Bridge-to-Nowhere Hack gets tax AWARD (Anchorage, Valdez: subsidized, income, living)

[babyorr9]

Originally Posted by warptman

Ah, an Alaska expert with three months under your belt. Amazing. You still haven't answered the other question, have you ever hauled water from a barrel or crapped in a bucket? He doesn't only "waste" money on bridges, he helps the whole of Alaska with running water into villages and improved airstrips to bring supplies in.

Good for him. When have I ever claimed to be an expert? If those programs are necessary, fine; take some of that pork that he wanted to spend at Gravina and give everybody across the state a freakin' sparkling water fountain and bidet.

[Glitch]

Originally Posted by babyorr9

You are not your elected official. We are not George Bush. Elected officials can do bad things that their constituents have no control over. Would you say that Washington is beyond reproach simply because they are our government? Personally, they applied for the job; they should be ready to handle a little more scrutiny than the average guy. In the 3 months I spent in Wasilla, I loved it there. No more beautiful place on earth. Please, do not take my criticisms of Young personal. Unless you're family.

You come to this forum, open a thread, and start by insulting Rep. Young and every Alaskan who has ever supported him, then claim that you do not mean disrespect while flinging more insults yet again? You either don't know the meaning of "respect" or you are a deliberate liar, take your pick. Why am I not surprised? This is what I've come to expect from lower-48ers. Thanks for not disappointing me. Your opinions will be given all the consideration they are worth.

[babyorr9]

Originally Posted by AK_Photographer

A ferry doesn't work well when the inlet freezes over.

Point taken, and its a good one.

[babyorr9]

Originally Posted by Glitch

You come to this forum, open a thread, and start by insulting Rep. Young and every Alaskan who has ever supported him, then claim that you do not mean disrespect while flinging more insults yet again? You either don't know the meaning of "respect" or you are a deliberate liar, take your pick. Why am I not surprised? This is what I've come to expect from lower-48ers. Thanks for not disappointing me. Your opinions will be given all the consideration they are worth.

Thats the third time you said that. Look, I could sling insults about uneducated bushmen, but I'm not because you aren't. Your us against them mentality is retarded. I see that Young's "MY MONEY, MY MONEY" attitude is not only his. Good day. I hope you see your pork spending drop in the future. I know there are many organizations trying to shine a bright light on AK.

[arctichomesteader]

Originally Posted by warptman

Ah, an Alaska expert with three months under your belt. Amazing. You still haven't answered the other question, have you ever hauled water from a barrel or crapped in a bucket? He doesn't only "waste" money on bridges, he helps the whole of Alaska with running water into villages and improved airstrips to bring supplies in.

Indoor plumbing is vastly over-rated in my opinion...

[arctichomesteader]

Originally Posted by babyorr9

Look, I could sling insults about uneducated bushmen, but I'm not because you aren't.

"Uneducated" bushmen? I'm not moving to the real bush myself but I'd say if someone is relatively self-reliant in the bush or even something similar (rural) elsewhere, they're smarter than most of the average city dwellers elsewhere, with what is actually useful knowledge.

But pay no attention to me, carry on the debate...

[Glitch]

Originally Posted by babyorr9

Absolutely no argument here. There are myriad socialist entitlements nd programs that should be reconsidered and some abandoned. Wasteful spending is one of those. Now, in absolute dollars, you may be correct that more is spent in other states. But per capita, and in revenue generated, Alaska is number 1 in pork barrel. For every dollar in pork, Alaskans only generate $16, which is well below the average for all states. You don't like me commenting because I'm not "Alaskan". I get it.

That is not accurate. Alaska gets a disproportionate amount of federal funds because there are 14 federal military bases in Alaska, 2 National Missile Defense stations, HAARP in Galena, a NASA Rocket Launch facility on Kodiak Island, and several other NOAA and FAA sites all over Alaska.

While it may indeed be federal dollars going to Alaska, none of those federal military, NASA, NOAA, or FAA dollars goes to the State or any of its residents, but it is always included when ignorant lower-48ers calculate their "pork" per capita totals.

[Gungnir]

It's interesting...

Originally Posted by Glitch

This more than anything else you have posted convinces me that you are indeed a "big socialist lefty or something." Only socialists and communists think this way.

I'm sitting at home reading through this thread, and I'm realizing that I'm completely confused by what you mean when you use the term Socialist and Communist. To quote "I do not think that word means what you think it means".

Part of your argument is that Alaska should be left alone from the lower 48, but equally the lower 48 should subsidize Alaska for infrastructure improvements, roads, bridges etc. How does this compare to say a Government handout, you know someone else earns the money to support you? This is generally considered a upstanding member of the Socialist charter. I'm equally confused by this stance as well Federal Spending is ok just keep out of our Government, well that's going to work sure, I'm positive that the State Representatives are going to be A-Ok with that one.

Originally Posted by Glitch

I have zero tolerance for arrogant hypocrites who tell people in other states what they should or shouldn't do, or who should or shouldn't represent them, when they haven't even bothered cleaning up the mess in their own state. That takes an extraordinary amount of nerve and arrogance. Too make matters worse, they don't even have their facts straight.

Which would be that other states and representatives are being told by (in this instance you) what they should and should not do.

Interesting Alaskan History lesson, you were bought by the Lower 48 from the Russians in 1868, and then Awarded Statehood in 1959, and given some Federal representation, rather than being kept as a territory open to exploitation and also remember that Federal Representation and Funding is meant to be dictated by population numbers, not acreage. If you have issues with this, then that's a problem you have with the United States Constitution (for representation) and Capitalist Utilitarianism (for the Funding)

[MissingAll4Seasons]

Originally Posted by Glitch

What the feds spend on infrastructure in all 50 states and US territories is a pittance compared to what is spent on federal socialist programs. Social Security and MediCare/MedicAid alone account for 57%, or $1.767 trillion, of FY08's $3.1 trillion budget.

If we eliminated the federal socialist programs, we could pay off the entire National Debt within 5 years, and because we wouldn't be paying 18% of the budget on those interest payments, we could give every taxpayer a 75% across the board reduction in their federal taxes. But that is getting off topic.

WE pay directly into the Social Security system, and we are entitled to receive benefits upon Retirement or Disability, to include subsidized health care insurance (to account for inflation). Now, I do accept that some people do abuse the SSI & Medicaid systems (having never put any money into the system), but retirees and SSDI claimants have paid into the system and are entitled to get their money back. The debt created by this system is because the Federal government borrowed against it and improperly invested the income (and the fact that there are now more "boomers" collecting by it than X & Y'ers working to pay into it).

I'm sure that those same "socialist programs" equally benefit Alaskan residents as well... unless you don't agree that many people in the state collect federally subsidized payments for welfare and WIC, etc. I'm all for cutting these programs... right after I get all the money that I paid into them back!

If you really want to look at why we have such a horrible national debt, you might want to try looking at the fact that America imports more than we export, we have more money so we buy more things on credit (often to other countries), we federally subsidize many industries that wouldn't need subsidization at all if they weren't centralized or being run in archaic inefficient ways... that's where the big chunks of our national debt is coming from, the "socialist programs" you mention don't even scratch the surface in comparison.

Originally Posted by Glitch

You are mistaken. If you don't like what a representative from another state is doing, you communicate that dislike to your own state representative in an effort to have them vote against the measure that displeases you.

YOU are mistaken. Any citizen of the United States may directly contact and petition any member of the federal representative body with any suggestion or grievance. You are not required to communicate only with and through the elected senators or representatives of your state, although that is encouraged. While it is generally considered poor form, it's also entirely valid and legal to petition support directly from residents of a state that has electoral power over a representative you find aggregious.

At least, by your definition, I'm entitled to have a small say in what goes on in Alaska since I have lived there longer than a year and qualified as a resident (voted and got my check and everything) although I am not currently living there. I also own land there and will be returning shortly.

And I'm not a Socialist, no matter what you might say, think or imply... I just happen to see the situation from a different perspective. You have the right to your perspective and opinion... I'll even fight to defend that right. But I have the equal right to mine and will fight to defend it as well. I don't go around bashing people as a general rule... I really don't care enough about politics to get myself worked up about it. I don't believe in propoganda or statistics... so you can't accuse me of that either, although when you live in a glass house you really should mind throwing stones!

[RayinAK]

So, who is running against Don Young or maybe Stevens? The more I read the original post, the more the suspicious I become relating to it. The person who posted it does not have to be from "The Blue Ridge Mountains" or whatever he indicated, but right here form Alaska. Could the person be involved with the political campaign of the Democrat (or whatever he is) from Los Anchorage...the one who signed to Mayor Bloomberg's anti-gun letter and then changed his mind? What's his name, "Baggage, Baggige"?

Anyway, I believe that this post belongs to the Political Forum.