Gov. Mike Dunleavy served food on Thanksgiving Day with Frontline Mission in Wasilla, where over 1,500 Thanksgiving meals were served this afternoon a the Menard Sports Center.
You can find out more about Frontline Mission and learn how to volunteer at this link.
The governor has also been spotted on social media at multiple volunteer events leading up to Thanksgiving including Thanksgiving Blessing food distribution sites in Anchorage and Wasilla.
ALASKA’S U.S. ATTORNEY GETS COORDINATOR
Two days before Thanksgiving, President Donald Trump sent a strong message to the Native American communities across the United States as he signed an executive order to focus on solving cases of missing and murdered American Indians and Alaska Native women. He was surrounded by tribal leaders from various states during the ceremony.
Operation Lady Justice will “engage with tribal communities on the scope of the issue; develop protocols to apply to new and unsolved cases; establish a multi-disciplinary, multi-jurisdictional team to review cold cases; establish greater clarity of roles, authorities and jurisdictions involved in these cases.”
“We will leverage every resource we have to bring safety to our tribal communities, and we will not waver in this mission,” Trump said. “We’re taking this very seriously. This has never been done before. And I’ve seen it, just by reading and watching the news — it’s a very serious problem. It’s a horrible problem.”
[Read the Presidential Proclamation here]
The executive order is similar to legislation that Sen. Lisa Murkowski and two Democrat senators, Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada and Jon Tester of Montana, have offered. That bill is called the Not Invisible Act, which Murkowski described as designating official “to coordinate efforts across agencies and establishes a commission of local tribal and federal stakeholders to make recommendations to the Department of Interior and Department of Justice on how to combat this epidemic of disappearances, homicide, violent crime, and trafficking of Native Americans and Alaska Natives.”
Trump did not mention the Not Invisible Act in his remarks about Operation Lady Justice, but his efforts gave Murkowski the opportunity to make a rare statement applauding Trump:
“From legislative efforts such as my bills Savanna’s Act and the Not Invisible Act to securing significant funding through my role on the Senate Appropriations Committee, I’ve been working hard to elevate the epidemic of missing, trafficked, and murdered Indigenous women and girls on a national level. Between this executive order, the initiatives coming out of the Department of Justice, and my long-standing efforts—turning the tide of this crisis has truly become an ‘all-hands-on-deck’ approach. I applaud the President for this action, building on Attorney General Barr’s recent announcement, which is a signal of the urgency and importance that has been placed on this issue. Alongside the notable efforts of the administration, I will continue to push enduring policy to bring prevention, awareness, and justice to the many women and girls that have fallen victim to this heartbreaking reality.”
Last Friday, U.S. Attorney General William Barr announced a Department of Justice initiative to address the crisis of missing and murdered indigenous persons. The plan will place coordinators in multiple U.S. Attorney offices with the goal of developing protocols to improve the ability of law enforcement to address missing person cases, and also invests in training and tools to develop a more comprehensive and effective response process.
Alaska’s Office of the U.S. Attorney will receive funding for one of the coordinators, a person who will work with federal, tribal, state, and local agencies to develop common protocols and procedures for responding to reports of missing or murdered indigenous people.
In addition, a specialized rapid deployment team is now being used in Alaska, in response to the Ashley Johnson-Barr abduction and murder in Kotzebue.
As a result of that case, the Anchorage FBI organized the first of its kind “state based” Child Abduction Rapid Deployment Team, by training members of state and local law enforcement in the specialized techniques used by the FBI nationally.
“These techniques directly apply to any missing person case and call upon the specialized skills described in the Attorney General’s initiative. Upon request by a tribal, state, or local law enforcement agency, the FBI will provide expert assistance based upon the circumstances of a missing indigenous persons case. The FBI’s most advanced response capabilities will be brought to bear on these cases: such as CARD teams, Cellular Analysis Support Teams, Evidence Response Teams, Cyber Agents for timely analysis of digital evidence/social media, Victim Services personnel, and others assets as needed,” said U.S. District Attorney Bryan Schroder in a statement.
[Read more about the efforts of the U.S. District Attorney’s Office here]
“Attorney General Barr’s Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Initiative will enhance public safety partnerships in rural Alaska, helping us provide justice for families mourning a murder victim or assistance to communities searching for a missing friend or neighbor,” Schroder said.
Last week, the Senate Indian Affairs Committee advanced the Not Invisible Act. It will be scheduled for the Senate floor and appears to have little controversy surrounding it. The Senate is in session Dec. 2 through 13, when it adjourns for the year.
U.S. Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs Tara Sweeney will visit Washington State on Dec. 16 to participate in a summit at the Yakama Nation reservation on missing and murdered indigenous women.
October 3, 1789
By the President of the United States of America, a Proclamation.
Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor – and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.
Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be – That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks – for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation – for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war – for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed – for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted – for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.
And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions – to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually – to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed – to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord – To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and us – and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.
Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.
– Go: Washington
AND THEN THERE’S THE BOOZE, METH, AND A STOLEN $364,756
Victor Aldeza, Regino Aldeza, and Albert Aldeza were keeping their lucrative crime business in the family for nearly a decade.
For years, they defrauded the Alaska Medicaid program of $364,756.70, by having one of them fake a disability so they could all mooch off the government.
They barely even tried to hide their scheme and the judge who sentenced them today said they showed no sign of stopping.
There were numerous counts against the Aldezas since their arrest in 2017, but in the end, the State accepted pleas for some of the felony counts, let them plead out on others, and they were sentenced today, ending the saga.
The irony is that once they start serving their prison time, they’ll have all their medical needs covered by the State of Alaska during their incarceration. If they need medical care outside the prison, that will be covered by … wait for it … Medicaid.
HOW THEY DID IT
The case is a textbook example of how Medicaid fraud occurs. It involves personal care assistants who are providing in-home care and being reimbursed by U.S. taxpayers through the Medicaid program.
The Alaska Medicaid program, as in most states, pays for PCA agencies to provide care to seniors or disabled people enrolled in Medicaid, and this allows the medically vulnerable person to remain in their own home rather than be placed in a long-term care facility.
A contract is worked out between the Department of Health and Social Services and the PCA agency to determine the number of hours and the exact sort of care the client needs, such as feeding, helping them use the toilet, bathing, and other daily needs.
Medicaid pays approximately $24 an hour to the PCA agency and the agency must pay the actual care provider at least half of that amount. Often, that provider is a member of the family.
This Alveda crime syndicate case involved various types of Medicaid fraud.
Travel billing fraud: When Medicaid is billed for services that could not have been provided because the provider or recipient was traveling out of country at the time for which the services were billed.
Faking health condition: This type of fraud is called malingering and it’s when a client exaggerates or fakes their health condition, and then colludes with the PDA agency or health care provider to continue billing for services that are not needed.
Time sheet fraud: Billing for services that could not have occurred when they said they occurred.
Arctic Care Services provides oversight for such PCA services. On March 18, 2017, an employee of Arctic Care Services was in the Dimond Mall food court in Anchorage, when he recognized Regino Aldeza working at the Charley’s Philly Steaks fast food restaurant.
That was odd, because Regino was listed as significantly disabled, a Medicaid recipient being taken care of by his personal care assistant, Victor Aldeza, who was employed by Arctic Care Services.
And yet, the Arctic Care Services worker observed Regino working normally and without any physical strain at the fast-food restaurant.
The records show that the Aldeza family was billing Medicaid for nearly full-time care — about 36.5 hours per week in assisting Regino with all aspects of his life — eating, locomotion, toileting, meal preparation, basic household chores, basic walking, and range of motion exercises, and personal hygiene.
Victor Aldeza, Regino Aldeza, and two powers of attorney George Aldeza and Alberto Aldeza had convinced Arctic Care and DHSS that Regino needed that full-time health care, including “six mobility transfers, eight locomotion events, two dressing events, three eating events, eight meal preps (seven ‘light’ meals and one ‘main’ meal), six toilet uses, one personal hygiene, one ‘shopping’ event, and two vital sign checkups.”
Victor, George, Albert and their sister were billing all or nearly all of these services every day for years by submitting time sheets to Arctic Care, saying services had been performed for Regino. In his weekly case notes, Victor was supposed to indicate if there was any improvements or declining Regino’s health. He always wrote no, no change for better or worse.
And yet, there was Reginoonce again on March 21, 2017, working hard a the mall, moving heavy objects, conversing normally, using the cash register to make change, preparing meals quickly in a fast-food environment. He was driving to and from work, and walking to and from his car. He was changing into and out of his uniform.
There was nothing wrong with Regino Aldeza.
Well, except the alcohol and meth problem, and the domestic violence charges and violating conditions of release resulting from that episode. He was in and out of jail a bit, but the bills kept on coming.
A search warrant into Regino’s medical records showed that he had, indeed, developed a single canker sore, and had dizzy spells after he took up smoking meth. He had the occasional bout of gout and headaches. He had a several-week episode of going to the emergency room for various maladies related to meth. Yes, he had a history of an aneurysm but no medical professional had noted a disabling medical condition. His last followup for his aneurysm was in 2008.
On March 29, 2017, the Medicaid Fraud Unit assigned the case and the investigator reviewed and confirmed that Regino had worked at fast food restaurants since 2015, and had worked at Wrightway Auto Carriers in 2012. Regino had obtained a fishing and hunting license for years, received a speeding ticket in 2012 in Kenai, and had been arrested for assault. He lost his passport because he was delinquent on his child support.
The investigator also found that while Victor was billing for taking care of Regino, Victor was at times out of the country, or was billing for times when Regino was working away at his fast-food job, as shown on Dimond Mall surveillance video, or when he was in the custody of the Department of Corrections.
The entire fraud timeline took place between 2009 and 2017, when the long arm of the law caught up with the Aldezas.
The three defendants entered pleas to felony fraud and theft counts. On Thursday, Judge Catherine Easter sentenced Victor and Regino Aldeza to identical sentences of five years with two and half years suspended, probation five years. She sentenced Albert Aldeza to four years, with two suspended, probation five years. All were ordered to reimburse the state Medicaid program $364,000 in restitution.
Assistant Attorney General Eric Senta argued that the Aldezas’ scheme victimized a state program with extremely limited funding, stealing money intended to pay for disabled children’s wheelchairs and compassionate end-of-life care for the state’s sick and elderly.
The defendants, from the Philippines originally, have significant ties out of the country. Regino immigrated to the U.S. in 1985, and became a citizen in 2008, George immigrated around 2016, and Victor Aldeza routinely travels out of the country. All listed the same residence on their drivers licenses — a home owned by Victor.
Judge Easter stated that the defendants had been signing fraudulent documents at least twice a month for years and if not for an alert case worker who tipped off the state’s Medicaid Fraud Unit, the fraud would have continued indefinitely, a fraud that she said was motivated by pure greed.
UAF CHANCELLOR TAKES LEADERSHIP ROLE IN BUDGET DISCUSSION
Chancellor Dan White of the University of Alaska Fairbanks, has taken a lead role and models transparency in the University of Alaska system, updating his academic community weekly with reports on how his campus is handling its budget challenge.
Systemwide, the University of Alaska is required to make $25 million in cuts this year, and the same amount in the next fiscal year. The University of Alaska Fairbanks campus has lost $12.3 million in state support; the University of Alaska Anchorage has lost $9.1 million; and the University of Alaska Southeast and remote campuses have about $4 million less to work with.
White’s weekly reports are unique — neither chancellors at the Anchorage or Juneau campus come close to what White is executing in addressing the budget cuts in specific, productive, practical, and public ways.
UAF is considering these measures, White said in his last weekly update:
In the days ahead, the chancellor wrote, campus leaders will return to the strategic planning documents that were put on hold during the discussion of the reorganization of the entire university system. Before that reorganization discussion, which prompted concern by the university’s accrediting organization, the strategic planning task forces had prepared reports and were ready for public comment on various plans.
UNIVERSITY-FAIRBANKS BUDGET FORUM IS TUESDAY, DEC. 3
The next event in the budget discussion is a tuition forum on Dec. 3 to talk about a proposed tuition increase. The forum is being held from 1-2 pm in cooperation with the ASUAF student government and will take place in the Wood Center ballroom.
At issue is the 5 percent increase UA President Jim Johnsen has proposed for the fall of 2020 in order to offset some of the State’s reductions to the UA unrestricted general fund. At their November meeting, the Board of Regents delayed action on that proposal, after comment from student leaders.
“My thanks to ASUAF for catalyzing this discussion, and for all they do in bringing the student voice to decisions at our university. I continue to be amazed at the thoughtfulness of UAF’s student governance leadership. UAF students and we in leadership are lucky to have them,” White wrote.
The Board of Regents delayed action at the November meeting on UA President Jim Johnsen’s proposal for a 5 percent increase to the upper- and lower-division rates of tuition for fall 2020. This increase would partially offset the reductions to UA’s unrestricted general fund.
The forum will be webstreamed and captioned. Those who have limited internet access can listen at 866-832-7806, participant PIN: 2844780. (Please mute your phone, and do not use the hold function during this event.)
Interested parties may submit questions or comments in advance.
The UAS tuition/budget forum is Dec. 2 at 4 pm; and the UAA forum is Dec. 6. Both forums will be web streamed.
FROM FREEZERS TO OUTDATED EQUIPMENT, TIME TO MOVE ON
White identified that among expenses that could be trimmed are freezers. The campus has 617 known freezers that cost the campus more than $300,000 per year in electricity, not including the space they occupy or maintenance on the units. The chancellor said the freezers hold samples that, in some cases, will never be run.
“I know — I kept samples of organic matter in water for more than a decade, just in case,” he wrote, reminiscing on his work as a research professor.
White said the goal of preserving academic and research programs can be met by lowering the university’s operating costs for “space and stuff that we could use better.”
And that includes information technology, such as obsolete video conferencing equipment that “occupies physical and psychological space.”
White takes an encouraging tone in his weekly reports. If he’s worried, he doesn’t show it:
“As we chart our path forward, I encourage you to look forward. What do we need on our journey? What will slow us down, and what, like that old piece of water testing equipment, keeps us looking back? Every time we look back we are not looking where we are going. If there are spaces we can clear out so that we can reduce capital costs, reduce operations and maintenance, or reduce deferred maintenance, we will be more efficient and more effective. And we need it because we need people. Old outdated equipment, not so much.”
At the Anchorage campus, Chancellor Cathy Sandeen has published a schedule for the strategic planning process, and campus leaders are working through that schedule. Public comment on that plan is due today.
But compared to the UAF chancellor’s approach the UAA campus communications are less specific about how they might find cost savings. The updates are few and far between, difficult to find, and lacking in specifics.
At University of Alaska Southeast in Juneau, Chancellor Rick Caulfied has done little to update the public about how his campus will reduce expenditures. The updates on the school’s web page are generally outdated. More prominent is the “Call to Action” update, where he encourages the public to protest the cuts. If UAS is looking for cost savings, it’s not easy to tell how.
The chancellors in Anchorage and Juneau do video messages and meet in person with their campus community, according to a source in the university administration. They just don’t put out a notice the way White does. President Jim Johnsen sends out a weekly newsletter to the employees throughout the system, including budget news.
All campuses will have to manage yet another $25 million budget cut in the 2021 budget that will be announced by Gov. Mike Dunleavy on or before Dec. 15, when by statute it is due. That fiscal year starts in just 217 days.
THE ANCHORAGE DAILY PLANET
In an unsigned opinion, the U.S. Supreme Court has told the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to reconsider its opinion upholding Alaska’s $500 limit on annual campaign contributions.
The high court vacated the 9th Circuit’s decision upholding the $500 limit, saying the appellate judges who rejected the lawsuit by three Alaskans failed to consider a 2006 ruling by the Supreme Court against low contribution limits on political campaigns in Vermont.
The court, which said in Citizens United v. FEC, that campaign expenditures by independent entities were constitutionally protected political speech, seemed unimpressed with Alaska’s campaign finance law. They are, the court said, squeezed by inflation and are more than 23 years old. Add to that: Alaska’s individual-to-candidate contribution limit is substantially lower than other states.
Oddly, while Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg went along with remanding the case to the 9th Circuit, she wrote a separate, disturbing opinion.
She noted Alaska’s reliance on resource development, specifically the oil industry, may make the state more prone to political corruption, and so that may justify the low limits.
She said, “Alaska has the second smallest legislature in the country and derives approximately 90 percent of its revenues from one economic sector—the oil and gas industry. As the District Court suggested, these characteristics make Alaska “highly, if not uniquely, vulnerable to corruption in politics and government.”
Because of that, Ginsberg said, Alaska is particularly vulnerable and the lower limit may be justified.
Incredible. We are left to wonder what she thinks about campaign limits in states such as Nevada, with its reliance on gambling, or Michigan, with its automotive industry, or Florida, with its income from the tourism industry. Alaska is far from “uniquely” vulnerable to corruption from business or industry.
It is disquieting, even insulting, for a Supreme Court justice to assume the oil and gas industry in Alaska is corrupt or endorses corruption and, because of that, making it harder for Alaskans to contribute to the candidates of their choice may be in order. That does not even make sense.
So much for the quaint notion of sensible laws applied equally.
The City Council of Homer is preparing to legally defend its decision to seat a council member about whom questions were raised concerning her legitimacy as a candidate.
But the first order of business for Homer? Get a different judge.
Superior Court Judge Andrew Guidi had been assigned to the election-related case, the first hearing of which was scheduled for Dec. 3 in Anchorage. But in a motion filed last week, the defendants — Homer City Council — asked for some other judge. That was assigned today: Judge Josie Garton.
Guidi is a judge who constitutionalists prefer, as he is less of an activist than some others on the Anchorage Superior Court. Garton has served on the court for 18 months, having been appointed by Gov. Bill Walker.
The lawsuit was filed by a former council member, Tom Stroozas, who discovered that Storm Hansen-Cavasos had not been living inside the municipal boundaries for the 12 months prior to the election, therefore the council swearing her in was a violation of the city code.
Homer’s attorneys, Michael Gatti and Mary Pinkel, have also asked that the court extend the time they have to file a response to Stroozas’ request for a temporary restraining order and/or preliminary injunction.
Update: The court has since changed the date of the hearing to Dec. 5.
A well-known figure in the political scene of Fairbanks has passed. Frank Turney died unexpectedly, his family announced on Monday.
He had run for mayor three times, most recently during the October, 2019 election, always calling himself a “conscience awareness candidate” who wanted issues of public importance brought to light. He was not as concerned about winning, and in the Oct. 1 election, won 84 votes, or 2 percent of ballots cast. Turney had also run for city council several times, also never winning. He never raised enough money in any of his races to qualify for a report to Alaska Public Offices Commission.
Politically, Turney couldn’t be put into a box, but he was a super voter who never missed an election, and he had Libertarian leanings. He was passionate about jury rights issues and jury nullification. He defended religious liberties of those bakers who don’t want to bake cakes for gay weddings. He advocated for less lethal force by police, more public restrooms for downtown Fairbanks, and
Turney was also an advocate for legal cannabis, and also was outspoken in support of the exoneration of Schaeffer Cox, a Fairbanks man who was convicted in 2012 on nine felony counts related to conspiracy to murder federal officials. Cox is serving his sentence in Terre Haute, Indiana.
He was charged with jury tampering in 1994, after continuously making a scene at the Fairbanks Courthouse and being cautioned in a letter by the court administrator to not harass people coming and going from the courthouse. His case went to the Alaska Supreme Court, which upheld a conviction for disorderly conduct, but reversed his conviction for second-degree trespass.
Turney came to Fairbanks from Cherryville, Oregon in 1982 and became a snow shoveler during that winter when it snowed 91 inches. He continued that work through the years, and was known as “Frank the Snow Shoveler,” mainly working in the downtown area, clearing walks, driveways, parking lots and roofs. He also worked at the cemetery for 16 years.
Turney attended nearly every meeting of the Fairbanks City Council over many years and provided public testimony on agenda items at nearly every meeting. His death was announced during the city council meeting on Monday night.
John Pence, senior adviser to President Donald Trump’s campaign, will deliver a keynote address at the first annual Alaska GOP Unity Gala. Pence is the nephew of Vice President Mike Pence and is married to the cousin of Kelleyanne Conway.
The Unity gala will be held December 6 at the Dena’ina Center in Anchorage. Tickets here.
As senior adviser to President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign, Pence works closely with the White House’s Office of Political Affairs and the Republican National Committee to organize the President’s political activities and grassroots initiatives. Pence also advises the campaign on operations, fundraising, digital advertisement, and software development.
Pence grew up in Indiana and earned an undergraduate degree from the College of William and Mary, a law degree from Indiana University Maurer School of Law, and a business degree from New York University.
Prior to joining the Trump Campaign, Pence focused on corporate law in Indiana and worked in several Latin American countries as a researcher and English teacher. He is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese. His father is Congressman Greg Pence of Indiana’s 6th Congressional District.
