Anchorage Assemblyman John Weddleton may have thought he was being cute or subtle, but the message came through loud and clear: On Facebook, he said, “Always trying to be optimistic, I hope with foreign countries out, maybe Afghanistan will find a way on its own.”
Perhaps he has a point, and never mind the Americans stranded there.
But then came the real point of his message: In a jab at Mayor Dave Bronson, Weddleton quoted from the New York Times, “A few appointments so far suggest that the Taliban are more interested in appointing from within their ranks than naming ‘professionals,’ … the Taliban’s choice for acting head of the central bank Haji Mohammad Idris, a member of the movement. News reports have indicated that Mr. Idris has no formal financial training.”
To drive home the comparison, Weddleton wrote, “That’s never a sign of good governance.”
This week the leftist majority of the Anchorage Assembly rejected the appointment of former Grace Christian School principal Sami Graham to the post of Anchorage Librarian. Graham, they said, does not have a master’s degree in library science.
After Graham was rejected by the Assembly, with Weddleton joining the majority to reject her, Bronson appointed her his chief of staff, and a few days later appointed Judy Eledge the new Anchorage Librarian.
Read: Mayor Bronson appoints Judy Eledge as Director of Libraries
Weddleton, who has enjoyed life as a wandering hippie motorcyclist and mountain runner, has no record of service in the U.S. military. He owns a comic book store in Anchorage.
Mayor Bronson served as a pilot in the United States Air Force from 1981 to 1990, as an Air Force Reserve Command plans officer from 1992 to 1993. He was an Alaska Air National Guard maintenance officer and pilot from 1993 to 2005. There is no evidence in his biography that he is a member of the Taliban.
Bronson is attempting to appoint members of his leadership team, but must have them approved by the Anchorage Assembly. For the position of library director, the leftists on the Assembly are obsessed with the need for a master’s degree in library science, while Bronson is looking for someone who will help make the libraries safe for all.
