After the horrific shooting deaths in Pittsburgh on Saturday morning, President Donald Trump issued an immediate order to lower the U.S. flag out of respect for the 11 who died and the many others wounded during worship services at The Tree of Life Synagogue.
It was the deadliest attack on Jews in the nation’s history.
The flags are to be flown half-staff on all public buildings and grounds, military posts, and other sites until sunset on Oct. 31.
Twenty-four hours after the order was given, it appears no one in the State of Alaska has gotten the memo.
According to the state’s website, flags are still at full staff. A tour of flags around Anchorage in the middle of the day on Sunday revealed all flags are indeed full-staff — at Federal buildings, State buildings and the Municipality of Anchorage.
While the Alaska Department of Administration is supposed to immediately have the U.S. flags lowered, Commissioner Leslie Ridle has hit the campaign trail for Mark Begich for governor, leaving the details of her department to others. And since the governor has issued no order, those others are either oblivious or are in a quandary — do they follow Trump’s orders or wait until Gov. Bill Walker issues an order of his own?
Update: Must Read Alaska did another survey of public buildings at 5 pm and found that the flags on the Atwood Building, which is a state office building, had been lowered, shown in the photo below. The Municipality flags remained at full staff, however.
A disgraceful abdication of responsibility by a governor who will go down in Alaska’s history as the worst ever. Instead of finishing his term as a professional and being present along side of his cabinet during its last days, Walker goes on vacation. The failure to lower the flag as required by protocol is another example of his lack of leadership that has pervaded his administration from day one.
Did the muni ever lower the flag? Who is our Mayor again?? What’s his name??
8am, 10/31, City Hall flags are still up. As a Muni employee, I just sent an email inquiry to the Mayor, with cc. to his executive secretary, his chief of staff and the municipal manager. Awaiting a response…..
8:45am. Email got their attention. City Hall flags are now at half-staff.
Thank goodness for you, Matt. Jeez Berkowitz…really? Who’s in charge over there?
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