The CIRI Board of Directors has been closely monitoring the actions of Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy’s administration since he took office just over eight months ago.
The actions the governor has taken during his tenure have been concerning to members of the Board. After meeting with CIRI’s government relations professionals, and following serious deliberation, the Board has determined that action is necessary to protect the health, education and well-being of our shareholders and all Alaskans.
To this end, the Board is supporting the effort to recall Governor Dunleavy. During his time in office, the governor has repeatedly violated Alaska law and the state constitution, and demonstrated his unfitness for office by refusing to appoint a judge within the legal time frame; misusing state funds for political ad campaigns; violating the separation of powers; and incompetently vetoing state funds.
These actions are harming all Alaskans and threatening the state’s business environment. In July, Moody’s Investors Service downgraded Alaska’s outlook from “stable” to “negative” and downgraded the University of Alaska system three notches, making it the second lowest-rated flagship university in the U.S. Both of these actions from a third-party professional organization are concerning to the Board.
The decision to support the Recall Dunleavy campaign is one your Board takes seriously. Where it is unusual for CIRI to wade into political waters, a lack of action would go against our company’s mission of promoting the economic well-being of our shareholders. It would be irresponsible to sit idly by while Alaska is plunged into an avoidable fiscal and social crisis.
As the recall effort moves forward, your Board is committed to keeping shareholders informed. We will reach out through regular CIRI communications, such as the Raven’s Circle newsletter, and e-mail communications such as this one. In the meantime, please direct any questions or requests for additional information to [email protected].
CIRI is committed to protecting our shareholders’ interests and the state services that are so essential to Alaska’s future. Thank you for your support during this critical time.
Sincerely,
The CIRI Board of Directors
CIRI board adds its name to recall list?
In 1985, as a University of Alaska Regent, I urged that the University reduce spending and PRIORITIZE its programs in light of the reality that oil revenues are certain to decline based on price and production. There was little support to manage the University at that time.
I wonder if CIRI’s Board will now start investing in business interests that spend more than they receive in income?
Perhaps a review of Fiduciary responsibility would be a basis to question CIRI’s Board as being candidates for recall themselves?
I pity the CIRI shareholders among ALL Alaskans who have been “taxed” by elected officials, who have stolen their PFD dollars and spent Alaska’s resource funds with little regard for future Alaskans.
When will the Drunken spending sailors in our State sober up?
We know the recall effort is a waste of time. There will come a time that CIRI will want something from the Governor. They are cutting their own throats. Should have polled shareholders before taking such a drastic move.
Follow the money.
Another virtuoso comment from someone with an Alex Karris wannabe complex.
The recall the governor group was soliciting signatures in Soldatna yesterday at the other end of River Park where we were collecting recall Gary Knopp signatures.
A couple observations.
They are obviously not operating on a shoestring like we are. They had nice official shirts that somebody paid some money to have made. We have home made signs we cobbled together from old used campaign signs. Maybe that recycling aspect qualifies us as green!
A guy from Anchor Point who happened to have a booth near their’s & overheard alot of the conversations told us he thinks most of the recall the governor signatures were being collected from people who didn’t vote for him in the first place.
Their signers are motivated …..stopping at our booth asking for directions to the governor’s recall booth. Some looked to be trying to geo-locate it on their phones. Oddly, we collected a few signatures by people headed to the governor’s recall area.
I also noticed a subtle increased political volitility with a person walking by our booth giving us a thumb’s down, a person driving by looking at us mouthing “FU” and a lady yelling at us as she drove by. No idea what she said.
But it was a beautiful day! I got enough vitamin D to last at least half the winter
How ‘ironic’ that the chairman of CIRI is a cop and public employee union rep. Who would’ve thunk it? Certainly not impressing me. The animus against our Governor is disgusting. The leftist idiotic antics say a lot about them, including CIRI. It’s gone far beyond politics. Harassment, threats, lies, slander, all say volumes about the left. I have zero sympathy/empathy for their “platform” of anarchy. The more I hear and see coming from the left, the more resolute I am in support of Governor Dunleavy and his ‘save Alaska’ policies and politics. Our turn is coming. At the polls. In the meantime, expect ratcheting up of leftist rhetoric and actions against all things sane in our state and federal government. Like I said before, Alaska is like an ‘echo chamber’ for what’s happening nationally with the leftist attacks against everything American, reasonable, fiscally responsible and truthful, increasing by the hour.
Ben, your first sentence, and one from their letter “a lack of action would go against our company’s mission of promoting the economic well-being of our shareholders.” ~ (Their 8,800 shareholders.) All CIRI has ever been about was making money, for their own. They don’t care about “all Alaskans.” Much like unions, in general.
Didn’t CIRI and the other Native Corporations vocally support the Governor about this time last year?
.
What changed? ASRC will be next I guess. The administration is gonna need a bigger bus to climb over the pile forming.
CIRI’s politics are a bit different from ASRC’s politics. I would be very surprised to see ASRC jump on that bandwagon.
The politics of taking TAPS property taxes away from the North Slope Borrough should be enough. I wonder when Governor Dunleavy communicated that part of his plan to them?
He’s sure “standing tall” but will be needing a ladder soon. Heheh!
“the chairman of CIRI is a cop and public employee union rep”. Is there enough hours in the day to do all jobs? How is Chairman of CIRI not a full time job?
I thought it was a slippery slope when AFN endorsed, for the first time in 2016, a presidential candidate. Doesn’t seem like a lane AFN needs to swim in. The same applies to CIRI in this situation. What good comes of this? This is going to bite them in the butt down the road. Just like AFN did to thousands of natives without their collective input, CIRI’s fat cat board members are signing on to something that many of their shareholders might not appreciate.
.
CIRI might want to spend a little time paying attention to many of their own shareholders on the street corners that need a hand up.
.
And why are they worried so much about the University? APU is now a tribal college. It is now fully embedded with CIRI leadership (and leaders from other native corporations- and of course the Rasmussons) on the board of trustees. The whole thing is bought and paid for with native corp bucks baby! They have that massive medical campus….now the APU campus behind it…. who knows what’s next? Maybe they will end up with the University in the end.
They also got involved in Lisa’s general write-in campaign against Joe Miller (another ultra right-winger like Mike). I don’t believe it caused them any grief then and it surely won’t this time either, IMO.
Comments are closed.