May 10, 2004
Monday

The Ketchikan Daily Newspaper printed on May 6, 2004, Gravina bridge new media darling article. A statement, " ... a proposed bridge project that would link Ketchikan with Gravina Island in gaining fame, and some notoriety, in the national and international media. Long-favored by many local residents." What a bias and lyricist brainwashing statement. It is not favored by many local residents just wealthy residents that own property on Pennock Island and Gravina Island that want something for free.

Clearly Alaska Rep. Don Young, Chairman of the House Transportation Committee, Senator Ted Stevens and Governor Murkowski of Alaska are to financially into this proposed bridge project in Ketchikan to turn back. Instead this bunch is going to ram a bridge down our throats whether we want one or not! Wasting our $230 million federal tax dollars that includes the $22 million that already went toward engineering, environmental review and other preliminary work (what does that mean? pay-offs?). This would all have been avoided if they only asked for a local vote of local residents in the first place.

It is going to be a hard sell in Washington D.C. to pass too big pork-barrel bridge projects in Alaska. Costing taxpayers in America over $430 million dollars for two bridges to no-where. Bad idea and bad timing.

There was an article published in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner on June 14, 2003, Ketchikan Bridge Project garners Young a Golden Fleece Award. A group called, Taxpayer for Common Sense calls the Pennock Island/Gravina Island bridge a Boondoggle.

Steve Hansen, a spokesman for Young said, The ferry system in ineffective. They need a bridge to also expand their land base to generate new economic development. I disagree with that statement. I believe the airport ferry is doing fine and we don't need to obliterate the beautiful forest, commit sacrilege on Indian graves, cause devastation to fragile muskegs and coastline for economic development. If you want to expand economic development around Ketchikan? There is plenty of land just north, south and east of Ketchikan.

This reminds me of this joke, there was General Custer and the 7th Calvary surrounded by thousands of wild and angry Indians; Custer turns to his Indian Scout and says, what are we going to do now? The Indian Scout replies, what do you mean We! This is my opinion.

Don Hoff Jr.
Aan Kadax Tseen
Gaanax i di Clan
Yei l hit
Taan ta kwaan
Hixson, TN - USA

 

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