Former Alaskan Senator Ted Steven died in a plane crash on Monday. Regardless of which way you lean, a person has to admit that he did a lot for the State of Alaska. This state was his passion. Uncle Ted was well known, and well criticized, for his earmarks and pork barrel politics, but no matter what way you look at it, without Uncle Ted the Great Land would be a very different place.
As current Alaskan Sen. Lisa Murkowski said, “There is nothing that has happened in my lifetime, there is nothing that has happened since statehood, that Ted Stevens did not touch, that he did not build, did not create.”
Reviled by many, loved by more, Alaskans will always remember Ted Stevens. I know I will...every time I flush a toilet, drink clean water, land at an airport, go to a rural health clinic, or drive on a road. So long Uncle Ted, and thanks for all the pork.
Below is a blog post of mine from a couple years ago.
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Senator Ted Stevens Arrived in Kotzebue today.
There were a lot of people at the airport to welcome him, including the Northwest Arctic Borough School District's Youth Leaders.
Senator Stevens took time to meet the kids and have their pictures taken with him before he headed over to KOTZ Radio
At KOTZ Radio Senator Stevens was interviewed by Dean Westlake. Dean thanked Stevens for his many years of service and dedication to the State of Alaska.
If you live in rural Alaska and can flush your toilet you can pretty much thank Ted Stevens. If you break your arm and the hospital in Kotzebue, Nome or Barrow patches you up you can thank Ted Stevens. Drinking clean water in the bush? Thank Uncle Ted.
Senator Stevens was also welcomed by Suzie Erlich, General Manager of KOTZ Radio, Chester Ballot, Cairman of the KOTZ Radio Board of Directors, and Carl Weisner of OTZ Telephone.
Senator Stevens will be meeting with the public from 3pm to 6pm at OTZ Telephone.
6 comments:
Very Sad:(
What a great post in memory of an honorable man.
Praying for all of them.. it's sad.
I remember this post when you did it originally, and was surprised then, and now again, at how much older his face looks that I thought in my head, and how kind it looks (whether he was or not, notwithstanding) and most of all, how UNpoliticianlike he looks. I know he had many supporters and many detractors, but no one can aruge about what he DID do for Alaskans. Nice tribute. Sympathy to his family, and the families of all the other crash victims as well.
Heck even I actually voted for him once. Sad to see him go, he had a HUGE impact on Alaska.
Most definitely, "Larger Than Life."
Got teary eyed reading the accounts of the funeral. Sigh.
Very Very good title - I think it sums up the feeling of many Alaskans who otherwise didn't support Ted Steven's ideology or other political positions (and those who did).
I hope future 'new Alaskans' learn about his legacy as he was a better man than the screaming image of a guy in a hulk tie we saw on Jon Stewart.
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