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The Anchorage Assembly’s war on conservatives

SENIOR CONTRIBUTOR
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The Anchorage Assembly’s war on conservatives

By: CRAIG E. CAMPBELL

On Tuesday, the Anchorage Assembly will launch the most vicious and unethical action I have ever witnessed by that body.  

Assembly member Meg Zaletel has introduced a vindictive resolution to trash Assembly member Jamie Allard, based on social media posts Zalatel has taken out of content, misconstrued, and distorted in an effort to smear and do deliberate harm to Allard’s reputation and her ability to effectively represent her constituents.  

Zaletel vilified Allard by stating she “…breached the public trust by seriously eroding the trust and respect of Municipal residents towards the Assembly…”  

Really. Let’s talk about breaching the trust and respect of municipal residents by Assembly members. Shall we bring up the time when Assembly member Chris Constant publicly disparaged a person who had just testified after the person had left the room?

Read: Dan Fagan: Assemblyman says racism baked into community

How about Assemblymen Forrest Dunbar and Chris Constant unethically pressuring pastors to submit comments supporting former Mayor Ethan Berkowitz’s homeless shelter hotel purchases?  

Read: Shame Game: Dunbar, Constant admit they strong-armed pastors

Zaletel’s personal attack against Allard brings to mind the old adage, “Those who live in a glass house shouldn’t throw stones.”

This in-your-face frontal assault by the Left on Allard blows apart the myth that liberals actually believe in unity, fairness, and open conversation.  

In fact, they are vicious Marxists who strive for absolute obedience and suppression of opposing speech.  

We must really be getting under the skin of this thin-skinned socialist bunch. Because Allard stands up for conservative values against a sea of uber-liberal doctrine from her colleagues on the Marxist-dominated Anchorage Assembly, a small group of malcontents has decided to initiate a recall against her. Here is what they claim are her “offenses:”

“It is unacceptable that a Public Official :

Supports enabling hate speech in our community

Consistently disrupts Assembly business, unethically

Uses her publicly funded position to incite disruptive violence by her supporters

Consistently bullies, disuades, deletes and marginalizes citizens of her District and Anchorage that are not aligned with her personal viewpoints

For these reasons and many more – we are dedicated to the recall of Jamie Allard

and a step towards more grace and dignity to our beloved City.” 

(Quoted from the Recall Jamie Allard Facebook page)

Let’s analyze their accusations a bit.  

  • Supports enabling hate speech in our community. False – while Allard is aggressive in her defense of conservative values and engages in strong debates with the nine Leftists assembly members, she has never engaged in hate speech. What a cheap shot to take, when in fact it has been Felix Rivera, Chris Constant, Forrest Dunbar, and Pete Peterson who have made hate speech comments from the dais against Allard and members of the public.   
  • Consistently disrupts Assembly business, unethically. False – Allard’s “disruptions” at the Assembly meetings are no more than forceful points refuting liberal drivel and attacks against her and in defense of citizens that are testifying and being rudely treated by her colleagues. 
  • Uses her publicly funded position to incite disruptive violence by her supporters. I guess if you’re going to make things up to gaslight hate and discontent, you might as well just libel someone with the “violence” label.
  • Consistently bullies, dissuades, deletes, and marginalizes citizens of her District and Anchorage that are not aligned with her personal viewpoints. False, again. Allard is a strong woman who stands for the conservative values of Chugiak/Eagle River. This accusation is blatant misogyny, stated by weak people afraid of strong female leadership. The Left are such hypocrites. 

You would think Jamie Allard is the devil reincarnated from these torrid and libelous posts on Facebook — lies that will never be deleted, censored, or stated as misinformation by the truth squad at Facebook.

Just like the dishonest misinformation campaign waged against President Trump by the Left, our local gang thinks we can also be bamboozled like sheep into believing their lies.  

In fact, each of these accusations against Allard actually applies directly to past actions by the infamously unethical Assembly members Rivera; Constant; Peterson; Dunbar; and, my personal favorite, Zaletel.

Instead of creating a poisonous environment by demonizing their political opposition, they might want to consider the fate Rivera now faces due to his horrendous behavior on the Assembly.

Rivera is being recalled and it is projected Assembly District 4 will vote him out of office in April. 

Also, Alaskans For Open Meetings is now in court against the municipality for the illegal actions of Chairman Rivera in violating the COVID-19 Emergency Orders.  As Zaletel states in her resolution, these orders are “law.”  If Allard needs to follow them, so does the entire Assembly. 

That same pent-up anger against incompetent Chairman Rivera is starting to fester and engulf the entire liberal Assembly. Efforts to recall Zaletel continue and a recall petition is now being pursued against Czar Dunbar for his despicable coercion of Anchorage pastors over the recent hotel purchases for vagrants.  

Read: Recall petition against Forrest Dunbar

A lawsuit has been filed by two constituents for the unlawful refusal to fill the vacant Assembly District 3, Seat E seat since last October.

Read: Two file lawsuit over Quinn-Davidson’s vacant seat

The constantly disparaging comments by foul-mouthed Assemblyman Constant is also fueling a movement against him.

The pounding of the war drums against the Assembly’s tyranny is getting louder and louder.

You know what’s going on. The Left is now threatened by an awakened moderate and conservative constituency in Anchorage that is fed-up with the uber-liberal Assembly, which is driving up vagrancy, politically interfering with law enforcement, killing businesses, increasing taxes, targeting their opposition with code enforcers and harassing mandates, and attempting to silence their opposition.  

The Left is trying to change the narrative from their dismal failure as self-proclaimed political leaders, by vilifying their primary vocal opponent.  

It won’t work.  Chugiak/Eagle River strongly supports Jamie Allard and will not be duped by socialist charlatans into rebuking a conservative voice on the Assembly.

Supporters of Assembly member Allard are encouraged to show up at the Assembly meeting next Tuesday to support Jamie.  

Municipal Assembly Agenda

Your presence would further send the message to these leftist that we will not be sit back and let them terrorize conservatives through threats and intimidation. 

In just 60 days voters have the chance to recall Rivera and at the same time elect a less radical mayor. Don’t let this opportunity slip away. The fight to save the soul of Anchorage is now and if we do not start moving back toward the center, we truly will have become Los Anchorage. 

Craig E. Campbell served on the Anchorage Assembly between 1986 and 1995 and later as Alaska’s Tenth Lieutenant Governor.  He was the previous Chief Executive Officer and President for Alaska Aerospace Corporation.  He retired from the Alaska National Guard as Lieutenant General (AKNG) and holds the concurrent retired Federal rank of Major General (USAF).

Recall petition filed against Forrest Dunbar

Suzanne Downing
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Recall petition filed against Forrest Dunbar

A petition to recall Anchorage Assemblyman Forrest Dunbar was filed today with the Municipal Clerk’s office in Anchorage.

The petition cites a strong-arming campaign that Dunbar admitted to in an email to Assemblyman Chris Constant last year. Political coercion is illegal under Alaska Statute.

Petitioner Marie Boyd turned the petition in this afternoon, but there are 20 other signatures on the application.

The application must be approved by the City Clerk, who would then issue petition booklets.

Public corruption: Did Dunbar and Constant break Alaska law against coercion?

In the case of the recall effort for Assemblyman Felix Rivera, it took a court fight to get the Municipality to release the petition booklets. That recall will be on the April 6 municipal ballot, but the petitioners have spent tens of thousands of dollars to overcome Rivera’s legal objections.

In addition to the recall effort against Rivera, Dunbar’s name will be on the April ballot as one of 14 candidates for mayor. He is widely believed to be the Democrats’ favorite.

Dunbar represents East Anchorage, with a term ending in April of 2022.

This story is unfolding and will be updated.

‘Shame’ game: Dunbar and Constant admit they strong-armed pastors into supporting vagrant plan

Win Gruening: Dunleavy recall, opening Pandora’s box

SENIOR CONTRIBUTOR
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Win Gruening: Dunleavy recall, opening Pandora’s box

By WIN GRUENING

As a political opposition group renews its effort to gain sufficient signatures to force a recall of Gov. Mike Dunleavy, one can’t help but question their end game.  

The stated objective is to unseat the governor before the next statewide election, but the effort has devolved into a dark money campaign to hijack Alaska’s recall statutes to discredit the governor at every opportunity.

What if the Recall Dunleavy group has no intention of forcing a special election? Instead, what if it is using the recall to influence the 2022 regular election with anonymous donors thereby avoiding pesky APOC disclosure rules?  If so, recall advocates should be careful what they wish for.

While recall statutes vary from state to state, in Alaska, there are four acceptable grounds for recall: lack of fitness, incompetence, neglect of duties, or corruption.  

A recall, therefore, provides a remedy to remove elected officials who commit serious crimes or who are unwilling or incapable of fulfilling their constitutional duties.  

Alaskan courts have previously held that grounds for recall must be substantive, not just technical or procedural, and that disagreement with an elected official’s policies is not a valid basis for recall.

Yet, courts have been loath to interpret potential ballot issues too strictly. This has resulted in recalls allowed to proceed for even the most minor transgressions.

Recall organizers cite over 50 reasons to recall the Governor on their website. Only a handful remotely relate to the ones listed in their official recall application. Most aren’t legally permissible reasons, but rather partisan talking points for a political campaign opposing the Governor’s past and proposed budget cuts.  

Most telling, however, is that their website name “RecallDunleavy.org” was reserved barely 60 days after Dunleavy was sworn in and 11 days before Dunleavy officially announced his amended budget on February 13, 2019.  None of the actions used as grounds for recall had yet occurred. 

This effort was a recall waiting for a reason, not a reason for a recall.  It has subsequently been transformed into a do-over of the 2018 gubernatorial campaign with blatantly political positions used as rationale why voters should sign the recall petition.

But unlike a legitimate political campaign, there’s no way to know who’s funding it.  A loophole in campaign finance law means there’s no requirement to disclose the names of financial supporters,  or how much money is being contributed or spent during the recall signature gathering phase.  

Their recall/political campaign can continue unabated, unregulated, and un-transparent until signatures are submitted to the State. Theoretically, this could last up until their legally mandated deadline – 6 months prior to the end of Dunleavy’s term. 

That’s certainly one way to wage an underground campaign against your opponent.  But, what’s good for the goose is good for the gander.  

As noted in Andrew Jensen’s recent op-ed in the Alaska Journal of Commerce, there’s a certain poetic justice in that a court used similar logic in approving a recall petition launched against Felix Rivera, an uber-liberal Anchorage Assembly member.  

The superficial technicality used to justify the Rivera recall (allowing 17 people instead of 15 inside Assembly Chambers) mirrors the ludicrous legal basis for the Dunleavy recall.

Hopefully, the Legislature will tighten the recall statutes in the future – specifically exempting minor lapses and requiring more disclosure.  For now, at least, apparently, they are being applied equally regardless of politics.  

But there’s a larger lesson here. Much like Democrat Party threats to end the congressional filibuster or pack the Supreme Court, opening Pandora’s Box with these kinds of questionable tactics has a way of coming back to haunt their creator. 

Meanwhile, amid the political mumbo-jumbo, the real losers are Alaskans who see more pressing issues on the horizon. State government must tackle a huge budget deficit, a devastated economy, and a safe resolution to the pandemic.

Regardless of political persuasion, can we agree that transparency matters, and unregulated political campaigns funded by dark money are dangerous, undemocratic, and simply not credible?

The dubious pretexts used to justify these recalls distract from the real challenges facing our state. The political issues raised are more appropriately decided by voters in the light of day when officials face re-election.

Win Gruening retired as the senior vice president in charge of business banking for Key Bank in 2012. He was born and raised in Juneau and graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1970. He is active in community affairs as a 30-plus year member of Juneau Downtown Rotary Club and has been involved in various local and statewide organizations.

TSA to fine travelers up to $1,500 for flouting mask rule

Suzanne Downing
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TSA to fine travelers up to $1,500 for flouting mask rule

Transportation Security Administration is enacting a fine ranging from $250 for the first offense and up to $1,500 for repeat offenses for those who refuse to wear a face mask in a U.S. airport. The Transportation Security Administration received authorization last Sunday to enact fines.

But that’s just the beginning. The agency may seek amounts higher than the suggested ranges, based on “substantial aggravating or mitigating factors,” the agency wrote. In other words, the fine for not wearing a mask could be many times the value of the ticket for a flight.

As of Feb. 1, the Biden Administration has ordered travelers to wear face masks while in airports, bus stations, and rail depots, as well as while they are passengers on aircraft, public transportation, buses, railroad cars, and while at other transportation hubs.

Last week, TSA began requiring masks at airport screening checkpoints, a requirement that will remain in place until May 11, unless extended by the Biden Administration.

“Passengers without a mask may be denied entry, boarding, or continued transport. Failure to comply with the mask requirement can result in civil penalties,” TSA wrote.

“Whether beginning the security screening process at the airport Travel Document Checker (TDC) or submitting checked baggage for screening, all passengers who appear to be over the age of 2 must properly wear a face mask throughout the security screening process. The officer at the TDC will request that travelers temporarily lower the mask to verify their identity. Those who approach the TDC without a mask will be asked to wear or obtain one to proceed. Passengers who refuse to wear a mask will not be permitted to enter the secure area of the airport, which includes the terminal and gate area. Depending on the circumstance, those who refuse to wear a mask may be subject to a civil penalty for attempting to circumvent screening requirements, interfering with screening personnel, or a combination of those offenses,” TSA wrote.

Face shields are not acceptable, TSA says: “Face masks should cover the nose and mouth and fit snugly against the sides without gaps. Masks can be either manufactured or homemade and should be a solid piece of material without slits, exhalation valves, or punctures. While medical masks and N-95 respirators fulfill CDC and TSA’s requirements, face shields and/or goggles are not an acceptable substitute for the use of a mask; however, they may be used in addition to an acceptable mask.”

Read more at this link.

Supreme Court rejects California’s ban on worship

Suzanne Downing
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Supreme Court rejects California’s ban on worship

The United States Supreme Court has exempted churches from California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s order that limits indoor gatherings in specific counties that are battling COVID-19 infections.

But the court, in a 6-3 ruling, did allow the governor of California to forbid singing and chanting at those worship services, in counties where health officials say the COVID-19 virus is spreading rapidly. California uses a tiered system, and for those counties in the “purple” tier, stay-home orders are in effect.

Two churches brought the lawsuit which split the court over the question of the government’s authority over churches during the pandemic.

Justice Elena Kagan wrote the six-page dissent, signed by Justices Stephen Breyer and Sonia Sotomayor. The dissent said it is up to the health experts to decide how to respond to the pandemic. “Is it that the Court does not believe the science, or does it think even the best science must give way?” she wrote.

“The Court’s decision leaves state policymakers adrift, in California and elsewhere. It is difficult enough in a predictable legal environment to craft COVID policies that keep communities safe. That task becomes harder still when officials must guess which restrictions this Court will choose to strike down,” Kagan wrote.

The more conservative justices said California was infringing on religious freedom and, along with centrist Chief Justice John Robert, voted to set aside the ban but to allow the restrictions on singing and chanting, which some health experts believe pose a bigger risk in crowds.

The court also said the governor could limit attendance to 25% of a building’s capacity.

This is not the first time the court has upheld religious freedom and put limits on governments’ regulatory powers during the pandemic. In November, it ruled that New York’s restrictions on attendance at religious services was unconstitutional.

Former Anchorage Mayor Ethan Berkowitz and current Acting Mayor Austin Quinn-Davidson have ordered bans on indoor gatherings, including church services, but have generally not enforced them.

Dunbar criticized coffee stand owner for not being ‘progressive’ enough

Suzanne Downing
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Dunbar criticized coffee stand owner for not being ‘progressive’ enough

In an email to Assemblyman Chris Constant, Assemblyman Forrest Dunbar made fun of a local business owner, who had written to the Assembly to plead against plans to create a homeless industrial complex in Anchorage, through the purchase of hotels and other properties to convert into shelters and drug treatment facilities.

Dunbar forwarded the business owner’s email to Constant with a snarky note topping it that said: “‘Common Grounds” coffee, despite its name, appears to be not-so progressive after all…”

Michelle Duncan, the owner of Common Grounds Espresso for 17 years, had written to oppose the city’s purchase of the old Alaska Club on Tudor as a bad move.

“As someone who grew up in Anchorage, K through 12, married an Alaskan in Anchorage, launched a business in Anchorage, bought my first house in Anchorage; I worry for the reputation, safety, and peace of our city if we just spread the homeless out,” she wrote.

Duncan has been through a lot, witnessing crime and even a kidnapping that led to murder, as a business owner with locations in midtown Anchorage, once thought to be a safe place. A barista who worked at one of her coffee stands was abducted and killed by serial killer Israel Keyes in 2012 in a case that deeply frightened many in Anchorage, particularly young women working in coffee stands. The kidnapping was caught on the video security camera of the Common Grounds coffee hut.

Dunbar and Constant’s emails were accessed through a public records request by citizen activist Russell Biggs.

Public corruption: Did Dunbar and Constant break Alaska law against coercion?

Restaurant forced by Municipality to remove ‘Dunbar tax’ from receipt

Suzanne Downing
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Restaurant forced by Municipality to remove ‘Dunbar tax’ from receipt

LaMex Restaurant owner Trina Johnson thought she’d send a message when she printed “Dunbar Tax” on her receipts.

Since Feb. 1, an alcohol tax is being added to patrons’ tickets, and Johnson blames the Assembly member Forrest Dunbar, who is also running for mayor. The Municipality of Anchorage objected and asked for a meeting with her. Instead, Johnson backed down.

In a note to the Municipality, Johnson wrote “I have removed the words DUNBARTX from the tax line and replaced it with ALCOHOL TX on the receipt. It was not my intent to hurt Mr. Dunbars feelings by putting DUNBAR TX on the receipt, but rather to inform people that Assemblyman Dunbar voted for the tax to be placed on the ballot after repeated failures in past years by voters. I would also like to add, I do not believe that ballot measure passed legally.”

Johnson has added a line to the bottom of her receipts, which states, “It’s Still a DUMBAR TAX.”

Spotted: A Dunbar beer tax

Dunleavy proposes big bond to go to voters this year

Suzanne Downing
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Dunleavy proposes big bond to go to voters this year

Gov. Mike Dunleavy introduced a $356 million infrastructure bond proposal – the first statewide borrowing measure in nearly 10 years. 

SB 74 has projects for nearly every corner of the state — transportation, education, recreation, and communications systems throughout the state. If passed by the Legislature, the general obligation bond will go to a vote of the people.

Ironically, it could set up a special election date that may coincide with a recall election hoped for by the Recall Dunleavy Committee. That committee says it is 70 percent through its needed signatures to get on a statewide ballot.

“This statewide bond package is essential to stabilizing our economy and putting Alaskans back to work following the economic upheaval caused by the pandemic,” Dunleavy said. “Not only will this proposal create jobs, it will improve critical infrastructure for all Alaskans. I look forward to working with the Legislature to take this to a vote of the people following the 2021 legislative session.”

The proposal leverages a federal match of $1,003,471,000. Projects of interest included in the general obligation bond include:

  • $8.5M to West Susitna Road Access project
  • $25M to School Major Maintenance Grant Fund
  • $18.9M to Fairbanks Youth Facility
  • $2.4M to Fairbanks Pioneer Home
  • $19.5M to Alaska Vocational Technical Center upgrades
  • $12M to Alaska Public Safety Communication Services System upgrades
  • $13.2M to Fairbanks to Seward Multi-Use Recreation Trail Construction
  • $20M to Statewide Firebreak Construction Program
  • $2.4M to Alaska Wildlife Troopers Marine Enforcement repair and replacement
  • $4.2M to Bethel Airport
  • $8.3M to Craig Harbor
  • $28.8M to Dalton Highway repairs and upgrades
  • $540K to Denali Highway Mile Point 24-25
  • $5.6M to Ketchikan South Tongass Highway
  • $29.9M to Sterling Highway Miles 8-25
  • $9.3M to Unalaska Harbor
  • $29.6M to University of Alaska infrastructure projects

Without science, Canada crushes Alaska tourism economy months in advance

Suzanne Downing
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Without science, Canada crushes Alaska tourism economy months in advance

Canada, months before cruising season starts, cancelled all port calls of cruise ships on its coast lines this year.

This is an economy crusher for Southeast Alaska primarily, unless Congress has the political will to pass a waiver of the Passenger Vessel Service Act, which would allow cruise ships to bypass Canadian ports. The act, as it is written, requires these vessels to stop in Canada on their way to Alaska.

The news of the cruise ship cancellations came after Southeast Alaska has already suffered one full year of economic devastation. Stories from small businesses in Juneau and Skagway reveal that many private sector Alaskans will not be able to make it another year. This is the year they will have to declare bankruptcy or leave the state and look for employment elsewhere. Even another PPP relief plan won’t save some of the tour operators or gift shop owners from Ketchikan to Fairbanks.

The news is also bad for Seattle, where many of the Alaska cruises begin. But the Port of Seattle was not particularly upset.

Port of Seattle maritime director Stephanie Jones Stebbins issued a statement Thursday, reacting to the Canadian government’s move.

“We respect the decision by the Canadian government to continue the suspension of cruise vessels in their waters,” Stephanie Jones Stebbins said to the Puget Sound Business Journal. “This impacts our homeported cruises which would stop at a Canadian port, per the Passenger Vessel Services Act, on their Alaska itineraries.”

Stebbin Jones, maritime director for the Port of Seattle, added that there’s “a possibility of a limited cruise season in Seattle this year,” but did not elaborate on what that would mean.

Can Alaska’s delegation get a waiver to the Passenger Vessel Service Act?

“Upon hearing the announcement, we immediately reached out to Canadian and American agencies to try to understand the rationale behind this decision—particularly the duration of the ban. We are exploring all potential avenues, including changing existing laws, to ensure the cruise industry in Alaska resumes operations as soon as it is safe. We will fight to find a path forward,” Alaska’s delegation said in a statement.

Juneau’s travel organization, Travel Juneau, sent a letter inviting the president and First Lady to visit Juneau, which voted heavily for Biden.

In other Biden news, on Thursday night, the U.S. Senate voted on an amendment to support the Keystone XL pipeline, which has been cancelled by the Biden Administration, costing thousands of jobs in both America and Canada.

Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) put forward the amendment, which is largely symbolic, since the president has the authority to cancel the project. Biden’s move to cancel the cross-border project has soured U.S.-Canada relations at a time when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau leads a minority Parliament that could be toppled at any time by the opposition.

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