Yeah, Right, Whatever

There are plenty of examples of how the US government wastes the taxpayers' money. But, I'm pretty sure this one is at the top of the Stupidity Scale™:

Tom Wilson is faced with a problem many city administrators would envy: How to spend $1.5 million on a bus stop. Wilson, Anchorage's director of public transportation, has all that money for a new and improved bus stop outside the Anchorage Museum of History and Art thanks to Republican Sen. Ted Stevens - fondly referred to by Alaskans as "Uncle Ted" for his prodigious ability to secure federal dollars for his home state.

And just how would one spend $1.5 million on a bus stop?

The bus stop there now is a simple steel-and-glass, three-sided enclosure. Wilson wants better lighting and seating. He also likes the idea of heated sidewalks that would remain free of snow and ice. And he thinks electronic signs would be nice.

"It is going to be a showpiece stop," Wilson said.

He acknowledges the money has put him in an awkward position.

"We have a senator that gave us that money and I certainly won't want to appear ungrateful," he said. At the same time, he does not want the public to think the city is wasting the money. So "if it only takes us $500,000 to do it, that's what we will spend."

That is still five to 50 times the typical cost of bus stop improvements in Anchorage.

And, I'm sure bus stops in Alaska need to be a little more... substantial than they do in other states... I mean, patrons could freeze to death waiting for the bus. But, still... even $500,000 seems a bit steep for a bus stop.

Uncle Ted, as well as the museum director, say that this is more than just a bus stop. I

f done right, the expanded museum and improved bus stop could anchor a new eastern edge to the downtown area, drawing not only more tourists to the museum but shoppers from a nearby mall and workers from the federal building, said museum director Pat Wolf.

Hmmm... they want a bus stop to be an anchor for an area? That's just... sad...

But, what's really scary is that Sen. Stevens doesn't think this is pork. No, really.

"Sen. Stevens does not believe the money that he is able to work diligently to secure at the federal level is pork," (Stevens' spokesperson) said. "He considers it infrastructure development for a very young state. People seem to forget how young Alaska really is."

No, Senators seem to forget whose money they're spending. We probably need to remind them.