By KELLY TSHIBAKA
According to an old adage, if you stand in the middle of the road, sooner or later you’ll get run over. That’s exactly what happened when Sen. Lisa Murkowski decided to work with the radical environmentalists in the Biden administration. Murkowski helped write an “infrastructure” bill that was immediately hijacked by Biden administration extremists who are imposing smothering regulations that will likely leave Alaska without the new projects Murkowski promised.
If you call Murkowski out on this, she gets “combative,” according to the Anchorage Daily News, and it’s little wonder why. After 21 years in a Senate seat she was given by her father when he became governor, she doesn’t like to be questioned, much less criticized.
But we don’t elect monarchs, we elect public servants we expect to be effective. And the record clearly shows that on the infrastructure bill, as in many other important areas, Lisa Murkowski simply was ineffective.
Murkowski’s main error was expecting radical environmentalists to act reasonably by not blocking any new roads or bridges.
However, just a month after President Biden signed the infrastructure law, the Federal Highway Administration (FHA) published a memo ordering staff to push states to repair existing roads and bridges before considering building new ones. States are also being told that the use of infrastructure money to build bike lanes and walking paths would undergo a much easier environmental review process than roads and bridges.
The Wall Street Journal called the infrastructure package a “bait-and-switch” scheme because of the memo from FHA, the agency tasked with receiving construction proposals from states and localities. Indeed, the memo dictates that low priority will be given to projects that “add new general purpose travel lanes serving single occupancy vehicles.”
That’s as clear it can be: No new roads.
But the trouble doesn’t end there. The Biden administration’s radical environmentalists (all confirmed by Murkowski) are using the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to create new regulations to delay and block new construction projects. Sen. Dan Sullivan sounded the alarm about this on the Senate floor.
“What did they do? They made the NEPA rules much harder to actually build infrastructure, not just for oil and gas, but it targeted oil and gas. This is for all infrastructure–roads, bridges, ports, renewable projects, LNG projects, natural gas projects,” Sullivan said. “Why in the heck would we do that as a country? We just passed a big infrastructure bill with permitting reform in it, and somebody over at the White House said: ‘No, let’s make it harder.’”
Alaskans should remember all this when Murkowski visits the state to brag about the infrastructure bill she helped write. The radical environmentalists are controlling the flow of money and the things that Alaska needs will be at the bottom of the to-do list.
In fact, Murkowski has already admitted as much by co-sponsoring Sen. Sullivan’s legislation to repair the NEPA rules mess, which is a clear acknowledgement that the legislation she wrote was completely broken.
In announcing the legislative fix, Sullivan made it clear that, without it, projects in the infrastructure bill won’t be built.
“The bridges and roads, pipelines and tunnels, ports and runways that American taxpayers were promised will now suffer from an increasing regulatory quagmire,” Sullivan said.
It’s as simple as this: If the infrastructure bill Murkowski wrote were so great, she wouldn’t have co-sponsored another bill to rescue it.
But her entire re-election campaign hinges on her authorship of the infrastructure bill, so she conceals all of this from the voters. It’s yet another way she’s lying to Alaskans about her record.
Because of the bill’s $1.2 Trillion price tag, every Alaskan family is on the hook for over $2,000. Alaska is 18% of the nation’s landmass, but only 0.6% of the infrastructure funding is even “available” to Alaska, if we survive Biden’s regulatory barriers. That means we lost a proportional 17.4% of funds when language was drafted. Over 75% of the bill went towards climate change initiatives, not infrastructure, which has contributed to the crippling inflation plaguing the country.
It’s a boondoggle that’s nothing more than the Green New Deal in disguise. And Lisa Murkowski didn’t just vote for it, she wrote it.
Because the appropriations process changed a decade ago, there aren’t earmarks or dedicated funds allocated for Alaska, meaning we must compete for federal money. It doesn’t help to make funds “available” in the federal bureaucracy if Alaskans can’t find the money! When I’m in the Senate, I’ll make sure a grant writer is on staff to help Alaskans successfully access that funding.
Alaskans agree that it’s time for a change, because when Lisa Murkowski tries to be popular with Joe Biden and the D.C. insiders, , she puts Alaska right in the middle of the road. And Alaskans refuse to keep getting run over.
Kelly Tshibaka is a born-and-raised Alaskan, and a candidate for the U.S. Senate in Alaska who is endorsed by former President Donald Trump and the Alaska Republican Party.
> Alaskans agree that it’s time for a change, because when Lisa Murkowski tries to be popular with Joe Biden and the D.C. insiders, , she puts Alaska right in the middle of the road. And Alaskans refuse to keep getting run over.
What Alaskans want is irrelevant. Want does Dominion want?
This is just not true, but what else would you expect from Kelly Tshibaka? I don’t know whether new roads will be built, but the bill contains substantial funding for the Alaska Marine Highway, road and bridge repairs, and internet access for rural communities. All of those are projects will employ Alaskans at good wages, and benefit communities across the state.
You’re assuming it actually plays out that way. History says it probably won’t.
Think Covid monies that went everywhere but intended.
Rick said: “This is just not true, but what else would you expect from Kelly Tshibaka?”
Did you even bother to read the piece? The marine highway, road and bridge repairs, and broadband in the Bush are hardly new roads and bridges.
Broadband in the Bush is even worse, a classic Alaskan money laundering scheme, handing out free $$$ to her political supporters, as broadband in the Bush will be available sooner than the expansion funded by this legislation as Starlink builds out its polar shell. Note that it is already available up to 70 degrees N (Point Lay has coverage, Nuiqsut, Alpine and Prudhoe Bay are all slightly N of the line).
In short, Lisa is simply shoveling campaign $$$ to her supporters who will dutifully shovel it right back into her future campaigns. Cheers –
Actually, Kelly T. is mostly correct on this one.
History is abundantly clear on this front. Massive “infrastructure” spending does not result in a huge number of projects getting accomplished. It has historically resulted in the cost of all Federally funded projects to rise. Significantly.
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As soon as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill passed, every major construction company in the US raised their prices. The materials suppliers raised their prices, the consultants and engineers raised their prices. Yeah, Alaska will get a few extra projects, but no where near as much as Murkowski is promising.
I think your cause and effect last paragraph is sketchy.
You can think all you want.
Unless you can point to historical evidence demonstrating otherwise, your thoughts are meaningless.
You never finished school, did you?
I actually thought about this one a bit.
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Perhaps my cause/effect was sketchy, but the effect is going to happen nonetheless.
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The cause-effect actually goes more like this:
1. The Federal Government decides to spend trillions on construction projects
2. The construction industry is pretty much already fully booked. Same for the materials suppliers
3. They also recognize that billions of dollars are coming to their area, and every construction company and supplier will be competing for a limited number of employees and a limited supply of materials.
4. So, they raise labor rates to retain, or get the qualified employees they require in order to construct the project.
5. The law of supply and demand applies to the materials and equipment market as well. I do not care how much money the Feds drop into the industry, Caterpillar, Case, or any of the other equipment suppliers will not be able to instantly create inventory. So, price for the existing equipment will go up. Significantly. As to materials, the quarries, or steel mills are in the same situation. They cannot just instantly create more.
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Net result. Prices will go up. Significantly.
Nobody is suffering from lack of internet in the rural areas. Road and bridge repairs where? And if you choose to live on an island, transportation will be a concern that need not be corrected with taxpayer money. If the money were to be used for building roads and rail systems that would encourage economic growth then it would be well spent. To support a welfare system it is not. Just look at all the pretty Chinese windmills. And the diesel generators proposed to charge the electric cars every fifty miles. And while you are feeling woke, check out the mountains of recycling at the landfill. I wish I could live in la-la land like so many people, but reality is hard to ignore. And any capital improvements to our existing infrastructure will go to out of state contractors as usual, not benefiting Alaskans. This is because they can underbid local contractors because they won’t be held accountable for shotty work.
“but reality is hard to ignore”. You managed.
Couldn’t be bothered to point out where Trig ignored reality?
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Look, Lucinda if you want to water this desert with your wisdom, you have to do more than just pop in with one liners that contain zero wisdom. Or content for that matter. Simply tossing a dismissive comment out there is the opposite of adding wisdom.
Lucinda is fully committed to the radical far left, which eschews wisdom, or anything resembling it, to simply parrot their talking points and promote their commie agenda.
“Zero” is all of Lucinda’s wisdom.
Study my water wisdom with deliberation and an open mind. you will reap a great harvest of riches.
“Water wisdom”? Does that mean Lucinda’s wisdom is all wet?
haven’t lived in Alaska long huh?
Kelly is living in an alternative reality and is proving to be a nut case. Her diatribe the Infrastructure bill is complete fiction. Kelly is apparently desperate to be so untruthful. The Infrastructure bill single-handedly bailed out the Alaska Marine Highway System. That is only ONE key item accomplished by Senator Murkowski.
I believe the Commissioner of Transporation, Ryan Anderson,
“Overall, the infrastructure bill will increase our highway transportation funding formulas by approximately 40%, and doubles the nationwide aviation funding program. In addition, there are many more specific programs that fund bridges, ferries, electrification of our highways, and numerous discretionary grant items. The funding that our state will receive will shape Alaska’s infrastructure for years to come—much like the infrastructure development we saw in WWII or during the pipeline, it’s a historic opportunity to increase safety, and build a more efficient and equitable transportation network.”
‘https://dot.alaska.gov/infrastructureact/docs/111521-Alaska-Infrastructure-IIJA.pdf
Kelly, take a hike.
Did you read the article? What the bill contains is now pretty irrelevant. The various ‘cult agencies’ have swooped in to prohibit enough to nix much of what the bill ‘promises’.
It is true….Murkowski first called Haines mayor and told him he had money coming…but she didn’t say what money….turned out anyone can look for a grant through the government and the private industry sources. She led him to believe the money was from the federal budget when there was none but grant money if you can find it and if you can write up a grant and get it and then follow up to prove that it was used as intended. There is no budget money from the federal budget for these needs. The government is going on continuing resolutions every so many months because Biden is depleting every dollar source for foreign war money and has killed the oil and gas industry. Murkowski also told the mayor, he could look to money for drinking water and refuse through the budget and formerly called “Build Back Better” bill but that was a hoax because all communities of the natives and those without funds for drinking and potable water get 200k a year and have from EPA grant programs for the last thirty five or forty years. Alaska Marine Highway is the responsibility of the State of Alaska first and funds from the Federal Government never have been sourced to sustain any part of the work-age of the AMHS, vessels and people and programs. Dept. of Transportation has been slow and stupid doing their work and budget for transportation in Southeast and on coastal areas. Dunleavy and every governor from Hickle forward have missed completely the needs of those in areas using the AMHS services and upkeep on vessels and or replacing them. Dumb Dunleavy just got rid of three vessels and no one yells about that. How stupid!! Get right thinking and put the pin on the one that is suppose to make things happen. The Governor…but it has not happened because we have a governor that doesn’t know his head from his toe…Time for a new one!!!
Good column, Kelly. Lisa has always been a radical Democrat, she just had to keep her true beliefs and opinions latent until she accumulated some power in the Senate. When she came out against Brett Kavenaugh, we started to see the true Lisa Murkowski. These legal proceedings were far above her head. (After failing the Bar Exam a half dozen times and striking out as an attorney, she left the law and went into politics). Everything subsequent to Kavenaugh’s confirmation went down hill for Lisa. Her own parents are so thoroughly disgusted with her that they moved to Petersburg to hide from her campaign.
It wouldn’t surprise me that they will both vote for you. The Murkowski Dynasty has run it’s course.
Keep up the good work, Kelly. You can beat her.
Two votes for Kelly T, from Petersburg, Alaska.
ps ….and yes, we are hiding.
Nancy won’t even let me out of the house to go grab an occasional burger at McDonalds.
It must be terrible, Nancy and Frankie, to have to hide from your fellow Alaskans who kept your family in office for 42 years. Going out in shame was not what you expected in your old age. Thank Lisa for that.
I’m just glad that the candidate’s husbands don’t have to debate. Kelly’s husband is a licensed lawyer who Kelly met at Harvard Law School. I, on the other hand, met Lisa when she visited my noodle stand in Anchorage. My only claim to fame is that I got wealthy borrowing money from Frankie while he was a US Senator. I guess he felt sorry for me, but liked my frat boy looks, especially when I wear shorts in the winter. Still do. Everyone loves my legs.
True. I still get Lisa’s Christmas cards, even though I supported every one of her opponents. Her husband looks like a spoiled dork, wearing shorts. He looks like a lazy playboy who never worked. Kelly’s husband is a lawyer with a job, and helping Kelly raise her kids in a Christian home. I will be campaigning hard for you, Kelly T.
Born and raised alaskan, who chose to leave alaska and live in the swamp of d.c. for most of her adult life. Her and her husband have already cost this state too much. She is a carpetbagger. After she is defeated,she will return to d.c. Mark my words.
You’ve described her accurately IMO.
Actually, Gunner, you’ve described Lisa to a tee. The Murkowskis’ are supporting Kelly for similar reasons that the Palins’ are supporting Nick.
Murkowski has never been accused of being a carpetbagger Nancy. She has been in politics in Alaska for years before her becoming our Senior Senator, also something Kelly has never done.
You are out to lunch on this subject IMO.
Do you know who you are talking to, Yankee?
Alaska Conservatives deserve a lot more than what Daddy’s Little Princess can offer. Obviously & Clearly, Kelly Tshibaka is by far the best choice to represent the best interest of Alaska and Alaskans. It’s imperative that we get to the polls in high numbers and elect Kelly-T. It’s long time due, to serve the divorce notice, and end the relationship that only serves her narcissistic ego. She can go her own way, retiring to AZ, where she can continue to grow wrinkles on an epic scale, where she can enjoy her life-long compensation and benefits.
If she remains our Senator, the Old Nana-Ski and Manchins of the political establishment, aka – Fence Riders, will continue to get Hood Winked and Out Played by the opposition to “Liberty, Prosperity and Economic Freedom” loving people.
Most of the road building in the State is financed by Federal Dollars. Seniority matters. Elect Kelly and watch the Federal Dollars fly to the lower 48. Oil prices will not continue to be at record highs. The hyper inflated stock market will come down to earth decreasing our Permanent Fund monies. Don Young’s seniority mattered and it will be gone. Great idea, let’s decrease our cut from the Feds.
It is time for change Rick, she has been totally corrupted as a politician, she has shown that she does not support Alaska, she does not represent us and our best interests. She has shown this with her votes. It is time we show her the door with ours.
Seniority be damned, corruption be damned, federal dollars be damned (its so hard to get them at this time anyways), time for change.
Seniority does matter.
But, do you keep someone who put an anti-mining/resource development Secretary of the Interior into office because the state gets a few extra dollars?
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This addiction to Federal funding is not healthy.
Federal dollars mean a lot. The monies will just flow to other states. The Willow Field of ConocoPhillips is our greatest possible wealth generator sending an additional 200,000 barrels of oil down the pipeline. The Alaskan Native Corporations are in co development with all the major producers. Not being able to pay bills is not healthy. Think ConocoPhillips is going to stick around as our state sinks. I do not want taxes on me to take up for lost Federal Dollars.
Seniority matters. That’s why Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi, and Mitch McConnell are still destroying the country– and Lisa Murkowski is helping them. It’s time we look past seniority, and choose the candidate who will actually work for us.
If it was about seniority, fat Frank would have stayed instead of appointing the lying princess.
Give your head a shake.
Exra-long on complaint; Proposed solution – a grant writer (really?) – seems like a joke. Here’s a question for the candidate: What is your position on Congressional earmarks? Why are they good? Why are they bad?
Bonus round: How has being homeless affected your life?
Considering how transient Alaska is, the purity (born, raised, never been outside except to Seattle) many people expect out of politicians is unrealistic.
Look at what deep roots politics have brought us. The Begich dynasty. The Murkowski dynasty. Queen Sarah. Mary P.
Focus on their positions, not where they were 10 years ago. Unless they come from the west coast.
Will be glad when Kelly T loses and the grifter Tshibaka’s leave Alaska and go back to their bottom feeding NGO’s
There’s not only no funding for … but specific BANS on any new roads or bridges in Alaska. All due respect.
Why are we paying taxes to a tyrant 300k miles away when we have RUSSIAN ships in our waters? Is this defense?!
Kelly is a low quality candidate with no vision for Alaska. This column is juvenile. The second to last paragraph says she’ll have a grant writer on her staff. Really, she’ll need a grant to leave AK after she loses
For someone who has no interest in the majority of Alaskans, this woman does a lot of talking hooey. Repairing, fixing, assessing the current resources seems about as conservative as a conservative could be. Not like going out and building bridges to nowhere.
Furthermore it seems like she does a lot of whining, bashing, complaining etc but offers no pragmatic, rational solutions, and it seems to me she spends a lot of her haranguing on how she be swinging on coattails of corrupt, con men.
What exactly could she really contribute that Alaska needs more of? Ask yourself what sort of effort she makes to support the Alaskan sense of dignity, self determination and sufficiency, as well as economic priorities. How does starting her own personal church group contribute to general welfare? Isn’t there supposed to be separation between Church and State?
All great points Mrs N
A Harvard law grad, who passed the Bar on her first attempt. Lisa took the Bar Exam at least 6 times before passing, and that’s after getting the exam questions prior to the test in a big exam scandal. Lisa has an inferior brain. That’s why she went over to the Democrats. Everyone knows that Democrats don’t do well at logic or rational thinking. The above pister is a prime example.
Well I dunno Mary. You lob 4 unsupportable claims and expect us to believe you? And just for the record I’m no fan of Murkowski, but she’s light years better than Grifter.
Light years? Ahhh, OK. You might want to check Murkowski’s warp factor!
Commercial fisherman may remember the taxes Murkowski saved them after Supreme Court cut they’er Exxon oil spill law suit’s in half, and the many millions of dollars Alaska received over the years for many projects including infrastructure, as she has worked hard for Alaska, has a job, is not a government freeloader and never was a Cheechako because she was born in Ketchikan.
Kelly— the GOP needs to make commercials shouting this out. We need wide coverage and advertising. I know McConnell threw lots of $$ at Murkowski. Aren’t there other PACs out there that can help make this happen? I have donated twice to your campaign, but I’m not a PAC.
Shame on all of you who want federal money over the creation of our own wealth. Shame on all of you who would support a demon who murders babies.
Oh, yeah. So what? Big deal! Who cares? Gimme, gimme! ? ? ??? ?. Now what? You got it! ???.
Was on a plane with her once. Sun blinding us, asked her to pull the blind down. Looked at me like “ How dare you ask ME that” Finally closed it after about 45-60 minutes. Made me question myself for past votes she got from me. NEVER AGAIN!!
Once again, Lyin’ Lisa leads the charge…..
In the wrong direction.
But, what would one expect from democrat Lisa?
MRAK fails to mention Senator Sullivan has been promoting benefits to Alaskans from the legislation since the bill was signed. Governor Dunleavy promotes renewable resources that will benefit from the legislation. Kelly T has hit her ceiling, because she only appeals to MAGA voters who are a minority
I chuckle when the commercial about being on a ‘gravy train’…thought Lisa was actually referring to herself!! Let’s see now…for how many years?? And she flunked the bar exam…how many times? Daddy came to the rescue again!! Now she wants Alaska to continue her Gravy Train! Time to get off Lisa! Go ‘love’ another state! We don’t want you anymore!
Remember Obama’s infrastructure bill for ‘shovel ready jobs?’ Out of $800 billion, about $120 billion actually went to infrastructure projects. Where did the rest go? That’s what citizens have been asking Washington bureaucrats for many decades. This will be no different.
When Alaska “became” a state in 1959 Alaskans envisioned infrastructure opportunities like transportation amenities seen in the lower 48 especially with our land access with our ally, neighbor and friend Canada rooting for us and our development efforts. It was all brought to nothing by foreign agendas, external goals and firm, secretive influence. Development otherwise known as infrastructure is held in abeyance as we await the foreign WEF directives as delivered by the acceptable candidates for congress. An unpatriotic, lackluster bunch if ever you saw one. “infrastructure”? NO. It is a democratic joke on Alaskans/investors. AHAHAHAHAHA!
When Lisa comes to a fork in the political road, she always goes LEFT. I believe Kelly will go RIGHT. Time for a change, time to vote for Kelly.
A major problem with the infrastructure bill – no new roads and fix the old ones. Hum, don’t you need oil/ petroleum to make asphalt? Did no one see that coming? How’s Lisa’s time in Congress working for us now? The- USA- has- no -oil -production. Maybe that should have been the bigger fight. Let’s allow Kelly to take a shot at the job.
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