Parnell’s Petty Party
The concept of letting someone else do all the work and then stealing the glory is reprehensible in general, but to the men and women who serve in the military, that violation of basic honor and integrity cuts close to the bone. So does using the men and women who serve our country as a partisan political backdrop, just because it looks good in a photo op.
If you were on Facebook this week, you might have seen the following picture posted on Sen. Kevin Meyer’s page featuring Sean Parnell signing several bills affecting the military. But one in particular was very important and far reaching. It’s the Military Training Credit Bill, House Bill 84. The Governor’s press release describes the bill as:
sponsored by Representative Saddler, allows military service, training, and education acquired while on active duty service to count toward temporary occupational licensure. It also directs the University of Alaska to accept credit toward degrees and vocational certificates if applicable.
It’s specifically designed to assist returning vets from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to integrate into the workforce in a meaningful way that takes advantage of their special skills and abilities.
Look at that. There’s Gov. Parnell (R) signing the bill, while Sen. Kevin Meyer (R), and Rep. Charisse Millet (R) look on. Behind them are Rep. Lora Rhinebold (R), Rep. Dan Saddler (R), Rep. Shelley Hughes (R), Rep. Lance Pruitt (R), Rep. Gabrielle LeDoux (R), Wes Keller (R) and Mia Costello (R).
And here’s another shot from Mia Costello’s (R) Facebook page. She also Tweeted this picture for all to see.
And here’s a nice one from the State website.
Does anyone notice any kind of pattern? Perhaps a common theme? Something that these people all seem to have in common?
Why, yes. You figured it out! It looks like this bill is brought to you by the letter “R” doesn’t it? Because there’s no D in sight.
Which of those fine legislators is responsible for this bill, you may ask? Whose office wrote the bill and did well over 90% of the work on the bill? Who’s been going to the mat for veterans with this bill for three years now? It must have been one of those folks in the picture, or mentioned in the governor’s press release, right?
If you guessed any one of them, you’d be wrong.
The correct answer would be Senator Bill Wielechowski. And wait for it… He’s a Democrat.
Wielechowski’s district includes JBER (Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson) where the bill signing took place.
Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) has selected Senator Bill Wielechowski, a Democrat from East Anchorage, as the “State Legislator of the Year” for 2012.
The award is given only once every two years to one legislator in the entire nation who has exhibited exceptional leadership, support and dedication to veterans, service members and their families.
Senator Wielechowski’s incredible national honor from the VVA was in part due to his work on this very bill. Wielechowski and his team are the rock stars who wrote this bill, and no legislator, and no legislative office have worked harder to advance veterans’ issues in the state. They have been pushing this one forward for three years. The bill actually passed in the session before last, but got held up because the Republican controlled House wouldn’t hear it… until this legislative session, that is, when Wielechowski found himself in the minority party, and therefore took on a majority party co-sponsor Dan Saddler (R). He’s the one mentioned in the press release.
So, what gives? Wouldn’t you think that Sen. Wielechowski would have shown up at his own bill signing? I mean, simply because he’s in the minority shouldn’t mean anything. Even Sarah Palin invited sponsors from both sides to bill signings.
I decided to ask Senator Wielechowski’s office exactly what happened. Why wasn’t he there for the culmination of this incredible effort? Was everything OK? I sent an inquiry to Senator Wielechowski who responded:
“I would have been honored to attend. My office has put a lot of work in to this bill. But the most important thing is that is was signed into law, and it will help get our veterans back to work.”
A further contact with the Senator’s office indicated that there was a lot of excitement about the bill signing. Many groups and individuals had a hand in promoting the bill, supporting it, testifying for it, and engaging others in the process, and everyone was waiting for the big moment of the bill signing. A Wielechowski staffer had inquired with the governor’s office well in advance of the event about getting specifics, but never heard back. Then, the staffer talked to another legislative office who knew that plans were in the works for at least a week before the signing, but refused to share the details and eventually stopped responding to the requests for information.
After the press release from the Governor stating that the bill signing had already occurred, the senate staffer called and talked with the Governor’s staff, asking why the Senator’s office had not been notified after multiple specific requests. The staffer was told by the Governor’s office that “plans were put together so quickly, and there were challenges with scheduling the event on base.”
And yet somehow, some way, miraculously, ten or more Republican legislators, and everyone else in attendance managed to figure it all out. It’s a Christmas Miracle.
And as a side note, Senator Wielechowski is the only one of them who has a base pass and can go on and off JBER at will. Because he not only wrote the bill and got it to the vote, it’s HIS DISTRICT. So yes, what I’m saying is:
The Governor’s office not only didn’t invite the legislator from the district, who wrote the bill, but the information about the date and location of the signing was deliberately withheld from him. And then, the administration misrepresented the reason for the “omission” afterwards.
But wait, there’s more. Another bill that Senator Wielechowski has sponsored the past couple years for the military, the PFD allowable absence, was also recently signed in the Governor’s office without notification or an invitation. Requests from the Senator’s office as to the details of that bill signing also went unanswered. And Rep. Eric Feige (R) was the one who swiped the moment and put out the press release on that particular bill signing.
We’ve all known someone like that, who lets you do all the work and then delights in stealing it for the credit. It’s a lousy thing to do, and veterans in particular should find it pretty loathsome. Alaskans, and men and women in uniform, don’t forget who did the work, and who stole the glory while using the troops as window dressing.
Shame on the whole lot.
Oh my..that is SO the way things work for those particular pubbies..and delicious…as, in the future..who knows how long..this website and all its posting/alerts..etc. will be here..for Their Kids To Read!! Yuppers..the teens of today..are the modern wisdom creators..of all our tomorrows. Lets just relax..and enjoy ..The Show..’cause its gonna have a Lot..of butts to bite..down the line…
ADN.com Ear reports that KTVA Bill McAllister, former Aide for Palin Administration, resigned after he was charged with a misdemeanor after allegedly using an electronic device to put someone in fear of their life…
Court hearing is scheduled for June 24th…all those that the Palin’s targeted should show up for that hearing…
Wonder Boy Sean will have a time explaining this…after Bill spills the beans about how many times he did this?
With the past and current administration…how’s that working for you Parnell…now you can have a pity party…
“The staffer was told by the Governor’s office that “plans were put together so quickly, and there were challenges with scheduling the event on base.””
That is not a misrepresentation. That is a lie. One of those things God commanded us not to do.
Oh yeah, and it was just waaaayyy too hard to call Senator Wielechowski and tell him.
I mean, it is not like everybody has a cell phone or anything.
Whadya expect, miracles?
SP 2.0 is a disgrace to Alaskans and Alaska. Sen. Bill, I’m glad your bill got passed, even if you got snubbed.
If these people are truly representative of the majority of Alaskans,……..
Listen,Buster, did you give your deer my GPS coordinates,an iowa map and an ultimatum? My garden is full of cloven hoof prints and deer droppings,although they haven’t eaten anything yet.
YUP !!! They liked those tin cans so much, I told them where the idea came from !! I’m about to string the entire yard with monofilment line, seems to be the best thing short of the Remington…. now where IS that big wash basin and tripod and pulley for hoisting the thing up in the air…… 🙂
I’m beginning to think Cap’n Torpedo aspires to be King Torpedo
Or leastways, Daddy Torpedo…
( We get told over and over again that our Gov has more powers than most Governors and that this is a good thing. It did settle some problems the Territorial government had but I have real doubts about how that shakes out now. )
Clear back to refusing to meet President Obama when he stopped here til now with this hokey partisan stunt , Mr Parnell has steadfastly pretended we live in a wholly R world here .
He gets testy and patriarchal when reality intrudes as can be noted from the (bi-partisan ) effort to get repeal of SB21 on the ballot :
“The referendum is now in the signature-gathering phase, as supporters try to qualify for the ballot. Parnell said that the effort could be damaging to the state, even if it doesn’t reach a vote.
“The more people who sign that referendum petition, it’s more likely to have a chilling effect on jobs and opportunities than anything,” he said. “I wouldn’t want to see that happen.” ”
http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/20130606/parnell-claims-oil-tax-referendum-could-have-chilling-effect-alaska-investment
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Is pitiful this bill needed an R co-sponsor to pass, is even more pitiful all those Rs were pretending they “made this”. Pfffftttt! on Governor Parnell and what has become a non-responsive and irresponsible Governor’s Office.
Congratulations to all who worked to get this passed who got left out because they weren’t an R.
Congratulations to Senator Bill.
Best wishes to our vets. Hoping this helps as it is intended.
Also hoping the stench of this stunt gets washed off properly. Yech.
Too bad Alaska can’t or wont “dispatch” Parnell with all due “dispatch”! Must have not noticed Conoco saying that profits for the next several years will be going to shareholders-Alaska residents not included.
If the referendum makes it to ballot, it will voted on in the same election Mr Parnell hopes to convince us he’s the right guy for Gov again .
We’ll see what the gerrymandering redistricting bunch does to us then too.
Yeehaw. Wahoo. Pffft.
( I’m so sick and frickin tired of popcorn and doofus political stunts and all of it but gotta keep chugging along fighting the good fight. )
The answers you seek are rilly very simple. They already had a bill and didn’t want to upset ther balance of nature by inviting the bill’s author-the best Bill in Alaska. That would make two bills versus one skunk,one Wes,Mia,Charisse,Lorax,Dan,Shelley,Lance,Gabrielle and last and least,a Kevin. If you have to add a D to an R it makes rethugligans look like they believe in science and research AND development ,and nobody should ever be forced to conclude that horror of horrors about rwnj.
I would make a comment, but I’m too sickened to the depths of my heart to do so. beth.
This disgusts me so much! Everyone here is being railroaded by a band of idiots who would sell our very soul to anyone just for attention. I lived and loved this state for the past 7 years, but alas, it is becoming too much … jousting at windmills. I saw the repubs overturn our own initiative about having the cruise ships pick up their own crap ( like we responsible dog owners do here every day!) Then to see out tax dollars roll into the pockets of big oil. Now they are trying to make it impossible for our native people to vote … where does it end? Well, it has for me … I’ve had it … going back to Oregon and my family … I was a nice trip while it lasted. Keep up the fight!
Reminds me of the Grinch song. http://www.stlyrics.com/songs/g/grinch8962/yourameanonemrgrinch303066.html
Except the grinch had more integrity.