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48 Comments
- hawkeye17, on 12/19/2007, -0/+34Ted Stevens is a garbage human being.
- Dumbledorito, on 12/19/2007, -0/+26I'm not an Alaskan, so I don't really have any say over who they elect, but...
...what are their other choices? After the "Bridge to Nowhere," his recent financial scandals and the embarassment of "the Internet is a Series of Tubes," how can any opponent lose to this guy? - thebellmaster1x, on 12/19/2007, -0/+20"$113,000 for 'rodent control'"
I don't see the problem here. Rats nibble away at the tubes. It's just upkeep. - hiphoc, on 12/19/2007, -0/+16Please dont insult garbage.
- zombinate, on 12/19/2007, -0/+14As a (hopefully temporary) Alaska resident, I may be able to shed some insight. In regard to this story, the 3 elements that are pulled out would not be a big deal if not for the idiot who is our senator submitting them. These items are common "pork" requests that happen to look odd due to the strange circumstances that make Alaska what it is.
The "rodent control" is to remove rats from Islands on the Aleutian Islands, which are basically rocks on in the sea. Why is this important? They also are the nesting grounds for a tremendous amount of sea birds, and since there is little cover, the birds nest right on the rocks. This was fine for centuries, until some idiot ship stopped at them and introduced rats, which have bred and now decimate the birds on a yearly basis. More shocking is that Stevens put forth anything even remotely environmental.
Most of the state is located off roadways, and as a result, our "rural" areas are often only accessible by plane, foot, or (and I'm not kidding) dogsled. With that being the case, the berry crop is rather important for the people who live in these areas, and it has been dwindling. Knowing why would be nice. While it isn't a big deal in Anchorage, in the interior it is a major source of food for people.
On the shore, Salmon is the major source of food. it is our second biggest industry behind mineral resources. While the King Crab get all the fun Discovery channel shows, it pales in comparison with how important the salmon industry is. From an economic perspective, if the fish aren't making money, we need to find it elsewhere. This is where the debate comes in about ANWR or the Pebble Mine project (this latter has not become a national news story, but it should be as it would be a bigger deal than drilling ANWR).
Despite the fact that Stevens is a total douchebag, he isn't an idiot. All these earmark projects that he has secured over the decades have made a difference to the people of Alaska. Two of these three items are for research into areas of direct concern for many people here, really it's the rats that is the surprising one. He could have let that go, as it will win him no votes by anyone in the next go around. What he is doing is Alaska's version of Wisconsin asking for money for dairy research, or Idaho asking for potato research.
What is important to realize (which admittedly I had no idea on prior to moving here), is that Alaska is still rather unique among states in the needs it has. We have three things going for us: Mineral extraction, fishing, and huge expanses of untouched wilderness. keeping these three things in check is the constant battle in the state, as they don't play with each other well. It leads to things like what we are seeing this year, with low snow amounts, the moose have been able to evade the wolves around town, so the wolves have taken to hunting family dogs that are out with their owners for walks. When "wolf attack" is seriously one of the issues that is a concern for a resident of a city with 250K people, it changes the political landscape. Any outside help is desired, and taken gladly. Thus when somebody goes out and secures that help, it makes them rather popular. THAT is why Stevens is still around, he brings home the Bacon. - Purin, on 12/19/2007, -0/+13Ted Stevens' politics are not something you can just dump something on, they're not a big truck.
- kaelyiesta, on 12/19/2007, -0/+13Now if only all his connections to the FCC would help expose those bastards. We need a lot more scrutiny on those guys.
- zanzzz, on 12/19/2007, -0/+10There is a huge difference. Alaska has a tiny population (under 700,00) yet receives massive pork barrel largess compared to New York with a population over 19.6 million. Ted's earmarks amount to roughly $126 per Alaskan. Hillary's earmarks amount to less than a dollar per New Yorker. Quite a difference!
- consonance, on 12/19/2007, -0/+10Hidden in the bill is an unexpected $10,000 budget for, and I quote, "keeping those damn kids off my lawn!"
- jstohler, on 12/19/2007, -0/+10Down the tubes he goes.
- jmpeagle, on 12/19/2007, -1/+8except Alaskan voters love him. People complain about everyone else's politicians and give Congress a horrible approval rating yet they usually overwhelmigly approve of their own congressman and vote them back into office.
The only way you can get them booted out of office is if you are willing to disenfranchise a bunch of voters (or redraw the gerrymandered districts..although that is irrelevant in the case of senators like ted stevens).
Just think, the two internet darlings...Ron Paul and Dennis Kucinich are both career politicans. There really is no such thing as a politican anymore who isn't a career one. - EntropyMan, on 12/19/2007, -0/+6"I just the other day got… an internet was sent by a company at 10 o’clock in the morning on Friday, I got it yesterday. Why? Because it got tangled up with all these wiretaps going on with the FBI.
"They want to deliver vast amounts of money into my pocket. And again, my pocket is not something that you just dump money in. It’s not a big truck. It’s a series of bribes. And if you don’t understand, those bribes can be wiretapped and if they are, when you put your bribe in, it gets to the FBI and it’s going to be delayed by anyone that puts into that bribe enormous amounts of wiretap, enormous amounts of wiretap." - jmpeagle, on 12/19/2007, -1/+7uh...the bridge to nowhere probably got him more approval in Alaska because it brigs federal money and jobs. Also, because of him, no one is Alaska pays any real local taxes. Instead the get a check every year or every month from the oil companies that drill there. Most people won't give a ***** how corrupt you are if you help out there pocketbook like he has.
- Insightful, on 12/19/2007, -0/+5Any problem Republicans can tie it to 'but-but-Clinton."
- inactive, on 12/19/2007, -1/+5This guy is just one of the many failures of our political system. Corrupt as hell. Send him to jail for the remaining years of his wasted life.
- MackPrime, on 12/19/2007, -0/+4"rodent control"
ominous - inactive, on 12/19/2007, -0/+4Help me out...what's the argument against term limits again?
- jmpeagle, on 12/19/2007, -0/+4anyone who has been elected 10 times is a career politician, no matter what policies they have promoted
- Gerz1219, on 12/19/2007, -0/+3On the other hand, Ted Stevens is able to get away with a lot of this ***** because he's been pickled in the DC brine since the White Album came out and he's been corrupted by every possible negative force in Washington. With term limits, even the most corrupt elected representatives can't come close to amassing the sort of personal power that Stevens has accrued in his 40 years in the Senate. We have presidential term limits for the same reason. I agree in spirit with jmpeagle's above post, but I think presidents, senators and congressmen should have to sit out one term after every two served.
- Anzat, on 12/19/2007, -0/+3Alaskans don't really love Stevens anymore. It looks like he's got a really good shot at being ousted by the Dem former mayor of Anchorage.
- Dumbledorito, on 12/19/2007, -0/+3That says something about someone's conscience, but I'm not sure who's...
- ferrariman60, on 12/19/2007, -0/+2No, otherwise they wouldn't continuously re-elect this bastard.
- latrosicarius, on 12/19/2007, -0/+2Instate a maximum term limit for senatorial reelections.
- Anzat, on 12/19/2007, -0/+2Rodent control shouldn't exactly be a federal issue.
Berry research might not be wasteful. Particularly in Alaska, berries are a huge part of the diet for most people, especially the natives but really for everyone. If you could head up to a mountaintop with a view for hundreds of miles and pick blueberries off the ankle-high tundra that taste way better than any you've had from the store, you'd see why they're so popular. Whether the research is worth the money or not depends on the specifics of the research, but it could be worthwhile. You might not be so upset if Florida were to take a wad of money for researching oranges. Same idea.
Alternative salmon products could definitely be useful. Salmon are a multi-billion dollar industry and probably Alaska's biggest export behind oil. That's the kind of research that could pay off tenfold or a hundredfold.
That said, Ted Stevens still sucks. I just think these pork articles always pick really bad examples. - Elohssa, on 12/19/2007, -0/+2At least he's going out doing what he loves.
- inactive, on 12/19/2007, -0/+2Hey if you got lots of money you can O.J. your way out of anything!
- whiledo, on 03/25/2009, -0/+2You deserve many diggs. Hopefully you'll get them when the rest of the western hemisphere starts waking up.
Honestly, reading all this I don't have a problem with that. I actually wouldn't have had a problem with him in particular because just about all politicians try to bring home the bacon. It was his defense of the Bridge to Nowhere that REALLY made me realize how out of control he was. - drunkenoaf, on 12/19/2007, -0/+2What's wrong with Berry research? $97k = 1 post-doctorate researcher and some laboratory reagents. I bet they're not just going to taste-test them-- more like research berries for agricultural ends.
- ArmchairEcon, on 12/19/2007, -1/+2Is this one reason why Ron Paul is so popular with Alaskans?
Smaller government = less opportunity for abuse (or earmarks, or whatever you want to call them) - sotopheavy, on 12/19/2007, -0/+1He is funneling our money to these crooks through a complex series of tubes which also hold SeaLife apparently.
- hiphoc, on 12/19/2007, -0/+1Rodent control? Does that mean that the roast beef, fillet mignon and other food in the Congressional Cafeteria will be baited?
- inactive, on 12/19/2007, -0/+1They need to do MORE than just that.
I actually have NO PROBLEM with a long term senator or congressman, however, i think they should be under heavy scrutiny, log ALL expenses, and be required to actually work more than 1/3rd a year.
They should have a popularity POLL (yeah that will get polls fixed to rate accurate in a HURRY) once a month, and should their approval fall below 75%, they are out with NO pension or benefits. This would force politicians to do what is right by the country and their people, not themselves.
Also, ALL information as to what they are doing/spending should be 100% available for us to read and scrutinize via a website per politician. They should be required to post anything they do, the money involved in doing it, and their rational for doing it. People should also be able to respond (non-public) to each posting if they have further questions.
Yes, this would create a lot more work for them, and perhaps they could at that point be forced to work for maybe 1/2 the year.... - physphd, on 12/19/2007, -1/+2To be fair, Paul was in his forties and had a long career as a medical doctor (delivering almost 5000 babies) before seeking a Congressional seat. Also, Paul was the first member of Congress, in the 1970s, to propose term limits legislation in the House and has often spoken against career politicos.
- latrosicarius, on 12/19/2007, -0/+1At least it's not a big truck.
- barneytoe, on 12/19/2007, -0/+1Alaskans love him. He's a thief on their behalf. He funnels our hard earned $$$ to BS projects up North.
- pintomp3, on 12/19/2007, -0/+1ron paul agrees with ted steven's stance on net neutrality.
- inactive, on 12/19/2007, -0/+1And the other 99.99% of elected officials? See my point?
- darnit, on 12/19/2007, -0/+1That actually did help me understand a bit more than my knee jerk reaction to anything with Ted Stevens in the title. I dugg you up but Stevens (and I see we agree) is still a douchebag.
- inactive, on 12/19/2007, -4/+4Thats still less than Murtha and Hillary. We need term limits to oust the corrupt *****.
- shaherazad, on 12/19/2007, -1/+1You, sir have no idea what earmarks are.
- Superdemon, on 12/19/2007, -1/+1If (by an act of God) someone worth a damn gets into office they are forced out.
- junebug172, on 12/19/2007, -2/+2Hey zombinate,
Thanks for that great post. I was just up in ANC yesterday. Cold as the dickens, but always beautiful!
jj - inactive, on 12/20/2007, -1/+1Over 150 Million people live in New York?
- inactive, on 12/20/2007, -1/+1Normally I am a supporter of REpublicans, but in this case both sides are taking advantage of our money, if you defend either side in this earmark business then you are part of the problem.
- OreosRgood4me, on 12/19/2007, -1/+1Steven's is infamous for his wasteful earmarks. The problem with our system is that this is how our politicians get elected. Everyone may hate congress, but rarely do they hate their representitive. They get reelected because they bring in the pork. Earmarks happen in a lot of bills, it's how Congress is trying to get things done right now, even though it wastes a ton of our money.
- jmpeagle, on 12/19/2007, -3/+1because voters should no be given the opportunity to vote for who they think is best? They should be restricted in their possibilities? Good intention but still very anti-liberty
- Pherdnut, on 12/19/2007, -2/+0Hmm... wonder if he's good Bushie (i.e. on Shrub's pardon list)
- nixfu, on 12/19/2007, -6/+4And this is different than Hillary Clinton's "WOODSTOCK MUSEUM?"
This guys has $88 million...small change compared to Clinton.
"Clinton received 26 earmarks worth about $148.4 million total" - thehill.com
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