Saturday, August 2, 2025
Home Blog Page 1404

Was a #metoo lie concocted to sabotage retired judge?

Suzanne Downing
-
15
Was a #metoo lie concocted to sabotage retired judge?

THERE’S NO POLITICS LIKE FISH POLITICS

By CRAIG MEDRED
CRAIGMEDRED.NEWS

The day after the Alaska Legislature blocked the confirmation of a Board of Fisheries appointee amid allegations he sexually harassed multiple employees of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, the state agency revealed it has no record of anyone filing even a single allegation.

The revelation does not clear retired Anchorage Superior Court Judge Karl Johnstone, a former Board of Fish chairman, but it does raise troubling questions because of the implications that either:

  1. Alaska Fish and Game supports a culture so toxic that women are afraid to report being sexually harassed, or
  2. A lie was concocted to sabotage Johnstone’s reappointment to the Board to provide legislators cover to carry out the wishes of his powerful political enemies in the commercial fishing industry.

Either of these scenarios is a possibility. Sexual harassment in the world of science has become a major issue since #metoo forced a public reckoning.

“When it comes to sexual harassment and sexual assault in science,” says the website 500 Women Scientists, “the evidence is clear. Seventy-one percent of women field researchers have received inappropriate sexual remarks and 26 percent reported experiencing sexual assault.”

500 Women Scientists was started by four graduate students at Colorado University Boulder who in 2016 wrote an open letter to scientific colleagues querying them about sexual harassment. They hoped, they later wrote, “to get 500 signatures – 500 seemed aspirational. We surpassed that goal within hours of posting the letter, and we continue to reach more and more….”

The organization’s home page opens to a photo of an empty ocean. Sexual harassment at sea – whether in the world of science or business – has long been a problem as another Alaska fisherman points out at the website StrengthoftheTides.org.

“…To ignore the dangerous rhetoric and abusive action of sexism within our own communities is to turn a blind eye to the unnecessary suffering many women experience on the commercial fishing grounds or in any maritime industries,” says the website. “Today, it is important to hold ourselves and the fleet accountable.”

The website was begun by Elma Burnham, a Bellingham, Wash., resident, who fishes Alaska’s Bristol Bay in the summer.

The original intent of the site, according to public radio’s KDLG, the voice of the Bay, was “to help women working in fisheries find safe places to work.”

Fish and Game officials said Friday they believe their agency represents one of those safe places. Stacie Bentley, the agency’s human resources director, said women employees are encouraged to report sexual harassment and provided robust protection if they do.

[Read the rest of this column at CraigMedred.news]

Jon Faulkner returns to Homer, after stint with Dunleavy Administration

Suzanne Downing
-
7

Homer business entrepreneur Jon Faulkner, owner of the Land’s End Hotel on the Homer Spit, has returned to his business after spending four months as deputy commissioner at the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development.

Faulkner had been tapped to oversee the Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing, and Banking and Securities.

Born in Anchorage in 1960, Faulkner has two bachelor’s degrees from Harvard University — in history and literature, and has his private pilot license. He told Must Read Alaska he was returning to focus on his business.

Must Read Alaska was sent a copy of the note he sent to his now-former colleagues: “It’s been my honor and privilege to serve you all and our Governor in this capacity. I’m blessed by our short time together and by the experiences I gained from working with you all, but also by the certain knowledge that the life I left to join this team is calling me back with equal urgency and reward. Thank you and God Bless your efforts moving forward—in ‘Dunleavy Speed!'”

In addition to his business in Homer, Faulkner has long been active in Alaska Republican politics. He ran against former Rep. Paul Seaton in the 2012 Republican primary.

Listicle: Which House member has voted with Republican caucus the most?

Suzanne Downing
-
10
Listicle: Which House member has voted with Republican caucus the most?

The Republicans in the Alaska House are splintered, to be sure. Some of them defected to create a bipartisan coalition led by Democrats, while others stayed with a Republican minority that is now made up of 15 members.

But how they have vote is the real measure of where their politics are on the spectrum of Republican to Democrat.

On 65 contested votes through April 18, here are the percentages of times all members of the House voted with the predominant Republican caucus position. The “predominant Republican” threshold for this scoring was set for votes occurring when at least half of the Republican caucus took a position contrary to the Democrat-led majority caucus:

Cathy Tilton – 100.0%
George Rauscher – 98.3%
Lance Pruitt – 96.9%
Ben Carpenter – 96.9%
Dave Talerico – 95.4%
David Eastman – 96.5%
Colleen Sullivan-Leonard – 96.5%
Mark Neuman – 92.9%
Sharon Jackson – 92.2%
Josh Revak – 90.6%
Sara Rasmussen – 88.9%
Sarah Vance – 87.7%
DeLena Johnson – 86.1%
Kelly Merrick – 83.3%
Laddie Shaw – 75.4%

Then we come to the members of the Democrat-led majority. These are their scores of how often they vote with the Republican position on the same 65 contested votes:

Tammie Wilson – 41.5%
Bart LeBon – 33.9%
John Lincoln – 28.6%
Jennifer Johnston – 27.7%
Steve Thompson – 26.2%
Chuck Kopp – 24.6%
Gabrielle LeDoux – 18.5%
Louise Stutes – 10.8%
Gary Knopp – 9.5%
Chris Tuck – 8.3%
Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins – 8.1%
Dan Ortiz – 6.5%
Geran Tarr – 6.2%
Matt Claman – 6.2%
Adam Wool – 4.6%
Andi Story – 4.6%
Bryce Edgmon – 4.6%
Grier Hopkins – 4.6%
Zack Fields – 3.13%
Ivy Spohnholz – 3.13%
Harriet Drummond – 3.08%
Neal Foster – 3.08%
Tiffany Zulkosky – 1.6%
Andy Josephson – 1.5%
Sara Hannan – 1.5%

Turf Wars: University struggles to deliver education efficiently

Suzanne Downing
-
7
Turf Wars: University struggles to deliver education efficiently

By WIN GRUENING
SENIOR CONTRIBUTOR

The University of Alaska is striving to deal with the recent fiscal realities facing our state.

Over the years UA has grown from three campuses to 16, including rural and community campuses, offering 424 degrees and certificates.

In Fiscal year 2016, UA’s $350 million state general fund appropriation was twice the national average on a per student full-time equivalent basis.

Yet, enrollment was falling and pressure for tuition increases was mounting.

It became apparent that changes were necessary.  In 2016, university administrators embarked on a program entitled Strategic Pathways — a year-long review of its academic programs and administration – in an attempt to save money and make the university system more efficient.

Almost three years after the review began, UA’s challenges continue.

The University of Alaska is a large bureaucratic organization comprised of three independent schools (UAF-Fairbanks, UAA-Anchorage, and UAS-Southeast in Juneau).  Each location has its own administration, curriculum, and faculty as well as responsibility for various satellite campuses across the state.

The three independent schools each have their own fiscal and governance processes, separate academic accreditation, and their own chancellors and citizen advisory councils. Similar programs across the three schools may have different requirements and curriculum and credits are not easily transferable.

This has subjected the university system to needless duplication in management structure and academic programs as well as “turf wars” among campuses competing for programs and budget dollars.

Strategic Pathways presumably would address these issues by streamlining programs and management throughout the statewide university.  This would primarily be accomplished through focus and specialization – allowing each of the three main schools to concentrate on what they did best.

The first academic program to be reviewed was the College of Education.  In September 2016, the Board of Regents unanimously voted to consolidate the existing three schools of education into one administrative unit with programs delivered on all three campuses.

Traditionally, UAF has focused on research, engineering and Arctic studies; UAA has been the “economic hub” with a social, economic, and health focus; and UAS specialized in E-learning and teacher education.

Despite UAS’s obvious historical and traditional connection to education programs, UA President Jim Johnsen recommended in November 2016 that the School of Education be consolidated in Fairbanks at UAF.  A month later, after an outpouring of public testimony and a pledge of a one-million-dollar “Teacher Excellence Fund” by the community of Juneau, the recommendation was amended and unanimously reversed by the Board of Regents, placing the College of Education at UAS.

But it wasn’t until July 2018, that a dean of the new College of Education was selected and located in Juneau.

Later that year, UAA lost academic accreditation in seven major education programs and the university was faced with a major decision.

Ultimately, in light of budget issues and the uncertainly of regaining accreditation, President Johnsen recommended discontinuing the impacted programs and eventually closing UAA’s entire School of Education.  Affected students would need to re-enroll in one of the other two schools (UAF or UAS) to continue their studies.

Inexplicably, despite UAS’s recent designation as the center of the statewide College of Education, Johnsen recommended that six of the seven discontinued programs would be moved to UAF in Fairbanks.  This was contrary to the spirit of Strategic Pathways and undermined its goal of specialization and focus. The recommendation was approved in a narrow 6-5 vote by the Board of Regents.

It’s troublesome that a recommendation this important was made without prior consultation or discussion with the Board of Regents.  According to Regent Dale Anderson from Juneau, “This was an incredible missed opportunity to continue building the College of Education at UAS.”

Needless to say, it’s also a betrayal of the faith and generosity that the community of Juneau demonstrated in funding a million-dollar endowment to provide scholarships to students attending UAS for teacher preparation programs.

The University of Alaska will need to continue to make tough decisions about programs and services in light of ongoing budget constraints.

The University of Alaska and its students are better served when major management decisions promote collaboration – not rivalry – among university administrators, the Board of Regents, and the three main campuses.

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.

Despicable #MeToo

Suzanne Downing
-
1

THE ANCHORAGE DAILY PLANET

If you were not already leery of the “MeToo’ movement’s penchant for condemning without evidence, consider what just transpired in a joint session of the Legislature convened to confirm Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s political appointments.

Dunleavy had tapped retired Superior Court Judge Karl Johnstone for a seat on the Board of Fish, but Johnstone’s appointment drew heavy opposition from the commercial fishing industry, ever fearful the panel might tilt toward sport fishing interests. Johnstone served on the board as a member and chairman from 2008 to 2015, when he resigned.

After the lawmakers completed their vetting process, and after debate, and before a vote, Rep. Ivy Spohnholz, D-Anchorage, stood and said:

“In the last 24-hours, more than two women have reached out to my office, people who worked for the Board of Fish when Johnstone was previously on the Board of Fish to share concerns about his behavior. They each described inappropriate sexual comments, which created a hostile work environment for them repeatedly.”

Read the rest of this editorial at Anchorage Daily Planet:

http://www.anchoragedailyplanet.com/154970/despicable-2/

Marijuana tax: Keeping up with the jonesing

Suzanne Downing
-
8
Marijuana tax: Keeping up with the jonesing

IT’S 4/20: DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR CASH BAG IS?

On this April 20, Must Read Alaska checked in with the Department of Revenue to see how tax collections are coming on the cannabis industry. The most recent report available for 2019 goes through the end of February.

The State has reported collecting $12,308,997 in taxes so far this fiscal year, which ends June 30.

That’s running about 10 percent more than in 2018 during the same period.

Between January and February, 196,635 ounces of buds and flowers were sold in Alaska, taxed at $50 an ounce. Over 10,000 ounces of immature, seedy, or failed plants were sold, taxed at $25 an ounce, and the rest was in the “trim or rest of plant category — 153,246 ounces were sold and taxed at $15 an ounce.

The total tax collected on cannabis for January and February was more than $1.5 million. That money is arriving at the state in the form of cash in money bags, dropped through a slot.

Because banking laws have not aligned with state marijuana laws, the Tax Division accepts cash payments in Anchorage located at the same place where people go to apply in person for their Permanent Fund dividends.

Cash for taxes require specific instructions for marijuana dealers. Here are the Tax Division’s instructions:

  1. All cash payments must be in a division-approved deposit bag. If making a payment in person, the cash must be enclosed in the bag before entering our lobby. The bag must be no larger than 11” x 13” and must be a tamper-resistant, bank deposit type bag. Do not overstuff the bag – it must fit in the drop box slot. Use more than one bag if your payment does not fit in one. Please contact the Tax Division if you have any questions or need a sample.
  2. Print a payment voucher from Revenue Online. Please verify that your voucher type and filing period are correct. Failure to do so could result in delays in processing your payment. If you are unsure which voucher type to use, please contact the Tax Division.
  3. Write your name and tax account ID (from the voucher) on each deposit bag.
  4. Include a copy of the voucher in each deposit bag.
  5. Cash should be sorted by denomination and all bills should face the same direction. The Tax Division will not accept any mutilated or contaminated currency.
  6. Bring your payment to the drop box located next to the Child Support and Permanent Fund Dividend offices in the Linny Pacillo Parking Garage, 655 F St, Anchorage, AK 99501. The lobby is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. You must have a key to access the drop box. You can get a key from the Tax Division’s Anchorage office (Fifth Floor of Atwood Building) or have one mailed to you.
  7. If you are depositing more than 10 bags in a single month, please contact the Tax Division at 907.269.6620 for other instructions.

 

Myrna Maynard, Ms. Republican

Suzanne Downing
-
15
Myrna Maynard, Ms. Republican

‘MYRNA WAS A COMET’

Myrna Maynard, who was known in political circles as Ms. Republican, died on April 18, 2019, at age 84.

She was born in South Africa and was married to Kenneth Maynard for 63 years. Myrna was a volunteer on campaigns for Sen. Ted Stevens, Congressman Don Young, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, and Sen. Dan Sullivan, and was the treasurer and campaign coach for numerous other candidates.

“One thing I’m sure of: She will sit on my shoulder forever to guide and chastise,” said Drue Pearce, former Alaska Senate President.

Former Mayor Dan Sullivan shared, “You could tell if Myrna liked you because you would then be subject to her rapier wit and sarcasm. If she didn’t like you, well, she just wouldn’t have anything to do with you. She was fond of telling me that I was a really good mayor but my dad was better – probably the only thing we didn’t ‘argue’ about. Most of us in life try and be a twinkle, Myrna was a comet!”

Myrna went to the hospital for scheduled heart surgery, but suffered from complications and was in intensive care for several weeks. When her passing was thought to be imminent, her longtime friend Congressman Don Young rushed to her side at Providence Alaska Medical Center, but arrived moments after she passed. Yet he stayed with her for a long time to say his goodbyes.

For the political world, Myrna was a force of nature — funny, acerbic, smart, and hardworking. You could count on Myrna Maynard’s quick wit and droll sense of humor. She was a fixture at Republican conventions, Central Committee meetings and fundraisers, and she was always pulling out her checkbook to support conservative candidates.

Asked once by a friend why she kept at it and never gave up on Republicans, she answered that she could not “turn off the ‘care’ button.” At State Central Committee meetings, before things would go off the rails, as if on cue, Myrna’s voice would boom out, “Move to table!”

During the Senate campaign for now Sen. Dan Sullivan, in spite of having suffered a head injury she kept an ice pack on her head while entering the thousands of donations into the computer for the FEC report, as her husband Kenneth would read aloud the information from the checks.

She worked as a legislative aide for Senate President Drue Pearce and Speaker of the House Rep. Gail Phillips. She was often noted as “spotted” at an event, by the longtime political gossip column of Sheila Toomey, The Alaska Ear, and later in the Loose Lips feature of the AmandaCoyne.com political website.

Loyalty was one of her most valued virtues. She supported Sen. Stevens to the end, and did not hold charitable thoughts toward those who abandoned him when he was under Department of Justice’s investigation, an investigation later found to be a political witch hunt. She visited his grave at Arlington National Cemetery after he died in 2010.

Her last public appearance was at the unveiling of the Ted Stevens statue at the Ted Stevens International Airport on Feb. 26.

In 2016, the Alaska Republican Party held a party in her honor, and dubbed her the Patron Saint of All Things APOC and FEC: She was awarded a halo and wings for all her efforts keeping candidates out of hot water. Those present recall that Congressman Young got down on one knee and held her hand, and thanked her for all she had done for him.

Myrna was a wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother. Must Read Alaska has linked her official obituary here.

A memorial is planned for Friday, April 26, 5-7 pm at the Petroleum Club in Anchorage. Readers may add their memories of Myrna in the comments section below.

Turning a corner, Human Rights Commission elects new chair, vice chair

Suzanne Downing
-
4
Turning a corner, Human Rights Commission elects new chair, vice chair

Megan C. Mackiernan is the new chair for the Alaska Commission on Human Rights, replacing Brandon Nakasato.

Marcus Sanders, pictured above, has been elected vice chair and will help lead the hiring of a new executive director.

The previous chair and vice chair resigned after a scandal enveloped both the staff and governing commission. It involved a “Black Rifles Matter” decal on a truck parked in the agency’s parking lot and former Executive Director Marti Buscaglia’s inappropriate actions in response to that decal.

Upheaval at the agency occurred after Buscaglia ordered a workman to remove his truck and its “Black Rifles Matter” sticker from the agency’s parking lot. This was seen by many Alaskans to be an abuse of power.

The state investigated the matter and handed its findings to the commissioners of the agency, but they chose to retain the executive director. Her punishment was a 15-day suspension and she was required to apologize to the workman. Instead, Buscaglia resigned.

Must Read Alaska has learned that former Executive Director Buscaglia has not apologized to the workman for misusing her position and mocking him on Facebook on the agency’s official page. Such an apology is not likely to be forthcoming because it was a condition of her employment, which she terminated voluntarily.

The acting director of the agency, Sarah Monkton, has also since resigned.

The commission members now consist of three choices of Gov. Michael Dunleavy: Marcus Sanders, Anchorage; Cynthia Erickson, Tanana; and Debbie Fullenwider, Anchorage. The other four board members are David A. Barton, Anchorage; Christa J. Bruce, Ketchikan; Kathryn E. Dodge, Fairbanks; and Megan C. Mackiernan, Nome.

As a part of the agency’s 2019-2023 strategic plan, the commission intended to work with the Alaska Legislature to add non-profits to its jurisdiction, which would give it authority over 44,000 additional workers in everything from dog shelters to faith-based organizations.

Two legislators apologize for their colleagues’ behavior

Suzanne Downing
-
16
Two legislators apologize for their colleagues’ behavior

CONFIRMATION PROCESS SLANDERED ALASKANS DURING JOINT SESSION

Two members of the Alaska House of Representatives are offering apologies on behalf of the body for the inappropriate nature of accusations levied against them during confirmation hearings.

Rep. Ben Carpenter (R-Nikiski) and Rep. Sarah Vance (R-Homer) issued apologies to the several appointees who faced offensive insinuations on the House floor.

None of the accusations, including ones made against Bob Griffin, whom a member baselessly insinuated was a pedophile, and Karl Johnstone, whom a member claimed had sexually harassed “more than” two anonymous women, had been brought up in the vetting process previously.

Several other appointees also had their characters impugned on the House floor.

[Read: Democrats weaponize anonymous accusations]

“We extend our sincerest apologies to those who were slandered by our colleagues,” they said in a statement on Friday. “What we saw on Wednesday was not the level of decorum that we expect to see in the legislature.”

Rep. Ben Carpenter

“This was one of the most unstatesmanlike things I’ve ever seen anywhere, let alone in the House of Representatives,” said Rep. Carpenter. “I am gravely concerned about the chilling effect this behavior might have on future board nominees if we have a body that is allowed to engage in this manner. What sort of decent person will want to serve their state if they have to deal with nonsense like this?”

Rep. Sarah Vance

“Neither Rep. Carpenter nor I voted to confirm Mr. Johnstone to the Board of Fish, but our decisions had nothing to do with the unfair accusations levied against him on the floor,” said Rep. Vance. “To wildly throw out such offensive accusations with a clear intent to derail someone’s nomination is a sick political stunt, and I hope Mr. Johnstone and Mr. Griffin will accept our apologies on behalf of the body.”

[Read: Rumors, and rumors of rumors]

1...1,4031,4041,405...1,695Page 1,404 of 1,695

About us

Must Read Alaska is news of people, politics, policy, culture, and happenings in Alaska.

Contact
4021 West Hill Road,
Homer, AK 99603
[email protected]

The latest

Linda Boyle: FDA’s Dr. Vinay Prasad, Big Pharma, politics, and the price of medical integrity

The 907 0
By LINDA BOYLE After just three months, Dr. Vinay Prasad stepped down...

Governor signs second order creating Agriculture Department

Politics 5
Gov. Mike Dunleavy has once again issued an executive...

Special session: A Republican Overriders Caucus turns on governor and reverses his spending veto

Politics 26
If you have the votes, vote. If you don't...

© Must Read Alaska