Changes

Senator [[Ted Stevens]], Republican of Alaska, and Congressman Don Young, Republican of Alaska, insisted upon and got a large Federal appropriation for a $398 million bridge to an island in Alaska. The island has few people but does have the airport for the town of  Ketchikan (population 7400). The Gravina Island Bridge was designed to replace a ferry that works just fine. The project was widely ridiculed by both parties but Stevens and held firm. A compromise was reached whereby Alaska got all the money but the governor could decide how to spend it. Gov. [[Sarah Palin]] took the money but spent it on worthwhile projects and the bridge was never built.  Democrats alleged that she supported he bridge in the first place because she officially signed off on Steven's request.  She explained she never wanted the bridge but in January 2007, she sent a budget to the state legislature that canceled the proposed $185 million state share of the bridge funding. Palin proudly claimed to have killed the bridge and rescued the money.

Senator [[Ted Stevens]], Republican of Alaska, and Congressman Don Young, Republican of Alaska, insisted upon and got a large Federal appropriation for a $398 million bridge to an island in Alaska. The island has few people but does have the airport for the town of  Ketchikan (population 7400). The Gravina Island Bridge was designed to replace a ferry that works just fine. The project was widely ridiculed by both parties but Stevens and held firm. A compromise was reached whereby Alaska got all the money but the governor could decide how to spend it. Gov. [[Sarah Palin]] took the money but spent it on worthwhile projects and the bridge was never built.  Democrats alleged that she supported he bridge in the first place because she officially signed off on Steven's request.  She explained she never wanted the bridge but in January 2007, she sent a budget to the state legislature that canceled the proposed $185 million state share of the bridge funding, thus ending the project while still securing the money to fund other projects in the state.

[[category:politics]]

[[category:politics]]