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Governor calls out ADN for race-baiting

Suzanne Downing
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Governor calls out ADN for race-baiting

After throwing shade on Gov. Mike Dunleavy over rural public safety issues in a story that the Anchorage Daily News ran the first day of the Alaska Federation of Natives annual conference, ADN reporter Kyle Hopkins didn’t bother to show up for the governor’s press conference on Tuesday, in which Dunleavy announced a sweeping package of public safety measures, many of them aimed at rural Alaska.

Instead, ADN reporter Alex DeMarban phoned into the press conference and asked the questions for the newspaper, while Hopkins hid.

Hopkins’ story, which had been completed days earlier, had been held by editors to coincide with the opening of the AFN conference. It’s what the newspaper is doing to shape the narrative in the public arena, just as it did during the Parnell Administration, strategically timing stories to land at key moments.

As Dunleavy was winding things down with his comments during the Public Safety “People First” press conference, he took a moment to publicly criticize the ADN and its reporting, calling on the newspaper to start presenting the facts and to stop politicizing their reporting of public safety.

Kyle Hopkins hit job on Gov. Mike Dunleavy

The Hopkins story posited that people in rural Alaska are hiding from active shooters because there aren’t enough Troopers and that Gov. Mike Dunleavy has abandoned rural Alaska. Those who live in rural Alaska know that most every adult is armed, and hiding from active shooters is a rarity. They also know that every community cannot have its own Trooper.

Dunleavy said his wife was born in the Kobuk Valley, grew up living off the land, that his children were born in rural Alaska and he’s proud of his Inupiaq family. He lived in rural Alaska for many years and said he probably has more friends in rural Alaskan than reporter Hopkins.

“The idea that I somehow look at rural Alaska as somehow less than, or somehow not desirable of resources to help out my fellow Alaskans … to me that gets pretty darned close, I gotta be honest with you, to race-baiting,” Dunleavy said.

“And as a governor, you have to put up with a lot of shots, that’s just the way it is, you hop into the ring and you have to put up with it,” Dunleavy said. “But I’m going to ask the press, and especially our largest newspaper in our largest city, to try and give it a shot at being balanced, reporting the facts, the fact that the crime rates overall are down, that we’ve increased the number of Troopers in rural Alaska and will continue to do so.”

Watch the governor’s remarks about the Anchorage Daily News here.

The ADN has a long history of left-leaning bias, and it wins them Pulitzer Prizes. As a for-profit entity, its reporting is now underwritten by left-leaning nonprofit foundations, such as ProPublica and Report for America.

Mia Costello campaign kickoff

Suzanne Downing
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2
Mia Costello campaign kickoff

Mia Costello, District H Senate incumbent, will hold her first campaign fundraiser of the season on Thursday, Dec. 16 at Reilly’s Irish Pub, 317 Fireweed Lane. The fundraiser is from 5-7 pm.

Costello has been redistricted into the same Senate state as Sen. Natasha Von Imhof, who is rumored to be ready to file for governor against Gov. Mike Dunleavy. The Senate seat represents a solid conservative part of Anchorage.

After attack by ADN and bloggers over fluoridation, Mayor Bronson issues statement

Suzanne Downing
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69
After attack by ADN and bloggers over fluoridation, Mayor Bronson issues statement

Today, Mayor Dave Bronson’s office released the following statement regarding the fluoridation of Anchorage’s water supply, explaining that the fluoride was briefly reduced from the water supply because staff complained that their eyes and throats were burning from the fumes.

The statement is in response to an attack by various left-wing bloggers and the Anchorage Daily News’ own podcaster, who accused, without evidence, the mayor of sabotaging the water supply.

On October 1st Mayor Bronson and members of his Administration visited the Anchorage Water and Wastewater Utility (AWWU) Eklutna Water Treatment Plant for a site visit. During the visit, a discussion ensued about health problems occurring among water treatment plant staff charged with fluoridation of Anchorage’s water supply. AWWU staff informed the Mayor’s team that fluoride burned the eyes and throats of staff who handled it and was a health hazard for employees. Fluoride is considered a hazardous substance that must be handled by trained professionals. 

Information was presented to the Mayor’s team that pausing the fluoridation of Anchorage’s water would not violate federal or state law and didn’t violate Municipal Charter. To protect the health and safety of AWWU staff, it was decided by the Mayor to halt the fluoridation of Anchorage’s water supply and to further investigate these concerns with the Assembly.

Later that afternoon, the Mayor’s Office determined Municipal Code requires the fluoridation of Anchorage’s water supply. The Mayor’s Office immediately informed AWWU leadership to resume fluoridation of the Muni’s water. Fluoride was not added to the water supply for approximately five hours. 

AWWU General Manager Mark Corsentino confirmed “the data shows there was no disruption or material change to the fluoride in our water during October 1.” Fluoride levels did not violate Municipal code or Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation regulations. AWWU routinely shuts down the fluoride system for maintenance for much longer intervals than what occurred on October 1. In November, AWWU shutdown the fluoride system for several days to conduct maintenance on the system. Anchorage’s water supply remains safe for public consumption.

The mayor’s office attached documents to support his statement. Must Read Alaska has learned through research that it’s quite common for fluoride to not be added to the city’s water supply when maintenance is being performed or, as in recent times, when a part is not available.

Nov-2021-Maintenance-OutageDownload

Dunleavy unveils ‘People First,’ omnibus program to address justice, law and order

Suzanne Downing
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19
Dunleavy unveils ‘People First,’ omnibus program to address justice, law and order

Gov. Mike Dunleavy announced a “People First” initiative, which will be also be part of his 2023 budget that will be rolled out on Wednesday.

People First involves major investments in Alaska State Troopers, village public safety officers, ending human trafficking, support for foster care, and more.

The various initiatives inside the program will involve statutory changes, budget expenditures, staffing additions, and administrative actions, with an initial cost of $750,000 and annual operating cost of $250,000. It rolls together existing programs such as Choose Respect with new efforts to reduce crimes against women.

“Safety and prevention are my administration’s top priorities, ever since I took office,” Dunleavy said. “My administration has been focused on reversing these troubling trends and statistics – we are proud to say that progress has been made.”

Alaska’s crime rate has declined for two years in a row since Dunleavy signed the repeal of Senate Bill 91 through House Bill 49.

“By adding major crime investigators in Bethel, Dillingham, Kotzebue, and Nome, clearing the backlog of sexual assault examination kits, collecting owed DNA, and increasing funding for the Tribal Compact with OCS, we are going to see a change happen in Alaska. But there’s still more work to be done,” he said.

Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault

The Dunleavy Administration will offer several statutory changes in an omnibus crime bill in January, when the Legislature meets:

  • addressing repeated violations of protective orders
  • expanding the definition of serious physical injury and elevating the level of offense
  • expanding the crimes considered to be domestic violence
  • providing bail notice to victims

The administration will seek $500,000 for the Alaska Family Justice Center feasibility study and implementation of a pilot program. The “Through One Door” comprehensive concept will assist victims with forensic and medical services, legal assistance, child/adult therapy, case management, legal aid, emergency housing/shelter assistance, and family assistance and resources.

The pilot program will have all victim services provided in one location in coordination with health and safety partners and agencies.

“The People First Initiative equips the Department of Law with the resources and support needed to help victims, bring perpetrators to justice and protect all Alaskans,” said Attorney General Treg Taylor. “This comprehensive effort will strengthen the work we’re already doing to make this state a better, safer place.”

Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons

Dunleavy will create an Administrative Order that will form the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Council. In the Fiscal Year 2023 budget, we will seek funding for two Tribal Liaison positions within the Department of Public Safety and one position for the Missing Persons Clearinghouse.

“The Alaska Department of Public Safety and the Alaska State Troopers are committed to meeting our mission of ensuring public safety and enforcing fishing and hunting laws across Alaska,” said Alaska Department of Public Safety Commissioner James Cockrell. “Public safety is job number one for the Dunleavy Administration, and this new initiative is evidence of that. These additional resources to address the high rates of domestic violence, sexual assault, human sex trafficking, MMIP, and other important issues impacting Alaskans are welcomed in our efforts to make Alaska a safer place to live, work, and raise a family.”

Human/Sex Trafficking

Statutory changes regarding human trafficking will be in an omnibus crime bill that will clearly define human and sex trafficking. The bill will require that sex trafficking is a registerable sex offense. It will allow victims of sex trafficking to have their record expunged. Dunleavy will be issuing an Administrative Order reestablishing a task force focused on human and sex trafficking. In addition, law enforcing will be increasing officer training to recognize signs of trafficking and interceptions.

Foster Care and Office of Children’s Services

Dunleavy is taking steps to review the entire foster care system and focus on prevention to reduce the number of kids in foster care programs in the state, including a new Parent and Foster Parent Collaborative Council. As of this month, 3,027 Alaskan children are in the Office of Children’s Services’ care through foster parents. The administration will address transitioning programs for older foster youth, providing vocational opportunities and extended subsidies up to the age of 21. Demonstration projects with tribal partners will help establish evidence-based best practices that qualify for future federal funding opportunities and recognize Native cultural practices. The administration will focus on workforce stabilization aspects, such as pay and retention, adding a workforce wellness unit, a long-term, non-permanent supervisor unit, and increasing social service associates.

Homelessness

In coordination with the statewide database, the administration will establish a Statewide Homelessness Coordinator in the Office of the Governor and add a data manager position at Health and Social Services. Dunleavy will issue a new Administrative Order focused on reshaping the Alaska Council on the Homeless.

“Alaska has long struggled to address these issues, and this is long overdue,” Dunleavy said. “Through collaboration between public, private, nonprofit and tribal partners, we can achieve these goals to put people first and make Alaska a better place for everyone.”

The overall budget rollout on Wednesday will see reductions overall, Dunleavy said. But the initiative will cost millions of dollars that will come from savings over in the past couple of years.

He said “the State can’t control everything but the state should be involved in the safety of its people, the safety of its kids, and the safety of its most vulnerable.”

Anchorage Assembly building on track record of trashing transparency

SENIOR CONTRIBUTOR
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Anchorage Assembly building on track record of trashing transparency

By SCOTT LEVESQUE

While left-leaning Anchorage Assembly members call for more transparency from the Bronson Administration, critics are left wondering when they’ll practice what they preach. 

For a year and a half, the Anchorage Assembly has evaded transparency, accountability, and responsibility, with actions taken to circumvent the public’s knowledge and involvement. 

In the summer of 2020, disgraced former Mayor Ethan Berkowitz and most of the Assembly violated the Open Meeting Act. The public was banned from the Assembly Chambers while members on the dais refined two of the Municipality’s most controversial ordinances: AO 2020-65 and AO 2020-66. 

AO 2020-65, now law, prohibits licensed counselors, therapists, and other health care providers from helping youth work through their gender confusion and homosexual issues.

Posed by the Assembly as a “conversion therapy ban,” members of the public believed it was an infringement on their freedom of speech and parental rights. The ordinance passed 9-2 with no in-person testimony allowed, despite demands from the public.

Waiting in the wings was AO 2020-66, which used federal CARES Act funds to authorize the purchase of unsuitable buildings in Anchorage for a homeless industrial complex, converting them into a network of services for the city’s vagrant population. Once again, the Assembly refused to allow in-person testimony, and despite broad public outcry, the spending measure passed 9-2. 

The passing of AO 2020-65 and AO 2020-66 set off a chain reaction leading to lawsuits, public distrust, and question marks surrounding the Assembly’s lack of transparency.

The Assembly marched on unencumbered, wearing the fallout from those decisions as a badge of honor, even while losing the mayor’s election to a conservative.

In October of this year, the Assembly introduced AO 2021-91, an indoor mask mandate for the entire Municipality. The ordinance was introduced to help mitigate a spike in Covid-19 cases but was met with fierce resistance, including six days of public testimony upon its introduction. As the public lined the Loussac Library night after night, it became apparent the Assembly would be hard-pressed to move forward and vote on the ordinance. 

That’s when the Assembly broke faith with the people again. 

After skipping a scheduled meeting on Oct. 8, due to two members of the Bronson Administration contracting Covid, Chairwoman Suzanne LaFrance reassured the public that in-person testimony would continue the following Wednesday, and if needed, Thursday night.

Unfortunately, the residents of Anchorage were being duped. In the waning minutes of their Tuesday, Oct. 12 meeting at 10:45 pm, an emergency mask ordinance was introduced, voted on, and passed without public participation.

The Assembly majority had tricked its way out of transparency again.

Now, with perhaps their most blatant attempt to circumvent any form of transparency, the Assembly will begin deliberations on a proposed rewrite of Title 28 of the Municipal Code.

The suggested changes that are coming from Barbara Jones, Anchorage Municipal Clerk, would fundamentally undercut any campaign, as well as the public, to hold the Clerk’s Office accountable for the ballot sorting and counting during elections.

The rewrites would place all power, including the election department’s accountability and transparency efforts, in the hands of the Municipal Clerk. The Municipal Clerk would be able to rewrite the election observer handbook at any point and enforce her new rules to act punitively against a campaign or candidate.

It’s a living example of the saying, “Those who vote decide nothing. Those who count the vote decide everything.”

Residents are questioning the reason for a proposed overhaul of Title 28, and some believe it’s because of Mayor Dave Bronson’s stunning win over liberal Assembly member Forrest Dunbar, and the fact that the Bronson campaign was attentive in its monitoring of the ballot-counting process, much to the ire of the Municipal Clerk, who had never had experienced oversight from a campaign.

The Assembly will take up the rewrite of Title 28 at Tuesday night’s meeting, which starts at 5 pm on the ground floor of the Loussac Library, at 36th and Denali Street.

ADN’s history of bullying Amy Demboski continues with newspaper calling for her to be fired as city manager

Suzanne Downing
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73
ADN’s history of bullying Amy Demboski continues with newspaper calling for her to be fired as city manager

The Anchorage Daily News has never liked Anchorage Municipal Manager Amy Demboski. The newspaper has a pattern of partisan bullying of her as a candidate, as an assemblywoman, and now as Anchorage’s city manager.

During her race for mayor in 2015, the newspaper wrote a story questioning the paternity of her child.

“What media source goes back 20 years and questions the paternity of a child born to a teenage mom?” Demboski said. The ADN did, and said her teenage divorce “suggest” that she was not truthful.

On that news day, ADN sent out reporters who staked out the front entrance and back entrance of the Demboski campaign office all day long, waiting for her to come out and declare the paternity of her child. It was savage journalism.

When Demboski busted a guy who was destroying her campaign signs, and confronted him for cutting her picture out of a sign, the ADN made a big deal about her holstered pistol, saying she was “laying in wait,” which is a legal term for ambushing.

The man was a mental case and was using a box cutter to cut Demboski’s picture off her signs, so of course she was going to have protection on her.

Then there was the Greg Jones incident. Jones, a Democrat candidate running for office, was asked by Demboski on her radio show about a national article detailing his relationship with Socialist Bernie Sanders and Muslims of America. She was characterized by the newspaper and leftists on the Assembly as an Islamophobe, someone with a prejudice against Muslims.

After then-mayoral candidate Ethan Berkowitz said on the radio during the show that he and Bernadette Wilson hosted that he had no problem with a father marrying his son, Demboski was asked by another radio host what she thought. She told the radio host that she didn’t know what Berkowitz meant by that.

The ADN wrote it up as if Demboski had pushed the “fathers marrying sons” narrative. Later, radio host Wilson produced the audio clip that showed that Berkowitz had, indeed, said that he didn’t care if fathers married their sons. All Demboski had done was acknowledge she heard it on the radio, saying, “maybe you should ask him.”

Now, the ADN is going after Demboski for her management style as the city manager.

Must Read Alaska asked Demboski for her response to the ADN editorial demanding her firing that she is used to the newspaper attacking her.

“The truth is when they are scared, when you’re effective or when you are winning- they will always attack. This is what draining the swamp looks like. I will not be deterred, distracted, or bullied. Bring it on,” Demboski told Must Read Alaska.

Walker-media link: Rebecca Palsha edition

Suzanne Downing
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35
Walker-media link: Rebecca Palsha edition

Alaska News Source (KTUU) news reporter and anchor Rebecca Palsha vacationed with the daughter of gubernatorial candidate Bill Walker in Hawaii recently, and talked about their close friendship in a Facebook post that featured both of them sitting on an embankment over the Pacific Ocean.

In Alaska’s newsrooms, relationships between liberal candidates, politicians, and news providers can be notorious. In October of 2020, Democrat former Mayor Ethan Berkowitz of Anchorage resigned after becoming entangled with a local news anchor, once the news of their flagrante delicto became known.

Palsha and Lindsay Walker-Hobson are well-known gal pals and have hiked and adventured together in the past. Hobson was the spokesperson and “ethics advisor” for the Walker-Mallott gubernatorial campaign in 2014. A lawyer like her dad, she now works for Enstar.

Palsha is married to Kyle Hopkins, who writes political material that shapes the narrative for the Anchorage Daily News.

After losing badly to Gov. Mike Dunleavy in 2018, Walker is back for a second bite of the apple under the new ranked choice voting system, hoping that Democrats and Republicans will pick him as a first or second-place choice on the new experimental ballot to be revealed in November.

Dunleavy: New grants boost tourism

Suzanne Downing
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18
Dunleavy: New grants boost tourism

In advance of his budget roll-out on Wednesday, Gov. Mike Dunleavy announced tourism grants to continue the momentum of recovery for the $4.5 billion annual Alaska visitor economy.

A $5 million federally sourced grant will be part of his proposed 2023 budget, which will be directed to the Alaska Travel Industry Association, which is in addition to the $10.5 million federal grant he designated to ATIA in September.

“Last summer, visitors began returning after ATIA launched a national marketing campaign that engaged travelers to visit in the COVID-safe spaces of vast Alaska,” said Dunleavy. “In many parts of the state, we saw more travelers moving through our airports, staying in hotels and bed & breakfasts, fishing, and staying at facilities in state parks.” 

A study by McKinley Research Group showed visitor volume fell by an estimated 82 percent between April and December for 2019 and 2020. From 2.4 million visitors, it dropped to just 427,000 visitors. 

The economic loss from a canceled cruise ship season for Alaska is estimated to total $3 billion alone. In 2020, zero visitors arrived by cruise ship.

Early last year, when many tourism businesses were considering closing their doors, Governor Dunleavy directed $5 million in emergency CARES Act funds to ATIA to attract independent travelers to Alaska through different modes of transportation.

“ATIA is Alaska’s statewide tourism marketing leader. I appreciate how the nonprofit has collaborated with other tourism promoters and my Administration to keep Alaska top of mind for potential travelers,” Governor Dunleavy said. “I applaud the outreach work of the many other tourism visitor centers, chambers, and bureaus as well. Our joint work may be credited with bringing in tourists after the disaster and saving many small tourism businesses.”

Competitive tourism marketing grants for the Covid-safe campaign were issued to the following entities:

Tourism marketing grants:

  • Mat-Su Convention and Visitors Bureau $170,385
  • Explore Fairbanks Alaska $348,640
  • Discover Kodiak $31,107
  • Homer Chamber of Commerce and Visitor’s Center $253,489
  • Seward Chamber of Commerce $179,000
  • Visit Anchorage $1,630,000
  • Ketchikan Visitors Bureau $527,790
  • Cordova Chamber of Commerce $376,000
  • Koahnic Broadcast Corporation $451,580
  • Alaska Travel Industry Association $1,999,279 
  • Kenai Peninsula Tourism Marketing Council $410,000
  • Visit Sitka, Sitka Chamber of Commerce $235,000
  • Travel Juneau $574,000
  • Kawerak, Inc. $941,885
  • Valdez Convention and Visitors Bureau $88,290
  • Spruce Root, Inc. $1,560,000
  • Copper Valley Development Association $140,000
  • Haines Economic Development Corporation $88,355

The funding will help Alaska’s tourism industry remain competitive, the governor said. “There’s more pent-up demand to travel globally, and we want Alaska to compete for it and to capitalize on it,” Dunleavy.

Visitors’ dollars circulating in the economy support tourism businesses, restore jobs, and generate revenue for Alaska communities.

During his announcement, reporters were told that the number of returning cruise ships is expected to hit an all-time high. Thirty ships make up the normal season. 2021 saw eight ships, the industry reports. International air service returns in summer 2022 with Iceland, Germany, and Canada restoring connecting flights in Anchorage and a potential for new service to Seoul, Korea, and Japan.

“In preparation for growth in visitors, my budget will also seek an extra $1 million for the State Parks to make sure our facilities are clean and accessible for both in and out-of-state visitors,” Dunleavy said.

Omicron variant found in Anchorage person

Suzanne Downing
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47
Omicron variant found in Anchorage person

The Omicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) virus has been detected in an Anchorage resident.

The case was identified today through genomic sequencing performed at the Alaska State Public Health Laboratory from a person who recently tested positive in Anchorage following international travel in November.

Alaska joins at least 30 other states and more than 60 countries that have already detected the Omicron variant. Protective measures against the variant remain the same as for the other COVID virus variants.

The Anchorage Health Department in conjunction with the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services encourages Alaskans to get vaccinated against Covid-19 or boosted if eligible.

Layering on other protective measures, including masking, hand washing, physical distancing, and testing can also help to reduce transmission of the Covid-19 virus, including Omicron.

In many parts of the world, Omicron is now the dominant variant, taking the place of the previous dominant variant, Delta.

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