By MICHAEL TAVOLIERO
Assembly Member Jamie Allard’s Must Read Alaska column on Oct. 29 nails the challenge we face in today’s Marxist control of our cities in America, detailed through her personal experiences in working to represent her community.
Anchorage is not an atypical Marxist stronghold.
We can see these experiential examples in almost every state in America. Seattle, Minneapolis, New York, Portland, San Francisco, and Los Angeles in particular stand out. These formerly wonderful cities are now controlled by a Marxist regime solely focused on destroying Americanism, actively attempting to murder liberty in ways we have never seen in our respective lifetimes.
One may ask, why destroy something that is innately good and best for its citizens?
Why implement a totalitarian regime with mind-numbingly rigid controls on citizens?
And why are these same citizens seeming go along with the new regimes like lambs to slaughter?
These are questions must be addressed if we are to survive the onslaught.
Here in Anchorage we see the conservative attempts to change the fabric of municipal government to a breathable balance between individual rights and the need for the rule of law. However, the current assembly powered by the unions, the education industry, the health care industry, and the welfare industry not only continue to drive stakes through the heart of individual rights but ignores the law in favor of political expediency and situational ethics.
Oh, and the almost $1.5 billion dollar budget controlled by the municipal assembly and the school board continues to enrich the pockets of the unions, the education industry, the health care industry, and the welfare industry while Anchorage’s general and student population is on the decline.
This situation necessitates the extraction of more and more money from a shrinking population.
This is the tragedy of the early 21st Century, which like the plague of the early 20th Century Progressive Movement captured the control of our banks, our education system, our food, and more, now focuses on indoctrination of our population through propaganda and entitlement.
We are moving closer to despotism and further away from liberty.
What is liberty?
Frederic Bastiat in “The Law” asks, “Actually, what is the political struggle that we witness? It is the instinctive struggle of all people toward liberty. And what is this liberty, whose very name makes the heartbeat faster and shakes the world? Is it not the union of all liberties—liberty of conscience, of education, of association, of the press, of travel, of labor, of trade? In short, is not liberty the freedom of every person to make full use of his faculties, so long as he does not harm other persons while doing so? Is not liberty the destruction of all despotism—including, of course, legal despotism? Finally, is not liberty the restricting of the law only to its rational sphere of organizing the right of the individual to lawful self-defense; of punishing injustice?”
“Legal despotism” is the perversion of the rule of law.
With every meeting, the innocent and alleged “enemies” of the municipal assembly are convicted on trumped-up accusations or false evidence in their kangaroo public hearings by limiting speech, attempts at humiliation, and betrayal of their oaths as they pervert public policy.
They cut off the microphone, they mock the speakers, and they force citizens to wait for hours just to speak, and then end the meetings before those citizens have had their turn at the speaker’s box. They pretend to be the victims of an angry and deranged public when they are the real bullies and tormentors.
Then there are the corrupt beneficiaries who all participate in the institutionalized theft of our public trust and taxes with impunity.
We the public are outraged and incredulous.
The innate desire for liberty, even here in Anchorage, is ignored and frustrated by its policy makers, who use our tax dollars to frustrate and demean the American spirit.
These statists pretend superiority over their constituents as they attempt to arrange our lifestyles through their organizations and regulations. Any successful conservative actions to limit these actions are worked around, overcome, and met with greater arrogance and greater limitations on our liberty. Even when conservatives succeed, they end up in failure because of these arrogant and all-knowing autocrats.
In Alaska, the question is simple: How can we as conservatives change the policy makers who believe their sole task is to have power and control over every aspect of our lives and future?
The answer in 2021 is not through municipal elections, attending assembly meetings, sponsoring recalls, or other forms of legal civil disobedience. We have seen these all fail to our disappointment, despair, and great expense.
The answer, in my opinion, is simply take our ball and go to another field to play.
Eaglexit is all that we as conservatives have left.
Think about it.
Is there any other way?
The Municipality of Anchorage must be decentralized. The detachment of Assembly District 2, including Eagle River, Chugiak, and its other communities, will weaken the power and control of the Marxist assembly in the remainder of Anchorage.
In this process, Assembly District 2 will have their chance at real liberty.
What will follow?
Perhaps Assembly District 6 and other assembly districts will realize their potentials and detach.
It really is not a question of whether we can afford it. The real question is can we afford not to decentralize Anchorage?
Those who are against Eaglexit argue that costs will rise. Yet, from 2019 to 2021, our mill rate in the Eagle River Tax District 10 increased by 10%.
Do they not see this?
Or are they just the epitome of the frog in the water, slowly heating to a boil and ignoring the impending disaster?
Perhaps it is time for a civics course.
Come join us.
Oh, and by the way, Assembly District 2, you may want to jump out of seats and give Assembly Member Jamie Allard the standing ovation she deserves!
Michael Tavoliero is a realtor in Eagle River, is active in the Alaska Republican Party and chairs Eaglexit.
Michael, I too am a fan of Mssr. Bastiat. I ask, what would his answer be to our current predicament Vis-a-Vis his thought that men walk toward Liberty. I don’t see that we are doing that now, perhaps we are re-turning to that direction though. I don’t think Eagle Exit is the answer for society at large. Eagle River certainly benefits from the higher percentage of military residents. With embarrassments like Milley at our highest military ranks, how long will that continue.
No, better to fight this scourge together, brother.
Michael, this is a well-written and well-argued article.
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However, as much as I agree with your goals, I have to wonder if those most involved with the Eaglexit movement are not pursuing the wrong strategy to achieve it. Maybe we need to take a lesson from the Founding Fathers, and simply DECLARE our independence from Anchorage! Let the details be worked out subsequent to that.
Hmm, while in spirit I certainly agree with your notion, history also mentioned that the Brits were none to pleased and send a contingent that wreaked havoc for a considerable time, in order to reclaim, what they considered theirs to boss about. It got hairy and for a time the outcome was far from certain, but the one thing the colonists always had in their favor, was the home field advantage and an ocean between them and those pesky Brits.
Ready. Fire. Aim.
So… your first article 3 days ago fell flat and so now a whole new set of aphorisms and arguments? This too will fail because you do not grasp politics… I will continue my bet that by this time in 2023, you can owe me the original $1 for not making your secession BS work. If you take the bet…
I’m telling ya, the ladies are correct. Mr. Tavoliero is ready for the big leagues. He would blow all others away in a US Congress race next year. Where do I send my campaign donation, Mr. Tavoliero? You would easily snatch that seat away from Don Young. Art Hackney is ready to roll out your opening kick-off.
Anything to make the muni smaller and weaker? Is a GOOD thing.
I can’t wait until this happens. I can’t stand tiny tyrants with their tempest in a teapot temper tantrums.
You’re right, I can’t stand Anchorage assembly, either.
Perhaps one should understand, or at least define, Marxism before using it in a sentence. But that would require an 8th grade education – which the author of this article apparently lacks.
John, if you are trying to deny that the ‘Marxist Nine’ on the Anchorage ass-embly are not in fact Marxists, then please keep desperately trying to deny reality, and to defend the indefensible.
The OP is probably right in a sense, in that the Commie Nine would not define or even understand themselves as Marxists or Communists; they just think of themselves as educated, sophisticated, and thus superior people. Remember how nobody at Comrade Obama’s birthday soiree was vulnerable to CV-19 because they were educated and sophisticated? Same thinking. It’s like talking to teachers who all think they’re moderates or even conservatives, when in fact they are fully indoctrinated, mind-numbed leftists, but since everyone they know thinks as they do, they think they’re moderates.
Enlighten us, please.
Is that all you can come up with? No substantive argument only insults? Sad!
So before you make all these grand pronouncements I would recommend: “Heaven on Earth the rise and fall of Socialism” by Joshua Muravchik.
Seccession won’t break the left’s control of the Assembly. It will solidify it all the more since the conservative district to the north has left. If successful, however, it might free District 2 from the leftist Assembly. It would also take up the leftist’s time fighting it, thus leaving them less time to push their agenda, and thereby illustrating that the best defense is a good offense. Good luck. It will be fun to watch.
Love your rant Michael, and I sympathize with your struggle – and I’m very thankful I don’t live in Anchorage. You’re forgetting to mention one other aspect – spirituality. You did not mention the importance of the freedom of religion and the free exercise thereof. We must all continue praying for the city and our state and nation as we see evil in ascendency and the apparent apathy of the people.
Amen!
Rich Thorne: nothing fails as reliably as prayer.
Which, I guess, would explain your continued presence here.
I’m ready! Eaglexit it is!!! I observed for two years. Our youth are also paying attention! Thank you Mike Tavoliero, Jamie Allard, Crystal Kennedy! People are ready to dump that aberrant and threatening group in Anchorage who have out of state financial backing. The aberrant members of our Assembly most likely don’t even know whose hands they’re feeding into. The state of Alaska is coveted by interests we’ll not know and SOME WE DO. Poor ‘ol Joe Biden is aiding and abetting world figures and he knows not what he is doing.
The goal is to bring along our voters stationed at JBER. They vote. But they are not in the loop about the destruction of Anchorage. Convince/ educate JBER soldiers and it’s EaglExit all the way.
Aberrant: departing from the right, normal, or usual course.
You will have to fix the way that your votes are counted first! Get rid of the mail in voting that has ruined Voter Integrity. Too many mail in ballots are found in the trash, going to the wrong address and counted no matter what. If the city residents really want to fix the problem, then fix the system!
Eaglexit will only seal Anchorage’s Decline. Without Eagle River, Anchorage would not have any conservative assembly members, Dave Bronson would not have been elected mayor, and Anchorage would be destined to turn into a Detroit style collapse. I don’t think it’s a good idea for conservatives to give up on Anchorage yet or else Anchorage will be destined for downfall.
If we give up on Anchorage we lose the largest city in the state. Time to stop with useless recalls and start actually trying to put effort into winning elections.
District 2 District 6 and district 4 all voted republican in the last election yet Conservatives have not put in good efforts to win elections in those districts with the exception of district 2. That could be an opportunity of a net of +4 conservative seats which would put conservatives in the majority.
Oh, it’s bigger than one community –
Eagle River, JBER, Chugiak, Peters Creek, Eklutna…it’s important.
EAGLEXIT!
If Eagle River secedes, then the Marxists will have an even tighter control over Anchorage. It will be 10 liberals and zero conservatives on the assembly. All the bond propositions, school board elections and mayoral elections will go in favor of the Marxists. We will be left alone in this Marxist hell hole with no hope except for escaping to another state.
I’m waiting for the leftist comment crowd to explain exactly HOW EagleExit is racist. They always flock to the comment section to Squawk “racist” and “tolls on the highway” but never explain why people they disagree with are racist or how tolls on the Glenn are appropriate.
You said exactly what’s happening now. I just don’t understand why people want to be taxed and told how to live. They have lost the true meaning of life. Just a bunch of followers who look up to these clowns in charge.
Excellent Opinion & Argument! I hope Eagle-Xit is successful in it’s effort to separate itself from Anchorage, and I hope it happens quickly. It will provide a destination for conservatives (the productive class), it will no doubt increase and preserve land values, and it will allow the Marxist Monsters in Anchorage to “eat themselves.”
Construction on the moat should have already started. Writing on the wall, “it gets much worse”.
Portland, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin.
Eagleriver wants a Divorce by stating we have incompatible differences with Anchorage.
How long can an Eagle River Borough keep itself conservative? It has its own problem of complacent registered voters not voting, it has its own liberal Republican and Democrat groups to elected Rep. Merrick.
Don’t be hasty leaving your partner, life may increase challenges and you begin regretting leaving.
Maybe Eagle River can join the Mat-Su Borough becoming Matsu and Eagle River Borough.
While I understand the desire to run as far away as possible from this disaster called Anchorage, PLEASE DONT GO!!!! Eaglexit will seal the fate of the states biggest city. Help us flip the seats in districts 4 and 6. We need to stick together for what lies ahead. Its looking like it will get much worse before it gets better.
“We the public are outraged and incredulous.”…….but not outraged and incredulous enough to vote, apparently.
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Anchorage in particular, and Alaska in general, have pathetic and depressing low voter turnouts, and therein lies the problem.
I am not disagreeing with you, Mr.Tavoliero, and love your guest columns here at Suzanne’s site, but if we, each of us, cannot convince our family, friends, and neighbors, to go to the polls with us every election day, then we will continue to watch our state and our country slide into the dark abyss of totalitarianism…
Amen!
Tim, why do you assume that increasing voter turnout will somehow change the political balance? I see no evidence to support that assumption.
Tim, I agree with you that not voting is clearly our biggest issue. I believe what plays into that are things like the drama that unfolded in the Anchorage mayoral election with the need for RV’s in the parking lot and 24/7 observers. Ballot measure 2 ditto! People simply no longer believe that their vote matters or gets counted. Add to that the main stream press, whose sole purpose these days seems to be to make fringe groups seem mainstream and the regular citizen’s desires to be in the minority.
Elections need to be simple and straight forward and results easily understandable by ANY citizen. I have heard over and over that “my vote doesn’t count” or “they cheat anyway” so why vote. With the demise of true civics education, voting is no longer seen as the ONE time the citizen solely has a say.
I believe the first issue to be addressed in Anchorage is Barbara Jones and the Municipal Clerk position. Either the clerk needs to become an assembly independent position OR municipal elections need to become an independent department apart from the Muni Clerk, handling ALL election matters and not subject to either the mayor’s office or the assembly. Returning to primarily in person voting MUST be the next step.
To answer the first question, why would anyone do that? It’s simple.
Local governance is grand, and even as staunch a libertarian I am, I have to admit that 99% of the work that a union does is good. It’s not about any of that though.
It’s all about the petty lusts of small minded small town politicians working the assembly. It’s difficult for them to not get off on having the attention of.others and power over people. Then yes, there are also folks (yes, there is a welfare industry) who fund and enable those petty little fools.
The Assembly reminds me of someone trying to get their milk money back or impress the girl that rejected them in 10th grade.
Y’all apparently don’t know what Marxism is. You also don’t seem to understand how elections work. In elections, the people vote, the winner takes office and (hopefully) implements the policies promised. Separated into distinct districts, the people in Eagle River don’t get to decide who represents Midtown or Mountain View. Conservatives did NOT win the majority in the city, which is common, but won in the more rural, less populated regions, which is also common. In a representative democracy (republic) the minority doesn’t get to control the majority. But that seems to be the conservative philosophy, only conservative wins are legitimate, all others represent a Marxist theft. My question is, do you believe your bull**** or are you lying?
Fred, you are correct, that ER does NOT chose representatives for midtown or any other district. That falls to the residents of those districts. Your argument breaks down after that, as it ignores the election of Mayor Bronson. He is clearly not of the liberal persuasion. Following your logic Forest would be our guy. The same goes for the recalls. If all residents were in favor of their assembly reps. actions then recalls would not be necessary or supported by the needed number of individuals to bring it to the ballot.
Furthermore the assembly ignoring the charter, that they told us they can’t violate when Berky was in office, proposing and passing ordinances that limit the mayors powers, belittling residents who take the time to come and testify, seems out of the norm of a representative government and more in line with more coercive style of governing.
Marxist control will be cemented, not broken. Now it is 9 of 11 (82%). If D2 leaves, it will be 9 of 9 (100%).
It’s a temporary solution at best. Anchorage has gone full Marxist. Don’t think it’s not already infected Eagle River.
Voter apathy and in migration of west coast Marxist got us here. Once California style Marxism takes hold, it’s terminal.
Eagle exit will never happen. That place has been filled with asd teachers, union and government employees. They don’t want to leave Anchorage and still support the berkowitz accolytes. It’s too scary for them to think about taking ownership and responsibility for themselves. Jamie Allard should move to the valley.
You obviously don’t know much about Eagle River. Having been a resident there for 17 years now i’d say it’s conservative base is as strong there as anywhere in the country. EaglExit will happen but not soon enough.
The goofballs continuing to spin today’s capitalist society, where governments bow to business and corporate lobby, into a marxist wonderland (Marx described this scenario due to capitalism, not the result of marxist philosophy) should probably read Karl Marx a little more and write opinion pieces a little less.
Why not just leave the US altogether for a few years and get a fresh perspective on these first world pampered patriate problems? Don’t forget to not file for your PFDs next year, don’t want you all to accidently fall into some socialism practices, getting something for nothing and then asking for a bigger chunk of it and labeling it something other than being entitled. You guys would be hilarious, if all the rhetoric weren’t so darn scary. By the way, this isn’t the 1600’s so there is no need to speak as if you were waring wigs, praying to the almighty, putting your hands on your Bibles every day to sware into your meetings and then going home to beat on your rebellious Marxist slaves a little, it is not a good look.
“Sigh” more write-by mocking by Paddington…….really?
It is quite clear that you only have a slim grasp of the PFD and its intent. Considering that we are talking a local matter, the PFD has no significance. We are not debating AK state constitutional issues which make all resources a common commodity. Stay on topic, please.
As an aside, throughout world history many more Marxists beat, tortured and killed their religious brethren, than the other way around.
“Stay on topic,” sure, you will police me because I have a different view, but if others on here have a similar view as your own, you will not dare to offer any correction when they are spewing nonsense? Please, be consistent and offer everyone a little fair play in doling out your judgments.
So now you play the victim….
Demanding people leave this country because YOU think they are entitled, isn’t an answer or different point of view and calling an ENTIRE group of commenters slave masters, may make you feel good and superior, but also reveals that you really have no argument just insults.
Is there some logical or rational point hiding in that arrogant and clueless diatribe?
If so, I cannot find it.
I invite ER to exit the muni and then stay away!! Do all your business elsewhere! Yea! I also recommend moving to Florida ASAP!!
Anchorage will be better without you!!
Thank you for supporting Eaglexit! Can we count on your contribution?
No need for you to move to Florida, but if you feel more like sunshine….be my guest!
Please exit, Anchorage will be better without you
And Eagle River will be better off not supporting that liberal hellhole known as Anchorage. We cannot separate from Anchorage fast enough!
Great discussion, but where is the petition to make this something that we can vote on? Talk wears me out.
We vote! Eagle River voted conservative. Anchorage voted liberal. Duh. Anchorage voters caused this mess.
I think ultimately leaving will be bad for ER and anchorage will not suffer one bit but hey, let’s just make decisions based on political theater instead of mutual prosperity!
Aside from becoming an individual city, there is a lot of infrastructure and systems that are taken care of by the muni that ER would have to take over. It would take a long time to get back to where they are now with all of that and it would be a lot of work. not impossible but I don’t see many upsides.
Brexit is going great BTW.
Anchorage will suffer, since we are the highest taxed area based on home value, because nobody really wants to live in Anchorage proper, because it has become such a s. hole of late. Look at the numbers. And most of the working class lives in the valley, as evidenced by the Glenn Hwy traffic. Yet, the population of ANC decreases as the valley grows annually. Soon, nobody will want to live or shop in ANC, so let’s get out while we can. Our two positions on the assembly are not enough to make our voices decisive against immoral rule.
How easily we slap on the blinders when we are shoveling the bull pucky. The valley isn’t full of conservative saints ready to bless their neighbor. There are unfortunately so many pockets of meth heads, incest, domestic violence, people breaking into cabins, stealing anything that isn’t locked down, wheelers, chainsaws, dogs and even sheds if they can hook and book before anyone notices. We have this sad tendency to paint whatever we deem worthy in a sacred halo. This is silly, promoting the slippery slope fallacy, dooms day proclamations, we are human beings who need to find common ground and start caring for each other more than idolizing theories and twisted ideologies that are all too often actually inconsistent with the lives we actually live. What about being salt and light? “They will know you by your love?” Who is our neighbor? What I seem to hear around here more than anything is, “crucify them!”
All the crime you speak of comes from a half century of dope and remember Mat-su Thunder _uck weed. All of this wonderment was conceived of and planed by 60’s Marxist in America. The legalizing of proven psychotic Loco Weed here was total insanity instituted by those on the weed.
We see the repercussions now!
And it will only get worse.
If there is always someone to blame, we’re all doomed. Personal responsibility is a powerful thing and it doesn’t start with the person on the other side of the political chasm, it starts with the person in the mirror.
“We habitually erect a barrier called blame that keeps us from communicating genuinely with others, and we fortify it with our concepts of who’s right and who’s wrong. We do that with the people who are closest to us and we do it with political systems, with all kinds of things that we don’t like about our associates or our society.
It is a very common, ancient, well-perfected device for trying to feel better. Blame others….Blaming is a way to protect your heart, trying to protect what is soft and open and tender in yourself. Rather than own that pain, we scramble to find some comfortable ground.” Pema Chodron
Art Chance….you break my heart. I had you on a pedestal. Some teachers are so good at their job that they don’t need NEA.
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