Viewpoints
Go East For Development
By Walt Bolling
October 08, 2006
Sunday
Editor, Sitnews
Consider that the proposed Gravina bridge is taking us in the
wrong direction and is NOT the bridge we voted on years back.
We voted on a $190 million dollar bridge. We will now pay for
a $350 million dollar bridge.
Why did we want a bridge? Well, we were told that it would be
at no cost to us and it would open up lands for development.
Now we know it will cost us more than we can afford. This community
has to compete with all other Alaskan communities for state funds;
transportation monies made available to the state are highly
prized and competition is zealous. If we put all our share (and
some shares of others) into this bridge we can kiss goodby any
future funds for many, many other local projects that are going
to need legislative support.
Consider as well where the $350 million will go. It will leave
this community and state. That bridge will be fabricated in China
or somewhere else, our monies will provide jobs, but not here.
If the original aim as stated was to open up new lands for development,
consider that our home island is perhaps ten times larger than
Gravina and we should be building roads east to open up ten times
more land. Going east with pioneering will, in my opinion, provide
greater opportunity and greater returns to us all. If we pioneer
roads here, we have all the raw material on hand. We have local
contractors who employ local people who pay taxes. Do the math.
Space and time in writing this letter does not allow a full discussion
of all issues involved. Our community needs and deserves an open
public discussion on this issue. Contact our City Council and
Borough Assembly members and ask them to provide space and time
for public re-examination of this urgent and public-interest
issue. Write letters to Sitnews and the Ketchikan Daily News.
Let's hear from YOU.
Thanks.
Walt Bolling
Ketchikan, AK - USA
Received October 05, 2006 - Published October 08, 2006
About: " 50+ year resident and taxpayer."
Related News:
Governor Will Include $195 Million
Budget Request for Gravina Access Project in FY 2008 Capital
Budget - Governor Frank
H. Murkowski met in Ketchikan with over two dozen Ketchikan elected
and community leaders Friday in an effort to reach a consensus
on how to proceed with the Gravina Access project. -
More...
Monday - October 02, 2006
Note: Comments published
on Viewpoints are the opinions of the writer
and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Sitnews.
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