When the quid pro quo in your corrupt dealings is so obvious that reporters feel compelled to remark that “Rarely, though, are the tradeoffs quite as obvious as in the twisted case of Coconut Road” you know you have a problem. A little discretion never killed anyone, though I suppose it remains to be seen if Representative Don Young’s (R-Alaska) lack of it will kill his career.
Pretty hilariously, even though he got the cash appropriated to build this road in Florida “County authorities have twice voted not to use it, until Mr. Young and the district congressman wrote letters warning that a refusal could jeopardize future federal money for the county.” It seems, however, that the money is a boon “to Daniel J. Aronoff, a real estate developer who helped raise $40,000 for Mr. Young at the nearby Hyatt Coconut Point hotel days before he introduced the measure.”