Boo-hoo for the Bridges to Nowhere

I guess Alaskan Governor Frank Murkowski and his daughter Senator Lisa Murkowski will just have to find a new way to fleece the American taxpayers.

The Senate Appropriations Committee removed earmarks for two controversial "bridges to nowhere" in Alaska: the Gravina bridge, which would connect Ketchikan to an island of 50 people, and the Knik Arm bridge, which would link Anchorage to a sparsely populated area. The projects have been the subject of strong criticism because of the general backlog of existing roads and bridges in desperate need of repair, especially those affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. According to the National Association of Civil Engineers, one in four bridges nationwide is structurally deficient or functionally obsolete, not including the damage from Katrina and Rita.

Removing the earmarks doesn’t mean the money will end up where it’s most needed, or even that it won’t be used to build those stinking bridges anyway, but at least it’s a start.