In a letter that has “lawsuit” written all over it to Mayor Dave Bronson, Assembly Chairwoman Suzanne LaFrance and Vice Chair Chris Constant have said they do not recognize the legitimacy of the firing of the former chief equity officer.
“It has been well publicized that you decided to terminate Clifford Armstrong III in the position of Chief Equity Officer, and that you have selected for appointment to the position Uluao “Junior” Aurnavae per your October 11 press release. We do not recognize Mr. Armstrong’ s dismissal as complete nor valid and are advised by Assembly Counsel that it is not legally complete,” the two wrote.
Bronson fired Armstrong, who they moved up from the Lower 48, and replaced him with a member of the Anchorage community who knows the community.
Armstrong has acknowledged on his LinkedIn page that he has been fired. He posted a cartoon of him being fired by three members of the Ku Klux Klan, a clear use of the “race card.”
In reality, Bronson, who has been in office for three and a half months has hired three African-Americans and has one Native Alaskan at the most senior levels of his Administration, and he replaced Armstrong with a Pacific Islander.
LaFrance and Constant cited Anchorage Municipal Code section 3.20.1-4OA.1.c., which they passed last year, stating: ”’the chief equity officer may be dismissed by the mayor only for cause shown, and only with the concurrence of a majority of the assembly.”
But the municipal charter supersedes the ordinance. The charter is the constitutional authority for the city and the writers of the charter never wrote into it that the Assembly could prevent people in the Administration from being fired. The auditor’s position is an exception.
“This section was enacted and duly adopted by ordinance A0 2020-7915) and is current. According to the Alaska Supreme Court holding in Municipality of Anchorage of Anchorage Police Dept. Employers Ass’n, 839 P.2d 1030 (Alaska 1992), Alaska courts must presume that Code provision and ordinance are constitutionally valid.”
“Furthermore, proceedings of the governing body of a municipality are presumed to have been conducted in accordance with law,” they asserted.
“Mr. Armstrong cannot be dismissed unilaterally by the Mayor,” they wrote.
Then LaFrance and Constant alleged that “Armstrong is still the Chief Equity Officer of the Municipality. He continues to be employed until there is a showing of cause for his dismissal, communicated to the Assembly, and by majority vote the body concurs with the dismissal.”
“Please advise as soon as possible your grounds for cause for Mr. Armstrong’ s dismissal, and no later than October 27, 2021. Once received, the matter will be scheduled before the Assembly for its consideration,” the two wrote.
According to sources, he had not shown up for work for several weeks.
If Bronson had saved puppies in an earthquake they would complain he didn’t save kittens, too.
The two are spoiled children.
Happy, Anchorage? You keep them in office.
This is the time during the “Dukes of Hazzard” show when the narrator would speak up…”Folks, it looks like it’s going to be a long winter in Anchorage this year” 🙂
Bronson is Anchorage’s Trump. Causing the leftwing members to collectively rip the hair out of their collective scalps.
I hope all they hear from the Mayor is crickets! Laughable.
Wow this Assembly is sure showing their donkey side!!
The man has not shown up for work for over 3 months. Your Fired would be the words to this ID 10 T.
THE corporate bylaws should not be considered Constitutional nor tenable because you didn’t do what what we presumed you would do and that is hold an election for Mayor when necessary in a timely manner nor did you fill the empty position for West Anchorage. Then you shut the people out of THEIR Constitutional assemblage. Then the assembly did close the municipal services to the residents against our will and shut business killing commerce and making people homeless. THE ASSEMBLY ate catered meals in the bowels of the library while Anchorage literally howled outdoors to get in Nobiddy in Anchorage asked for an equity officer for the assembly to approve. We don’t want our assembly servants running interference, rebuilding our organization for some tiny idyll in California. The assembly receives constant negative feedback on the wrong turns they constantly take. We would like our elected Mayor to be our executive branch. Most in Anchorage believe the assembly cloistered itself from the Anchorage residents. The charter limits the assembly not expands it. Anchorage residents have not relinquished sovereignty to the assembly and if the assembly believes this they are quite mistaken.
These power mad little Kim Jong Un wannabes have completely lost their minds, although they didn’t have much to lose to begin with.
Their insatiable lust for power has blinded them, and they are out of control……
The Assembly has no authority over whom the Mayor hires or does not hire into a position such as this. They really need to get over themselves. They hired a person from another state to hustle the race card up here, where nobody really cares about the color of anyone’s skin, and cannot figure out why that was a poor choice. So many of them are carpetbaggers anyway that they cannot understand a place where color of skin is the last consideration in any social encounter. If you don’t like it, you can always go back to Seattle or Tacoma or Portland where you can hustle race all day.
One could be forgiven for not giving a microsopic damn on a good day what this Assembly “accepts”.
.
We’re not put here to serve them or their “Equity Officer”
.
Might be fun to figure out how to defy, defeat, demoralize them to the point that they turn on each other.
.
What have we got to lose?
It’s called hiring at will. So deal with it Constant!
No call, no show? If you can’t show up and punch the clock, how exactly are you performing your duties?
We’re in the middle of a worldwide and these buffoons on the Assembly are acting like high schoolers by playing juvenile games.
.
What on earth is this town coming turning into, Portland?
.
The Anchorage assembly has become an autonomous zone for people who never got over being unpopular damaged adolescents.
.
Good grief, what a great way for LaFrance et al. to end their political careers/aspirations. It’s as if they’ve not been paying attention to the implosion of national Democrats.
*snort* “The Anchorage assembly has become an autonomous zone for people who never got over being unpopular damaged adolescents.”
That was so well said it deserves a standing ovation. And YOU owe me a new keyboard, I ruined this one with a coffee eruption. 🙂
Anything in conflict with US Constitution is void ab initio for effect as though it never happened. A contract bestowing privileges not offered to others is unlawful. The municipal charter is not superior to the US Constitution.
Goodbye Mr. Armstrong. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.
We now enter the next phase of the leftist revolution where laws mean nothing and hatred trumps all. There should be a cold 6×8 cell on Adak waiting for these assembly members.
And let be it know that we on the Assembly will hold our breath until you give us candy
Hey, life is rough and there are realities beyond those you find yourself in today. You have no say in whether you have a job or not. That is in the purview of your employer. Your employer is the municipality of Anchorage, under the jurisdiction of the administrative body of that governmental entity. Take your ass back to Seattle and continue to screw Seattle up. Stay away from us. Feel free to take the assembly 9 with you.
Moves and countermoves.
Finally, someone to keep the assembly on their toes in their quest for power.
After Armstrong revealed his true racist nature, which the public has seen, we know that he will not be equal in his equity.
It is good to be elected to be Mayor and it is bad for anyone to say who the Mayor can or can not work for his administration, the Mayor is the boss, right?
Not so in Anchorage Alaska, it seems strange that the Mayor has little ability to lead those how elected him.
It is time to fix this and let the Mayor choose who works for him, in my humble opinion. Leadership is what the Mayor can provide if he is free to lead!
Who elected him?
Bronson strikes again! Let’s go Assembly!
If Mr. Armstrong has not shown up for work for weeks but has been getting paid, he certainly is not a candidate for ‘sailor of the month’. Since Mr. Armstrong allegedly cannot be fired for cause by the Chief Executive of the city, because the Assembly retains that authority, who ensures the taxpayers are getting the right “utils”.from him? Isn’t the Assembly negligent for lack of supervision of Mr. Armstrong?
Or, in reality, is the Assembly really using Mr. Armstrong as a tool in their relentless fight with Mayor Bronson? Any way you look at it, the city is being let down by the Assembly’s hyperbolic obtuseness.
Has anyone asked Mr. Armstrong how he feels? It’s become clear he was just a woke-approved token placeholder hired by the Assembly to fill an unneeded, unwanted role with the sole purpose of obstructing Mayor Bronson. He’s being used as a wedge, not as a valuable employee. His role is a laughing stock and he should rightfully be furious.
.
If I was him I’d use my exceedingly well honed writing skills and tell the Assembly precisely where, and how, they can shove it. He deserves far more respect than they have shown him.
.
The ball is in your court sir.
Try not showing up at your job for several weeks and see how long you stay employed. Seems they only want to follow their charter when it fits their purposes.
So how often do assembly members meet with this unknown agitator Armstrong from afar? Does he have his coffee and give LaFrance a jingle to discuss his future which lies inextricably forever in the direct control of nine intractable, obstinate, cloistered individuals who vote enbloc and have for months? We give no support for this nonsense. Please take a mental health break and resign. The Eagle River representatives represent the city at this time. For the good of Anchorage please resign immediately. Nothing Anchorage wants or needs is of Any interest evidently to this sad, unfortunate and unConstitutional blockade of nine in lieu of representative members. The formerly exclusive party of nine is going to be disbanded. This chapter is behind us.
Despite the contrary indications in all the comments here, the letter from the assembly seems fairly convincing with is legal positioning and references. That said, everything in law is entirely arguable–down to the letter. If the mayor is not well-prepared to respond to the assembly’s letter then shame on him for being remiss. As said above, if he is prepared strongly, perhaps the best response is none at all.
Rebuttals presumptions are easily rebutted by the convenient facts of this stalemate. What about the interminable agreement being prima face evidence that the nine do not care what the people desire or need? Those particular made an agreement while Anchoragites out of the process. Terrible, incorrigible, indefensible contract type. unconstitutional giving of special privilege to Mr. Armstrong. WE have equality in this nation. PRESUME THAT.
Anything in conflict with US Constitution is void ab initio for effect as though it never happened. A contract bestowing privileges not offered to others is unlawful. The municipal charter.
If he indeed hasn’t been showing up for work, that’s willful abandonment of his position. That should- in a sane world- be all the cause ANY employer needs to terminate.
Crybabies. There is not a IQ of 10 for any of them.
The petty, vindictive, bitter, arrogant, authoritarian, intolerant, perpetually angry and hateful Suzanne LaFrance and Christopher “Constantly Whining” Constant virtually define the mindless and soulless zealots who are the contemporary radical leftist extremist.
If we put our selves in their pointy toed boots how would we feel if nobiddy understood the heavy load a nanny has to tug along: the hard business of keeping the public locked out of the premises; carting them off to jail every chewsday (when will they ever learn?); getting triggered each time the public’s voices are heard with in our private dimly lit vault why we stiffen up involuntarily! Save the the shards of the planned demic! And send for reinforcements.
So does this mean that the populace can simply declare that they “do not recognize the election of Assemblymen as complete or valid”? Declaring stuff is always fulfilling. I want some, too!
I say put our Mr. Ex-NFL and the Assembly’s no-show-bowtie-wearer in the same tiny office for a day and see who comes out at 5pm.
.
It’s gonna be tense and it’s gonna be uncomfortable and one of them will be submitting a resignation.
.
Come to think of it, too bad we can’t do the same with the ASSembly. I’ll go through the phone book and pick 7 random names (is the dog catcher available?) and my group plus the 2 good ones we’ve got will be better and easier to get along with, and WILL ACCOMPLISH MORE than this sorry set of nine “unpopular damaged adolescents” we have now (hat tip to Mr. Blair).
Since the block of nine voted together more unitedly than the United nations, letx’@ get a court order to jettison them for creating what is an offensive agreement creating an endless liability to wit the Armstrong dynasty without checking if even the city councils wanted this. Representative government is (sometimes) a thing. We will have the City Councils on the agenda on a rotational basis. Frankly I don’t think the Municipal lawyer is up to the task. Try to get him going on it. If he balks he can take his balking self off to greener pastures too. Our public trust funds ? say so.
In every job I’ve worked, you must show up on time, perform the outlined tasks for a period time each day in order to collect a pay check. Not showing up to work means you’re not collecting a paycheck. If you were my employee and had not called in with a good excuse, consider yourself fired. After a week of no-contact, you’re 86’d.
LOL! This assembly reminds me of tuning in to the View once! (cringe) Poor little babies lost their binkie!
The Anchorage Assembly is completely dysfunctional at this time. Maybe it is time for the Governor to step in and have the Attorney General conduct an investigation. He could start with a forensic audit of the electoral process in Anchorage to determine how these culls continue to win reelection!
I can answer your last line Mail In Voting.
““This section was enacted and duly adopted by ordinance A0 2020-7915) and is current. According to the Alaska Supreme Court holding in Municipality of Anchorage of Anchorage Police Dept. Employers Ass’n, 839 P.2d 1030 (Alaska 1992), Alaska courts must presume that Code provision and ordinance are constitutionally valid.””
Well, according to the Alaska Supreme Court, Alaska Statutes don’t have to be followed when the governor wants your money either, so ….
Just so we know the Alaska Supreme Court takes precedence over that old outdated US Constitution in Alaska again. Now that’s been firmly hoodwinked what is next? Whatever did we do without the City of London’s Bar Association jurisprudence in the US?
The Politburo is determined to prevent the Mayor from governing. The problem for the Mayor is that he has to get his action past a judicial system that is uniformly hostile to conservatives/Republicans. Seemingly the Alaska courts don’t care what the law says; they only care about what tribe you belong to.
Classic do-gooder who as Mencken said ” Hate the other guy (or gal) for having a better time in the world”
or…. I’ll get you my pretty and your little dog to”
Don’t ever fall for the fake do-gooder “I care” racket!!!!!
Anything in conflict with US Constitution is void ab initio for effect as though it never happened. A contract bestowing privileges not offered to others is unlawful. The municipal charter is not superior to the US Constitution.
The Anchorage Assembly just cannot come to terms with the fact that they are not the collective mayor anymore. Especially the horse-faced LaFrance. I hope they all get run out in future elections.
So I'[m seeing a lot of argument here that Obama’s appointment to the Supreme Court should have gone through. Or does the Constitution work differently in D.C. than the rest of the country?
Mr Armstrong has not shown up to work for several weeks? How much vacation/sick leave has he accrued? If those accounts are exhausted, his compensation and benefits should be halted. If this Obama wannabe isn’t getting paid, he’ll leave.
If Mayor Bronson is forced to keep Clifford Armstrong on staff, then he should just pay him and order him to stay home.
I’m sure Armstrong is just a political operative for the assembly to help them push their communist woke crap. The Assembly is out of control and no longer represents the interests of the people of Anchorage. Therefore, it is the duty of the citizens of Anchorage to throw off your oppressors. Vote these people out and make yourselves heard every chance you get. Make it clear to these clowns, their dictator behavior has no place in a free Republic.
Who the hell do these libs think they are?!?! They answer or take orders from nobody?!?! Time to invoke the 2nd amendment and form a militia to force these totalitarian domestic terrorist out of office, not just here but all around the globe. It’s time to destroy the evil that’s sweeping this world before it’s too late. I’m tired of the minority fear mongering the majority, rise up and take control of your life and future!
Based on what I read, he stopped showing up to work after Bronson became mayor. Any other employer would consider that willful abandonment of one’s position, meaning he quit. Why would we pay someone who isn’t actually doing their job?
DEE, You hit the “nail on the Head”..Exactly.. When the Assembly hires an outside person and he leaves abandoning his job. Why should he remained working when he doesn’t show up for work.
Comments are closed.