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Acting mayor eases up restrictions in Anchorage

Suzanne Downing
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Acting mayor eases up restrictions in Anchorage

JUST IN TIME FOR ALCOHOL TAX TO GO INTO EFFECT

Anchorage residents are getting a reprieve from the harsh restrictions that kept them in their homes in December and January.

Acting Mayor Austin Quinn-Davidson decided Anchorage residents may now go into restaurants at a 50 percent capacity, may shop in stores at a 50 percent capacity, as well as use gymnasiums.

She still has limits on gatherings — no more than 10 may gather inside, or 30 may gather outside. And residents may not have physical contact with people outside their homes. Bars may not serve alcohol after midnight.

The easing up on bars and restaurants comes on the same day the municipality’s new 5 percent alcohol tax goes into effect.

Indoor competition for organized sports is now allowed in the municipality, she said during an announcement today. The easing of the restrictions begins on Monday, she said.

Anchorage has been in under various, changing lockdowns for the better part of a year, since the Wuhan-originated virus called COVID-19 arrived in Alaska.

Craig Campbell: The Anchorage 2021 Top Worst Politician Awards

Suzanne Downing
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Craig Campbell: The Anchorage 2021 Top Worst Politician Awards

By  CRAIG E. CAMPBELL

Politicians love to be recognized.  To them, any publicity is good publicity, unless it’s their obituary.  I thought we should start this year by recognizing the worst of the worst in Anchorage, and thank them for being such worthless bags of bones.

Topping this years award is none other than our former disgraced mayor, Ethan Berkowitz. I know, he resigned in 2020 so why is he getting this award in 2021 you may ask? 

The answer is simple.  

Disgraced Mayor Berkowitz’s second term was to end this summer. He had visions of successfully leaving the Anchorage mayor’s office and advancing to the Alaska governor’s office in 2022. 

That would have meant he would start raising money and gaining endorsements this year. Alas, sexting with female reporters probably wasn’t his best campaign strategy, so bye-bye Ethan.  

The runner-up for worst Anchorage politician goes to our beloved Assembly Chair Felix Rivera. His accomplishments are just too many to list in this award write-up, but some of the highlights include his:

  • Inability to run a civil Assembly meeting by allowing people to lay on the floor in front of the dais; 
  • Illegally closing Assembly meetings to the public; 
  • Violating Anchorage’s Emergency Orders and allowing more than 15 people inside the Assembly chambers (for this he now faces a recall); 
  • Allowing people to insult and denigrate a fellow assembly person, Jamie Allard, during testimony and cutting off her microphone because he didn’t like what she was saying;  
  • Unethically soliciting to hire Young Democrats for Assembly work privately through their Facebook page with no public notice; 
  • Championing the ordinance that unconstitutionally bans counselors from discussing the topic of same-sex and transgender attraction with minors; and my favorite
  • Orchestrating the purchase of buildings for homeless shelters after hearing testimony from the public that was 5 to 1 against the purchase. 

Well done, to the leader of the socialist cabal.

With just as sterling a Leftist record as Czar Rivera is the Assembly member and Alaska National Guard officer who believes the US Constitution is a racist-based document, the unremarkable Forrest Dunbar.  His accomplishments include:

  • Proudly supporting the creation of the useless Chief Equity Officer in Anchorage;
  • Proud his sister and cousin participated in last year’s “peaceful” protests in Portland; 
  • Supporting banning counselors from discussing sexual orientation or gender identity change with a minor; 
  • Introducing the alcohol beverage tax increase ordinance;
  • Consistently voting to support every budget that increased the size and cost of city government; 
  • Being one of the first to publicly defend our disgraced mayor who ultimately had to resign because the sexting accusations were true; and 
  • In true form following the sterling example of Czar Rivera, verbally threatening political retaliation against assembly member Allard during an assembly meeting last year.  

Dunbar is now seeking to become the next mayor of Anchorage, accelerating the path to socialism. Securing government control over our lives is just a vote away if Dunbar is elected mayor. For this, and all his Orwellian actions, Forrest Dunbar is recognized as the third worst politician in Anchorage.

Honorable mention is bestowed upon her excellency, Caretaker Mayor Austin Quinn-Davidson (AQD). Her consistent inability to govern a large complex organization and success at crushing businesses in Anchorage in just her first 90 days in office is remarkable. Her most honorable achievements for this award include: 

  • Issuing business crushing mandates that shut-down in-door dining and bars;
  • Wasting CARES Act funds on “quality of life” projects while underfunding critical small busines economic sustainment programs;
  • Establishing a “Building Equity Co-investment Fund” to bring “social justice” to Anchorage by using CARES Act money to discriminate against non-minority businesses.  Instead of preserving an entrepreneurial free market system, CARES Act funds are being directed to create “equity” in Anchorage. Yup, government picking winners and losers;  
  • Providing government-issued food vouchers to create more dependency on government;
  • Hiring more Code Enforcement Officers to persecute restaurants and bars if they do not strictly follow her draconian mandates; and
  • Giving municipal employees a four additional vacations hour bonus while private sector business are closing and the Anchorage economy is on a steep decline. 

For this, and so much more, AQD is recognized as one of the worst Anchorage politicians for 2021.

 Cabal member Meg Zaletel also earns honorable mention for her noteworthy accomplishment of her dogged pursuit to inject politics into the Anchorage Police Department. Trying to fix a problem that doesn’t exist, leave that to a leftist lawyer. She relentlessly pushed to require APD Policies and Procedures to become subject to Assembly review and oversight. 

If you like wearing masks all the time, then you will also be excited that Zaletel is sponsoring an ordinance mandating the wearing of masks in Anchorage. I am so appreciative of her medical expertise that masks are the answer. Next thing she may want to have her detectors wear the Scarlett letter. Wait, she already is doing just that . 

Zaletel intends to sponsor a resolution to reprimand conservative assembly member Jamie Allard for expressing her personal opinion, not related to any Anchorage Assembly actions, because Zaletel feels Allard’s comments “do not reflect the values of our community, and go counter to our community’s values.”  

OK, so the lawyer who has codified political control over law enforcement is now the determiner of what others can or can not say.  Forget the First Amendment; under Zaletel’s government, free speech is only what the oligarchy allows you to say.  

By the way, Jamie Allard never endorsed, supported, or encouraged fascism or Nazism, she simply expressed concern about how far the “cancel culture” will go to stifle free speech, the exact action Zaletel plans to implement against a conservative voice on the Anchorage Assembly.  Shameful, but worthy of recognition as one of the worst Anchorage politicians in 2021. 

Least, but by no means last, is that meager, spiteful assembly member from downtown, Christopher Constant. There are just too many examples of his foul mouth disparaging people who testify at the assembly, vilifying public speakers. He tries to shut-down public testimony critical of him. In a bizarre action, he demands that people testifying not be allowed to say his name.  What kind of paranoid, feeble creature is this guy?  

That’s easy to answer. He’s the type of guy that slanders the publisher of this website by saying such garbage as, “She is literally trying to get us killed,” and calling her the C-word on Facebook. What a stand-up guy.

I could go on, but this guy is so shallow and dishonest that a rational discussion between two opposing viewpoints is utterly a waste of time. But it does provide the credentials to make the lower rung of the worst politicians in Anchorage. Congratulations Christopher on constantly being an obnoxious card-carrying socialist.

Due to AQD’s COVID lock-downs, we are unable to hold a banquet to present these honors in person, so each recipient will just have to accept their award virtually. Let’s all give a hardy congratulations to each of these uber-Leftist windbags who have made their mark in ruining Anchorage by voting each of them out of office the next time they appear on a ballot.  

In that way, we will all be giving them the recognition they have truly earned.

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).

Rivera blunder? Pledge of Allegiance at Anchorage Assembly goes without “under God”

Suzanne Downing
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47
Rivera blunder? Pledge of Allegiance at Anchorage Assembly goes without “under God”

The people running the city of Anchorage have taken another step in a controversial direction. The man invited to lead the Pledge of Allegiance on Tuesday left out the portion “under God.”

Many in the audience noticed the omission by Ivan Hodes, who was invited by Chairman Felix Rivera to lead the pledge. Hodes, who works at the Military Enlistment Processing Station (MEPS), attended West Point, and moved to Alaska to serve at Fort Richardson. He says he left the military in 2007.

When Rivera took over as Assembly Chair, he began the tradition of the “land acknowledgement” as an opening statement before the meeting. It’s unclear why Rivera asked Hodes, a known leftist and frequent social media critic, to lead the Pledge of Allegiance during a time when public scrutiny is centered on the actions of the Assembly.

Radical Assembly adds woke land acknowledgement to agenda as a confession of colonization and occupation

CDC says pregnant ‘people’ should not get vaccine

Suzanne Downing
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CDC says pregnant ‘people’ should not get vaccine

The scientists at the Centers for Disease Control said earlier this month that “pregnant people” should think twice before getting the COVID-19 vaccine.

Rather than referring to them as pregnant women, the CDC now refers to expectant mothers as “people,” and avoids the actual gender of mothers.

“CDC and the independent Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) have provided information to assist pregnant people with their decision to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. At this time, ACIP recommends that certain groups (e.g., healthcare personnel, followed by other frontline essential workers) are offered vaccination during the first months of the COVID-19 vaccination program. People who are pregnant and part of a group recommended to receive the COVID-19 vaccine may choose to be vaccinated. If they have questions about getting vaccinated, a discussion with a healthcare provider might help them make an informed decision,” the agency wrote.

“Until findings are available from clinical trials and additional studies, only limited data are available on the safety of COVID-19 vaccines, including mRNA vaccines, administered during pregnancy:

  • Limited data are currently available from animal developmental and reproductive toxicity studies. No safety concerns were demonstrated in rats that received Moderna COVID-19 vaccine before or during pregnancy; studies of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine are ongoing.
  • Studies in people who are pregnant are planned.
  • Both vaccine manufacturers are monitoring people in the clinical trials who became pregnant.”

In its lengthy recommendations for women who are pregnant or who may become pregnant, the CDC twists its sentences to conform to the new gender-free norm now evidently supported by science. More at this link.

Governor’s State of State Address will highlight PFD, usual topics

Suzanne Downing
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7
Governor’s State of State Address will highlight PFD, usual topics

In his third State of the State Address, Gov. Mike Dunleavy will highlight the need to guarantee the PFD for future generations, Alaska’s ability to be self-reliant, energy independent, maximize every opportunity, and potential to be a sovereign within the United States.

His office released excerpts from the State of the State Address – as prepared for delivery. Dunleavy will be speaking from Anchorage and will be broadcast on Vimeo and on Facebook.

  • “As part of my Path Forward for Alaska, I’m asking that $5 billion, a portion of the [Permanent Fund] earnings of this past year, be put toward pulling Alaskans out of a crisis the likes of which this generation has never faced.”
  • “While we must continue to be an exporter of resources, we must also ensure that we have the capabilities to create and enhance new sectors of our economy to go it alone in the event of a future disaster.”
  • “…maximizing opportunity is about more than standing up new industries. If we’re to move Alaska forward, we must provide our children with the quality education they deserve.”
  • “I remain 100% committed to prosecuting the war on crime and supporting our frontline heroes. From our smallest villages to our largest cities, no Alaskan should be forced to live in fear.”

Tune into the State of the State address here or here.

Try-try again: House Democrats refuse to elect LeBon as Speaker Pro Tem

Suzanne Downing
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Try-try again: House Democrats refuse to elect LeBon as Speaker Pro Tem

For the second time since the Alaska State House of Representatives convened on Jan. 19, Republicans nominated Rep. Bart LeBon (R-Fairbanks) for Speaker Pro Tem, in an effort to organize the House and start conducting business. And for the second time, the Democrats voted no.

The nomination failed on a 20-20 vote along caucus lines. Republican Louise Stutes of Kodiak sided with the Democrats. all of whom voted against the nomination. Democrats did not put forward a nomination of their own. 

Two years ago, when the House faced a similar impasse, House Republicans joined with their colleagues to elect Rep. Neal Foster, a Nome Democrat, as Speaker Pro Tem so that business could be conducted.

“We must take the first step to get government moving,” said Rep. Steve Thompson (R-Fairbanks). “This is about the people of Alaska. Playing games over a Speaker Pro Tem, who would simply conduct a limited floor session, shows little regard for the people’s business and good government.”

Rep. Cathy Tilton (R-Chugiak/MatSu) said, “It is disappointing that our colleagues remain unwilling to take the most basic step to move forward in order to allow the House to start working on the critical business Alaskans sent us here to do.”

“Since the election ended in November, the House has been steadily working towards organizing and addressing the challenges Alaska faces” LeBon said.  “Our side has demonstrated that we are actively trying to offer solutions by putting up a name for Speaker Pro Tempore, while the other side continues to stall and delay. Alaskans deserve better.”

All 40 members were present on Thursday, unlike when the House met on Wednesday and only the Republicans showed up for the meeting.

The Thursday meeting was unusual in that it was the day after a regularly scheduled House meeting, but since Lt. Gov. Kevin Meyer was leaving Juneau, the House needed to meet on Thursday to be in alignment with the “three day rule.” Lt. Gov. Meyer has been serving as the Speaker Pro Tem in the absence of an elected representative in that role.

Last time the House organized, in 2019, Le Bon was one of the seven Republicans who went over to the Democrats’ side and organized with them, winning a seat on House Finance as a freshman legislator. This year, they won’t accept him as a Speaker Pro Tem.

Listicle: Who’s in for Anchorage muni elections?

Suzanne Downing
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5
Listicle: Who’s in for Anchorage muni elections?

Some have dropped out, some new ones have filed, and some have switched seats they are filing for.

Here is the current list of those who are currently running for Anchorage municipal offices in the election that ends April 6.

The filing deadline is Friday, Jan. 29, at 5 pm. The withdrawal deadline is Feb. 2.

There are four ways to file — City Hall, Election Center, fax, email, so it’s very likely others will enter the races late Friday, and at the last possible minute:

Mayoral Candidates:

     Evans, Bill – Filed 01/15/2021 – undeclared

     Martinez, George – Filed 01/15/2021 – nonpartisan

     Momin, Reza – Filed 01/27/2021 – nonpartisan

     Falsey, Bill – Filed 01/15/2021 – nonpartisan

     Herndon, Heather – Filed 01/19/2021 – undeclared

     Bronson, David – Filed 01/15/2021 – Republican

     Robbins, Mike – Filed 01/15/2021 – Republican

     Darden, Dustin – Filed 01/15/2021 – withdrawn 1/26/2021

     Dunbar, Forrest – Filed 01/15/2021 – Democrat

     Colbry, Darin – Filed 01/15/2021 – Republican

     Westfall, Papa-Joe – Filed 01/27/2021 – unknown, (his scanned document is wrong at the Elections website, links to Marilyn Stewart’s filing paperwork)

     Kern, Jacob Seth – Filed 01/25/2021 – Democrat

School Board Candidates:

SCHOOL BOARD SEAT B (1-YEAR TERM):

     Eledge, Judy Norton – Filed 01/22/2021 – Republican

     Stewart, Marilyn – Filed 01/27/2021 – undeclared

     Higgins, Pat – Filed 01/15/2021. withdrawn 01.25.2021, filed for different seat – Democrat

     Lessens, Kelly – Filed 01/15/2021, Democrat

SCHOOL BOARD SEAT E:

     Higgins, Pat – Filed 01/25/2021 – Democrat

     Hilde, Alisha – Filed 01/15/2021 – Republican, incumbent

     Blatchford, Edgar – Filed 01/22/2021 – Democrat

     Blakeslee, Rachel – Filed 01/22/2021 – unknown

     Graham, Sami – Filed 01/22/2021 – Republican

SCHOOL BOARD SEAT F:

     Sanders, Marcus – Filed 01/20/2021 – Republican

     Paulson, Kim – Filed 01/22/2021 – Republican

     Wilson, Dora – Filed 01/19/2021 – Democrat

SCHOOL BOARD SEAT G:

     Blewett, Pierce – Filed 01/22/2021 – Republican

     Jacobs, Carl – Filed 01/15/2021 – Democrat

     Nees, David – Filed 01/26/2021 – Alaska Independence

Murkowski politely explains to new Energy Secretary that Alaska is ‘resource anchor’

Suzanne Downing
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Murkowski politely explains to new Energy Secretary that Alaska is ‘resource anchor’

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee gavel passed from Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska to Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia Wednesday, just in time for the hearing on the nomination of former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm as the new Energy Secretary for the Biden Administration.

Because the Senate was still organizing under Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Murkowski gaveled in the meeting and conducted it as her final day as chair of the committee.

During the confirmation hearing, Granholm committed that DOE will prioritize investments in states that have lost traditional energy jobs.

“This is the most important question, honestly, because we know that this transition is happening. We cannot leave our people behind. In West Virginia, and in other fossil fuel states, there is an opportunity for us to specialize in the technologies that reduce carbon emissions, to make those technologies here, to put people to work here, and to look at other ways to diversify. These ‘place based’ solutions [will] be able to take advantage of expertise and comparative advantages of states and build on that to allow them to diversify inside and outside their main industries is a partnership that we could have through the Department of Energy,” Granholm said.

Sen. Murkowski attempted to explain to Granholm that Alaska will not be a manufacturing center, and that what the state does is bring resources to the other states, so they can manufacture. Alaska is a resource anchor for other states, she said.

Granholm replied that she understands the anxiety of Alaskans who may see their jobs go away, as she witnessed that when she was governor of Michigan.

“The experience that I had, I feel like I get this so much because the experience I had in Michigan seared by soul on behalf of worker who were feeling utter anxiety about ‘who is ever going to hire me?'” Granholm responded.

Watch the exchange here:

Also on Wednesday, John Kerry, who is the U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, was asked what his message is to workers who are “seeing an end to their livelihoods” as a result of President Biden’s plan to crush the resource industry.

“What President Biden wants to do is make sure those folks have better choices, that they have alternatives, that they can be the people to go to work to make the solar panels,” Kerry said.

“The president of the United States has expressed in every comment he has made about climate the need to grow the new jobs that pay better, that are cleaner,” Kerry said.

“What President Biden wants to do is make sure those folks have better choices, that they have alternatives, that they can be the people to go to work to make the solar panels,” Kerry said.

House members show solidarity with Native Vietnam vets seeking land allotments

Suzanne Downing
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House members show solidarity with Native Vietnam vets seeking land allotments

Alaska House of Representative Republicans and one Independent reacted with dismay today to the news that the Biden Administration’s Department of the Interior has suspended land transfers to Alaska – including land transfers long promised to Alaska Native veterans of the Vietnam War. 

Interior Department Order No. 3395 suspends authorizations for the department’s bureaus and offices to “grant rights of way, easements, or any conveyances of property or interests in property, including land sales or exchanges”. This may include federal allotments to Alaska under the Alaska Statehood Act and the Alaska Native Allotment Act of 1906.

“I am very concerned that our new federal administration is delaying keeping its promises to some who served honorably,” said Rep. David Nelson (R – Anchorage, who serves as an officer in the Alaska Army National Guard). “If the new administration can drag its feet on its promises to veterans, it can do the same to our current servicemen and servicewomen.”

“I have heard of servicemembers who served at the time – some who received their allotment and some who have not – and I know how important land is to our cultural identity as Alaska Natives,” said Rep. Josiah Patkotak (N – Utqiaġvik). “In their service they have missed their rightful claim to land and that isn’t right. The time for resolving this is overdue and shouldn’t be delayed for any reason.”

“No one who serves in our armed forces honorably should be penalized for serving – but to our dismay, that’s exactly what we did to my Alaska Native comrades-in-arms in Vietnam,” said Rep. Laddie Shaw (R – Anchorage), a retired US Navy SEAL and Vietnam War veteran. “Whether for the Alaska Territorial Guard during World War II or Alaska Native servicemembers in the Vietnam War, the federal government has a pattern of giving short-shrift to the contributions of my Alaska Native brother and sister veterans. It’s time to break that pattern and acknowledge them for the heroes they all are.”

“For my entire career, I have fought for our veterans to get all of the benefits they so richly deserve” continued Rep. Shaw, who also previously served as Director of Veterans Affairs under Gov. Tony Knowles. “I’m glad to stand with my caucus as we continue to do so.”

Jerry Ward, of Alaska Native Veterans Council, said the BLM is still accepting applications, but the that Biden Administration has frozen the BLM land. Some have already filed for land on the BLM land, and that Sen. Dan Sullivan is working on the issue.

“It takes legislation to take away the rights of Vietnam-era veterans to apply for it, but this is an administrative action that does not supersede law,” he said.

Thirty Alaska Native veterans met last night in Anchorage to learn more about the problem, and half of them had already filed for their lands. Ward is advising the rest to file for “federal unallocated land.”

Biden can delay it, but he cannot stop it, unless Biden gets the law changed, Ward said. About 200 Alaska Native Vietnam veterans have still not selected their 160 acres.

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