The View From ‘Nowhere’

It will cost $30,000 for every man woman and child to build the bridge. That sure is a lot of ferry rides.

And I'm sure we will find most of the trivial items blown up to monsterous proportion about Sarah Palin will turn out to be nothing if McCain loses the election. The media does the same thing to all republicans. It's like death and taxes. I can tell you what NBC, MSNBC, CBS and ABC have to say about the subject before they publish their first word. They only speak out of the left side of their mouth.

why can't an airport be built in Ketchikan on the main land? The airport I saw in Ketchekan was small. What size plane can it handle. Can an a small airport be built for fraction of the cost? Something doesn't seem right. Is it because a privilaged few will make millions if the bridge is built.

why can't an airport be built in Ketchikan on the main land? The airport I saw in Ketchekan was small. What size plane can it handle. Can an a small airport be built for fraction of the cost? Something doesn't seem right. Is it because a privilaged few will make millions if the bridge is built.

bush depression? Seriously? Last time i checked the democrats have majority in the house and senate

I have visited Ketchikan for the last 3 years, and it is a incredible vacation spot if you are a fisherman. The issue of the bridges cost is related to the short half mule channel that the bridge needs to span, from Ketchikan to its airport. This same channel is the same channel that its 1million cruise visitors travel through, so the bridge needs to be high enough to allow cruise ships to travel under the bridge. Remember the span is less than half a mile in distance. This will be a tough engineering feat, if its possible at all. The island the airport sits on is reasonably flat, especially when you consider that Ketchikan is built into the side of a mountain slope. Its Beautiful country but rugged terrain! The folks in Ketchikan are incredibly friendly and its a really layed back community. It is an expensive place to live because of the cost to get goods there from Seattle or south. Palin threw Ketchikan under the bus, and I would expect those residents of Ketchikan to repay her generosity on election day. To the folks of Ketchikan Alaska, your city and community are amazing in thier beauty and peoples generosity! I will continue to visit and enjoy your hospitality and beautiful location for many years to come!

unless palin is vp. But i don't see why they all are family there and it'd be kinda weird to be a governor over family. but ok.. and i thought palin would have finished it by now. they probably announced it while she was with mccain. ...

I had the opportunity to visit Ketchican several years ago and I cannot believe they won't build a bridge from the airport to the town. This is not a "Bridge to nowhere". You have to take a ferry across to the airport. The mayor is correct there is no where for the town to expand unless it does so by the airport. Ketchican is a very historic town and worthy of some help getting this bridge built. The only "Bridge to nowhere" I see is electing someone who would try to twist this situation in the public eye to gain votes.

having family living in K-town as we affectionaly call it, ketchikan is a great city/ town and in my opinion
the bridge is needed and since my first visit my question was why not a bridge. i don't blame the mayor
of K-town or citizen but the idiots in goverment both on the Alaska state level & the national level, give
these citizen the quality of life they deserve. if they want give it to them.

I hope someday that your town will obtain a more convenient route to your airport than you have currently. Best Wishes,

Eric

To Mr. Choman,

This is a very obvious of ???Greediness???! If you wanted to grow with your business, you know very well that this is a part of it that what we called ???Growing Pains???. For regular working class they do not do what you did at your businesses. Prepare your ???Budgeting and Forecasting??? in a yearly basis and you know what I mean. The taxes are not taken out from your pocket Sir! It is a part of your ???Budgeting and Forecasting??? a certain percentage out of a total of 100% gross income goes to all your operating expenses, am I right Sir? So what the real issue here? Tell it to the people straight, if you do not want Obama???s tax plan that does not really affect your business so be it. Do not use it as an excuse to your political choice, please give me a break!

You can only capitalized this issue to the individual who does not run a business like you!

Thechef1955

while having a bridge to "nowhere" seems great for them what abou the fact that we're going to be getting a new president and these people are crying about a bridge. The new president isn't going to change the way they are now. Just hush them up so they won't complain about it.

I hope someday that your town will obtain a more convenient route to your airport than you have currently. Best Wishes,

Eric

I sympathize with Mayor Kiffer and I am glad that he (as a local) finally explained the situation to us. And I agree that the bridge should probably be built (albeit not knowing the particulars). However, I would caution the Mayor (or anyone else) throwing around the idea that earmarks only account for 1 percent of the federal budget. What is missing from that picture are the projects that are not so legitimate, and the disastrous aspects of our federal deficit, trade deficit, budget deficit, ridiculous trade policies, evaporating manufacturing base, and the coming calamity of retiring baby boomers--which means even more stress upon Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare.
I understand the Mayor's frustration, but I believe the 1 percent analogy is an oversimplification. The states of the union as a unified whole, and each American citizen, must find ways to control spending, save money, and pay our debts.
The Mayor's mention that his community is trying to transform itself from a manufacturing economy to a service economy only highlights one of the many problems caused by big business and the politicians riding their coattails.
Hopefully, Mayor Kiffer will not find his bridge (if it ever gets built) leading to a strip mall full of imported goods and waiters and waitresses working for nearly nothing per hour.

With all of the NEGATIVITY emanating from Alaska recently, one is almost compelled to ask, CAN ANY GOOD COME FROM ALASKA? Given the Ted Stevens trial, Palin's laundry list of tribulations, the RNC spending $150k for clothes, make-up and God knows what else to upgrade Alaska's governor, Todd's alleged association with secessionists, Troopergate, a pregnant underage & unmarried daughter, a witchdoctor believing minister, ad infinitum. My, what an itinerary for a propspective VP candidate. And to think, the VP candidate didn't know the job of the VP prior to selection and still DIDN'T KNOW what a VP is responsible for after selection. IT CAN'T POSSIBLY GET ANY BETTER THAN THAT. "BRIDGE" ANYONE?

I hope someday that your town will obtain a more convenient route to your airport than you have currently. Best Wishes,

Eric

i was born and raised in ketchikan im 16 and now live in anchorage in ketchikan we are a very laid back people and not many of us feel to strongly about the bridge one way or another we are happy people as of now.the only problem that needs to be fixed is the insane amount of alchaholics.the only reason that people want the bridge is cause it was promised a long time ago.and we dont really care if its not built now so everyone go on liing a happy life and dont worry about us were happy.the only real problem is the insane cost of weed.

I, sir, am a const. worker. Despite what the reporters and politicians say, the future is always under construction. Why shouldn't your comm. benefit the way others do? Why should the largest, most plentiful area in our country be forbidden to bear the fruits of it's labor and assets? God speed. M. "Baxter" Bauer

I'm so glad Newsweek and American have nothing else to worry about.