Voices from the Flats – Orwellian Juneau and Sean Parnell’s $2B Oil Tax Rollback
By Rep. Les Gara (D-Anchorage) The slick oil tax ads are starting. And when political ads begin, you start to wonder whether telling a fib is cheaper than telling the truth. Well, because political ads cost lots of money, and they tend to be more fib than truth. So, fibbing must be cheaper than telling the truth, right? Or, maybe in politics it’s just more effective to mislead people. Nah. No one would ever do that. Not when billions in state oil revenue are at stake. As you know, the governor has proposed the biggest oil company tax rollback in…
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!
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…
Sarah Palin – On to a “Higher Calling”
It’s Quittin’ Time here in Alaska. Yes, according to our almost former executive-in-chief, we’re yesterdays news. Tossed like an old banana peel on the compost pile of past political ambition. Cast off like an old peep-toe pump with a broken heel. Jilted. So, why are we so happy? It’s kind of like being dumped by someone who was really bad for you anyway. Sure there are some hurt feelings. Didn’t we measure up? Weren’t we worth fighting for? “It’s not you, it’s me?” What does the Lower 48 have that we don’t? Is it the money? But, you said you…
Screen Door Sunday is Coming…
This is it. The final week of the Palin administration. And while many Alaskans are still fans of the governor, gone are the days of 80% and 90% approval ratings. The gubernatorial vetting process ended up being done by the national media after she’d already been tapped as John McCain’s running mate, and the nation (as well as the state of Alaska) learned a lot. So now, this polarizing and divisive figurehead, known to us all as the soon-to-be-ex-two-thirds-of-one-term governor Sarah Palin has had enough. She’s packed her bags and is headed for greener pastures. So what’s a state to…
Farewell, My Friends… It’s Been Fun.
“Between the bizarre tweets, the incoherent “good-bye Alaska” speech, and the ensuing and constant pleading that quitting is fighting and fighting is quitting, it has become abundantly clear to anyone with any sense that Sarah Heath Palin has become “Crazy Governor Lady.” So begins a recent opinion piece from local conservative pundit Dan Fagan. It got me thinking. He thinks I have sense. And, in this case, I think he has sense. What does it all mean? Sometimes, being a progressive in Alaska can be a lonely business. Granted, our numbers are growing, and one could argue that the last…
Palin’s Health Care Priorities and Alaska’s Daughters
Today, Lisa Demer of the Anchorage Daily News has broken a story that adds another scandal to the growing list of scandals that have plagued this administration, and shines the light on Alaska’s very own health care crisis. Demer’s story centers on the horrendous condition of the Alaska’s state programs that are designed to help its most vulnerable citizens, the elderly and disabled. The situation is so bad the federal government has forbidden the state to sign up new people until the state makes necessary improvements. [snip] The moratorium is expected to last four or five months. State officials estimate…
Palin’s Parting Gift to Alaska – Another Constitutional Crisis. Gee, Thanks.
What is there to say? You do what you know. And Sarah Palin knows constitutional crises. Let’s look back at some of the highlights… Remember back when former Attorney General Talis Colberg suggested to state employees that it was OK to ignore legislative subpoenas in the Troopergate probe? He was really careful when questioned to say that he didn’t actually tell them not to testify, he merely pointed out that testifying was sort of an “option.” This set off a storm of protest from…well…anyone who knows anything about what a subpoena is. At odds with the legislature, the posture of…