THE ANCHORAGE DAILY PLANET
Hot diggity dang! The circus is coming back to town. The state Senate majority Republicans again will be voting on who will fill the late Sen. Chris Birch’s vacant seat on Nov. 2, a source tells us.
Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s first pick for the job, Rep. Laddie Shaw, was rejected by the majority in a 6-6 vote last month.
Why? His sin was supporting a full statutory dividend, which would have put about $3,000 into each eligible Alaskan’s pocket this year – instead of $1,606.
The governor’s second pick, Republican Rep. Josh Revak, also supports the full, statutory dividend.
Both men – and Birch – were elected in a district that heavily supports the full dividend. Birch, it should be noted, did not campaign for office by saying he would cut the dividend.
The notion of a full check does not sit well with Senate President Cathy Giessel and others of her caucus who want to cut the dividend – now and forever – to feed our bloated government.
Shaw, they worried, would have voted against their grand plan, while Birch had been a sure vote for cutting the annual payout.
Senate Republicans are deeply divided over the dividend and have been fighting like the third monkey on the ramp to Noah’s ark over this year’s amount and how future dividends should be calculated.
The divide is simple: One group believes government should come first; the other, the individual. Giessel is in the former group.
What she and her cohorts did to Shaw, a decorated, two-tour Vietnam veteran and former SEAL, is unforgivable. Worse they denied Alaskans an incredibly qualified candidate for the sake of giving government more money to spend.
Revak, elected to the House last year, also is more than qualified. He is an Army veteran, a tank crew member and Purple Heart Medal recipient. He was treasurer for the Abbott Loop Community Council and director of the Wounded Warriors on Safari Program for the Safari Club International Alaska Chapter.
What makes this even more interesting is that Giessel and her husband only last year campaigned for Revak’s election to the House, saying in a tweet unearthed by Must Read Alaska, “This is an outstanding young man, Army veteran, purple heart, family man. You can see the quality person he is by visiting his FB page.”
Will Giessel now work to deny him a Senate seat? That would be beyond hypocritical.
Let the fireworks begin. Oh, and pass the popcorn again.
Will give Cathy one more chance to prove she isn’t a RINO before we will act. Her and her party will suffer the same fate as the others who stole money from needy Alaskans.
Don’t be surprised if Ms. Geissel pokes the Governor in the eye again.
It’s hard to be the third monkey. Good one, Suzanne!
Yeah, she and her cohorts seem to be in bed with the House majority. The sign on the bed says all rinos allowed. The slumber party will only continue until the next election cycle.
Giessel is scheduled here in Fairbanks for a luncheon on the 18th. I wouldn’t darken the doorway after her backhand remarks concerning Rep Laddie Shaw. Disgraceful behavior! She gets no more support from me. I hope other Republicans will consider their attendance to this luncheon.
Too bad you can’t attend the luncheon in FAI & confront her, if it would do any good.
She’s been here before. It is a safe zone for her She thinks. There is nothing to confront. It’s done. Not showing up would speak volumes.
People need to protest her by picket signs. Course she probably can’t read but she’d get the message
Makes sense Sam
Does the obstructing, money grabbing, government growing, Gang of Six RINO’s expect us to believe this delay tactic is nothing more than an attempt to dig up a “legitimate” reason to reject Revak? I don’t think they can use the “we know something you don’t” excuse again.
Speaking of campaign promises could somebody show me where the Governor campaigned on confiscation of local taxes on Alyeska property and the privatization of the AMHS and prisons?
SD…..Love the 3rd Monkey thing! That is funny.
Really,really disappointed with Sen Giessel . Having known her and Rich from my days at Abbot Loop Christian Center and Changepoint , I truly expected higher. What’s that you say, no fair mixing politics and religion!!
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