Thursday, November 22, 2012

A Keynesian/Krugman Alaska Boom Town

An airport with no planes, a newly constructed harbor with no roads to get to it.

Yahoo reports:
Remember Alaska's infamous bridge to nowhere? Well, another town in "Seward's Icebox" has upped the ante after building an unused $75.5 million airport and a $29 million harbor with no roads connecting to the town.

The Aleutians community of Akutan is home to just over 1,000 seasonal workers and 75 full-time residents, though only about five boats, as KUCB reports.

"I personally own half a vessel," Akutan mayor Joseph Bereskin told the publication. Though, for the record, Bereskin says he supported construction of the harbor and hopes it will grow in popularity once a connecting road is eventually built.

The Army Corps of Engineers, using $29 million in federal stimulus money, built the harbor.
"Yes. It's not normal," Steve Boardman, head of the Army Corps of Engineers civil projects division, told KUCB. "And it has prevented the construction of harbors in the past, when that supporting infrastructure is not there."

There have been tentative plans to build a connecting road for years, but Jacob Stepetin of the Akutan Traditional Council says the project still lacks financial commitments from the state and federal governments and local businesses.

The Phantom Capitalist emails:

Krugman and other Keynesians would say this is the key to economic growth.

1 comment:

  1. Well where the heck do you think the Space Aliens are going to land that Krugman said were good for the economy too? Of course we want them to land in the middle of no where, duh!

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