The COVID Caucus Out on the Town
ALWAYS LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE Let’s start off with a little Facebook gem from Rep. Steve Thompson (R-Fairbanks). It takes a look at the sunny side of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hey, you guys… Don’t think of it as 168,000 dead Americans – think of how many Americans are still alive! Considering that any day now, COVID-19 is going to be the third leading cause of death in the United States, it’s hard not to wonder when Rep. Thompson will stop thinking that the “panic is out of control.” And if you google Rep. Steve Thompson, here’s his weirdly ironic…
The ‘Law & Order’ Party Cheers AK Law Breakers
OH REEEEALLLLY… So, it seems that Don “I call it the beer virus” Young is perfectly happy to wear a mask in the White House for a photo op, just not in his own state to protect his constituents. Here he is at the elbow of the Maskless One, at the now famous bill signing where the President referred to Yosemite National Park as “Yo Semites.” The bill was signed in the hope that it might help the beleaguered candidacies of Republican Senators Cory Gardner of Colorado and Steve Daines of Montana. No Democrats were invited to the signing of…
When it’s quiet in Juneau…
Any parent of a toddler knows that feeling when you’re going about your business, and suddenly you realize… it’s been quiet for a while. Welcome to this week. We’re in between special sessions 2 and 3 (TBA) and a hush has fallen. Enjoy the quiet because pretty soon we’re going to discover WHY. TAKING IT TO THE PEOPLE Since deciding that the press is mean and fake (wonder where he came up with THAT?) Dunleavy has decided that he’s now going to just deliver the real news to the people directly from the government. That’s how it’s supposed to work…
Sarah Palin Top Choice for Senate?!
Stay calm. Just sit for a minute. If you’re an Alaskan, do not start loading up the motorhome for your political asylum road trip to Canada. If you are from the Lower 48, do not stop reading here and put a big red Sharpied ‘X’ over Alaska on your desktop globe. Let me explain. A few weeks ago, the ex-half-governor unhinged her maw, and some words fell out. Seemingly, she is considering a run for the U.S. Senate against incumbent Democrat Mark Begich. Pollsters tilted their heads to the side like a dog who hears a whistle. Then they got…
Treatment of Anchorage Community Leaders and Workers by the Sheraton is No Joke
It sounds like the beginning of a joke: A priest, an African American woman and a “union thug” walk in to the Sheraton… But, in reality, it’s no joke at all for the hard working hotel workers in Anchorage. First, a little background. Currently, two hotels in Anchorage are under boycott – The Anchorage Hilton and The Anchorage Sheraton. The simple reason is that their treatment of employees leaves a lot to be desired. There have even been huge rallies and demonstrations from the labor community, and concerned citizens from many areas in the community on behalf of these workers…
Signs of Things to Come – Alaska Election 2010
Nothing says political season in Alaska like signs. Sure, sign waving happens in all elections, but Alaskans love our signs more than most. And nowhere in Alaska can you witness the traditional Election Eve battle of the signs like you can in two locations – The New Seward Highway and Northern Lights Blvd., and down the road at Northern Lights and Minnesota, in Anchorage. It’s a combination of spectator sport, pissing contest, and ritual. So, I took a little drive to see what was to be seen at these two prime areas of sign real estate. I pulled up to a…
Debate Night!
I’m sitting at the KTUU Gubernatorial (and soon Senatorial) debate at the Alaska Native Heritage Center. You can view it live on KTUU Channel 2, or live streaming at KTUU.com I’ll be watching live, but feel free to blog it in the comments. I’ve forgotten my laptop, but Mudflatter Writing from Alaska has loaned me hers to start you off! The room is full of the hardest of the hard core supporters from all the camps and it promises to be a lively evening. So, pop the corn and cozy up!
Lisa, Liar, Pants on Fire! Murkowski Makes False Claims About Endorsements.
Lisa Murkowski has been the first to complain about the other candidates lying. She says Joe Miller distorted her voting record (which he did), and she says that Scott McAdams lied about her voting record (which he didn’t). But Lisa Murkowski sent out a nice glossy colored mailer that went out to Alaska households and arrived in mailboxes across Anchorage this morning, and it was full of lies. Under a banner that said “Alaskan Democrats Who Are Voting for Lisa Murkowski – and not Scott McAdams” was a list of people who supposedly fit that category. This one was absolutely…
Election 2010: There’s Only One Road to Transparency in Alaska…
In June of 2009 I embarked on an idealistic journey. Thanks to many Alaskans and folks across the country, I was able to raise enough money so that the State of Alaska would release the Records Request they had been sitting on for months. When the emails arrived and the only “good stuff” was redacted or witheld due to bogus-sounding claims of “privilege,” I was not worried. I was sure that as soon as the email lawsuits brought by Andree McLeod and Don Mitchell against Palin were resolved (in McLeod/Mitchell’s favor…no one thought otherwise), I would then be able…
Politics v. Policy – The Wrong Side Wins With Berkowitz’s “Visionary Plan”
Until last week, we believed that both Democratic candidates for governor were good choices. We believed that both put the interests of Alaskans first, supported Democratic achievements, and could be effective leaders working across the aisle to pass legislation and to support policy and existing legislation that benefited the people of Alaska. Many of our readers support Hollis French. Many of our readers support Ethan Berkowitz. But very few had substantial angst about the other. But last week something happened that rocked the boat, and by ‘rocked the boat’ we mean pitched the boat to the point where a lot…