LOOK WHO ELSE UNION BOSS VINCE BELTRAMI IS SUPPORTING THIS CYCLE
AFL-CIO union boss Vince Beltrami has piled on with an attack mailer criticizing a U.S. Army veteran for her voting record. Her offense is that she has the audacity to run for House District 14.
Beltrami’s attack message is that “Actions speak louder than words” when it comes to voting. Beltrami says she had time to file for her Permanent Fund Dividend, but not to vote.
Jamie Allard, who served for seven years in the Army, and then as a civilian with top-secret clearance on multiple overseas assignments, didn’t always have time or even the information for who to vote for in Alaska’s elections, since she was deployed overseas so much. She often didn’t get her absentee ballot in time. Veterans know how hard this can be.
Jamie Allard told Must Read Alaska she did file for that dividend, but didn’t always take it. She filed to maintain her residency in Alaska, even while she had to be gone for extended periods of time. And she had three months to file for her and her family.
But Beltrami is doing his thug routine in a flyer supporting her main opponent, Kelly Merrick, the wife of Laborers 341 Union Boss Joey Merrick. Joey Merrick is the guy who is spending tens of thousands of dollars of union money this summer trying to elect “Musk Ox” (fake) Republicans who, once elected, then go to Juneau and put Democrats in control of our State House. Like they did for the past two years.
It would look awkward — very awkward — if Joey Merrick’s union funded the hit on Allard in order to help his wife, Kelly Merrick. It would probably be illegal, in fact. So to maintain outward appearances, his buddy Vince Beltrami at the AFL-CIO is funding the hit for him.
This Beltrami criticism of a U.S. Army Veteran is from a guy who never put on any other uniform than a union jacket and doesn’t lift much more than a bullhorn these days:
Because of the nature of much of Allard’s work as an enlisted soldier and as a civilian working with countries in turmoil in Eastern Europe, she can’t speak about much of her assignments. But she is proud of her service, as she is of her Special Forces husband’s defense of American rights and liberty.
WHO DOES BELTRAMI SUPPORT, BESIDES KELLY MERRICK?
Whenever Beltrami is involved, it’s always wise to determine why he is supporting one candidate over another.
We pulled his personal (as opposed to his union) political contribution file for 2018, and it tells voters in Eagle River what they need to know about why he is supporting Merrick and beating up on Jamie Allard:
Now, take a look at who Joey Merrick is supporting for State House in District 9 — the old Musk Ox himself, Jim Colver. It’s in the fine print (and Must Read Alaska has added Joey Merrick’s photo to the mailer that arrived this weekend in District 9, where Merrick has spent $22,000 of union money to try to get Colver back in the House, as a reliable vote with the Democrats.)
Must Read Alaska ran into Colver chatting it up with Mayor Ethan Berkowitz and a group of Democrats this weekend in Spenard, rather than campaigning in his district. Having the kind of union backing he has, Colver perhaps didn’t need to knock on doors:
Joey Merrick is controlling nearly $70,000 in election money this cycle in support of Democrats and pseudo-independents such as Rep. Dan Ortiz and Rep. Jason Grenn, and Musk Ox Republican Louise Stutes of Kodiak. His real goal is to maintain Democrat control of the House of Representatives, with a little help from fake Republicans. Not coincidentally, he has a wife running for House in Eagle River District 14 as a “Republican”, named Kelly Merrick.
What can possibly go wrong?
Beltrami is one of the miscreants that gave Alaska the Walker administration; highest unemployment, highest rates of crime, lowest education results, and wholesale dishonesty about state spending. The Walker years have been a disaster, an entirely unnecessary one, for Alaska. We are losing younger workers to the booming economy in other states. Beltrami’s creature has increased the roles of Medicaid, food stamps, unemployment benefits, food programs in schools, and Section 8 housing every year it has been in power. It has proposed an uncountable number of taxes – income tax, payroll tax, sales tax, carbon tax, fish tax, increased oil taxes, etc. etc. It has created a record number of special legislative sessions. It has brought the state capital budget to record nominal dollar lows with no plan to ever recover any program to keep up with wear and tear to state infrastructure. There is no question that Beltrami has been worse for Alaska than this so-called opioid epidemic. Through Walker, Beltrami is the reason so many more Alaskans are wearing guns as they go about their daily business, and he is the reason we are losing population – especially among the cohort willing to work. Alaskans need to be for every candidate and every issue that Beltrami is against, and we need to forcefully resist anything supported by Beltrami.
What’s the deal with Don Young endorsement of Kelly Merritck? Does he owe Vince Beltrami?
She used to work for him. Also, Rep. Young has always had a pretty cozy relationship with unions, as have other members of Alaska’s federal delegation historically. One of my biggest labor relations problems in the Murkowski Administration stemmed from the fact that the licensed marine unions had endorsed Gov. Murkowski and had access to him which other unions didn’t have. I don’t think they ever got into his office without me or someone from Admin being there but I can’t be sure and we certainly didn’t use all the tools available to us in dealing with them.
Joey merrick has supported republican his whOle life. Look up your history. Lisa Murkowski. Don Young doesn’t owe anyone anything. Kelly worked with him for years and he knows what she stands for. Check your facts. This column is a joke.
Please explain this: Jamie Allard “filed [for the PFD] to maintain her residency in Alaska, even while she had to be gone for extended periods of time.”
The purpose of the Permanent Fund Dividend IS NOT to maintain residency. And in the previous sentence, Suzanne writes “Jamie Allard told Must Read Alaska she did file for that dividend, but didn’t always take it.” Was her application denied??
Is the PFD used to maintain residency when somebody is gone for extended period of time? NO! What is the purpose of applying for the PFD knowing she would not get it? It seems Jamie was behaving fraudulently if she filed for the PFD knowing she was ineligible. Not good!
Please explain, Suzanne.
It’s a huge fraud on Eagle River voters. Ms. Merrick is no Republican. One question Ms. Merrick should be asked; who will you caucus with if you win the election? That’s the question that every Eagle River voter should ask. It also should be asked by every journalists. But don’t count on the media.
Kelly Merrick’s husband is spending thousands of dollars to defeat Republicans, including his Wife’s Republican opponents. So who is Kelly Merrick?
Kelly Merrick is a lifelong Republican who has worked for Don young. A woman of integrity. A beautiful mother, devoted daughter, loving and thoughtful aunt, supportive wife and encouraging yet practical sister.
She supports her beliefs and cares about her community. I could go on and on but why bother , because obviously the people who read this have their own agendas
Judging from the credit card transactions, I’d say Beltrami is a card carrying communist er- democrat. Remember- these are the same people that want your guns, your money and your silence on the wrongs they have created. They have no issues with taking away your rights and property for the “social good”. Beltrami needs a reality check and vacation in Venezuela.
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