Palin Backed Dead-End $26 Million "Road To Nowhere"

ProPublica:

When Lois Epstein approached Gov. Sarah Palin during a July 2007 meeting, she says she had a simple request: pull the plug on the construction of a $26 million dead-end gravel road that she saw as a waste of federal money. The road was part of the $398 million project to link Ketchikan and its airport on Gravina Island known as the "Bridge to Nowhere," and an earmark inserted by Alaska's congressional delegation had provided the funding. But construction had begun in June, and it didn't seem to matter that the infamous bridge -- to which the road would have led -- would never be built. Every dollar spent on the project was a dollar wasted, Epstein thought.

Epstein, director of the nonpartisan Alaska Transportation Priorities Project, told ProPublica she handed Palin an editorial that had run the prior month in the Anchorage Daily News. The editorial, by Heritage Foundation fellow Ronald Utt, called the road a "wasteful" project with "little to no measurable benefit." It urged Palin to be "responsible and ethical" and "return the money to Washington" so it could be redirected to hurricane-ravaged Louisiana and Mississippi. Utt's piece reflected the consensus in Washington, D.C., and Alaska that no more money would be earmarked for the bridge project, which had become a symbol of pork-barrel spending.

Read the whole story: ProPublica

Comments

[Chillinout]

There's 50 people on that island! That is $520,000 per person. You could buy them all boats for less than that. And that is just for the road. That doesn't include the bridge!

Talk about wasteful spending! This needs to get out into the MSM as soon as possible and as often as possible.

[AcitizenNJ]

so, she is his running on the ticket for the vp position which all have anyone that follows this game had to be taken back by the choice.....if not your playing as if we are all fools

charges of ,

1) abuse of power
2) humans have nothing to do with the climate
3) to be nice, she inquired about having books removed from the library
4) she says she against earmark but takes the money anyway
5) fires people because they aren't 100% loyal to her or her husband has been reported
6) is hidden from reporters
7) has been given a law team to help her, if she's so clean, i beg the question why a law team
8) iraq was God's mission, please. washington,dc isn't the place you find god unless maybe you happen to be richard nixon then i could buy that.

these are just the tip of the iceberg now that she is in this position and if she's called out on these points it's called sexist. somethings wrong when this is your best choice for the vp slot.

i just don't get, when tom delay goes to the convention and is greed as a hero what's that say about your party.

[sleek]

Why won't Palin release her Tax Returns and Medical Records? What is Palin hiding?
Why won't Palin release her Tax Returns and Medical Records? What is Palin hiding?
Why won't Palin release her Tax Returns and Medical Records? What is Palin hiding?
Why won't Palin release her Tax Returns and Medical Records? What is Palin hiding?
Why won't Palin release her Tax Returns and Medical Records? What is Palin hiding?
Why won't Palin release her Tax Returns and Medical Records? What is Palin hiding?
Why won't Palin release her Tax Returns and Medical Records? What is Palin hiding?

[DWP]

Why isn't this getting more "play" in the TV media?

[HeevenSteven]

The media's choice: Fashion or Fascism. They'll take Fashion every time.

[Yesnik]

I believe the Road To Nowhere has been renamed.

Sarah Palin Road.

[Zingaro Zorro]

Paved with good intention and revealing the true intentions of the ostentatious 'maverick' who wants to refrom Washington, D.C."

"Palin could have canceled the contract upon taking office. The governor has that power, said Roger Wetherell, spokesman for Alaska's DOT, and Federal Highway Administration spokesman Doug Hecox said that he could think of "a number of examples" of states canceling projects begun by a previous governor's administration."

Reform doesn't pay that kind of money.

[Heavenhelpusall]

If McToken is out on the stump with Iron Dog 1st Dude, who is taking care of the special needs infant?
I hope the baby is with them, these are formative months. She says the family voted for her to take the VP slot. Wonder how Trigg voted?

[getoffmedz]

Two years from now no one will remember the name - Sarah with the 80s hairdo Palin.

heh

[WallyWutMD]

I want to see Obama hold a press conference right there on that road. It would be a beautiful backdrop as a reminder of where a McCain/Palin ticket would take us. Nowhere.

[RebelCPA]

Good Idea - but I think Biden should be the guy to hold the press conference.

[rabprevent]

AGAIN, MCCAIN/PALIN
>NOT MAVERICKS BUT A SIDEKICKS OF BUSH,
>NOT REFORMERS BUT FOLLOWERS OF BUSH,
> NOT A CONTROLLER BUT A DEREGULATOR
>NOT IN LEADER, JUST A DESTROYER PROMISING TO FINISH THE DESTABILIZATION OF THE MIDDLE CLASS LIKE BUSH!!!!!!!!

VOTE NO TO MCCAIN AND ALL HIS CRONIES!!

WHEN WILL THE PRESS GET ACCESS TO PALIN SO SHE CAN ANSWER QUESTIONS AND WHEN IS SHE GOING TO RELEASE HER TAXES?????? WHEN WILL THE PRESS START DOING THEIR JOBS!!
REMEMBER, THE TRUTH SETS US ALL FREE!!!!!!!!

[PumaAnn]

The entire country has gotten this story, knows what's what, and it's just silly to keep on pushing this meme.

[TGCNY]

It silly cuase jus like we revealed you for the fake american and fake Hillary demarat you say you was were revealing her for her inexperience the out of touch of the ticket . the four more yrs of bush cheney, and the no comparison to what hillary would have been as a VP.

So where gonna keep hammering away at them to show just how this was a political stunt and not putting country first

[TroubleNYC]

You're right. The story that should be pushed is the one where Wasilla, under Mayor Palin, charged rape victims up to $1200 for "rape kits".

[USAisEVIL]

But when you factor the huge savings from forcing rape victims to pay for their own rape kits, it all starts to make sense in a Republican sort of way.

[dadw5boys]

McCain / Palin
The ticket to nowhere

[jashu51]

Absolutely! Yup, yup. Sorry, I can't get over the fact we now have not one, but two, two cartoon characters running on the Repug ticket.

[DanniD]

Can we at least put that picture on a t-shirt that says:

$26,000,000.00 in our tax money...GONE TO NOWHERE!

And all we got was this lousy t-shirt!

[SeanGardner]

Its all starting to make sense:

First Palin supported THE BRIDGE to NOWHERE. Then she supported THE ROAD to NOWHERE. And now she joins McSame on THE TICKET to NOWHERE.

TICKET to NOWHERE?...that sounds like a really bad reality show.