Arizona Gives Taxpayers A Break and Cancels $1.25M Bridge for 250 Squirrels

Bluegrass Pundit ^ | June 20, 2010 | Bluegrass Pundit

[Askwhy5times]

The cost of this bridge would have been $5000 a squirrel. It would have saved an estimated 5 squirrels a year from becoming roadkill. Amortized over a ten year period, the cost per 'squirrel death saved' would have been $25,000 per squirrel. The cancellation came after news reports brought the project to the public's attention. Taxpayers have had a very small part of their faith in government sanity restored. So far, the squirrels have failed to comment.

ABC News reported:

Arizona abruptly canceled plans today to spend $1.25 million to build bridges for a colony of 250 squirrels so they would not have to cross a rural road and could avoid becoming road kill.

John Halikowski, director of Arizona's Department of Transportation, halted the bridge project that was being paid for with federal highway funds.

[libh8er]

I am not against bridges for squirrels if it saves (squirrel) lives.. if it cost say $500. But $1.25m ???? You can bet $1.24m of it would be absorbed by the state bureaucracy even before the fist brick, or whatever building blocks are used for building squirrel bridges, is laid.

[LiberConservative]

The oil companies spent millions of dollars building bridges for the Alaskan Caribou to cross over the pipelines. The Caribou rarely use them. They learned how to lean down and cross under. And they also learned that the pump station buildings are kind of nice for shelter. Nature will find a way. And she does not need for puny humans to spend millions of dollars to protect her species.

[Grizzled Bear]

When the whack-jobs start whining, and you know they will, the state should suggest they fund the project with private donations. It worked for the Statue of Liberty restoration.

Privitization (via a nongovernmental nonprofit) of the SoL restoration was one of President Reagan’s finest acts. The project met standards and within the budget.

[Sacajaweau]

That’s “nuts”.....

[Sacajaweau]

That’s “nuts”.....

[EmilyGeiger]

Squirrels....nature’s little speedbumps.

[Red_Devil 232]

Put an old used telephone pole in each side and string a cable between them. Squirrels love tight roping across wires!

[dsrtsage]

What makes these people believe that a squirrel has the cognitave abilities to recognize that upon approaching a road, they will recognize it as dangerous, and will then know to go to the bridge. Hell, don’t see it in the US much, but in mexico I see humans run across highways with 70mph traffic directly underneath pedestrian overpasses all the time.

[MaxMax]

Yes, let the Serra club and their ilk pay out of their own damn pockets!

[troy McClure]

I guess the Rat poison worked.

[Grizzled Bear]

Worth repeating?

[xrmusn]

approaching a road, they will recognize it as dangerous, and will then know to go to the bridge
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WAIT A MINUTE....
It works for the deer, doesn’t it?

There was a story couple of years ago where a woman went to a County Board Meeting and asked that the deer crossing signs be removed from her property as the deer were ruining her garden.....
Now you know one can’t just make this stuff up.....<: <: