Gray Communications, owner of Alaska’s News Source, wants you to know it congratulates the Obamas on their 28th anniversary.
The news group evidently believes it’s newsworthy to remind viewers that in honor of the Obamas’ anniversary, everyone should go out and vote.
Because the Obamas said so.
Alaska’s News Source merged KTUU and KTVA into one television station this year.
NO MENTION OF MASK-FREE FOOTBALL GAMES ON SAME DAY
The mainstream media is on a mission to find fault with those who don’t wear masks everywhere.
No sooner had Sen. Peter Micciche posted a photograph of a group of Republicans having a dinner and auction in Homer in a large banquet room, than the knives came out by reporters. Republicans were on the menu.
James Brooks, reporter for the Anchorage Daily News, saw the photo and got busy texting and calling Rep, Sarah Vance, Sen. Micciche, and even Commissioner Kelly Tshibaka, to ask why Republicans defy official recommendations and have political events. Tshibaka was the master of ceremonies, and she and Micciche had just finished auctioning off some items when the photo was taken, a point left out by the reporter.
The trouble with the mainstream media narrative is that the photo was of a group of people (Republicans) who had just had a dinner, as they would in any restaurant. Tables were spread throughout the room, with just five seats to a table that would normally seat 10. Besides, dining out at a restaurant is still legal in Alaska and certainly on the Kenai Peninsula, where the cases of COVID-19 are relatively low.
Two in the photo — Sen. Dan Sullivan, and Nikki Tshibaka, the husband of Kelly Tshibaka, can clearly be seen holding their masks to one side for the photo. Others also held their masks to the side, but their hands were obscured by others in the photo.
Brooks and leftstream bloggers were quick to criticize Sullivan, who arrived in a mask and wore it during most of the event, except for when photos were taken and when he delivered his remarks.
The Brooks story also highlighted other offending Republican events.
Earlier in the week, a big event at a large hanger near Lake Hood attracted over 100 participants to raise money for Republican candidates.
Reporter Brooks attended that event and was one of several who wore masks, although most at the event were maskless.
The Homer photo, taken at the Lands End banquet room, also got the notice of liberal blogger Matt Buxton. He gets his paycheck from Democratic political consultant Jim Lottsfeldt. Buxton tsk-tsked Sen. Dan Sullivan for not having a mask at the event. The blogger evidently chose not to notice that Sullivan was holding his mask in his hand for the photo.
Buxton’s social media post was reposted by public broadasting reporter Nat Herz, who was apparently shocked:
The Mudflats blog was not to be outdone by mean-stream blogger Buxton. Jeanne Devon, who runs psy-ops for the Alaska Democratic Party, blended science and voodoo into her karmic wishes for Republicans:
Liz Ruskin, also a public broadcaster, added her passive-aggressive remarks, insulting the intelligence of Republicans by wondering if they were not aware the president had contracted the China virus:
This is how mainstream media narratives are formed, by left-wing writers and broadcasters talking to each other on Twitter and solidifying the assault.
Also in Homer on Saturday, the Soldotna Stars overpowered the Homer Mariners in high school football action. No reporters or bloggers seemed to notice that high school sporting events were mask-free and continuing on the peninsula.
But such is the job of the mainstream media — to keep conservatives looking over their shoulder for the thought police, the mask police, and the producing inkwell of the communications arm of the Democratic Party, which is the mainstream media itself.
By SCOTT LEVESQUE
The Fairbanks North Star Borough Elections are Tuesday, Oct. 6. A brief look at each race, keying in on significant platform issues each candidate is running on:
ASSEMBLY SEAT D
Donald Crocker’s catalyst for running centers around opposing Gov. Dunleavy’s budget cuts. Crocker focuses on education, diversity, equity, inclusion programs, environmental programs, and private-nonprofit partnerships. Crocker is a member of the Green Party.
Chris Ludtke’s platform is to prevent theft and negative rights. Ludtke describes theft as anything ranging from property or income tax to a state tax. What are negative rights? Ludtke says people need freedom from interference from others. He is a member of the Libertarian Party.
Tammie Wilson, former Assembly member from 2008-2009 and former state Representative, believes Fairbanks/North Pole needs to reopen, including businesses and schools. Wilson’s concern is providing a vibrant community that helps people and local businesses get back on their feet without adding additional financial stressors to families, such as taxes. Wilson is a fiscal conservative and a Republican.
ASSEMBLY SEAT E
Current Assembly Seat E representative Jimi Cash is a fiscal conservative and believes the unfair tax burden on local property owners needs to be shared. His small-government mindset and fiscal conservative ideologies act as the lens for which he makes decisions. Cash is a Republican.
Shaun Tacke was previously an Assembly member. Tacke believes in spreading the tax burden across the board, increasing education expenditures, and reversing Fairbanks’ 3% population decrease a year. Tacke is a Democrat.
ASSEMBLY SEAT H
Aaron Lojewski is seeking reelection for Assembly Seat H with a platform centered on fiscal conservative ideas, including setting aside 9% a year in borough taxes for deferred maintenance. He is a private property advocate with a smaller government focus. Lojewski is a Republican.
Ryan L. VanReenan is a first-time candidate looking to invest heavily in the borough’s education system. He believes the population decline is due to poor education, unemployment, and a lack of proper investment back into the community. VanReenan is a Democrat.
SCHOOL BOARD SEAT E
Tim Doran is a life-long educator as a teacher and administrator. Doran continues to run on his 5 “C’s” of education: Competent, confident, caring, curious, contributing citizens. Doran is a registered nonpartisan.
Jeffrey Rentzel decided to run for School Board because he is disgusted with the current state of education in Fairbanks. Rentzel wants to help refocus the board and stop the drop in test scores. Rentzel believes the schools need to reopen – sooner rather than later. Rentzel is a Republican.
SCHOOL BOARD SEAT F
Brianna Gray wants to be an advocate to empower student voice within the schools. Gray believes funding is the key to better education, including professional development opportunities. Gray believes diversity in leadership is the key to future success. Gray is an undeclared voter.
Gregory Kahoe’s platform focuses on improving education outcomes, increasing teacher workforce, and personalized learning. Kahoe believes funding and resources should go to those students requiring more attention. He believes research, not fads, should be the focus of the School Board. Kahoe is an undeclared voter.
Sean Rice is seeking reelection to the School Board, and his primary reason is consistency. That’s one way to describe Rice, who has been on the School Board for twelve years. Rice is passionate about ensuring students from the village have the resources necessary to navigate the English language curriculum successfully. Rice is a registered Democrat.
April Smith sees COVID-19 as the biggest issue facing the school district. As a mother of ten, including six children in the school system, Smith believes identity politics and politicization has overtaken the education system. She wants to improve teacher resources in hopes of increasing the borough’s 24% proficiency rate. Smith is a Republican.
SCHOOL BOARD SEAT G
Brandon Boylan is a political science professor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Boylan believes advocacy for funds and improved communication between the district and board is vital for quality education. Boylan feels his experience with budgeting, policy analysis, and curriculum formation will be an asset to the School Board. Boylan is a Democrat.
Maggie Matheson sees her role on the School Board as a bridge between the administration and the teachers. Matheson has three boys in the school system, and her concern is Alaska’s abysmal test scores compared to the rest of the country. She is a member of the Veterans Party.
The Assembly sample ballot is at this link.
ORDINANCE 6125
This election cycle, Fairbanks residence will be voting on whether or not to approve a $1.5 million loan from the state to improve the wastewater treatment plant.
Proposition A will ensure Golden Heart Utilities, the company the manages the city’s wastewater treatment plant, has the required finances needed to update the facility. If ratified, the city will receive a pass-through loan from the Alaska Clean Water Fund of $1.5 at 1.5% interest over ten years.
Proponents of Prop A believe funding for Golden Heart Utilities is vital to long-term maintenance and upgrades to both the treatment plant and the piping improvement project.
Those campaigning against Prop A want more transparency, less liability, and a better understanding of the potential fallout if Golden Heart Utilities cannot fulfill its payment obligations.
Voters in Juneau have until Oct. 6 to return ballots for the city’s mail-in municipal election.
The city announced that as of Thursday, 23% of voters had already voted, compared to a final turnout of 31.4% in 2019 and 35.5% in 2018.
The city mailed ballots to 27,467 registered Juneau voters on Sept. 15. Juneau has a population that is about 32,000, and roughly 9,060 of those are children, ineligible to vote.
How so many ballots get mailed out is one of the mysteries of mail-in elections and what subjects mail-in elections to fraud, according to critics. Numerous residents report getting multiple ballots in the mail for people who no longer live at that address. There are no laws in Juneau against ballot harvesting.
The Juneau Assembly decided this summer to adopt mail-in balloting for this election due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As of Thursday, Oct. 1, the city’s election officials had received 6,425 returned ballots, with most of the Juneau ballots being received in Anchorage the Anchorage Election Center:
Regular Polling Place locations will not be open on Election Day, Tuesday, Oct. 6. For this By-Mail election, you have three options for voting:
Vote Center Hours & Locations:
Unofficial election results will not be available on Election Night. Preliminary unofficial results will be available the evening of Friday, Oct. 9, on the CBJ Elections webpage.
For more information or voter assistance, read these CBJ Election FAQs, email [email protected], or contact CBJ Election Call Center at 364-7401 Mon-Fri 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Saturday’s Trump rally in Anchorage was as enthusiastic as the exactly one week ago, although it didn’t bring in conservative luminaries like Sarah Palin, and there was no DJ spinning the favorites this week.
Nevertheless, music was blaring from a car with a big sound system and all the doors wide open.
Between 75-100 people gathered at Cabela’s Parking lot in South Anchorage, with the rain stopping just before the event started at 1:30 pm. It was a good day for a Trump rally — and a windbreaker.
It was also a good day for prayer, just 30 days before the Nov. 3 election.
The group that gathered bowed their heads and prayed for the health of the President and the First Lady Melania Trump, who have contracted COVID-19.
Mayoral candidate Dave Bronson and rally-caravan organizer Joanna Potter also spoke to a crowd that gathered with trucks, cars, motorcycles, and Trump and American flags.
People have gotten a real civics lesson the past few years about what the media can do to a duly elected president, Bronson said.
“Just because you don’t take an interest in politics, doesn’t mean politics isn’t going to take an interest in you. And boy, it’s really taken an interest in our pocketbooks and our small businesses, and boy our media and the Deep State is sure attacking our president,” Bronson said during his brief remarks.
Then they started their engines and for the second week in a row, drove in a mile-long caravan to Wasilla, where they held a rally at the VFW Hall.
Sunday is the deadline to register to vote in the Nov. 3 General Election.
Most eligible Alaskans are already registered because when they apply for their Alaska Permanent Fund dividend, they are automatically registered to vote, unless they opt out manually.
Subsequent to the automatic registration, 590,422 are now registered to vote in Alaska. That is 12,437 more than one year ago and 22,623 more voters than there were in 2018. There are only 730,000 Alaskans, which means that 80 percent of all Alaskans are registered to vote. The voting age is 18.
For those who recently moved to the state or who have moved and need to update their information with the Division of Elections, registration is accomplished easily online.
Register online, or you can register in person at the Division of Elections Offices on Saturday, from 12-4 pm, and Sunday, 12-4 pm.
On the Kenai Borough ballot on Tuesday, voters will be asked to repeal an ordinance passed by the Borough Assembly that moves the entire borough to a mail-in ballot.
The confusion is that just four weeks later, voters in the state will also be asked to change up the way all Alaskans vote.
Conservatives say that Kenai should vote “Yes” in October and “No” in November.
Yes on Proposition 2 on Tuesday will overturn the mail-in-only voting that would go into effect in 2021.
But if they mistakenly vote Yes on Ballot Measure 2 in November, they will wreck Alaska’s model election system and replace it with a jungle primary and ranked-choice voting, a system being pushed by Outside wealthy progressives trying to take over Alaska’s election.
Several voters on the Kenai Peninsula have expressed confusion because both Proposition 2 in October and Ballot Measure 2 in November are being debated simultaneously.
The exact ballot language for Kenai voters is:
Shall Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly Ordinance 2020-24 “An Ordinance Amending KPB Title 4 Regarding Borough Election to Provide for Vote by Mail Elections, For More Time Between a Regular Election and Run-Off Election, and to Remove Proposition Statements” be repealed?
YES A “Yes” vote will repeal Ordinance 2020-24 and the ordinance will NOT become effective.
NO A “No” vote will NOT repeal Ordinance 2020-24 and it will become effective January 1, 2021.
The ballot language in November is only three paragraphs long, but represent 25 pages of complicated language that takes over the election system for Alaska:
This act would get rid of the party primary system, and political parties would no longer select their candidates to appear on the general election ballot. Instead, this act would create an open nonpartisan primary where all candidates would appear on one ballot.
Candidates could choose to have a political party preference listed next to their name or be listed as “undeclared” or “nonpartisan.” The four candidates with the most votes in the primary election would have their names placed on the general election ballot.
This act would establish ranked-choice voting for the general election. Voters would have the option to “rank” candidates in order of choice. Voters would rank their first choice candidate as “1”, second choice candidate as “2”, and so on. Voters “1” choice would be counted first. If no candidate received a majority after counting the first-ranked votes, then the candidate with the least amount of “1” votes would be removed from counting.
Those ballots that ranked the removed candidate as “1” would then be counted for the voters’ “2” ranked candidate. This process would repeat until one candidate received a majority of the remaining votes. If voters still want to choose only one candidate, they can.
This act would also require additional disclosures for contributions to independent expenditure groups and relating to the sources of contributions. It would also require a disclaimer on paid election communications by independent expenditure groups funded by a majority of out of state money.
Should this initiative become law?
That’s confusing.
But Brett Huber says it’s not that hard. On the November ballot, the director of Defend Alaska Elections says “Vote ‘No’ in November. It’s tNO-vember.”
In places across the nation, mail-in elections have been found to increase fraud, including ballots being discarded by U.S. Postal Service carriers, and others harvesting ballots and voting them illegally. In Alaska’s small communities, many races are won by fewer than 10 votes, which could prompt campaigns to start ballot harvesting techniques to increase their chances.
By CLEM TILLION
Growing up in the period between the first and second World Wars, the language we used included some old-fashioned terms. Expressions like “cash on the barrelhead” and having “too many dead horses” were common in the commercial trades.
Cash on the barrelhead referred to sales made in a tent or store where the top of a barrel was the point of sale. One can easily imagine sales made like this during the Klondike Gold Rush.
The dead horse designation wasn’t specific to Alaska. Back in the day, such was the need for transportation, folks would often buy a horse on credit. Because horses were essential, it was common enough to go deep into debt to procure a horse. If the horse died from cholic, the seller still expected payment. The poor soul who now needed a new horse still had to pay off the dead horse.
Alaska has a lot of dead horses. Not like the literal ones found along the old White Pass route where hundreds died and remain in Dead Horse Gulch outside Skagway. No, the ones I’m thinking of are the dozens of “dead horses” that our state government signed up for in the last four decades. Alaska’s government spent too much and saved too little of the oil revenue bonanza we obtained from Prudhoe Bay and other public oil patches.
Like sailors hitting port after a long sea voyage, our politicians went wild with spending starting the 1970s. We increased spending on new programs, juiced up salaries for employees and built projects willy-nilly as though the oil revenue would never end.
We did some things right. We set up a Permanent Fund so every dime of revenue derived from oil lifted from public lands wasn’t spent.
Here is the key thing to remember — we only saved 25% of our massive oil wealth in the Permanent Fund. All the rest of our oil wealth was spent by the politicians and a lot of it was blown.
The Permanent Fund dividend, which is Alaskans’ little slice of earnings from their savings account, is paid from the earnings generated by the trustees of the Permanent Fund. The PFD payments have historically not been paid with oil revenue — the dividend is derived from earnings achieved on savings investments.
At this point, the politicians are hooked on spending even though oil revenues have fallen. With revenue down, the politicians are hell-bent on spending all the available funds, including earnings from the Permanent Fund investments. This means they’re content to short the PFD in their quest to spend, spend, spend. The ugly truth here is that even the Permanent Fund earnings are not sufficient to pay for a sensible PFD and for all the dead horses we bought over the years.
I believe in paying a decent wage and proper benefits for public employees, but we have way too many judges, administrators and bureaucrats who were given a platinum-plated retirement package. Our current retirement obligation for public employees and teachers exceeds $6 billion. That’s billions, not millions, and represents a lot of “dead horses.”
We expanded programs that were deemed desirable but not obviously essential or sustainable. More “dead horses.”
And all the while, we continue to elect too many politicians who promise the moon if elected, as if there were no need for change.
The situation we face as a people is tough but not beyond repair. Our fiscal house in Alaska is in shambles. Too many of our elected and appointed officials are content to carry on as if no change is needed.
We need to first make targeted cuts and consolidation of government. Anyone who claims we have “cut to the bone,” as is frequently said, isn’t paying attention and probably never field-dressed a moose. Trimming state government is not only possible, it is essential.
We also need to settle the annual brawl that takes place with regard to the Permanent Fund dividend. The dividend is not welfare or just another appropriation. The PFD is a modest portion of earnings that comes from the wealth generated by people’s Permanent Fund. The Legislature must adopt a resolution putting a constitutional PFD formula before the voters.
After making targeted consolidation and cuts and after protecting the rights of Alaskans to receive a PFD, then and only then should we consider just how to pay any additional costs necessary to support a right-sized state government. If that includes taxes, so be it. I lived in Alaska when we paid our way for the services we needed. I did it before and will gladly do it again.
This is the greatest state in our union, by far. We need to stop fooling around and get on with the task of governing this state in a mature manner. We need to do the best we can, even as we clear off the dead horses we are carrying on the ledger book. Working together and sacrificing together, we can get the job done.
Clem Tillion, former President of the Alaska Senate, lives in Halibut Cove.
By SCOTT LEVESQUE
Three Assembly members on Friday proposed an additional $10 million in CARES Act funds to help Anchorage’s small businesses. It’s a compromise, because earlier this week some on the Assembly said they had given enough to businesses. They took heat for their remarks.
In a joint press release by members Forrest Dunbar, Suzanne LaFrance, and Austin Quinn-Davidson, the Assembly members have changed their positions by 180 degrees in response to intense feedback from small business owners.
The business community has pleaded with the Assembly for months, during the Mayor’s enforced shutdown, to disperse more monies from the CARES Act’s small business stabilization program. Just this week the Red Chair Cafe said it will be closing it doors this month, and many will follow, a result of the strict business closures enforced by Mayor Ethan Berkowitz.
Over the past several months, many Anchorage community members have descended upon the Loussac Public Library, where the Assembly meets, to express their discontent and frustration with both the Assembly and Berkowitz Administration.
The Assembly’s refusal to allow in-person public testimony during some of the most controversial votes led to several highly attended protests outside the Chambers. Many have taken to social media to express their displeasure as well.
Now that people are allowed inside the chambers, the Assembly is beginning to get an earful, on the record.
Facebook groups, such as Save Anchorage and Open Alaska, have grown in size and popularity, providing an outlet to express anger, disappointment, and the desire for change.
The group Save Anchorage has gotten the attention of Mayor Ethan Berkowitz, who called citizens involved in it a fake “Astroturf” group, while explaining his conspiracy theory regarding the group’s motivations.
The Assembly had earlier allocated just $6 million, out of the $156,713,566.04 given in CARES Act monies, to fund the small businesses and nonprofit relief program. Tourism and hospitality programs, and some nonprofits received a separate allocation.
Because the Assembly issued so little initially, it prompted the Municipality to hold a lottery to see which businesses and nonprofits would receive money, causing another uproar, as many businesses were passed over for aid.
According to Assembly member Suzanne LaFrance, now is the time to add more funds to the small business stabilization program.
“We need to get more funds in the hands of small business owners, now. Our constituents are hurting. Passing this resolution could keep hundreds of businesses alive. I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting this appropriation,” LaFrance said.
LaFrance was the only Assembly member quoted in the joint press release. Closely aligned with the leftwing caucus that runs the Anchorage Assembly, she has been all but silent in recent meetings, as she is running for House District 28 as the Democrats’ nominee.
This announcement comes just days after Assembly Members Jamie Allard and Crystal Kennedy proposed an amendment to AO 2020-99, in which they included $17.45 million in additional small business and nonprofit relief, including monies for franchise businesses.
Allard and Kennedy had proposed removing over $15 million from previously proposed projects, such as the Girdwood Health Center, and local trail building, but their motion was voted down by the liberal majority of the Assembly.
Coincidentally, today’s proposal put forth by Dunbar, LaFrance, and Quinn-Davidson contains nearly identical language from the Allard/Kennedy amendment proposed at the Sept. 29 Assembly meeting, but includes roughly $7.5 million less in proposed funding.
It’s nearly a sure bet the Dunbar/LaFrance/Quinn-Davidson proposal will pass at the next Assembly meeting. But critics asked why the three didn’t work with the amendment offered by Allard/Kennedy. The answer is likely that the two from Eagle River are not part of the liberal majority.
Perhaps the change of heart on the Assembly is political cover for LeFrance, as she runs for Alaska State House in District 28. Several liberal members show up on the campaign finance reports of LeFrance, as major donors to her quest for higher office.
The Assembly plans to vote on the proposal at the Oct. 13 meeting.