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  #11  
Old 11-03-2005, 11:39 AM
natedogg natedogg is offline
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Default Re: How did the bridge to nowhere happen?

It's the sytem itself wacki. The system is designed for this. The "bridge to nowhere" is just a very visible and notable instance of what goes on all the time with congressional appropriations.

natedogg
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  #12  
Old 11-03-2005, 12:37 PM
jcx jcx is offline
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Default Re: How did the bridge to nowhere happen?

Stevens is the chair or a senior member of several committees, including commerce and transportation. If he doesn't get his pork, he'll make sure your bill dies in committee. This could have been the start of something great if he got pissed off and started a pissing contest in the Senate (and put a halt to a lot of superfluous spending). But since only 15 Senators had the balls to vote against him, this is unlikely. I would have loved to see his bluff called on his promise to resign if his bill was defeated. Chances of him resigning = less than zero. Someone with an ego big enough to waste hundreds of millions of $$ on a useless prestige project is not going anywhere, but the spectacle would have been fun to watch.
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  #13  
Old 11-03-2005, 03:06 PM
BCPVP BCPVP is offline
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Default Re: How did the bridge to nowhere happen?

[ QUOTE ]
2) Motivation for senators not to trump it.

[/ QUOTE ]
Poker players (and economists) should recognize it as collusion. As Senator Coburn found out the hard way, Dems and Reps both want their pork and will pass each other's [censored] in the knowledge that the other guys will do the same.
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  #14  
Old 11-03-2005, 03:39 PM
etgryphon etgryphon is offline
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Default Re: How did the bridge to nowhere happen?

I believe that Stevens has the chair of of the Commerce Committee. They have this procedural rule called "Filling the Amendment tree". Which basically means that the chairman is in charge of "assigning" spots to possible amendments that the committee can vote on. Now there are two tactics that you can take: 1) fill your amendments at the front of the tree and have many so you are willing to loose some but get some through, 2) fill the amendments at the end of the tree so you can slip them out of the committee. I believe that Stevens used the latter because he really wanted this particular amendment to pass...

Now the great vehicle that is the highway bill has been one of the easiest things to attach pork too. The senators have a "gentleman's agreement" that they will allow "everyone" to get a little pork and not specifically try to target specific peices of pork. The problem here is that since it made it through the committee with Stevens amendments that carries a lot more weight and tougher to get stripped. One it make it to the floor, there is another "amendment tree" that need to get filled. Frist is in charge of this one. But First gives deference to the chairman of the committee that the bill came through. So now Stevens is a gatekeeper for all other people's "pork" to make it on the bill. So he is in prime position to remind and influence with this priviledge.

If you want the motivation, it has less to do with who lives on the island, it has everything to do with the money that is coming to the state. All the jobs and profits for the constructions. He gets to tout that he has brought all this "business" to Alaska.

The only reason that we are even talking about this particular one is because the actual "pork" is ostensibly only helping 50 people. So the rest of the country, us, look at it and say "WTF? You are giving 500 million to benifit 50 people?" We technically don't care or notice the jobs and the profit to Alaskan citizens or companies.

Stevens then gets bent out of shape becuase Corbin wants to attack "specific" earmarks and thus breaking the "gentleman's agreement". The other senators don't want go against Stevens because if he loses his "pork" he will remember it the next time that he gets to "fill the amendment tree". The Commerce Committee is one of the more powerful committees in the Senate so it is best not the piss the chairman off if you want to get money.

An interesting note...Reagan vetoed a Highway Bill because it had too much pork. Count: 152 items. Current bill passed with 6,371 items and $24 Billion price tag.

-Gryph
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  #15  
Old 11-03-2005, 04:09 PM
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Default Re: How did the bridge to nowhere happen?

Seriously, wacki, like some have already replied, it's the money. Every pol "owes" his successful election to people/groups who donate to his campaign war chest. These people/groups all have their causes/special interests and they want an "ear" in office. OK, a few exceptions to the every. But too damned few.

Engineering firms, land use experts and construction companies are very likely on his donor list. And they find ways to donate more than small amounts. The payoff is contracts for projects that aren't always needed or wanted. The "spin" is usually about the benefit(s) to the community and the district/state getting their tax dollars returned.

Donations will always be needed. Big donations come with perks for the donor and debts for the pol. Every time we see "Campaign Finance Reform" legislation and think maybe, just maybe, some sanity is on the horizon, the pols are busy finding the loopholes.

Also, it's been pointed out how the "tit for tat" line of thinking plays. "You pass my pork and I'll pass yours." It's collusion, plain and simple.

The last two sessions passed, I think I remember correctly, two of the largest omnibus spending packages ever. And they were both done at the end of the sessions. Damned near every member of both houses piled on every friggin' thing they wanted. Too bad GWB went along and signed off.

They all talk about cutting back this/that and saving here/there, but they don't seem to do it. Again, if my memory serves, Reagan commissioned a group of business people and they put together the "Gray Commission Report" (?). It was enormous. And a few pages of it were acted on. Very few pages.
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