Viewpoints
It may not be to 'nowhere',
but it's still an outrageous waste.
By Peter Stanton
November 23, 2006
Thursday PM
I can say, growing up in this town, that I really care about
the future of Ketchikan, just as Mr. Mackie apparently does.
But this is exactly why I disapprove of building the Gravina
bridge. This project is a ridiculous waste of money and doesn't
even merit an in-depth cost-benefit analysis. Just one sentence
should suffice:
The plan is to spend tens of millions of dollars to build a bridge
that may actually discourage cruise ships from coming here (our
largest source of income, in case you didn't know) so that we
can 'develop' pretty poor land and drive to an airport that already
has quite adequate ferry access.
It seems pretty impressive that our town might have a bridge
taller than Brooklyn's and almost as long as the Golden Gate.
But what purpose will this serve? I think we have enough land
available for development before we need to build such a bridge
to access remote, mountainous muskeg areas. And as to the airport?
We may as well build another one on Reveilligigeido if having
it across the narrows is such an issue.
Alright, so perhaps you still want to have a bridge. We're from
Ketchikan, let's take all the money we can for our town. That
seems to be the attitude of the men who represent us in congress.
Let's disregard the fact that in the Transportation Equity Act
of last year distributed $1,500 per Alaskan while the average
for the nation was $86 per person. Or better yet, flaunt that
fact and boast that the nation's taxpayers give us more money.
There are thousands of ways all that money could be better spent
across the nation or here in Ketchikan. The attitude of politicians
grabbing as much money as they can for the area they represent,
regardless of whether the endeavor is worth it, is not one of
progress, but one of greed.
Peter Stanton
Ketchikan, AK
Received November 23, 2006 - Published November 23, 2006
About: "A fifteen year old student at Ketchikan High School"
Related Viewpoint:
 Ketchikan's
Bridge Needed By Forrest Mackie - Ketchikan, AK
Note: Comments published
on Viewpoints are the opinions of the writer
and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Sitnews.
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