Early Voting Starts Today, as Juneau Gets ‘Sullied.’

In Anchorage, home to more than half of Alaska’s sparse population, it’s a big deal when legislators come to town. No matter how much an Anchorageite loves Juneau, there is still a little peevishness that our capital city isn’t accessible by road, and takes a $500 plane ticket to reach. We cherish those opportunities (like the special session that happened in Anchorage a couple years ago) when we can pull our boots on, and get involved in the public process right in our own back yard.

And so, hundreds packed the Assembly chambers at the Loussac Library a couple weeks ago to speak to the Anchorage caucus of the legislature. For many, this would be the first or the only time they would stand before the body, and speak in public about matters that are important to them. Constituents had prepared and rehearsed their three minute remarks, arrived at 10am on a chilly Saturday, signed their name in the book, and began the long wait to stand up and speak their piece.

First up on the roster? Anchorage Mayor Dan Sullivan. No brief perfunctory remarks from our mayor – no siree. Before anyone could say “where’s the party planner?,” Mayor Dan was rolling a ten-minute long video about the “Mayor’s Education Summit,” his series of community events designed to push “school choice” (i.e. vouchers & private schools), and defund public education in the process. The video went on… and on… and… on, while the captive audience got to watch the backside of the mayor as he gazed lovingly up at himself on the big screen.

After the mayors opening remarks, the 10 minute video starring the mayor, the mayor’s closing remarks, and the mayor’s transportation guy who followed, a full half hour was gone. I’ll save you the math – that was one quarter of the allotted time for constituents to speak taken up by the mayor’s bloviating, propaganda peddling, and kissing of his own hand. After it was done, there was a conspicuous lack of applause. I think I did, however, hear a cricket.

Next up was retiring Superintendent of Schools, Carol Comeau. She kept her comments brief, praised our public schools, and was hailed with a long standing ovation. I couldn’t see the mayor through the cheering crowd, but I suspect he turned a bit green.

Then Rep. Lance Pruitt announced that public testimony would have to be cut to 2 minutes per person instead of three, because we were short on time. And yes, the vast number of people who had prepared three-minute testimony were cut off by the electronic buzzer thing, and left in mid-sentence, with unfinished thoughts stuck in the throat, and just when they were about to…

>>>>DING!<<<<   NEXT!

Later in the hearing, he asked that if people were there to talk about things that others had already talked about, to keep it even shorter than two minutes. And a group of nine Native school kids were told that instead of each of them testifying, that they just pick three of them to speak.

So, today, the Mayor is doing his dog and pony show for the legislators all over again… in Juneau. Because, of course, he gets to fly to Juneau whenever he wants to talk to whatever legislators or group of legislator he wants, to show them all the glory that is Him.  I guess it’s just fun to steal our time for the heck of it.

There are many reasons not to vote for Dan Sullivan, and I’ll be reminding you all of what they are in the coming days. But this little reminder of Dan’s love affair with Dan, and his animosity toward public education falls on a very special day.

TODAY you may vote! You may walk yourself to one of several polling places, you may hold your head high, and you may fill in the oval for Paul Honeman, and for Yes on Prop 5. I know that there are many of you whose pencil fingers have been itchy, so I thought I’d remind you that instant gratification awaits at the Loussac Library, City Hall, and the Chugiak Senior Center. Details HERE.

Vote for a better Anchorage, and OCCUPY THE OVAL!

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