He responded with an obscene gesture
The twisted case of Coconut Road...
Remember the bridge to nowhere? To an Alaskan island with a population of less than 50? A bridge that would be almost as long as the Golden Gate and higher than the Brooklyn Bridge? It was Alaskan Rep. Don Young, who tried to bring home that bridge bacon .. worth $941 million. When the country found out about it, plans were stalled.
Now look what he's up to in Florida. He approved a $10 million earmark to extend Coconut Road in Bonita Springs so it could join up to I75.
The Republican congressman of that district says he did not seek the money. County authorities have twice voted not to use it.
What does Florida have to do with a congressman from Alaska? Nothing but money.
From the NYT:
"The Coconut Road money is a boon, however, to Daniel J. Aronoff, a real estate developer who helped raise $40,000 for Mr. Young at the nearby Hyatt Coconut Point hotel days before he introduced the measure.
....A consultant who helped push for the project spelled out why its supporters held the fund-raiser. "We were looking for a lot of money," said the consultant, Joe Mazurkiewicz. "We evidently made a very good impression on Congressman Young, and thanks to a lot of great work from Congressman Young, we got $81 million to expand Interstate 75 and $10 million for the Coconut Road interchange."
....When he was approached near the House floor by a reporter, Mr. Young responded with an obscene gesture."[..]
Yes, yes .. $40,000 certainly would make a "very good impression" .. and he didn't have to mess around with stacks of aluminum foil packages ...
Why is it legal if the money goes into a politician's PAC, but illegal if it goes into a politician's freezer?
Welp .. it just goes to show that Republicans are SO much better at corruption than Democrats! Always have been, always will be .. it's their job. ;-)
