The
great state of California, erstwhile Land of Milk and Honey, is allegedly
nearing completion of the Wallis
Annenberg Wildlife Crossing (WAWC), an overpass for animals above
ten lanes of the 101 Freeway in Southern California. The state’s governor,
Gavin “Slick” Newsom, was all but giddy at the span’s groundbreaking ceremony
in 2022. Today, nearly four years after that ceremony, the bridge is well past
its projected completion date and at least $21 million over budget and
counting. Yet, WAWC project leader and cougar fan Beth Pratt told the
City Journal that the state’s taxpayers’ are footing the bill for an overpass
“for everything from monarch butterflies to mountain lions.”
Does
Newsom not know that butterflies can fly? (Hence the name.) I mean, his lysdexia dyslexia shouldn’t
come into play here. Butterflies don’t need a “bridge” to anywhere. In fact, monarch
butterflies migrate from all over the United States to Mexico, some traveling
upwards of 1,500 miles. Note to Newsom and crew: they don’t walk. They fly.
Over things. Ergo they, like birds, don’t need bridges. And the
population of squirrels, rabbits, and other rodents, needs to be thinned out,
anyway. Deer are too dumb to use a bridge humans designate for animals only.
There
is no ramp up to the Butterfly Bridge at this point, which means it is doing no
good for any animal that can’t fly…and isn’t needed for any that can. Surely
the state will add a ramp or something to allow land-bound critters to cross
the ten-lane freeway, probably at a cost of several more million dollars or
more. California taxpayers, will that fly with you? Guess you don’t really have
a choice. (Taxation without representation?)
And
mountain lions? They aren’t going to be impressed by the 26 million pounds of
concrete used to support the bridge’s topside, which includes up to four feet
of soil, thousands of native plants, various rock formations, and sound walls
made from natural vegetation. A simple span would have sufficed.
Well
over two billion cars have crossed California’s other famous span, the
Golden Gate Bridge, since its opening. That bridge cost between 35 and 37
million dollars at the time (in 1930s dollars). The Butterfly Bridge has so far
consumed nearly $114 million taxpayer dollars and no animals have yet been able
to traverse it. (Though it is likely some butterflies have flown over it.) The
Golden Gate Bridge is 4,200-feet long compared to the Butterfly Bridge’s
210-foot span and took a little over four years to build. The WAWC is currently
in its fourth year of construction. Compare and contrast.
How
much fraud, corruption, and profligate waste of taxpayer’s money is enough?
I
guess we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. If we can.
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