The ‘little oinker’s’ pork.
The ‘little oinker’s’ pork.
During Rep. Don Young’s (R-AK) six years chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, the number of earmarks to the annual highway spending bills have more than tripled. A look at how Young has profited in return:
— Of the $6.5 million in contributions that Young collected — $5.5 million for his campaign and $1 million for his leadership political action committee (PAC) — about 85 percent came from people who didn’t live in Alaska and couldn’t vote for him.
– How many donors got earmarks is hard to determine. But an analysis of Young’s campaign finance reports show that beneficiaries of just seven earmarks carrying a total price of $259 million — none for a project in Alaska — gave the veteran congressman at least $575,000.
– As hundreds of lobbyists sought to influence the massive highway-spending bill from 2003 to 2005, Young accepted at least 20 trips aboard private aircraft provided by corporations currying favor with the powerful congressman. He also stayed at such luxury hotels and resorts.
Young is a a self-proclaimed “little oinker” and aspires to be the “chief porker.” The FBI is currently conducting a criminal investigation into Young’s political favors.
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Scumbag!
November 11th, 2007 at 3:04 pmIndolence should be a goal, not a starting place.
November 11th, 2007 at 3:11 pmI hope they nail his porcine ass to the wall.
November 11th, 2007 at 3:34 pmHe’ll go off about how he’s a devout Christian, so all of his redneck constituents will forgive him without question, and ignore the issue like never existed.
This scumbag should be in an orange jumpsuit, but he’s not.
Only in Bushworld ….
November 11th, 2007 at 3:39 pmCorrupt to the bone- a Repiglican character trait.
November 11th, 2007 at 3:44 pmI wouldn’t waste the hard wood smoking this RePigniScum!!! I say straight to to slaugter house!!!
November 11th, 2007 at 3:54 pmThe mafia just called. They want their crime syndicate back NOW!!
November 11th, 2007 at 4:02 pmDrop him on a piece of ice and let the starving polar bears make good use of this walking talking carcass.
November 11th, 2007 at 4:03 pmThe mafia just called. They want their crime syndicate back NOW!!
Comment by dixie blood — November 11, 2007 @ 4:02 pm
The mafia just called back and said, “Never mind, we got Rudi in the pocket, badda bing! Oh!”
November 11th, 2007 at 4:06 pmI hope they investigate Duncan Hunter as well. He gets a huge amount of campaign contributions from the Atlanta/Macon areas, compared to his in-state contributors.
November 11th, 2007 at 5:07 pmNow, it’s really just sad. It appears that the Dems will be running against interim replacements and empty seats. At this rate, by the time the election comes around, the entire Republican Party will have been removed from office, resigned in disgrace, in prison, or “retiring to spend time with family”.
Maybe BillO will have to take a pay-cut and run for office. Can you imagine the ads and slogans?
November 11th, 2007 at 5:26 pmThey dont see it as corruption, I think, but as a contest to collect wealth. A sickness, like a gambling addiction.
November 11th, 2007 at 5:39 pmAt this rate, by the time the election comes around, the entire Republican Party will have been removed from office, resigned in disgrace, in prison, or “retiring to spend time with familyâ€.
Comment by pete — November 11, 2007 @ 5:26 pm
And the DemoRats, under Nancy PollLoser, will continue to be unable to muster a majority to vote to impeach Dick(head) Cheney [I know he will be out of office by then] or refer his war crimes to The Hague!!!
We need TWO (2) new political parties. Hell, I’ll take three!!!
November 11th, 2007 at 5:44 pmdude looks like robin williams.
November 11th, 2007 at 5:48 pmComment by dixie blood — November 11, 2007 @ 5:44 pm
I share your disenchantment but, time alone forces us to “dance with the girl that brung us”. If nothing else, it should be symbolic, to the rest of the world, that we know what Bush was, we’re sorry we effed up, and won’t let it happen again. I hope.
November 11th, 2007 at 5:49 pmI share your disenchantment but, time alone forces us to “dance with the girl that brung usâ€. If nothing else, it should be symbolic, to the rest of the world, that we know what Bush was, we’re sorry we effed up, and won’t let it happen again. I hope.
Comment by pete — November 11, 2007 @ 5:49 pm
You need to tell Nancy PollLoser this. She took impeachment off the table. Impeachment, or at least a faint attempt, would send the signal you seek to the rest of the world. That we can correct our sh|t and put things back again. But, PollLoser won’t do it!!!! Call her up and waste your breath on another corrupt politican!!!
How about I take the attitude of “IF IMPEACHMENT IS OFF THE TABLE THEN I GUESS THE CONSTITUTION AND RULE OF LAW ARE TOO!!!! THEN I SAY PHU(CK THE LAWYERS AND THE COURTS AND THE JUDGES AND THEIR GANGS (aka Police)!! PHU(K THE DOJ. THEY ARE CORRUPT CHRISTIAN REPUGNISCUMS”
Is that what we want as a nation? Lawlessness? I don’t think so. The fish rots from the head. Nancy PollLoser is NO HELP. She is hurting America almost as much as GW Botch and Dick(head) the PuppetMaster!!!
November 11th, 2007 at 6:01 pmOf course, no trolls here to comment on this. I guess in their beady little eyes, he is just doing what comes naturally to the Rpugs.
November 11th, 2007 at 6:24 pmNotice how no money has gone to repair the US bridges but in the GOP pockets. Yes it’s good to be a GOP as the people get nothing but big business and the criminals are just raking in the money until Bush/Cheney leave office. When the next bridge collapses we can thank the GOP for stealing the money that was to be used to repair those bridges.
November 11th, 2007 at 6:34 pmOf course, no trolls here to comment on this. I guess in their beady little eyes, he is just doing what comes naturally to the Rpugs.
Comment by upside99 — November 11, 2007 @ 6:24 pm
That’s a reasonable assumption.
However, I choose to believe it’s an illustration of a second, very important part of the regressive mindset: the principle that, if you ignore something unpleasant, it doesn’t really exist.
November 11th, 2007 at 6:42 pmHowever, I choose to believe it’s an illustration of a second, very important part of the regressive mindset: the principle that, if you ignore something unpleasant, it doesn’t really exist.
Comment by ralph the wonder llama — November 11, 2007 @ 6:42 pm
I have been trying that with BushCo, and it hasn’t worked!
November 11th, 2007 at 6:49 pmComment by upside99 — November 11, 2007 @ 6:49 pm
Good point.
Of course, the reason it hasn’t worked is that, as a non-Bsuhbot, you recognize that the principle is a fallacy. You appear to be one of the “reality-based community”.
November 11th, 2007 at 7:30 pmDon Young needs to go to jail real soon, or be removed from office real soon.
November 11th, 2007 at 8:31 pmHow many Alaskans read this? How many Alaskans will wise up to their huge collection of corrupt politicians? It’s leaving a black mark on their state–like oil on the bay.
November 11th, 2007 at 8:37 pmHow many Alaskans read this? How many Alaskans will wise up to their huge collection of corrupt politicians? It’s leaving a black mark on their state–like oil on the bay.
Comment by tomazulob — November 11, 2007 @ 8:37 pm
The black mark in on the baby seals and the oil is on “six birds a calling.”
November 11th, 2007 at 9:43 pmSpeaking as an Alaskan, I’ve done what I can to ramp up public awareness on our whole Delegation’s sordid affairs, but the fact is, public radio plays an essential role in educating the dominantly rural populace here and the state public radio news team specializes in “nice news” and aspires to remain his compliant lap dog. Fortunately, McClatchy reveals the truth on this lowlife and the rest.
By and large, most residents are content to change the subject, feign ignorance or simply admit they care more about pork than the ethical trichinosis the state must endure. Unfortunately, the majority always seems to prefer their representatives on the take and hence, we get the government we deserve.
May justice prevail and this lowlife spend his retirement in jail.
November 12th, 2007 at 3:12 amI hope the FBI is looking at Young for this bs also.
“The Naples Daily News reports that he probably changed key language in the bill after it had been passed in the House and Senate. The language left zero ambiguity about where exactly all that cash was supposed to go:
The words “Coconut Road interchange” were not in the federal transportation bill approved by Congress in 2005.
Those words were attached to a $10 million earmark sometime after the House and Senate votes but before the president signed the bill into law.
Within that time, someone with access to the bill deleted the earmark’s original language that would have given $10 million more for widening and improvements to Interstate 75 and attached the phrase “Coconut Rd. interchange I-75/Lee County,” according to a study by a former federal official who lives on Sanibel Island.”
“The Coconut Road project stands to benefit Daniel Aronoff, a wealthy part-time Naples resident who held a fund-raiser for Young right before the earmark mysteriously appeared.”
Aronoff owns land just east of I-75 and where the Coconut Road interchange would be…extremely environmental sensitive land that he has been trying to change zoning for so that he can develop it. I live not far from Coconut Road, and believe me…NONE of the people who live in this area want this interchange!!
http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/003893.php
November 12th, 2007 at 9:27 amIn the Washington Post today – more corruption among Alaska legislators.
ANCHORAGE — When the FBI came looking for corruption in Alaska politics, it found an excellent perch in Suite 604 of the Baranof Hotel in Juneau, the state capital. There, a profane septuagenarian named Bill Allen did business throughout a 2006 special session called to set taxes on the oil industry. With hundred-dollar bills in his front pocket for ease of access when lawmakers turned up with their hands out, the oil-services company executive turned in a bravura performance before the pinhole camera that federal agents installed opposite his favorite chair.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/11/AR2007111101585.html?wpisrc=newsletter
November 12th, 2007 at 9:32 amWhy is he still a sitting congressman? Have they no ethics in the House of Representatives? He stole 10 million in the dead of night and gave it to someone who gave him – what 40,000 dollars?
He sold us cheap, and no one cares. I would like a few million out of tax payer funds too, but although I have asked and asked no one seems to care to slip and earmark in for me.
They are such big wheels aren’t they – on our dime. PU they all stink.
November 12th, 2007 at 12:07 pmHere’s hoping they turn him into pork chops and bacon!!
November 12th, 2007 at 4:29 pmHe makes William Jefferson look like a piker, doesn’t he…?
November 12th, 2007 at 4:32 pmAll that money ‘earmarked’ for highways, etc.. Seems it didn’t get to that bridge in Minnesota…
November 12th, 2007 at 5:18 pmBTW, how’s that ‘Bridge to Nowhere’ going in AK?
November 12th, 2007 at 5:19 pmIf you really want to do something, contribute to Diane Benson (bensonforcongress.com), the democratic challenger for Don Young’s seat. She ran against Don Young in the last election, with NO support from the Democratic party. She still managed to come close to winning the congressional election. Diane’s son lost both legs in Iraq. She is a great candidate, even if she wasn’t running against such a corrupt guy.
November 13th, 2007 at 1:19 amThat is similar to a situation in Illinois last election cycle–
November 13th, 2007 at 9:21 amThere was a democratic challenger to Speaker Dennis Hastert’s seat who received ZERO support from DCCC, and he (John Laesch, running again, probably with no support again) lost, but not by much.
IF they had deigned to support him in any way, I am convinced that a SITTING Speaker would have lost his reelection bid. Imagine having THAT accomplishment to crow about–but they’ll never know.
The DCCC is incredibly short-sighted.