For $102 million, we could build a bunch of roads, repair bridges, build power plants, and while we’re at it, expand some missile fields in Fort Greely. In short, $102 million creates quite the economic impact — especially in communities like Fairbanks.
$102 million is the amount Trump’s border wall with Mexico could take from Alaska’s slated infrastructure and construction projects, thanks to Sen. Dan Sullivan’s vote on emergency funding.
Gone — all from our Interior.
And the comment from Sen. Sullivan? “I plan to dig deep into the assumptions made and details of the decision-making undertaken that led to what I hope is not this shortsighted decision.”
Sen. Sullivan, the time to get the facts is before a vote, not after. What about Alaska’s interests? Our local Fairbanks economy? And what about our families?
The projects in Alaska include $75.4 million in work on power plant boilers and a $19 million firing range at Eielson Air Force Base, and $8 million for work on the anti-ballistic missile launching facility at Fort Greely in Delta Junction.
This is a pretty big chunk of change sucked out from our local Fairbanks and North Pole economies. Our residents work those federal projects. Those are our neighbors’ jobs. Those are our jobs. Without those local infrastructure projects, we’ll continue to see our community suffer economically.
I just can’t help but wonder what happened to the mantra, “Build the wall and have Mexico pay for it.” Maybe I should ask Sen. Sullivan.
Alaskans in the Interior can do better than the incumbent U.S. senator. At least we’ll get a “heads-up” when these kinds of cuts happen in our community.
— Tristin Sinclair
North Pole
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