Ney wins federal money to demolish privately owned bridge

[cmd]

This story has been in the background for some time. Glad it is finally making the news.

http://www.cleveland.com/newsflash/cleveland/index.ssf?/base/news-17/1117403315220490.xml&storylist=cleveland


CLEVELAND (AP) — A privately owned bridge over the Ohio river owned by a campaign contributor to Rep. Bob Ney would be demolished under a provision that Ney has inserted in a transportation bill making its way through Congress.
The St. Clairsville Republican has obtained $1.7 million to demolish the Bellaire Bridge, a rundown bridge in eastern Ohio that has been closed since 1990. The bridge's owner, Roger Barack, and his wife have given more than $6,000 to Ney's congressional campaigns, most recently in 1997, and Ney rented office space from Barack, The Plain Dealer reported Sunday.

(snip)
The department rerouted state Route 7 away from the bridge, making it inoperable, and gave Interstate Bridge $2.1 million, $895,000 that was intended for demolition, according to correspondence between the company and the state.

But Ney said there was no stipulation in the agreement with Interstate Bridge requiring the bridge be torn down, leading to the confusion that persists today.

Instead of destroying the bridge, Interstate Bridge transferred ownership to Barack, who talked to the state about reopening the bridge, according to state correspondence.

more.......

[Wapsie B]

1. And repugs don't see the hypocrisy in this.

Or clamor that their tax $ are funding something that should be taken care of by daddy warbucks Barack.

[bahrbearian]

2. The Repugnant Ownership Society.

[doc03]

3. More facts and questions.

1.The bridge is not in Ney's district it is actually in West Virginia. The WV state line is the west shoreline of the Ohio River.
2.The bridge will fetch in the area of $200,000 for scrap, who gets that money?
3.Roger Barack paid $1.00 for the bridge.
4.Did Bob Ney secure a CDBG for Roger Barack to purchase the Cannonball Motor Speedway in St. Clairsville?
5.Who were the owners of the Interstate Bridge Company that walked away with $2.1 M.?

[sasquatch]

4. I wonder if this is a payoff for 2004

[Toucano]

5. kick n/t