Alaska Gets Gouged
I’m never surprised by the unabashed glee with which those on the right shill for the rich and powerful, but the Republican support for the fuel price gougers here in Alaska has even me flabbergasted. Alaska’s gas prices are through the roof. Why? Oiligopoly. Two refiners control virtually 100 percent of the gasoline market — with Tesoro controlling 80 percent and Flint Hills, owned by the Koch brothers, controlling 20 percent. You know the Koch brothers: job creators extraordinaire. They’ve enjoyed a decade of low taxes, fired 13,000 workers since 2007 and seen their net worth skyrocket from $34 billion…
Parnell Again Attempts to Restrict Women’s Choice
Governor Sean Parnell has once again attempted to chip away at the ease of accessibility to women’s health care in his state. Parnell’s religious agenda, which has flown all but completely under the radar since he ran for Lt. Governor, has informed many of his policies as the man on the throne in Juneau. Remember back in 2010, Parnell vetoed money that would have gone to Denali Kid Care (Alaska’s SCHIP program), providing medical services for poor children and pregnant women, because it also would have provided, by law, abortion services. He has already gone on record saying he’d rather…
Parnell Continues to Fight Health Care for Alaskans
It’s been a big hairy week in Washington, D.C., with landmark Supreme Court decisions. Bigger than any of it is the way policy and politics are being touted as home runs and touchdowns by both political parties and pundits. It boggles my mind when two sides call the same point for themselves. I live and breathe politics like many people follow sports. Sometimes the stress is enough to make me want to pull the covers over my head and peek out around Thanksgiving. The tea party reaction was bizarre and almost comical. Congressman Mike Pence, R-Indiana, likened Thursday’s SCOTUS decision…
Dems Help Vets – Capt. Zero Pouts
So, here’s how Governor Sean Parnell proves to us once again that he and his ilk are no more than bratty middle schoolers, completely unwilling and unable to give credit to anyone for doing anything unless they are on the same ideological team. Of course in politics, it’s natural to play up your own good deeds. But this, my friends, is actually embarrassing. I’m going to show you a little press release that came from Sean Parnell’s office. I’m going to highlight the people who are Republicans in red, and those who are Democrats in blue. Ready? ******************** Governor Signs…
Parnell Kills His Own Special Session. Blames Senate. Pouts.
Things aren’t going well for Sean Parnell. It all started last week when he called the legislature into special session to talk about three things, the most difficult and contentious of which was oil and gas production taxes. The governor sent his team to Juneau with a bill. For purposes of readability, we’ll refer to this bill (SB3001) as what it is metaphorically – a cow pie. Hatching the Idea What the governor wanted in this new “hybrid” bill was to give all kinds of breaks to big oil companies for fields that are already producing, and not so much…
Quitter 2.0 – Parnell Breaks Hockey Stick, Says ‘Puck You.’
And the crowd goes wild! Remember when I compared the Resources Committee meeting of the State Senate to a hockey game, and said I thought that they ought to have a rule just like in the peewee leagues, where when one team is like 20 points up they just call the game so the other side can slink away and lick their wounds instead of continuing to endure the public humiliation? Well, guess what? Even though that rule doesn’t exist, Bryan Butcher, Bruce Tangeman, and Co. have been recalled back to the locker room. That’s right – Parnell’s…
The Senate Heros vs. Captain Zero – Get Ready to Rumble!
The internet is a beautiful thing. How else could a political junkie snuggle into the couch in jammie pants with a cup of coffee, and commiserate with other like-minded souls for an event that rivals all this baseball stuff that everyone else seems to be talking about. I speak to you of…. (dramatic pause) the Alaska State Senate Resources Committee Meeting to discuss the governor’s newest oil tax plan. Before you roll your eyes, and click to anything but this, hear me out. Especially if you’re an Alaskan, this is one of the best reality TV shows around. It’s got…
End of Session, Pre “Unspecial Session” Update – The Good, Bad and Ugly.
As the bulk of the blogging community continues our meditative practice of biting off pieces of the election debacle, chewing thoroughly, swallowing, digesting and then regurgitating, we thank Rep. Les Gara for pinch hitting with a great wrap-up of the legislative session. The “special” session marches ahead, but we must ask ourselves how many times you can have a special session before it just isn’t “special” any more. On a personal note, Rep. Gara is facing some health challenges (which you’ll read about below), and all of us here at the Mudflats wish him a quick and complete recovery. He…
Parnell Nominee to Board of Game Rejected by Legislature
Nominee to Alaska’s Board of Game, Lynn Keogh, was rejected Tuesday by the Legislature. He had the support of Governor Sean Parnell, and of the powerful Alaska Outdoor Council hunting lobby. He needed 31 votes to retain his appointment. He got 29. As reported earlier in the week, an email obtained by The Mudflats showed Republican Party Chair Randy Ruedrich forwarding an email from Rod Arno of the Alaska Outdoor Council threatening legislators with strong-arm tactics if they didn’t approve Keogh’s appointment to the Board of Game. From: Randy Ruedrich <xxxxxx@gci.net> Date: March 30, 2012 8:09:07 AM AKDT To: <xxxxxx@kpunet.net>, <xxxxxx@gci.net>, <xxxxxx@hotmail.com> Subject: Anti’s go…
“Don’t Bend Over, Alaska” Soon-to-be-Viral Video
Remember the $40 Rubber Chicken lunch I told you about yesterday – the one in which the Governor and his oil cronies are actually charging for a lunch to tell oil executives how great it will be for Alaskans to pay them billions in no-strings-attached money? Here’s an awesome video called “Don’t Bend Over, Alaska” from radio host Bob Lester, calling out their oily BS. Let’s make this video go viral before tomorrow’s “rally.” You know what to do – watch it, and share it. And here’s a little fun fact about ConocoPhillips. In 2010 they spent $89,169 on lobbyists…