TALL TALES from Juneau

Eyes on the Dunleavy/Babcock administration

Dispatches from the Rubble…

JUNEAU IT IS

Governor Mike Dunleavy, having seen the error of his ways, has “amended the call” of the PFD-focused special session to include the capital budget. He’s also called the location as Juneau, instead of Wasilla. And so, the sparkly hopes and dreams of the Republican House Minority die on the vine. They were waiting and wishing for torches and pitchforks and arm-twisting and even arrests. But after a disastrous week, including the downgrading of the University of Alaska by Moody’s to two-notches-above-junk-bond-status, and the tidal surge of protest against the governor’s vetoes across the state, they’ve seen the writing on the wall. Even in the Mat-Su Valley the majority of testifiers at the House Finance Committee meetings this week were pleading for sanity and the restoration of the programs and services cut by the governor. And so, the “#22Strong” slink back to Juneau, tails between their legs, and after the havoc and carnage they let fall on everyone else – are ready to get to work.

SNATCHING DEFEAT FROM THE JAWS OF VICTORY

The “#22Strong” in Wasilla did manage to get one victory for themselves before it all fell apart. They managed to run out the clock past the point where any of the governor’s vetoes could be overridden by legislative vote. But even if they had shown up, the legislature would still have failed to cobble together the 45 necessary votes to reverse the devastating vetoes. Nevertheless, they have successfully avoided going on the record; reminded us that they work for the governor, not the people; gummed up the workings of government; drawn the session out even longer; and caused tremendous upheaval and distress to ordinary Alaskans. So, if your goal was ruining the credit rating and fiscal reputation of the University, annihilating the Arts Council, telling hospice recipients they no longer had anyone coming to help, and turning out residents of the Brother Francis Shelter on to the streets, then hooray. Victory. You won.

Festive Wasilla lunch when the overrides failed, July 10, 2019.

But now that we’re back to business in Juneau, follow what’s happening with a new appropriations bill HB2001 which will attempt to restore some or all of those cuts. It’s going to be another battle, but it’s one worth having. The reason this is possible is because the PFD is on the call, and you can’t figure out how you intend to pay for the PFD unless you figure out the rest of the budget – and that means revisiting the legislature’s original budget before it got hacked, and opening it up for potential changes. So don’t stop contacting your legislators.

TONE DEAF

It should be clear that ALL the legislators who sat in Wasilla allowed the budget vetoes to go through by virtue of their absence, and tacitly allowed ALL the defunding of programs and services. But one legislator in particular brought “tone deaf” to a whole new level – Sara Rasmussen (R-Anchorage/Sand Lake). After purposefully withholding her vote to save homeless services and shelters for domestic violence victims and families, and forcing shelters that serve community members in crisis to shutter or fully eliminate daytime or overnight hours she decided she’d do this.

I’m not sure what it would take to reopen the Glory Hall in Juneau for daytime meals, or restore the services necessary to provide the beds being cut at the Brother Francis shelter, or The Door Youth Shelter in Fairbanks, or any of the others across the state, but I’m pretty sure not even a Costco-sized box of plastic forks is going to help what just happened here. If this is some kind of vague scold that we all need to step up and help people in need, or trying to assuage some guilt feelings, we don’t know. And it’s not clear why Rep. Rasmussen wants people to bring the items to HER office, instead of asking folks to drop them off at Bean’s right away, or making a direct donation to the organization, but hopefully there isn’t going to be some kind of smiling photo op involved when she charitably drops them off. #VotesNotForks

WE DON’T CALL IT THE DUNLEAVY/BABCOCK ADMINISTRATION FOR NOTHING

Tuckerman Babcock – former Republican Party Chair, orchestrator of throwing his own people under the bus to run opponents at them from the right, one-time owner of a van with a hand-painted ginormous painting of Ronald Reagan’s head on the side (not kidding), and now gatekeeper and Chief of Staff to Governor Mike Dunleavy has just been revealed being his true underhanded self by The Alaska Landmine. This one’s worth a read. It’s got intrigue, subterfuge, run-arounds, and the ordering of destruction of government documents. If it’s juicy political intrigue you want, pour yourself a beverage and snuggle up with this one.

WAKE UP!

There’s one good thing… ok two good things that have come from all the chaos this week. First, there’s been a LOT of working together across the aisle by the Republicans, Independents, and Democrats that have been in Juneau. And this eye-opener has separated the wheat from the chaff in the eyes of most of them. We now know who understands and respects the separation of powers and how government works, and who’s a partisan ideological toadie to the governor. The Juneau contingent has even managed to take the high road and welcome the truants back to the Capitol. Let’s give them all points for restraint and professionalism.

And second, it’s easy to hear in testimony and see in comments online that Alaskans are starting to realize that we all have one point of agreement. Repeal the oil subsidies that are crippling our ability to pay a full PFD and fund essential services. I hate to oversimplify things, but let me oversimplify things. And I’ll include a very over-simplified graphic.

This is our conundrum. This is what we have to figure out – how much goes where. And what the argument has been so far is State Services vs. PFD. And guess what? The full PFD people think the State Services people are greedy takers. And the State Services people think the Full PFD people are greedy takers. And they’re beating each other up for lunch money on the playground while the governor sits on a giant pile of $1.2 billion in subsidies over there eating his lunch. But sooner or later the playground fight is going to end. So we may as well make it sooner than later and start demanding our elected leaders look at the obvious solution. Because then and only then do we stand a chance at having both the full PFD AND a fair and decent level of state services. It’s our job to message this in conversations and social media, and we’ll get a lot farther with it than we will by demonizing either the state services people, or the PFD people. Because we should all want both of those things. So keep your eye on the ball and next session we’ll be able to have the conversation that we MUST have to get us on a sustainable forward path.

*Also, folks employed by oil companies are not the problem. We figure they have kids who might want a university to go to some day, and live in a happy, healthy state with a robust economy that cares for its people too. So let’s just join forces and get this done!

WASILLA 22 ROUNDUP – A COMPENDIUM OF AWFUL

Laddie Shaw is against negative comments, and believes we should have adult conversations.

Lora Reinbold said she had no choice but to go to Wasilla because the governor asked her to, and she was happy to follow his orders. Now, apparently, not so much.

The images that will live in infamy. Republican Minority Leader Lance Pruitt takes a mocking selfie with a distraught protester as his press secretary laughs.

Enabled by #deepstate?

Gov. Dunleavy went on the Michael Dukes Radio Show to talk about Alaskans’ reaction to the budget vetoes.

It sounds like maybe he doesn’t get it.

The Alaska Republican Party’s response to Alaskans’ anger at the governor’s vetoes.

BUT THERE’S GOOD NEWS!

We’ve got a bunch of candidates who are floating to the surface to run in 2020. We don’t take an official position just yet, BUT it’s very much worth noting that Dr. Al Gross who will be running to unseat Sen. Dan Sullivan is off to an impressive start with a fundraising haul of over $400,000, and he’s just getting started. That’s no chump change.  If you want to learn more about his campaign or get involved click HERE.

Also, Liz Snyder who came within a hair of knocking out Lance Pruitt in East Anchorage last time is fired up and raring to go, and odds are in her favor because he’s helped her out a lot by showing his true colors, and shooting himself in the foot at the same time. Nifty trick! You can check out her website HERE.