Alaska, Aleutian for "land of government waste"

Several weeks ago, Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens gave an indignant speech on the Senate floor in response to a proposed amendment that would cut some pork designated for his home state and redistribute it to the ravaged Gulf Coast region. Stevens warned his colleagues:

"I will put the Senate on notice -- and I don't kid people -- if the Senate decides to discriminate against our state and take money only from our state, I will resign from this body."

Unfortunately for our nation's fiscal health, it didn't come to that. The amendment was defeated 82-15 and Alaska will continue to receive its ridiculously disproportionate share of government largesse. But this episode has called attention to the scandalous amount of tax dollars that ends up in the pockets of Alaskans.

Alaska is a stunningly beautiful place. It remains one of the last places in the world where you can truly witness nature unencumbered by human beings. On two trips there I've encountered grizzly bears, a wolverine, watched multitudes of salmon swim upstream, and viewed towering mountain ranges. On these trips, I've been impressed by the kind of rugged individualism it takes to live in Alaska. You've got to be tough to survive those winters.

With that toughness, Alaska's conservatism seemed to make sense. I imagined that Alaskans had a self-reliant, independent streak. In reality, Alaska is an enormous welfare state that would make the Europeans blush. Its residents pay no sales or income tax and each year every man, woman and child who has lived in Alaska for the preceding year receives a dividend check from the Alaska Permanent Fund. This year it's $845.76 just for breathing the Alaska air.

Meanwhile, Alaska receives more federal spending per capita than ANY state, $1,150 per person. And soon, U.S. taxpayers are poised to spend $223 million for a bridge to nowhere in the 49th State.

Any notion of conservatism and self-reliance among Alaskans is nothing more than a myth. It's time to cut Alaska and Sen. Stevens off. Learn more about the "bridge to nowhere" and how Alaska's congressional delegation is fleecing you from Taxpayers for Common Sense.