Page 1517 – Must Read Alaska

‘Actions speak louder than words’ when union boss beats up on a veteran

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August 12, 2018

‘Actions speak louder than words’ when union boss beats up on a veteran

LOOK WHO ELSE UNION BOSS VINCE BELTRAMI IS SUPPORTING THIS CYCLE

AFL-CIO union boss Vince Beltrami has piled on with an attack mailer criticizing a U.S. Army veteran for her voting record. Her offense is that she has the audacity to run for House District 14.

Beltrami’s attack message is that “Actions speak louder than words” when it comes to voting. Beltrami says she had time to file for her Permanent Fund Dividend, but not to vote.

Jamie Allard, who served for seven years in the Army, and then as a civilian with top-secret clearance on multiple overseas assignments, didn’t always have time or even the information for who to vote for in Alaska’s elections, since she was deployed overseas so much. She often didn’t get her absentee ballot in time. Veterans know how hard this can be.

Jamie Allard told Must Read Alaska she did file for that dividend, but didn’t always take it. She filed to maintain her residency in Alaska, even while she had to be gone for extended periods of time. And she had three months to file for her and her family.

But Beltrami is doing his thug routine in a flyer supporting her main opponent, Kelly Merrick, the wife of Laborers 341 Union Boss Joey Merrick. Joey Merrick is the guy who is spending tens of thousands of dollars of union money this summer trying to elect “Musk Ox” (fake) Republicans who, once elected, then go to Juneau and put Democrats in control of our State House. Like they did for the past two years.

It would look awkward — very awkward — if Joey Merrick’s union funded the hit on Allard in order to help his wife, Kelly Merrick. It would probably be illegal, in fact. So to maintain outward appearances, his buddy Vince Beltrami at the AFL-CIO is funding the hit for him.

This Beltrami criticism of a U.S. Army Veteran is from a guy who never put on any other uniform than a union jacket and doesn’t lift much more than a bullhorn these days:

Because of the nature of much of Allard’s work as an enlisted soldier and as a civilian working with countries in turmoil in Eastern Europe, she can’t speak about much of her assignments. But she is proud of her service, as she is of her Special Forces husband’s defense of American rights and liberty.

WHO DOES BELTRAMI SUPPORT, BESIDES KELLY MERRICK?

Whenever Beltrami is involved, it’s always wise to determine why he is supporting one candidate over another.

We pulled his personal (as opposed to his union) political contribution file for 2018, and it tells voters in Eagle River what they need to know about why he is supporting Merrick and beating up on Jamie Allard:

Now, take a look at who Joey Merrick is supporting for State House in District 9 — the old Musk Ox himself, Jim Colver. It’s in the fine print (and Must Read Alaska has added Joey Merrick’s photo to the mailer that arrived this weekend in District 9, where Merrick has spent $22,000 of union money to try to get Colver back in the House, as a reliable vote with the Democrats.)

Must Read Alaska ran into Colver chatting it up with Mayor Ethan Berkowitz and a group of Democrats this weekend in Spenard, rather than campaigning in his district. Having the kind of union backing he has, Colver perhaps didn’t need to knock on doors:

Joey Merrick is controlling nearly $70,000 in election money this cycle in support of Democrats and pseudo-independents such as Rep. Dan Ortiz and Rep. Jason Grenn, and Musk Ox Republican Louise Stutes of Kodiak. His real goal is to maintain Democrat control of the House of Representatives, with a little help from fake Republicans. Not coincidentally, he has a wife running for House in Eagle River District 14 as a “Republican”, named Kelly Merrick.

What can possibly go wrong?

Walker Administration’s political crackdown on signs continues

The 907

Suzanne Downing

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August 12, 2018

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Walker Administration’s political crackdown on signs continues

BUT IS ENFORCEMENT ARBITRARY AND CAPRICIOUS?

By its own admission, the Alaska Department of Transportation says the department’s crackdown on political signage has not hit the Walker-Mallott signs.

Gov. Walker knew about the crackdown and likely authorized it verbally, and he removed many of his own signs just before the State DOT got busy on sign removal last month.

Now, we are told by the Anchorage Daily News, the governor and lieutenant governor have had none of their remaining signs flagged and none has been confiscated by DOT.

The campaign sign Walker posted at the entrance of Matanuska Lake State Recreation Area has finally been removed, after weeks of criticism from Must Read Alaska over the governor’s misuse of state resources. It is unclear if he or his brother removed it or if the State Department of Natural Resources finally decided the boss had abused the privilege long enough.

*Gov. Walker’s illegal sign using state property at the entrance to the Matanuska Lake State Recreation Area.*

In the sign graveyard at DOT’s property behind State Troopers’ maintenance yard on Tudor Road in Anchorage, the area is littered with campaign signs of Republicans and Democrat candidates. Each of those signs costs as much as $350, plus volunteer or paid labor.

But no Gov. Bill Walker signs are to be seen there.

Walker was losing the sign war, and candidate Mike Dunleavy was winning it. When Mark Begich jumped into the race as a Democrat and started putting up signs, that’s when the crackdown came.

The Anchorage Daily News editorial board doesn’t see the problem. It thinks the signs have been handled fairly by the Department of Transportation. The editorial that appeared over the weekend says no candidate has been disadvantaged by the enforcement.

Not so.

The Dunleavy for Alaska group, according to APOC reports, has spent as much as $50,000 on signs, and it’s been a great success for that group, pushing Mike Dunleavy’s name recognition to what is now a respectable level.

And Mead Treadwell and Mark Begich, both who jumped into the race on the last day possible, wanted to get their sign game going to compete with Dunleavy and Walker.

Walker, through his surrogates at the Department of Transportation, has just cost his opponents a combined cash outlay of more than $100,000, by selectively enforcing the “no political sign” rule after their signs were already in place, an action he may have to defend on constitutional grounds.

Some campaigns moved their signs when asked to by the State. In reality, all they really needed to do was move them a few feet and tear off the survey tape. But being a scofflaw is something that is not easy to defend as a candidate, even one whose education informs him or her that this is a First Amendment issue.

More than 25 political campaign signs were torn down by DOT in recent days; the agency said it was because they were causing safety hazards.

*Saturday in Soldotna: A Walker sign impeding visibility but not flagged by DOT.*

But a review of many of the “disappeared” signs shows that’s not the case. Walker signs remain, such as at the Soldotna intersection in the photo above, while small, unobtrusive signs far off the road have been flagged for removal, such as the one shown here in Wasilla.

*Sen. Mike Shower shows a campaign sign of his in Wasilla that has been tagged for removal by the Department of Transportation.*

DOT spokeswoman Shannon McCarthy told the ADN that the sweep was not motivated by politics. The State’s official position is that the sign law hasn’t been enforced in recent years due to budget cuts, but that’s folklore. The political sign law has never been enforced in dozens of years, according to political observers who have been active for decades.

In late July, DOT workers started tagging signs around Anchorage, and then started removing signs that candidates left in place. At Raspberry Road and Jewel Lake Road, the state said it was a safety concern, although most of those those signs were clearly off the roadway. Only the Mark Begich sign actually appears to be obstructing a sight line:

*Jewell Lake and Raspberry Road, before the Department of Transportation crackdown.*

According to the Anchorage Daily News, DOT collected 14 Republican candidate signs and 7 Democrat candidate signs from around Anchorage. The most signs removed from any candidate belonged to Edie Grunwald, running for lieutenant governor, who lost four of hers to the DOT sign graveyard.

According to the Anchorage Daily News editorial, the campaigns have been treated fairly. That would require a written plan, not an ad hoc round-up done when it became evident that the election season was getting too hot.

Gov. Walker may have another strategy in mind: The signs build excitement and public knowledge of a primary election. He is not appearing on the primary ballot, however. Every vote for his opponents who are on that ballot will not be a vote for him. Low turnout will benefit him in November, and give him time to convince voters to give the Walker-Mallott ticket another chance.

Or you can go with the Anchorage Daily News editorial theory: “But in its crackdown on illegal signs thus far, DOT officials haven’t flagged every sign legible from the roadway, as they could. Instead, they have wisely opted to focus on ones that are obvious offenders and those that pose potential hazards, much as state troopers don’t try to pull over every speeding driver, only those most likely to present safety hazards.”

But the ADN may not be an honest broker of this matter because every sign that comes down means a possible advertiser and additional revenue for the newspaper.

Candidate accused by State of food stamp fraud

Suzanne Downing

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August 12, 2018

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Candidate accused by State of food stamp fraud

BEKAH HALAT CAMPAIGN IN PERIL AS DOCUMENTS SURFACE?

Bekah Halat, a first-time candidate running against Rep. Chris Birch for Senate Seat M (South Anchorage hillside), and her husband have been accused by the State of Alaska of food stamp fraud.

The State’s complaint is on two counts: The first is a Class C felony for theft of $750 to $24,999. The second is a Class A misdemeanor for misrepresenting the family’s income, according to court documents sent to Must Read Alaska. A search of online cases at CourtView confirmed the charges.

Halat’s husband, Jarek, is named in the complaint with the same charges. Their arraignment is Aug. 24, three days after the Primary election. That’s when they’ll plead guilty or not guilty.

Noteworthy in the State of Alaska’s complaint is that Bekah Halat “is running in the Republican primary.”

Why the State Department of Law finds it important to identify the party affiliation of the accused raises the question of this having been an accelerated interest to the state, or even a witch hunt.

But the accusation draws startling conclusions that bring her continued candidacy into doubt. She will, regardless, appear on the Aug. 21 ballot for the seat that is being vacated by Sen. Kevin Meyer, who is a candidate for lieutenant governor.

Bekah Halat has not returned messages to explain whether it’s a mix up, or whether she is the subject of false accusations by the State. She has not yet said if she is going to suspend her candidacy and focus on repairing her personal situation.

But it’s clear she has known about the pending legal action against her, since she has been interviewed by investigators in July.

The entire complaint is linked here:

Halat Class C Felony Charge

At the same time she was being interviewed by State of Alaska fraud investigators, a story and photo spread about her appeared in the Anchorage Press ,declaring her a new kind of Republican, not the “old white guy” type.

According to the State’s accusation, the Halats applied for the SNAP (food stamp) program in 2017. They had to go through an income certification process to determine if they were low income enough to qualify.

The maximum resource/asset limit for a family of four to qualify is $2,250, after Division of Public Assistance’s allowable deductions. The Halats’ were approved on March 2, 2017 and received $622 per month in food stamps for the household in 2017.

Their food stamp eligibility was based on having no income at all, and the State complaint says they would need to inform the division when Jarek’s unemployment benefits started. Jarek signed a document stating he understood, under penalty of perjury. It is not clear that Bekah signed the document. Applicants must sign a document stating they understand that if they provide misleading or false information, they could be criminally prosecuted.

For 2017, they received $7,374 in food stamps.

The couple had to be recertified in January, 2018. By then, Jarek was making $836 in unemployment insurance benefits and Bekah was working 15 hours a week, earning $20 an hour.

They were approved on Feb. 1, 2018. During the approval process, Jarek mentioned he was no longer working for Uber and Lyft as a driver. The State is saying that is the first time he had mentioned to the Division of Public Assistance that he had any income.

In 2018, the two received $2,296 in food stamps, from April through June, according to the State’s accusation.

Bekah Halat filed to run for Senate on May 31, 2018, announcing her candidacy on Facebook, launching a web site and quickly printing signs and t-shirts. Her signature issue was to repeal the “soft on crime” bill, Senate Bill 91. By then, her family had been awarded food stamps for over a year.

On June 20, 2018, an anonymous caller to the Fraud Control Division of the State’s Division of Public Assistance reported that Bekah had filed for office, was on assistance, and yet appeared to have sufficient income, and that the couple was committing welfare fraud.

The State opened an investigation immediately and did a deep dive into the Halats’ finances and bank accounts. The investigator examined her business licenses with the State and Jarek’s income stream.

Further, once the investigator reviewed Bekah’s campaign page, he noted that she had a campaign bank account at Alaska USA Federal Credit Union, but on the Halats’ SNAP application, they only listed one at Wells Fargo. The investigator found that they had four Wells Fargo bank accounts, and upon looking into matters at Alaska USA, he discovered the couple had other bank accounts, and they also had some small certificates of deposits.

The State is claiming that during the entire time the family was on SNAP benefits, they were ineligible, due to being above the income threshold.

Must Read Alaska reached out to Bekah Halat but did not receive a return call.

Halat’s file at the Division of Elections shows she has lived in Anchorage since 2005. She has a B.A. in political science from the University of Alaska Anchorage, with a theater minor. She owns Bekah’s Dance Expressions, Super Beans and founded a nonprofit called Empowered Arts Alaska. She works at Business Boutique Training Center as the events and office coordinator, business trainer, and is a professional singer and songwriter, according to her file.

The State’s action is complaint, and comes with a felony charge, but it doesn’t represent guilt. Cases such as this are often pleaded down to lesser charges, but cases like this are also not usually laced with political intrigue.

Alaska Airlines plane stolen, crashed by suicidal man

The 907

Suzanne Downing

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August 11, 2018

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Alaska Airlines plane stolen, crashed by suicidal man

MAN WAS FROM WASILLA

Hundreds of Alaskans were stuck in the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Friday night after the airspace around Seattle was shut down entirely for hours.

A Horizon Air Q400 had been stolen by a man who was later identified as a suicidal -29-year-old, who had taken off in the 76-seater turbo-prop that later crashed the plane on Ketron Island, west of Tacoma.

“I’ve never seen so many planes in one place,” said Jeremy Price, Alaska director for Americans for Prosperity, who was trying to get back to Anchorage after a business trip to New Orleans.

Price’s incoming jet circled for a long time, he said, until it got low on fuel and was landed at Sea-Tac. The pilot had announced the problem to passengers and said the jet might have to land at Boeing Field.

Two F-15s were scrambled out of Portland and were alongside the rogue plane within minutes to keep the plane away from populated areas.

By then, the plane was being piloted in stunt maneuvers such as a barrel roll, before the pilot said he would “call it a night,” and flew it into the ground. The F-15s were trying to steer it out over water.

The unauthorized pilot, identified as Richard “Beebo” Russell, was a ground service employee of Alaska Airlines, which explained his access to the plane. He is reported to have used a pushback tug to move the jet into position before he boarded and took off. No one else was on board. Pierce County Sheriff’s Department said that the FBI has taken over the investigation.

Anchorage former mayoral candidate Rebecca Logan’s daughter was also among the dozens of Alaskans who had just landed in Seattle; the Alaska Airlines jet she was on was stuck on the tarmac for an hour, Logan said.

“She texted me that they landed and asked me if Seattle is the place where there’s always a delay on the tarmac. And then she texted ‘OMG someone stole a plane.’ That’s when we turned on the news,” said Logan, who is president of the Alaska Support Industry Alliance.

Russell, in conversation with air traffic control, said “I’ve got a lot of people that care about me. It’s going to disappoint them to hear that I did this. I would like to apologize to each and every one of them. Just a broken guy, got a few screws loose I guess. Never really knew it, until now.”

Russell also said he was looking for a “moment of serenity,” and asked officials if the plane could do a back flip.

He also said, in jest, that he didn’t need help with landing the plane as he had played video games. And then he wondered aloud if Alaska Airlines would hire him as a pilot if he successfully landed the aircraft. Russell was married and left behind his wife and child.

His family, who calls him by his nickname “Beebo,” released a statement today:

Russell graduated from Wasilla High School in 2008, according to the Anchorage Daily News. He was a football player, wrestler, and thrower in high school and placed fifth in the discus throw in 2008 at the state track and field championships.

He attended Valley City State University in Valley City, N.D., where he played football for a season.

Ketron Island is 221 acres and has a population of 17.

The video by John Waldron of the plane before it crashed can be found here:

https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=John%20Waldron

ANCHORAGE SMALL PLANE STOLEN, CRASHED IN TO BUILDING IN 2015

In December of 2015, a Cessna 172 was stolen from the Civil Air Patrol and was crashed into two buildings in downtown Anchorage, also believed to be a suicide. It was piloted by a licensed pilot and first lieutenant with CAP, but the man was not authorized to fly the plane at that time.

The pilot’s wife worked in one of the buildings struck by the plane, the Brady Building. She was not in the building at the time. The other building that was struck, the Carr-Gottstein Building, caught fire and sustained substantial damage.

Dunleavy campaign headquarters has open house today

Politics

Suzanne Downing

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August 11, 2018

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Dunleavy campaign headquarters has open house today

Rainy day putting a damper on your plans?

Alaskans for Dunleavy holds an open house at its Anchorage headquarters Saturday this afternoon, 1-3 pm at 400 Northern Lights Blvd. Candidate for governor Mike Dunleavy will attend and yard signs and bumper stickers are available.

The campaign headquarters is one block away from another Dunleavy group of enthusiasts, named Dunleavy for Alaska. That group is headed by Terre Gales and is separate from the campaign, although is running an independent and robust operation to increase the name-recognition of the former state senator who is now the leading candidate for governor, according to polls from all of the candidates.

That office will also be open today, and people can stop by for their own version of Dunleavy signs, bumper stickers and pins. The campaigns are not allowed to coordinate their efforts and the candidate will not be in attendance there.

PRIMARY VOTING HAS STARTED

The Alaska Primary Election season has started, with early voting now available during weekdays.

Locations for early voting in person are here.

Out of town? You can receive a ballot through the mail if you apply by today, Aug. 11.

Instructions for mail-in voting are here.

Due to the threat of cyber attacks, such as the attempt on Alaska’s voting system in 2016, you won’t be able to submit an electronic ballot, although you can receive one by email. You will need to fax or mail it in.

Other dates to know:

Aug. 18: Regional offices open 10 am-4 pm for early and absentee in-person and special needs voting.
Aug. 19: Regional offices open 12 pm -4 pm for early and absentee in-person and special needs voting.
Aug. 20, 5 pm: Deadline to receive electronic transmission absentee ballot. applications from voters requesting an electronic transmission ballot
Aug. 21: Election Day.
Aug. 21: Absentee electronic transmission ballots being returned by-fax must be received by 8 pm.
Aug. 21: Absentee ballots being returned by-mail must be postmarked on or before Election Day.

As Alaska fire season winds down, Alaska crews head to help Idaho

The 907

Suzanne Downing

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August 10, 2018

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As Alaska fire season winds down, Alaska crews head to help Idaho

ALASKA VILLAGE MEN NOW BATTLE FIRES ACROSS THE GREAT NORTHWEST

Dozens of men from Fairbanks and Interior villages boarded planes this week for Spokane, Washington, where they were transported by bus to Idaho and elsewhere to fight wildfires.

Four Type 2 Emergency Firefighter crews said farewell to Alaska’s wet skies as the 49th State’s fire season winds down, with few incidences for the crews to work on in what was a quiet season.

Alaska Division of Forestry’s Fairbanks #2 Crew Boss Ken Richards said the crew is happy to be heading south to get to work.

“I’m excited,” Richards said. “Whatever we can do to help in the Lower 48 we’ll do. That’s what we’re here for.”

While the situation in the Lower 48 has resources stretched thin, Alaska has downgraded to a “preparedness level one,” the lowest. Firefighters demobilized from the three remaining staffed fires in Alaska on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the four emergency firefighter crews will bring fresh energy to the more than 28,000 firefighters already working on wildfires across the west. A second jet load with four more Type 2 EFF crews flew south on Friday.

The rural crews were flown in to BLM AFS facilities on Fort Wainwright Saturday and equipped with things like Nomex, fire shelters and packs for a 14-day assignment.

They are the Kobuk Valley #2 crew from Selawik, Ambler, Noorvik and Buckland; the K River Crew from Hughes and Allakaket; and the Yukon Koyukuk Crew with firefighters from Huslia, Nulato, Galena and Koyukuk. They’ll get their hand tools and chain saws once they get to Idaho. Then they’ll more than likely head out to a fire in the Northern Rockies Area which includes Montana, North Dakota, northern Idaho and a small portion of South Dakota.

Those who headed out Friday included men from the Division of Forestry Fairbanks #1 and Delta crews, BLM Alaska Fire Service’s Yukon Flats and Kusilvak Crew. The Yukon Flats Crew is made up of firefighters from Fort Yukon, Venetie and Arctic Village. The Kusilvak Crew, which is named after a mountain about 30 miles from Mountain Village, is made up of firefighters from Marshall, Mountain Village and Pilot Station.

Read the rest of the story and check out the dramatic photography at akfireinfo.com, a web site of the Bureau of Land Management.

Look up your voter information at Division of Elections

Politics

Suzanne Downing

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August 10, 2018

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FIND OUT NOW, BEFORE YOU TRY TO VOTE

If you’re not sure that the Division of Elections has you listed in your proper voting district, there’s one way to find out quickly.

Go to the State’s voter database and type in your name, and either the last four digits of your Social Security number or your date of birth, and you can find out where the Division of Elections thinks you live.

What the State has on file may not be where you actually live.

After the State of Alaska enacted a voter initiative to automatically register to vote all applicants for an Alaska Permanent Fund dividend, the State proceeded to import the information from the Permanent Fund database into the Division of Elections database and unintentionally moved many Alaskans out of their districts.

[Read: Election Division has move hundreds of voters to new districts]

[Read: It’s not hundreds, it’s thousands of voter files changed.]

Dunleavy, Treadwell face off at Anchorage Republican debate

Politics

Suzanne Downing

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August 10, 2018

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Dunleavy, Treadwell face off at Anchorage Republican debate

SPIRITED EXCHANGE KEPT AUDIENCE RIVETED

Beyond differing styles of the candidates, gubernatorial hopefuls Mike Dunleavy and Mead Treadwell agreed on much during their latest debate on Thursday evening in Anchorage.

They both agreed that SB 91 needs to be repealed and that crime is one of their top priorities. They somewhat agreed on how the Permanent Fund dividend should be calculated (Dunleavy favors original formula, Treadwell goes with POMV, Dunleavy favors putting it in the Alaska Constitution, Treadwell does not).

They agreed on the “3 percent for Native Corporations out of the oil that will come from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge,” honoring the agreements made with Alaska Natives during ANILCA, which Treadwell explained in solid detail, showcasing his deep knowledge of the subject.

However, they did not agree with Treadwell’s statements that Dunleavy wasn’t the best candidate for the job.

The two took a couple of indirect shots at each other during the Anchorage Republican Women’s Club’s “Visions for Victory” debate in the conference room of Davis Constructors.

How each responded under pressure revealed how prepared they were for the criticism that will come after the Aug. 21 Primary Election: Treadwell gesticulated and was frustrated by the time limits set by the moderator; Dunleavy was composed, nonchalant, and left no opening for future attacks from Treadwell, who has attacked him in campaign materials and radio spots.

But Treadwell also said he had supported Dunleavy for Senate, and was proud of doing so.

Treadwell, when it was time to ask his own pointed questions of his opponent, asked Dunleavy to explain a complicated high-stakes financial deal that Dunleavy’s Texas brother had been a part of, which Treadwell said raised electrical rates in California, and the other parts of the question were to ask Dunleavy if he agreed with his brother, and what Dunleavy do would do to lower electrical rates in Alaska. Dunleavy had 60 seconds to answer that.

Dunleavy lobbed back a rhetorical missile, saying this was the Treadwell voters had come to expect, and he (Dunleavy) would not go after Treadwell’s family in this debate.

Later, when it was his turn to ask a question, he asked Treadwell to repeat Reagan’s 11th Commandment, which Treadwell did, paraphrasing it satisfactorily. It is this: “Thou shalt not speak ill of any fellow Republican.”

Dunleavy was driving home the point about negative campaigning. He asked him to repeat it again.

Dunleavy asked Treadwell to explain why, when he was lieutenant governor, he allowed the hybrid ticket of Bill Walker and Byron Mallott to go forward to the general election, even though the Democrat voters had duly elected Mallott as their nominee. Treadwell would have 60 seconds to answer that.

Treadwell answered that he felt Walker and Mallott deserved due process and that he was leaning on three other instances in Alaska history when making his decision. He said he consulted with the attorney general for three hours, and he expected some external entity representing Republicans to sue over it, but a lawsuit never materialized.

The crowd of about 70 seemed to enjoy the exchange, which drew camera crews from the Anchorage Daily News, KTVA and KTUU, although most media left before the gubernatorial segment began.

Moderated by Bernadette Wilson, the evening also included major candidates for lieutenant governor, who agreed on nearly everything (“save the PFD” and “repeal SB 91”).

During the lieutenant governor segment, the four candidates avoided attacking each other and at times it was somewhat of a love-fest, with each simply touting his or her own experience, not criticizing the others.

Sen. Kevin Meyer spoke directly to the multiple problems identified in the Division of Elections, including the issuing of double ballots to Democrats in Shungnak (allowing them to vote one Republican ballot and one Democrat ballot during the primary), lost ballots, and now, the overwriting of addresses in the Election Division’s database with addresses provided by the Permanent Fund Division, which has moved many Alaskans into the wrong voting districts.

[Read: Division of Elections has moved hundreds of voters to new districts]

Sharon Jackson rebutted a question posed about whether the state should try to get a higher voter turnout, at the expense of getting an informed turnout. Jackson wanted to make it clear that she feels it’s not up to the state to determine who is intelligent.

Retired Col. Edie Grunwald pointed to her experience in the Alaska National Guard, and former Rep. Lynn Gattis drew upon her lifelong experience in rural Alaska, and her time in the Legislature, and how that gives her a perspective none of the others has.

The candidate-to-candidate questions between the lieutenant governor hopefuls were purely softball, reflecting the camaraderie that has developed between them on the campaign trail.

Thank you, Mayor Koelsch

Columns

Suzanne Downing

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August 10, 2018

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AFTER TRAGEDY STRUCK, HE WAS THE RIGHT PERSON AT THE RIGHT TIME

By WIN GRUENING
SENIOR CONTRIBUTOR

For most of us who have never held an elected position, it’s difficult to appreciate the extraordinary demands made on public servants and their families. Amazingly, such people are willing to sacrifice their family life – even their careers – usually with relatively little financial compensation.

Luckily for Juneau, Ken Koelsch was willing to do just that when he announced for mayor in January 2016. It was no ordinary election – in fact, an off-cycle special election, because of the untimely death of the recently elected mayor after only two months in office.

As it turns out, he was the right person, at the right time. Some might say, the perfect person.

After a career in education and law enforcement and having been previously elected twice to the Assembly (and serving as deputy mayor), Ken Koelsch was well-qualified to step up to the job.

His message of stronger public safety, fiscal prudence, responsible economic development, and “uniting generations to move Juneau forward” were the hallmarks of his campaign.

His election results speak for themselves. With one of the highest local election turnouts in recent history, Koelsch swept 9 of 13 Juneau precincts and garnered almost 60 percent of the votes.

He immediately began working with the Assembly and the community.

As a highly visible and effective advocate for Juneau, Koelsch regularly walked the halls of the Capitol speaking with legislators and staff members about how Juneau could better serve them as Alaska’s capital city.

He kept regular office hours, making himself accessible to the general public. Along with his wife, Marian, he attended countless community events. The mayor welcomed scores of dignitaries and visitors to Juneau and, with his engaging and comfortable personal style, always found a way to make them feel special.

Koelsch hasn’t been afraid of controversy and believes that tough decisions are part of being a leader. He has been especially forceful in his advocacy for making our streets safer, growing the economy, and exercising fiscal restraint.

Soon after taking office, to address concerns of local downtown property owners, he led the Assembly to pass an “anti-trespassing” ordinance – making the downtown area safer and cleaner for shop owners, locals and visitors.

At the same time, he supported the construction of a Housing First facility that provided permanent housing for the chronically homeless. He supported additional camping areas and a warming shelter as well.

The mayor continued to champion the Lynn Canal Highway project believing it is critical to the survival of the ferry system. It would also spur economic development, lower transportation costs, and demonstrate to the rest of the state Juneau desired improved access to the capital city.

Recognizing the contribution the mining industry makes to Juneau’s economy, Koelsch supported changes to the borough mining ordinance to help attract additional mining projects to Juneau.

With the realization that Juneau’s population and employment were shrinking and would not see appreciable positive change until new economic development became a reality, he advocated caution when considering large scale, expensive public projects.

Hence, his skepticism of the $32 million New JACC arts and cultural center. Koelsch favored discussion of a more affordable, modest facility – one that would provide a larger venue for events but not saddle the city with additional subsidies or raise property taxes – further negatively impacting Juneau’s already high housing costs. Likewise, he objected to spending up to $2.8 million per year on a new community pre-K program when a smaller investment to help expand daycare facilities made more sense.

The choice Mayor Koelsch made not to run for re-election wasn’t easy. Yet, his promise to “unite generations” echoed loud and clear in his announcement when he said, “My commitment to this community will never cease — and yet it’s time to turn the reins of leadership over to the next generation.”

Juneau will have a difficult choice to make in selecting a new mayor. Two of the three announced candidates are from the next generation. But all three candidates have different ideas on how to lead our community and the direction it should take.

As a former teacher, Mayor Koelsch understood the value of a lesson plan and creating a path for others to follow.

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.

‘Actions speak louder than words’ when union boss beats up on a veteran

Walker Administration’s political crackdown on signs continues

Candidate accused by State of food stamp fraud

Alaska Airlines plane stolen, crashed by suicidal man

Dunleavy campaign headquarters has open house today

As Alaska fire season winds down, Alaska crews head to help Idaho

Look up your voter information at Division of Elections

Dunleavy, Treadwell face off at Anchorage Republican debate

Thank you, Mayor Koelsch

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On Oct. 7 ballot, Kenai Peninsula voters to decide on hand-counting paper ballots

Congressman Begich visits Red Dog Mine, warns of looming closure and pushes for faster permitting

Sandy Szwarc: Rare earth minerals, Trump, and the Pebble Mine paradox