Andrew Gray, the cofounder of a rage-driven political group called Anchorage Action, made a demand to Mayor Dave Bronson on Tuesday night during the Anchorage Assembly meeting. He presented a petition with over 1,200 names on it from people who he said want to see Judy Eledge fired as the deputy librarian. Some who have signed the petition are library workers, others are patrons. Some appear to be from out of state.
Gray said, without presenting proof, that Eledge had removed books with gay themes from the library stacks. He said she reminds him of his mother, and his mother should not be in charge of a library.
Assemblywoman Jamie Allard attempted to stop the attack on Eledge’s character or the impugning of her, but Assembly Chairwoman Suzanne LaFrance allowed the attack to continue for the man’s full three minutes.
Eledge is deputy librarian, a position she was appointed by the mayor after she withdrew her name from consideration to be the head librarian for Anchorage.
Later in the meeting, Mayor Bronson spoke and said that the personal attack on an employee of the city was inappropriate.
“She is an employee of mine and you said that was allowed because of free speech,” Bronson said, speaking to Chairwoman LaFrance. “If that is a change in the rules of decorum here tonight going forward … you let that go for nearly two minutes. Finally, Jamie Allard had to step in and interrupt that process … And just I need you to know here that Judy’s been doing an exceptional job for eight months under very trying conditions. She’s a 75-year-old woman and she has got a lot of employees who actively work against her. We don’t know if that’s even legal what they are doing. I appreciate Judy’s service more than you can imagine … She is a dedicated employee, she is doing a great job and she continues to have my undying and unquestioned support. So to the request made to the petition, based on the way it was delivered by Mr. Gray, I won’t even dignify that by even reading it, my staff will. And just so you know, when she received that treatment you need to understand the perspective I have…If someone stood up at the podium and attacked your clerk that way would you allow it continue? And we know over the last two years you wouldn’t have.”
Bronson asked for public apology from Assembly Chair LaFrance, but she rebuffed his request.
Assemblyman Chris Constant then lectured the mayor and said he should have made a motion to overrule the ruling of the chair at the time the offense took place. LaFrance then prevented the mayor from speaking further on the topic.
Guess what NON-VOTERS!??! You didn’t vote for this! But you certainly did and DO allow it! Civil discourse my foot!
Thank you Mayor Bronson for standing up to a bully. And for letting the liberal looks prove they will not work with you, even to the point of allowing crass displays in Assembly Chambers.
Same nonsense. Different day.
Why do the people continue to elect such untalented people like LaFrance and Constant? They are an utter waste of time. Anchorage can do much better!
Oh grow up Seymour. Possibly the stupidest argument ever.
Happy Anchorage? You had the chance to make changes in how you’re ruled and didn’t bother to vote.
There’s nothing “gay” about these sad, pathetic losers….
Doesn’t matter. This is the left, so no repercussions. Anchorage had a chance to try to turn the tide but decided it wasn’t worth their time. This is Anchorage moving forward.
When is enough enough? This class of Kindergarteners need to be done, but they won’t until they get their own way. In my opinion, Judy Eledge has more integrity, sensitivity and Intelligence in her little finger than the whole group of accusers have in their pinkie finger. Every time I think of the Assembly I am reminded of all the taxpayer money they have tossed in the ocean, Wake up Alaska Residents, get rid of them. PS. Send LaFrance the book All I ever learned, I learned in Kindergarten. In my opinion, she can’t spell the word apology let alone say it.
Decorum? what decorum? Robert’s Rules of Order need not apply if your point of view is being represented according to the Chair. West Tank Farm?
AN OUTLINE OF BASIC PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE Prepared by Douglas N. Case Parliamentary Authority: Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised, Tenth Edition, 2001.
– Debate must address issues not personalities – no one is permitted to make personal attacks or question the motives of other speakers.
– Personal remarks are always out of order. [except if it concerns Mayor Bronson]
– A majority decides a question except when basic rights of members are involved. A two-thirds vote is required for any motion that deprives a member of rights in any way (e.g., cutting off debate
– The chair should always remain impartial. [HAH!]
The assembly work with this idiot Gray and several times he has been there speaking in support of the criminal activities of the assembly while the rest of the community is there speaking in opposition.
As the brother of a gay man, and after meeting hundreds of gays in my lifetime, and reading about commonalities in the psychological background of many, many gay males, I must say that Andrew Gray seems to fall into the very common category of having an overly domineering mother. And he didn’t mention his father. An absent father, or uninvolved or abusive father can add to the propensity for a man to grow into the gay “lifestyle”. One of lack of male self-confidence, of wimpyness, and often speaking with a gay lisp. Gays will never admit how common this is. Not in all cases, but it is very common to have an overly domineering mother and absent, or uninvolved father. And they always preface comments about their relationship with their parents with a a very defensive “I love my mother and father” comment. But deep down, they resent their parents. Because their parents didn’t give them what they need. Caring, loving guidance and confidence building. Molestation in their youth is often also a cause of this “lifestyle”. The molester could have been a parent, a priest, a teacher, a sibling, or anyone that would inappropriately touch a child. The horror of molesting children is that it creates more molesters. And it becomes generational. Not all gays become molesters. Just like not all straights become molesters, but the statistics show that anyone that is molested has an increased chance of being a molester themselves. I am not saying Andrew Gray is a molester. These are just some of the common attributes and struggles of gay men that I have learned about because of having a gay brother. Without this proper parental guidance, these young gay men grow up fighting the world, trying to make the world accept their “lifestyles”. Trying to take down, through the Cancel Culture, and have a woman fired from her job. Just because she “reminds” Andrew Gray of his mother. They don’t believe in the free speech of anyone that disagrees with them. Homosexuality is not normal.
It is an aberration. And deep down inside, gays know this. They will never admit this, but they know it. So they cannot fight a God that they cannot see, so they attack people that believe in God and the Bible. And to justify it, they say that God does not exist. As with most atheists. Suzanne LaFrance is a hypocrite.
What is it about this library director thing? One would think that the library director carries the nuclear football. Is there some sort of secret passage to Hell behind a locked door at the library?…….other than the Assembly chambers in the basement?
It’s a grooming station.
These liberal assembly people are a freaking embarrassment, they act like petulant little children when they don’t get their way. I’ll be so happy when EaglExit comes to fruition so we don’t have to put up with these pompous a-holes any longer.
In what bizarre world of fiction do these people live where they seem to believe they have an unalienable right to never be offended about anything?
.
And, thanks to LaFrance for demonstrating clearly that the Assembly is nothing but a bunch of emotion driven toddlers with the singular purpose of annoying the Mayor.
This is unfairness and insidious. I have seen many times where others and another particular person stands up and just starts to speak, and they stop them immediately and often threatens him with calling the police to escort him from the meeting and arrest him.
I’d say that La France was out of order, allowing the man to continue harassing the Liberian and then harassing the Assembly member speaking up for her.
This Assembly is “one sided” being unfair to other people that express their views against their wishes.
His unresolved psych issues are not the library’s problem
Wow. These meetings are entertaining to say the least.
Ah, yes! The tolerant and inclusive open-minded Left at work once again. Gray had a mother?
Susan?
How and why am i seeing an ALASKANSFORLISA campain add on your web article? Are you aware your provider is doing this? It is deceptive and presents as you and your column support her political ideology.
I screen shot it.
The group asked for an ad and they are paying for the ad, so yes, I have bills to pay and I accepted the ad. – sd
While i am no Murkowski supporter, I do support your willingness to provide her advertising space. Free and open discourse demands it if you ask me.
Pray for Judy Eledge and Mayor Bronson.
Pray that Mayor Bronson finds a “suitable” position, outside of APL, for Deputy Director Eledge. There is no need to retain her role once the new Library Director is approved.
Bronson placed Eledge in a position for which she does not have a MLS degree or any relevant public library experience; and she has personally expressed intolerance towards the LGBTQ+ community.
Where’s the petition in support of Judy? I’ll sign it and recruit 100s to sign it as well.
Wow. That’s how Anchorage is run?
Not everyone is a sociopath but there are plenty around. Everyone has a trained conscience. If you sense heat there is a note to self: “Step back”. Non-sociopaths will empathize with others. Parents don’t want interference with inculcated values structures. Some consciences are trained by tv. Or fantasy escape novels or a survey of social peers. It used to be that most Americans consciences were trained by the Holy Scriptures to live in a way that comports with peace. No more evidently. TV and modern entertainment are Satan’s training tools. Read the Bible every evening with kiddos. If they grow up to be rebels that is their pain evidently. God’s way is best in all matters.
Mayor Bronson:
You are fighting an uphill battle when going against LGBTQ and gay books at the library.
.
Solution:
Partition a small section of the library, with gay books, and create the first LGBTQ reading room in the nation. Get these pests off your back and become a hero.
Mommy issues or daddy issues? Maybe both? Heck I don’t know, but I know crazy when I see it.
Constant and LaFrance’s rude treatment of Mayor Bronson is nothing new. It’s apparent that she cannot think on her own and has Dunbar and Constant as her puppet masters. In light of the outcome in our recent Assembly election (specifically Randy Sulte knocking off Weddleton), my one comment to LaFrance would be “One down, one to go.” FYI: LaFrance is up for political retirement next year.
Boy, talk about getting your panties in a knot…….
Removing books from a library is so American! We’re so afraid of free speech and different ideas that we don’t dare expose people to them! My Gosh, they might actually think about them! I’ll support Ms. Eledge when she also removes rabid right-wing idiocies like this website pushing anger-riddled nonsense. “Rage driven”? Pot, kettle, black.
There’s a conservative comedian/performance artist in Texas named Alex Stein whose schtick is to give testimony in city council meetings posing as a liberal and giving satirical over-the-top demands for whatever the trendy liberal cause of the moment is (vaccinating infants, city support for the Ukrainian war, transgenders in sports, etc.) and then posting the city’s video on his social media channels.
But here in Anchorage, we have actual liberals giving completely unironic diatribes and demands in Assembly meetings.
This is extremely sad, please someone explain to me how we didn’t have enough people to vote these people out of office?
Find an aspect of this that does not suck. I’ll wait.
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