Half a million tax $ to paint an airplane to look like a fish?

[Dr.Phool]

I was just about ready to puke watching Alaska Senator (R-obviously) try to justify torture on c-span. Then I ran across some more of his handiwork. Hell this almost makes $200 million for a bridge to nowhere look like a deal.

Check out the picture.


http://www.adn.com/front/story/7038924p-6942571c.html



Alaska Airlines takes flying fish to a whole new level

$500,000 grant from federal funding pays for custom paint job on company's passenger jet

By WESLEY LOY
Anchorage Daily News

Published: October 2, 2005
Last Modified: October 2, 2005 at 03:07 AM

So, you landed a big king salmon this summer? It can't compare to the colossal king Alaska Airlines plans to land this morning in Anchorage.

The Seattle-based carrier has painted nearly the full length of a Boeing 737-400 passenger jet as a wild Alaska king, or chinook, salmon. The airline has dubbed its flying fish the "Salmon-Thirty-Salmon."

It's a bold promotional move to celebrate wild Alaska seafood and also the carrier's role in hauling millions of pounds of fresh salmon, halibut, crab, shrimp and other seafood out of the state each year.

[ET Awful]

1. LOL . . . . Ooooooookay.

I mean, I'm not sure I want my tax dollars spent on it, but the jet sure does look cool :).

Seriously though, I've seen even whackier grants given for even whackier projects.

[smirkymonkey]

2. Why don't they paint it like a pig to celebrate PORK.

This just makes my head spin.

[CatWoman]

3. *ahem*

:D

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=4977210&mesg_id=4977210

[Dr.Phool]

8. Sorry

My DSL has been acting squirrely for 3 days. On-off every 5 minutes. Otherwise I would have spotted your post.

[iconoclastNYC]

4. This is so stupid in so many ways.

If you want to promote Salmon, buy BUS ADS. How is a billboard at 30K feet effective?

So fucking STUPID.

[soothsayer]

5. It's pretty cool looking, tho

[SoCalDem]

6. Ages ago, Calder painted Braniff planes

but I doubt that tax dollars paid for it :(

Braniff had the spiffiest planes going....

[Indy Lurker]

7. They did it for the halibut nt

[mattclearing]

9. LOL at "Salmon-Thirty-Salmon." That's fucking hilarious.

[gauguin57]

10. I think money for these food-promotion boards would be a good budget cut

I mean, they're private enterprise. Why in the hell are we paying for their advertising, basically? Behold the power of cheese. Whatever. Let the National Dairy Princess/Fish Princess do this stuff.

This is B.S. The Katrina victims need this money, not the fishmongers (or Stevens Fils and Stevens Pere!)

[Cats Against Frist]

11. I wish all planes looked like giant flying salmon

but -- why am I paying for it?

[electron_blue]

17. LOL, thanks for the laugh

[aquart]

12. Why can't the STATE pay for a state promotion?

[Straight Shooter]

13. LOL. Apparently man and fish CAN peacefully co-exist. n/t

[Blue_In_AK]

14. The seafood industry is very important to Alaska...

...and the plane does look pretty cool. That being said, I wish Uncle Ted and Don Young would stop embarrassing us with all these pork projects, especially given the situation in the Gulf states. We really don't need the publicity.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

15. This fish stinks to high heavens! eom

[tigersumtin]

16. I have the urge

to grab my fishing pole,