Sean Parnell Still Works for the Oil Companies
By Shannyn Moore – Cross-posted from the Anchorage Daily News On Thursday, May 20 1993, Bob Van Brocklin left a suicide letter. “The stress from Exxon which brought about my financial stress was too much to deal with alone. The end should be good and maybe my spirit will live. I have a lot of fear right now, but faith is all that is left. I wish I could have done more good for others but I guess my time is up.” Bob was the former mayor of Cordova. He shot himself. Bob sat in the Cordova High School on the…
Gov. Sean Parnell – Spinning the Numbers and Sticking it to Alaska’s Kids
By Rep. Les Gara While I look for common ground with our Governor – like our efforts to keep pushing to find ways to build a natural gas pipeline (we agree a large diameter line that exports gas, produces low-cost gas, and brings in revenue is smarter than a small in-state line that brings us very high cost natural gas and no revenue) – I do disagree with him on educational policy. Yesterday we had a hearing on the University of Alaska. Alaska ranks last in the nation in college attendance and graduation. So what’s the Governor’s plan? Well, he…
The Casualty in Alaska’s Culture War
By Elstun Lauesen There is a culture war going on. And the epicenter of that culture war is right here in Alaska. It is outrageous in its brazenness and tragic in its effect. It is political in its tactic and economic in its objective. It is a classic tale of western frontier conquest. I am speaking, of course, of the war on the Native subsistence culture of Alaska. The passage of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) in 1980 linked federal land policy in Alaska to a subsistence use priority. Congress, in Title VIII of ANILCA, made…
Kids Under the Bus, and What You Can Do About it.
There’s no doubt about it. Alaska is blessed. Just ask Governor Sean Parnell. These are golden oily days indeed. In his state of the state address last week, he told us that financially, we’re doing just fine, thankyouverymuch But what if… What if some day we aren’t? We should really start cutting the budget just in case. Besides, swashbuckling with a red pen looks really good, even if you have a patch on both eyes. It can even make a chief executive/oil lobbyist look like a sound-minded fiscal conservative. Don’t look over there where the state is readying itself to…
In Parnell’s Administration, Cronyism Rules the Day
By Shannyn Moore The war on science is winning. And I’m not talking about those who confuse weather and climate. Nope. I’m frustrated with the continual election of candidates with a faith-based bias when it comes to policy that should rely on science. In a letter this week, Ed Fogels, deputy commissioner of the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, informed his colleagues that the mission of the department had changed. The new mission: “To responsibly develop Alaska’s resources by making them available for maximum use and benefit consistent with the public interest.” There are a few issues with DNR’s newfound…
The Comeuppance of a Gopher Choker – Corey Rossi Busted for Illegal Bear Hunting
Corey Rossi, director of the Alaska Division of Wildlife Conservation, who has just resigned in scandal after being snared (as it were) engaging in the illegal hunting of bears. Mudflatters may remember past coverage of Corey Rossi, referred to by others as “the gopher choker.” Rossi began his ignominious political career by being friends with Chuck and Sally Heath, parents of then-Governor Sarah Palin. And really, what else do you need? In those days, being BFFs with the Palins was like being dealt a royal flush. Palin high school pal and former real estate agent Franci Havermeister was given the…
Hungry Kids are the Latest GOP Political Pawns
By Elstun Lauesen “Christ of the Breadline” by Fritz Eichenberg (1901-1990) is a beautiful woodcut that instructs us to remember that Christ may appear in any form, calling upon our capacity for grace. Mr. Stoltze and his fellow Republicans would be wise to remember the parable of Lazarus and the rich man. Lazarus, covered with sores, lies at the gate of a rich man who refused him. They died on the same day. Lazarus was welcomed into Heaven; the rich man was not. Readers will not be surprised to learn that I was once an aspiring evangelist. At the age…
Sean Parnell Attends a Class in Propaganda 101
~Frank Luntz, GOP Minister of Propaganda By Shannyn Moore While most Alaskans were suffering through another cold, dark week, Gov. Sean Parnell was hard at work — on another junket, this time to the Republican Governor’s Association meeting in Florida. Odd — no palm tree beach shots on the state website. In fact, no official mention of the trip at all — just one picture on his Facebook page saying the governor participated in a “panel discussion on energy issues.” One of the presenters at the governors’ conference was Frank Luntz, a Republican strategist whose specialty is “testing…
Alaska Attorney General Resigns. Hmm.
Alaska Attorney General John Burns has submitted his resignation which has been accepted today by Governor Sean “Captain Zero” Parnell. “It is with reluctance that I accept General Burns’ resignation,” Parnell said. “General Burns is a capable leader and a true public servant dedicated to the people of Alaska. I appreciate his efforts over the past year at the Department of Law where he has led with dedication, professionalism, integrity and a commitment to the best interests of Alaska. I wish him all the best in his future endeavors.” But why? What reason could the Attorney General possibly have to resign after…
To Sean Parnell – Beluga Whales? Told You So.
By Wickersham’s Conscience WC’s readers will recall that back in June 2011, WC was critical – well, vitriolic, really – of Governor Parnell’s decision to litigate the endangered species classification of the Cook Inlet Beluga Whales. Because Parnell’s other bad decisions had removed Alaskan officials from the group that develops the recovery plan, Alaska had no seat at the table that would affect use of Cook Inlet for decades. All the eggs were in the litigation basket, and the basket was ridiculously flimsy. Today the State’s basket collapsed and its eggs all broke: Chief U.S. District Judge Lambreth threw out the…