in the State of Alaska that our Congressional delegations worked hard for…I would like to see Alaska’s infrastructure projects built sooner rather than later. The window is now — while our Congressional delegation is in a strong position to assist.
The project was abandoned last fall when the state could not afford their share of the cost, which doubled when Congress stripped specific funding allocations for the bridge. Even though the bridge was canceled, road building continued on the island and the state of Alaska still got the same amount of money to use for transportation infrastructure. The Gravina Island Highway, the first phase of the project, is currently underway, and Alaskans haven’t given up hope this bridge will be built.
Was the Bridge to Nowhere really as its name implied? Although the island of Gravina’s population is small, the Ketchikan’s airport is the second largest in Southeast Alaska, serving 200,000 people. This bridge may have gone to “nowhere”, but nowhere is a pretty popular destination.
The Alaska State Senate canceled the bridge project, not Governor Palin. McCain mistakenly praises her stating, “She, as governor, stood up and said, ‘We don’t need it, and if we need it, we’ll pay for it ourselves.’ Now that’s guts.” In Dayton last week, Governor Palin said, “I told Congress, ‘Thanks but no thanks on that bridge to nowhere. If our state wanted a bridge, I said, we’d build it ourselves.’” If this is true, then why did the Alaska State Senate cancel the project when they couldn’t fund their portion? Why is the first phase of the project still underway causing environmental degradation to the island?
I wish someone would make a political issue of another FHWA project, the “Road to Nowhere“. Our community of 200 is suffering from having a massive federal transportation project forced upon us, even though over half the residents do not support it. I wish California politicians would change their mind about this road project. Maybe Palin is right in flip flopping on the bridge; however, I don’t think she had the environment in mind when changing her opinion. Her state couldn’t fund their portion, so she changed her tune. We all know Palin is a bad choice for the environment; I think the Republicans will soon find out she is an all around bad choice for their ticket too.
Image: Sierra Club
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You are wrong. The "bridge to nowhere" was a Cong Don Young Earmark. Do some research with your blogging.
Usually I don't waste my time reading blogs from ignorant and intolerant people. But who gave Jennifer Lance the right to be judge and jury of Sarah Palin and her family? Does the woman have the capability of being a fly on the wall in Mrs. Palin's home, there by becoming privvy to her very personal and private life? How can anyone know what is in her heart? Some people haven't a clue on how to live a good productive life while minding their own business. They'd rather be minding someone else's.
I cannot imagine a mother who has managed to brainwash her children to the point where they wouldn't buy a toy from a toyshop if it wasn't made of wood, or eat any food that wasn't organic. Those poor kids will be basket cases before they manage to grow up and think for themselves. My heart goes out to them.
I would suggest Jennifer Lance look at herself in a mirror, and ask herself what there is about her that makes her believe she has the right or the intelligence to critisise another human being.I can only conclude you have an ugly soul Jennifer.
Dear Betty,
at least she can spell criticize, you sap-tastic harlot.
George W. Bush is not an embarrassment in the Republican Party. Liberals may be embarrassed by him, but I don't think the rest of the country is, after all they did elect him twice.
P.S – Bristol’s boyfriend is not would be rapist. The age for consent in Alaska is 16 years, and she was 17, and he may also have been 17 at the time.
Congratulations Jennifer Lance you have won the coveted "Idiot of the Hour" award! This award is bestowed hourly to the Dummycrat who writes the least coherent, intellectually baseless, and idiotic "news" story.
Thank you for your contribution Ms. Lance. Once again we have living, breathing truth that liberalism truly is the philosophy of the stupid.
Where exactly in the quote that you have does it say "I, Sarah Palin, support the Bridge to Nowhere." It says that she supports infrastructure projects. I sense that someone has a tiny slant in their agenda…do your research.
The morons claiming that the information here is not accurate are the ones who need to do some research.
Is Yahoo news not accurate enough for you?
news.yahooDOTcom/s/nm/20080901/pl_nm/usa_politics_palin1_dc_1
How about msnbc?
msnbc.msnDOTcom/id/26486063/
Still not enough? Well, ok, how about the New York Times?
nytimesDOTcom/2008/09/01/us/politics/01bridge.html
I could go on, but I trust you folks do actually know how to use google right?
Jennifer-
What a great peace of unbiased journalism. You do a great job of presenting the facts, and then allowing for the reader to decide for themselves (note the dripping sarcasm).
Good grief. Unfortunately when I googled you came up. I had hoped to read something factual, not some made up trash. Rapist? Get a life, girl. I'm off to another site.
What on earth does this posting have to do with the environment? If you are going to critique Palin for her environmental record, so be it. This, however, just makes you look silly.
Tell Governor Palin and the State of Alaska to put OUR money where HER mouth is:
http://www.petitiononline.com/giveback/petition.h…
This is a petition just started to ask Congress and the President of the United States to request that Gov. Palin and the State of Alaska return the funds that are so obviously scorned by Sarah Palin.
The truth is, by the time she got into office, Congress had already released those funds to Alaska to use on any transportation project in the state… and they did. So Sarah didn't speak to Congress AT ALL. And she never told anyone "Thanks, but no thanks."
It is that kind of exaggeration and swagger than typifies the Republican message both by Palin AND McCain. Where's the beef? Do you have NO real accomplishments that are TRUE that you can point to? Or plans and issues you can stand on? And not CHANGE — we already KNOW whose message THAT is.
But honestly, Sarah… if you are REALLY so against those funds… GIVE THEM BACK.
I'm sure the American public can find somewhere to spend the $433,000,000.00 in funding that Alaska received because of that earmark.
A massive FHWA project has everything to do with the environment. Why else would they have to prepare EIRs?
6 weeks later….Jennifer is correct, McCain did not do his homework when he selected Governor Palin. I'm sure he would do it differently if he had a 2nd chance. She has become a "celebrity" and been exposed as an opportunistic pretty face who was at the right place at the right time. Can anyone American (Liberal or Conservative) honestly say they would trust her to be President if something happened. She has single handed torpedoed McCain chance of becoming President. And his choice shows how he was desparate to make a splash and made a poor decision, I now can't trust him to make good decisions under pressure.
Thank you Jennifer for having the insight and knowledge to point these issues out way back in September.