October 03, 2005

I believe this is pork

I think it's safe to say that this $500,000 was wasted and safetly falls into the category of pork spending.

Yes, spending $500,000 of Federal money to paint one of your jets to look like a salmon is probably not what you want your tax money going to.

So, you landed a big king salmon this summer? It can't compare to the colossal king Alaska Airlines plans to land this morning in Anchorage.

The Seattle-based carrier has painted nearly the full length of a Boeing 737-400 passenger jet as a wild Alaska king, or chinook, salmon. The airline has dubbed its flying fish the "Salmon-Thirty-Salmon."

It's a bold promotional move to celebrate wild Alaska seafood and also the carrier's role in hauling millions of pounds of fresh salmon, halibut, crab, shrimp and other seafood out of the state each year.

But wait...there's more...

A local nonprofit agency, the Alaska Fisheries Marketing Board, gave Alaska Airlines a $500,000 grant to paint the jet. The money came out of about $29 million in federal funding U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska and his congressional colleagues have appropriated to the marketing board, created in 2003, to promote and enhance the value of Alaska seafood. The senator's son, state Sen. Ben Stevens, is chairman of the agency's board of directors.

Ahh...so, Senator Ted Stevens son is the chairman of an agency's board of directors that received a $29 million in Federal funding.

From Ben at Tennessee Tax Revolt:

If this doesn't make you angry you better check your pulse. Senator Ted Stevens (R) of Alaska is THE biggest porker in Congress. Senator Stevens' son is a State Senator and runs the non-profit Alaska Fisheries Marketing Board. Papa Stevens got $29 million for sonny boy's board and sonny boy used $500,000 to paint a plane to look like a salmon. Please remember Senator Stevens is spending the same money that you work very hard for everyday. If this doesn't make you angry you better check your pulse.

That's right...you saw a big fat "R" next to Stevens' name. Again I'll ask, "Et tu, GOP?"

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