DOGE Alaska: Alaska Black Caucus getting even more taxpayer money for DEI, this time to compete with existing Anchorage businesses

30
Photo credit: Alaska Black Caucus website

The Anchorage Assembly is set on Tuesday night to approve another grant to the Alaska Black Caucus.

This one is a $65,000 grant agreement with the Alaska Black Caucus for renovations at the new Equity Center. This funding, included in the 2025 municipal operating budget, aims to enhance the facility’s commercial kitchen and other infrastructure to support culinary training, small business development, and community gatherings. All of this is intended to compete with other existing businesses in Anchorage.

According to Mayor Suzanne LaFrance’s office, the grant is intended to strengthen the capacity of the Equity Center to provide resources for aspiring culinary professionals and local entrepreneurs. The renovations will create a functional space for training programs, meetings, and food industry initiatives that contribute to the city’s economic and social development.

The Equity Center is part a building that the Assembly bought for the Alaska Black Caucus with taxpayer dollars. The work was supposed to be done last year and the grand opening was to be in the summer. But it was delayed, and so a rough ribbon cutting was performed in the November in the unfinished space, in order to meet grant requirements. But the Equity Center was not finished.

“The event marked the completion of the final phase of renovations for the center,” the Alaska Black Caucus said at the time.

The new funding proposal has drawn attention due to the history of municipal and federal grants awarded to the Alaska Black Caucus in recent years.

Since 2021, the organization has received over $1.3 million in noncompetitive grants from the Anchorage Assembly, in addition to other competitive funding sources, all taxpayer money. These grants have been used for various projects, including purchasing the building that now houses the Equity Center.

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that states no federal money can be spent on programs that promote one race or gender identity over another. But the City of Anchorage is evidently ignoring the order.

Critics have concerns about the continued allocation of taxpayer funds to the organization without competitive bidding. Additionally, questions have surfaced regarding the long-term sustainability of the Equity Center, given its reliance on government grants.

Securing future federal funding may be challenging, especially under the shift in federal policies regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.

The Anchorage Assembly meets Feb. 25 on the ground floor of the Loussac Library on 36th Ave. The meeting starts at 5 p.m. and usually runs until 11 p.m. Agenda and details are here.

DOGE Alaska is a project that is exposing waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer dollars in Alaska.

See the previous DOGE Alaska story that details all the noncompetitive taxpayer-funded grants the group has received over the past few years, awarded by the Assembly, at this link:

30 COMMENTS

  1. Doge continues to prove we’re getting screwed by our elected officials.
    Keep digging, shine the light on this … Waste – Fraud – Abuse – Theft.
    Our “Doge Team” is doing a great job for Alaska and Alaskans!

  2. As long as they aren’t using federal money, they can do what they want. This is what the residents of Anchorage voted for. Maybe they’ll decide to take back their city one day, or it’s exactly what they want.

    • You/we have no idea what Anchorage residents voted for.
      .
      You/we are only told what Anchorage residents voted for.
      .
      The person who counts the votes is employed by the Anchorage Assembly who have a vested interest in the outcome.
      .
      What could possibly go wrong?

  3. THANK YOU Alaska DOGE team for exposing the light on where our taxpayer dollars are going. Looks like Alaska has its own version of BLM grifters. As a side note the Fairbanks fair is having a drag queen show as part of their 2025 entertainment line up. Any idea if the fair receives federal taxpayer dollars?

    • JenL–the TVSF received so many threats of vigilante violence and property damage that they cancelled the Glam Show.

  4. There are no federal dollars used to fund the jobs training programs at the Equity Center, so none of Trump’s executive order apply.

    • You are missing the point, SA.
      Why exactly are we, the taxpayers, giving money to this entity? AND in a non-compete fashion to boot? If the Equity center wants to build a training facility, more power to them. But they should raise the funds themselves instead of being bankrolled by the taxpayer.
      What exactly does this entity bring to city services? It seems unfair competition and favoritism is going on here.
      BTW I believe the city does get federal dollars and so what they spent it on becomes relevant. (Like that covid money they shuffled around to buy hotels if memory serves)

  5. Why do certain minority groups continue to segregate themselves from the rest of society?

    Seems once someone has adopted a slave mindset, it takes many generations to get out, in general.

    Kinda like tax payers.

Comments are closed.