While you were trying to feed and clothe your children, the Federal Highway Administration gave $1.25 million of your money to Arizona to build squirrel bridges so they don’t end up on the menu at the local Roadkill Cafe. Apparently the expenditure is necessary because cars kill on average five Mountain Graham red squirrels each year. And since they are endangered, it would be squirrel-unfriendly to put a cost limit on these life-saving bridges.
The Federal Highway Administration grant will be used to build rope bridges over the lone road through the squirrels’ habitat, according to Arizona Department of Transportation Community Relations Director Timothy Tait. The DOT plans to install 41 of the “canopy tunnel crossings” at a cost of $400,000.
Another $160,000 will be spent on cameras to monitor the bridges, and the rest of the money will fund a project to monitor the rodents.
That works out to about $5,000 per squirrel.
And the bridges will be very squirrel-friendly because they “are made of military grade nylon. They’re fire retardant and will be dyed a green color to fit in with the environment.” I feel sorry for the squirrels in my backyard. All they have are trees and powers lines.
I feel sorrier for my children who will have to pay the bill for this type of reckless spending that only adds to our national debt.
[...] FaceBook too), reported that the Federal Highway Administration gave Arizona $1.25 million to build special squirrel bridges “so they don’t end up on the menu at the road kill [...]
July 12th, 2010 at 6:44 pm[...] Amy reminds readers that while Markey seemed to suggest more in the gasoline tax, the Federal Highway Administration gave Arizona $1.25 million to build special bridges for squirrels. [...]
July 12th, 2010 at 7:15 pm