Working Hard Representing… Who?
‘Tis the season for political fundraisers. Invitations come via email, and Facebook, and robocall, and some still even come the old fashioned way and arrive in the mailbox. Each invitation tries to sound a little exciting, a little different, a little “stand out from the crowd.” Well, this is one that definitely stood out. We’ve got two candidates – Neal Foster, and Donny Olson. They’re both from Nome, and they are both running for re-election to the state legislature – Foster in the House, and Olson in the Senate. Now, let’s put on our reading spectacles and have a careful…
EPA to Review Proposed Pebble Mine Project. Thanks, Feds! (we think…)
“We don’t need no stinkin’ feds telling us what to do!” Ah, the mantra of the 49th state. It’s true that there are many great points to support local governance. Communities themselves are often the best at determining what the needs of their residents are – especially in areas that don’t fit the “norm” of the country. In towns with no indoor plumbing, fuel at more than $10 a gallon, and communities where schools can be hundreds of miles apart, it’s understandable that Alaskans find it difficult sometimes to “go with the flow” and let those bureaucrats in DC legislate…
Oyster Roundup
~Thick and fast they came at last, and more, and more, and more! Neighbors and Cupcakes and Bears – Oh, my! For the faint of heart, and the thin of stomach lining, the ADN’s Julia O’Malley got a peek at the first episode of Sarah Palin’s Alaska, and she watched it so you don’t have to. Between carrying on about the neighbor, and trying to shoo boys out of Willow’s room, you can get all the details about what it takes to go fishing in “bear country.” Just to clarify what you may already be thinking – yes, all of…
Voices from the Flats – AFN Diary: Day 3
AFN Diary: Day 3. Stop the Bullying and Let’s Be Family Again! By Elstun Lauesen This morning the long list of Resolutions were considered by the delegates and the Chairman of the AFN Resolutions Committee, Trefon Angasan asked if there were other matters to be brought before the body. A young man from Ft. Yukon, Edward Alexander, who looks to be in his mid-20s, took to the microphone on the floor and made a motion to suspend the rules. Immediately another delegate seconded it. Mr. Alexander announced that he wished to introduce a resolution asking for certain changes to the…
Voices from the Flats – An AFN Diary. Day One.
By Elstun Lauesen I will begin with the end of the suspense. Rumors had been hanging like streamers from the Carlson Center in Fairbanks, making the day enticing to the drama-addicted media from the far reaches of Boston and New York. The closeness of the U. S. Senate race has made Alaska interesting again. Would Joe Miller dare to show up at the Alaska Federation of Natives Convention being hosted by his hometown Convention and Visitor’s Bureau? Would the rumored dissidents from the Tribal rebel resistance blow the Federation Mothership sky high? Would the delegates (many informally expressing anger at…
Voices from the Flats – Donald Craig Mitchell
The following is an op-ed by Donald Craig Mitchell, an attorney and historian who lives in Anchorage. He is the author of Sold American: The Story of Alaska Natives and Their Land and Take My Land Take My Life: The Story of Congress’s Historic Settlement of Alaska Native Land Claims, which in 2006 the Alaska Historical Society named as two of the most important books that have been written about Alaska. *********************************** CAPTAIN ZERO VERSUS COMMISSIONER OF ADMINISTRATION Donald Craig Mitchell With the world watching, two months ago in Fairbanks in front of a crowd of cheering fans and jeering…
Netroots – Turning Red Districts Blue: Organizing for Change
One of my favorite panels at Netroots Nation was the panel discussion entitled Turning Red Districts Blue: Organizing for Change. Panelists were David Atkins (moderator), Darcy Burner, Adam Lambert, Democracy for America’s Arshad Hasan, Matt Browner Hamlin, and Eden James. Matt Browner Hamlin spoke about his time as Mark Begich’s online communications director in the 2008 campaign. MBH: The challenge in Alaska is how do you get from a population which is only 23% Democratic to a vote of 50% +1. It was a big hurdle. Most Alaskans are registered as Non-Partisan. What helped the Begich campaign was the…
Open Thread – This and That
I Want My Corrupt Bastard Fix! Time was, they were dropping like flies. It seemed like hardly a month went by when a legislator wasn’t indicted for something. After the fiasco that was the botched Ted Stevens trial, Alaskans have begun thinking that maybe that’s the end for our favorite past-time of watching the deserving get their just desserts. Not so according to the Justice Department. There’s an excellent article by Richard Mauer in today’s Anchorage Daily News, that addresses the issues, including the current investigations of Ted Stevens’ son, and former Alaska State Senate President Ben Stevens, and current-for0the-moment…
The Book of Ted?
What do Ted Stevens and Sarah Palin have in common? Popular high-level Alaska politicians? Check. Republican? Check. Like to go fishing? Check. Used to like each other? Check. Intense dislike of the media? Check. Included in the deck of Alaskan Outlaws playing cards? Check. Legal defense fund? Check. Book deal? Looks like another check. “Curmudgeonly ex-senator Ted Stevens is back on the Washington party circuit – vindicated, shrimp cocktail style. The famed former senator from Alaska, who narrowly lost re-election in November after he was convicted on corruption charges, showed up at a fancy book party Thursday night for Philadelphia…