Arizona Cancels $1.25M Bridge for 250 Squirrels (Stimulus Money)

Today we decided to highlight squirrels and what Congress had planned for them in the stimulus package -- rope bridges in Arizona. The head of the Arizona Department of Transportation came to his senses and decided not to build the bridges. It didn't mean he doesn't believe in squirrel bridges, he just didn't think transportation dollars should be spent for squirrel bridges.

Members of Congress who voted for the stimulus voted for these squirrel bridges which doesn't say too much for those in majority leadership that put the money for squirrels in the stimulus bill. What does that tell you about some of the people we have in Congress who would spend $1.25M on 250 red squirrels in Arizona? We have still not been able to track down who submitted this $1.2M request for the Mount Graham red squirrel. Can only imagine this is a tip of the iceberg on the money that is being wasted by the stimulus bill.

Some people are asking if the Federal Government is going to sue Arizona now for not using the money for squirrels. A lot of people think the squirrels are sitting in Congress but my favorite one asked if this was how ACORN was getting their money. Then you have the people because it is federal dollars think it is perfectly fine to spend $1.25M of 'federal' dollars -- they refuse to acknowledge it is 'OUR' tax dollars at work.

My question would be how do you get a squirrel to use the bridge? Note this bridge was going to be a special size so only red squirrels could use -- guess they don't care about the rest of the squirrels -- only the endangered red squirrels who lose 5-6 a year due to becoming roadkill. The squirrels are doing a pretty good job of dodging cars with that low number.

Someone pointed out they have some of these rope bridges in Pennsylvania over the interstate that tour drivers point out. Nice to know our elected officials think so much of squirrels that they spend our tax dollars on expensive bridges for them to cross the roads safely. Wonder how many people know they hard earned money taken for taxes is being used for squirrel bridges?

As one mother put it, let the Boy Scouts build and mount the bridges -- they could do it for less. Sounds like a plan but there might be a problem with SEIU leadership on behalf of their union members in Arizona because the Boy Scouts could be taking away their jobs of building and mounting squirrel bridges.

We leave you with another example of waste in the federal stimulus package -- this time money was going to be spent for the squirrels. We will keep you posted if the Obama Adminmistration decides to sue Arizona on behalf of the squirrels not getting their bridges!

Arizona Cancels $1.25M Bridge for 250 Squirrels

Rope Bridges Were Expected to Save Five Squirrels a Year From Being Road Kill

By JOHN WETENHALL

June 18, 2010 Arizona abruptly canceled plans today to spend $1.25 million to build bridges for a colony of 250 squirrels so they would not have to cross a rural road and could avoid becoming road kill.

Arizona is spending $1.25 million to build bridges for 250 rare red squirrels so they won't get hit by cars crossing the rural road. The expenditure is expected to save the lives of five squirrels a year.

John Halikowski, director of Arizona's Department of Transportation, halted the bridge project that was being paid for with federal highway funds.

"ADOT will not spend funds simply because they are available," he said in a statement. "Protection of the red squirrel may be an appropriate effort," Halikowski said, "but not with transportation funding."

The money was being spent, officials said, because cars kill about five of these squirrels each year. The Mount Graham red squirrel is on the endangered species list.

The cancellation came after news reports, including one from ABC News, highlighted the planned expenditure. Halikowski did not specify how the $1.25 million would be used now, but said in his statement "if necessary, the department will forfeit the $1.25 million project cost and return the funds to Washington, D.C." rather than spend it on squirrels.

David Kincaid, city manager of the nearby town of Safford, welcomed the news.

"People were just bewildered about why would we spend $1.25 million on a project like this," he said. "I think it's probably best that it was handled this way."

The DOT planned to install 41 "canopy tunnel crossings," essentially ropes over the road, at a cost of $400,000. Another $160,000 was to be spent on cameras to monitor the bridges, and the rest of the money will fund a project to monitor the rodents.

They are called "canopy tunnel crossings" because they were to include a mesh tunnel through which only the Mount Graham red squirrels – and not other larger squirrel species – could fit.

The tunnel would have protected the squirrels from predators like birds of prey.

Source:ABC News