Palin Also Supported The "Road To Nowhere" (And May Still)

[RamboLiberal]

While a debate rages over how honest Sarah Palin has been in stating her opposition to the infamous Bridge To Nowhere, another massive, widely-criticized transportation project is lingering in Alaska.

The "Road To Nowhere" is a $375 million "mega-project" designed to connect Juneau to the towns of Haines and Skagway via 50 miles of new road along the steep slopes of an avalanche-battered canal, ending at a ferry terminal at the Haines river.

As of 2005, Haines had a population of 2,400, while Skagway had 870 residents.

According to the Alaska Transportation Priorities Project, a group promoting "sensible transportation systems in the state," the Road to Nowhere is an irresponsible waste. The project has received more than $100 million in federal and state funding. This includes a $15 million dollar federal earmark and approximately $24 million in federal dollars passed through to the state. But it remains far from completion - hampered by opposition, environmental and safety concerns, and general wariness over its utility.

Palin has been anything but a steady fiscal hawk on the matter. The Governor came into office saying she supported the road, which was started under her predecessor Frank Murkowski. In an October 2006 questionnaire by Anchorage Daily News, she simply wrote "Yes" when asked "Do you support building a road from Juneau to Skagway?"

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"She hasn't been in office that long and she hasn't made a lot of tough decisions," said Lois Epstein, director of the Alaska Transportation Priorities Project. "On the Juneau road project she has said different things. During he campaign she said she was supportive and we have presented her info since the election about what a bad idea it is and how big a black hole and fiscally irresponsible it is for the state. And why the money should be spent elsewhere. We have been really pushing her to cancel the road. But she hasn't made a decision on it. It is up in the air."


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/04/palin-also-supported-the_n_123991.html