A Lawsuit in Gov. Sean Parnell’s Future? Stonewalling Angers Anti-Coal Groups.
~The mouth of the Chuit River, between Tyonek and Beluga, Alaska Remember, way back last year when I rode a bus in a snowstorm to go hear testimony in Kenai? It was all about whether to designate the land around the Chuit River “unsuitable” for coal mining. The way it stands now, PacRim Coal plans to (for the first time ever) actually dig up eleven miles of productive salmon stream for a giant open pit coal mine. “Don’t worry,” they say. “We’ll just put it back the way it was when we’re done.” Well, it doesn’t take a biologist to…
Captain Zero Greets CPAC in Alaska
‘Tis the season! No, not the moose rut. No, not the last run of silvers. ‘Tis the season that conservatives emerge from the sea and make their landfall on the arctic shores of Alaska. We’ve talked before about the “Tea Party at Sea” ship on The Mudflats. And now, there seems to have been yet another starboard leaning vessel that has docked in Juneau. Rather than heading for the misty hills of that fair city screaming when the invaders arrived, Governor Sean “Captain Zero” Parnell did the political equivalent of throwing flowers and candy. Yes, he greeted CPAC as liberators….
Supreme Court Allows “No Pebble Mine” Initiative on Ballot
The Alaska Supreme Court yesterday delivered some much needed good news. Yesterday in a 3-1 ruling, the court upheld a previous court’s ruling that the residents of the Lake and Peninsula Borough, should be allowed to vote on a ballot initiative in October. The initiative would restrict permitting of any large extraction project that could potentially harm salmon runs. Pebble Partnership sued to keep the measure from making it on to the ballot, arguing that the law would be unenforceable, and is inappropriate for a ballot measure. They even named the clerk who certified the measure in the lawsuit. Governor…
State of Alaska Supports Pebble Partnership’s Attempt to Silence Alaskans
~The original Captain Zero Before I go off on some rant about how my forefathers fought the British to birth a country that could VOTE, and how siding with the British to take away the right of Americans to vote should be called treason, I’ll take a deep breath and explain a few things. Since one has been filed on your behalf, Alaska, you may want to know what an amicus brief is. Commonly known as a “friend of the court” brief. An amicus brief provides individuals or organizations (such as government agencies or disability organizations) without a direct stake…
Parnell Smacks Down Treadwell… Battered Lt. Governor Syndrome?
It’s time for another episode of “Elephant on Elephant Violence.” Grab the popcorn Alaska progressives. In our daily slog through the muck of the state’s politics, and to take a much needed mental hiatus from frustration, let’s take our joy where we can. We hear all the time about the cycle of violence – abused children become abusers; freshman who are the victims of hazing become the senior bullies… So perhaps this syndrome extends as well to the position of Alaska Lieutenant Governor. Remember when Sarah Palin was gnashing her teeth over having to run on the ticket with Sean…
To Pray or Not to Pray…
In a political homage to Texas Governor Rick Perry, Alaska Governor Sean Parnell has joined with him today, Saturday, August 6, in a day of prayer for the nation. He won’t be taking Governor Perry up on his invitation to go pray with him in Houston, but he did issue a proclamation here at home stating that Alaskans should “seek God’s face” and pray because we are at war, facing economic hardship and natural disaster. He also asks us to pray for the strength and wisdom of leaders – presumably like those who give hat tips in proclamations blurring the…
If at First You Don’t Succeed…
Sean Parnell is trying again. The thing he seems to be having trouble with is appointing the newest member of the Alaska Judicial Council. The council vets applicants for judicial vacancies, and evaluates judges’ performance on the job. Last time governor SP 2.0 gave it a shot, he picked Don Haase. Mr. Haase as you may remember was not particularly fond of… er… um… “romantic relations” that fall outside the legal union of marriage. He was all about criminalizing adultery, and possibly even premarital sex. He did not indicate whether stoning until dead would be the method of punishment, or…
Governor Sean Parnell Gives Alaskans Brain Freeze
By Shannyn Moore It’s summer in Alaska. Days are long and the fish are running. For most of us, it’s the season for rain-gear and fleece, fishing tackle and clam shovels, not torches and pitchforks and recall petitions. That’s lucky for Gov. Sean Parnell. A few weeks ago, Attorney General John Burns addressed a federal ruling on roads in the Tongass by saying, “Today … more so than at any time since statehood, Alaskans’ ability to manage and to responsibly develop its state’s resources is under an unprecedented and coordinated assault by federal regulatory agencies and environmental organizations.” We hear…
Alaska Grown vs Made In China
The past two budgets have included $84 million for a bridge…to somewhere in Alaska. Senators Wielechowski and French have written a letter to the Alaska Railroad with some concerns. ANCHORAGE- Today, Senators Bill Wielechowski and Hollis French are calling on Alaska Railroad officials to ensure steel products made only in America are used to build a bridge over the Tanana River near Salcha. The Senators say numerous constituents have recently contacted them, concerned that the Alaska Railroad Corporation is considering using foreign steel on the massive project. “Alaskan funds should be used for Alaskan and American jobs and goods,” said Senator Wielechowski,…
How the Alaska House Gave Away State Sovereignty to the Federal Government
By Rep. Les Gara I’m not a big fan of failure, and not a big fan of spending money on wasted Special Sessions. I’ve now voted three times, including yesterday, to pass the Coastal Zone Management bill that passed the Bi-Partisan Senate Monday, but surprisingly failed by three votes in the House yesterday. Failure to pass the bill gave away a big piece of state sovereignty to the federal government. Click HERE for a link to my speech on the House Floor on why I believed the bill should have passed, or read the text at the end of this…