Alaska receives among the most money per capita in federal funding than any other state in the union, a net of more than $15,000 over and above what is paid into the U.S. treasury by Alaskans. The current infrastructure bills in Congress would benefit Alaska more than any other state, and include items specific to our needs, including critical funding for, among other projects, port improvements, ferries, and universal Pre-K education funding, all identified as critical to Cordova, as well as Anchorage and virtually every Alaskan village and tow.
But Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, in yet another of his extreme efforts at obstructionism designed simply to assure that his opponents fail, rather than any concern for the needs of the country——and certainly not Alaska’s——has refused to allow Republicans to support these bills in any way at all.
This despite years of insisting that soon, maybe, “Next week will be infrastructure week.”
It is time for Alaska’s delegation to reject this effort to obstruct at any cost and to actually support what’s beneficial for Alaska. They must set aside the absurd obstructionism of McConnell and put their mouths where our money is. They must vote “Yea” in Alaska’s interest, not that of petty party politics. They must assure that these vital funds benefit Alaska as well as the nation. To do otherwise is childishly spiteful and furthers no sensible policy.
Mark Roye,
Cordova
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