November 29, 2006
Wednesday AM

I also worked on the ships that sailed out of Valdez.

I took ANSCO to Cherry Point Washington and Los Angeles. About 7 years ago when I was doing that the price of a barrel of oil was 46 dollars. These incredible high numbers that the barrels are selling for are temporary, for now. These prices are going to come down.

The transportation bill passes by congress gave pork money to Alaska, and many other states as part of one extremely large bill. I don't recall saying that Alaska should not get the money, what I was saying was that a Bridge to Gravina Island was not what I felt worthy of US tax payer money.

So who cares that the oil comes from Alaska. That is not single handedly paying for the Bridge, nor is it suppling to the entire nation. The oil money will I am sure cover the added cost that the federal bill does not cover. And I am sure that the money will remain in your PFD. So the money made in the sales of oil that go into the PFD fund (interest) and the other General Alaska Funds are not going to waste with or with out a bridge to Gravina.

I lived in Ketchikan for 3 years. I went there because my relative lived there and was dying of cancer. Cancer should be way more the concern to the local Alaskan then this bridge. Cancer rates in Ketchikan and else where are pretty high per capita... facts you can research.

So unfortunately, this money went into a transportation bill rather then a general help alaska bill.

How will Ketchikan expand when census shows more people are leaving per year then moving there? Is there no room on the huge island of Revilla....? You are going to add a bridge to an island filled with muskaag? How much will it cost to maintain this bridge that I will be assisting for in my taxes?

I never said that NYC had prestine wilderness. Nor was NY ever referred to as the Last Frontier. There is a reason Alaska has been given that title. However, everyone in the world knows of NYC, knows how big it is, and there are only a few who know of Ketchikan, Alaska. There is no chance that Ketchikan, Alaska will ever become as large as NYC or even Juneau. Other to the people who live there, it will never be a world financial center, never be a large political area. No matter how many people live there it contributes very little(other then tourism, which people pay to see) to the rest of the country. 330 million dollars to a small city of 8-12000 people is a lot of money. That bridge will be worth more then the entire town is worth.

I am just saying, the money in Alaska can be much better well spent then to a bridge to Gravina Island. How have the people there survived all these years with out this bridge?

DOT can't even maintain the roads they have now, how will they maintain this bridge. Oh and while the Governor's property on the island increases in value, he will be laughing all the way to the bank!

Rob Glenn
New York, NY

About: Glenn lived in Ketchikan for three years.

Related Viewpoint:

Bridges in Alaska are just as important as elsewhere By Ed Brown

 

 

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