Now that Thanksgiving’s “main event” dinner is past, it’s time we ask the question: Are we obliged to believe all women who make allegations of sexual harassment? Go!
‘Not One Penny’ ad linked to MoveOn.org
Alaskans watching television over the Thanksgiving holiday may have seen an ad targeting Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski and encouraging Alaskans to call and write the senator and encourage her to vote against the GOP tax bill.
“Call her and tell her not to lose her way,” the ad says.
The ad, “Not One Penny” is the product of liberal groups associated with MoveOn.org and the similarly fashioned Indivisible organization, and it’s modeled after an ad that targeted Maine Sen. Susan Collins. The group’s campaign is expanding to include eight Republican senators seen key to the vote that may be taken in the Senate next week on a tax overhaul bill.
Murkowski, a moderate Republican, has not indicated how she will vote on the overhaul of the tax code, but she penned an opinion column last week saying she favored doing away with Obamacare’s individual mandate, which requires all Americans to have health insurance, even if it means they have to pay over $10,000 a year for it, as many Alaskans do. The elimination of the mandate is a provision in the tax reform bill.
Earlier this year, the same liberal groups ran similar ads targeting several Republican House members, including ads that were Spanish only, targeting the congressional districts of Reps. Martha McSally of Arizona and Will Hurd of Texas.
The sample script that the Democrat-linked organization is pushing Alaskans to use in calling Murkowski:
Sample Call Script: Alaska (Senator Murkowski)
Caller: Hello! My name is [NAME] and I live in [PART OF STATE]. I’m calling to let Senator Murkowski know that I strongly oppose the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The bill has NOT gone through regular order, and it will cause tens of thousands of Alaskans to lose their health insurance coverage and drive up premiums for everyone else.
Staffer: Senator Murkowski is undecided on the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. She thinks it is important that we reform our broken, complex tax code so that middle-class families can benefit.
Caller: This tax bill won’t do anything to simplify the tax code, or make it better for middle class families. Health insurance premiums in Alaska will go up by $2,900 if this tax bill passes, and over 18,000 Alaska families will see a tax increase! Senator Murkowski bravely stood up against the Republicans’ ill-advised attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act through a faulty process; she should do it again this time.
Staffer: I’ll pass your thoughts along to the Senator.
Caller: Yes please do, and please take down my contact information so you can let me know what the Senator decides to do.
‘A man is not finished when he is defeated. He is finished when he quits.’
LET’S NOT ERASE HISTORY, BUT LEARN FROM IT
By WIN GRUENING
SENIOR CONTRIBUTOR
“Today is a day for his family, his friends and his nation to remember President Nixon’s life in totality. To them, let us say, may the day of judging President Nixon on anything less than his entire life and career come to a close. May we heed his call to maintain the will and the wisdom to build on America’s greatest gift — its freedom; to lead a world full of difficulty to the just and lasting peace he dreamed of. “President Bill Clinton, April 27, 1994.
President Clinton’s eulogy of former President Richard Nixon in 1994 was given two decades after Watergate dominated the headlines. Amid a scandal that engulfed his entire administration, Nixon was forced to resign the presidency in a constitutional crisis that consumed the nation for over two years
In the days prior to Nixon’s funeral, despite severe rain, an estimated 50,000 people waited in lines up to 18 hours to walk past his casket and pay their respects.
Attended by over 4,000 people, including five former presidents, the public funeral was held at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, the site of Nixon’s birthplace and boyhood home at Yorba Linda, California.
The accolades and tributes to the former president stood in stark contrast to the disgrace and controversy surrounding his departure from office in 1974.
The reason for this is a good lesson in how we view history.
Recently, I visited the newly remodeled Nixon Presidential Library and learned more about Nixon’s presidency. The day before, I visited the nearby Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley.
The presidential library system is a nationwide network of 14 libraries administered by the Office of Presidential Libraries, part of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). As repositories for preserving and making available the papers, records, and historical collections of various presidents, they also include public museums that capture history in a way no textbook ever could.
Currently these libraries represent every past president since Herbert Hoover (there are a dozen or so more featuring earlier presidents administered by private foundations, colleges, or non-profits). Construction of the facilities is privately funded, and operational expenses are paid through endowments, user fees and taxpayer funding.
My visits to these two libraries were informative and inspirational. Both presidents had humble beginnings, yet rose to election to our country’s highest office. Both faced many challenges and crises in their lives but persevered to overcome them.
Despite very consequential accomplishments while in office, the Watergate scandal completely eclipsed Nixon’s achievements.
Domestically, Nixon’s influence was largely responsible for desegregation of Southern schools, creation of the EPA, expanded funding for the arts, as well as declarations of war on cancer, illegal drugs and hunger.
In foreign affairs, Nixon ended the Vietnam War (and the military draft), initiated nuclear arms control agreements with the Soviet Union and, as the first president to visit the People’s Republic of China, was widely praised for his efforts to restore diplomatic relations and bring China out of isolation.
Despite Watergate’s damage to his reputation, Nixon never considered withdrawing from public life. In a Los Angeles Times interview in 1978, his spirit and desire to rehabilitate his legacy was evident when he stated. “A man is not finished when he is defeated. He is finished when he quits.”
After his resignation, Nixon retired to his San Clemente home where he wrote his memoirs and a series of best-selling books – almost all dealing with foreign policy. He became a frequent op-ed columnist and guest speaker. He embarked on a series of foreign trips to China, the Mideast, and the Soviet Union and slowly built his reputation as an elder statesman.
Nixon became widely regarded as an expert in foreign policy and his advice was solicited by Presidents Reagan and Clinton. Only twelve short years after his resignation a Gallup Poll ranked Nixon as one of the ten most admired men in the world and Newsweek ran a story on “Nixon’s comeback” with the headline “He’s back”.
President Nixon’s legacy should serve as a reminder that history is more nuanced and complex than any single accomplishment or failure.
Today, demands that we remove statues or ban books for the sake of righting “old wrongs” are misguided. Hiding or misrepresenting history or not considering the context in which it occurred is a disservice to future generations.
Our presidential libraries and their associated historical materials provide an important function is this regard. Indeed, one of the most striking and prominent features of the Nixon Museum is the brutally honest and exhaustive portrayal of the Watergate scandal.
Richard Nixon learned and grew after his disgrace – not despite his mistakes and failures, but because of them.
And so can we – not by distorting or erasing history but by learning from it.
Thanksgiving challenge
This won’t take long.
We hear about the Christmas spirit, but whoever talks about the Thanksgiving spirit?
Like family, we take Thanksgiving for granted at times. How often do we actually reflect on our blessings and live in simple gratitude for our crazy, complicated lives, and our freedom to pick our own paths.
Must Read Alaska wishes you a day of happy contentment, whether you’re dining with a date or feasting with family. And for those who are ailing, hurting, or lonely, we pray for you to feel sparks of joy that can reignite a sense of wonder, even through the pain. Thanksgiving is for all of us in every condition in which we find ourselves.
Three joy-sparking questions:
- In your life, who was the person who had the biggest positive impact on you?
- What memory comes to mind that fills you with joy?
- If you pray, have any of your prayers been answered this year?
Of course, Must Read Alaska would love to hear your thankful reflections and memories. Jot a note to [email protected] if you have something on your mind today. I love hearing from you. – Suzanne
Anchorage budget explodes
Oops! They did it again.
On Tuesday evening, the “Taxing Nine” on the Anchorage Assembly approved a $521 million operating budget for the coming fiscal year. For the third year in a row, it’s the largest budget in Anchorage history, and it’s $1 million more than Mayor Ethan Berkowitz asked for.
And yet, Berkowitz told KTVA reporter Liz Raines that property taxes are going down, by an average of $300-$400 for the average homeowner.
How does a higher budget and lower taxes work, math-wise?
For one thing, while homeowners will get some property tax relief, a new municipal gasoline tax is going to take money out of their other pocket. Also, businesses don’t get a $125,000 homeowner basic exemption, so their taxes will go up, and they’ll pass the increased costs along to their customers.
In fact, if there was truth in budgeting, the budget would be explained as $531 million. That’s because the Assembly earlier this fall allowed Mayor Ethan Berkowitz to put city land up for collateral and borrow $10 million to pay down pension obligations. The $10 million that would have been spent on those pension obligations has been shifted in the budget. The debt service on that loan, some $6 million, won’t be paid until Berkowitz is long out of office.
This is the third big budget for Berkowitz. Former Mayor Dan Sullivan’s final budget in 2015 was $471.4 million, lower than his 2014 budget of $476.7 million.
To compare, the similarly sized city of Cincinnati, Ohio has an operating budget of $388 million.
Assembly member Amy Demboski voted against the budget, as did Fred Dyson. But the Assembly is majority liberal, and they prevailed, just as they prevailed in voting to borrow the $10 million last month.
“In reality this is a $531 million budget because they are kicking $10 million in pension liabilities, which are typically accounted for in the budget, to 2019,” Demboski said.
“If you don’t want to live within your means what do you do? Pull a Berkowitz: defer payments on debt, increase pay for employees, create a new parks supervisor position at $110,000, fight to protect $900,000 in flowers and beautification projects, and reject the opportunity to privatize snow plowing, which would have saved $2.5 million,” she said.
The budget contains $500,000 to address more of Berkowitz’ homeless programs, and $170,000 to clear homeless camps. Another $50,000 is going to a clean-syringe access program.
Assembly member Felix Rivera, a Democrat who moved to Anchorage in 2010, and won his Assembly seat this year, defended the budget: “This budget really is a reflection of who we are as a city, and who we want to be, and our priorities are pretty clear — public safety No. 1, combating homelessness, and doing everything we can to help the people on the edge, like providing significant property tax relief.”
The 10-cent municipal gasoline tax will go into effect in March.
Americans for Prosperity Alaska released the following statement: “The largest budget ever enacted in Anchorage history, incorporates a 10-cent-per-gallon gas tax that will increase the burden on residents by $11.7 million in the first year.”
AFP-Alaska has been running digital ads urging Anchorage residents to contact the Mayor and Assembly urging them to vote down the proposed 2018 budget.
“In 2015, Mayor Berkowitz tried to weaken the tax cap but was stopped by voters. The following year he suspended the spending cap, allowing for the largest budgets in Anchorage history,” said AFP-Alaska State Director Jeremy Price. “Mayor Berkowitz should be more focused on finding ways for Anchorage residents to keep their money, instead of finding ways to spend it. The pace at which local government continues to spend is alarming and our elected officials should be held accountable.”
Feeling grateful in the Great Land
GIVING BACK AND MAKING A DIFFERENCE
By SCOTT HAWKINS
CANDIDATE FOR GOVERNOR
Each Thanksgiving, I feel thankful for all that Alaska offers to its families.
Having experienced tough economic times early in my adult life, I wish for everyone the security and prosperity to enjoy memorable feasts and fellowship in this season. I know just how important that is to people.
As Alaskans, we have SO much to be thankful for: The bounty of our lands and waters; the indomitable spirit of our hardy citizens; the beauty of our lakes, streams and mountains.
And, for those who wish to, the remarkable opportunity to make a difference.
Here are some things about Alaska for which I am particularly thankful:
That even in these trying times, Alaska remains a land of opportunity. In “The Great Land”, the American dream is still alive and well. Preparation, hard work and initiative will still get you far.
That our families are still the least taxed families of any state in America. Some in Alaska have been trying their best to eliminate that blessing, but thankfully they have not yet prevailed. Granted, most of us are hard-hit by federal and local taxes, but our state government has not yet added to that burden.
That Alaska has done such a wonderful job of saving a healthy portion of our oil revenues in the Alaska Permanent Fund over the past 40 years. The balance of the fund is well north of $60 billion this Thanksgiving – it is truly the envy of the world.
That if the Fund is managed well going forward, it has the capacity to spin off steady annual earnings sufficient to fund a very healthy dividend (much higher than this year’s $1,100), and ALSO close the fiscal gap without requiring a statewide income tax. Now that’s a win!
That the Permanent Fund Dividend program (PFD) has been such a success, in so many ways. In addition to providing Alaska families a share of their state’s oil wealth, their very own piece of the action, the PFD program has resulted in extremely strong public support for savings and reinvestment. I firmly believe that without the PFD, our fund balance this Thanksgiving would not be nearly as high, our financial position not nearly as strong.
That the Fund’s original vision dating back to the mid 1970s was to turn a nonrenewable resource (oil) into a renewable resource for the future (financial assets), in order to prepare us for a smooth transition. Mission accomplished! For that, I and most other Alaskans are deeply appreciative.
That Alaska is blessed with so many exciting economic opportunities. We have several major new oil discoveries in recent years, more than at any time since the discovery of the elephantine Prudhoe Bay field. If we are collaborative and trustworthy toward the small, independent owners of several of those fields, we can put substantial amounts of new oil in our pipeline. And new prosperity into our homes.
In addition to new oil discoveries, Alaska is also blessed with: numerous new mine development opportunities, a very real prospect of being able to harvest more timber, and strong seafood prices that are benefiting families throughout our coastal regions. Ample potential, both realized and yet-to-be realized.
On a personal note, moving beyond the big picture, Alaska has been good to me and my family for the past 35 years. I have experienced first-hand the benefits of hard work and initiative, as have so many others.
I am personally thankful:
That I get to spend Thanksgiving with three generations of family. Both of my parents are healthy and vital – a tremendous blessing! They normally host Thanksgiving dinner at their house in Olympia, and this year is no exception.
That my sister, plus nieces and nephews, will be there too, as will my wonderful wife and daughter. They are kind, accomplished people who are truly amazing, each one of them.
That for now, at least, our family is blessed with good health, both physical and mental.
That so many other friends and colleagues around me, including those working within the companies I have co-founded, enjoy similar blessings.
Yet, it is not lost on me that many Alaskans do not have as much to feel thankful for this Thanksgiving. Some face serious health problems or are grieving the loss of loved ones. Some have been victimized by the recent crime wave. Many families are struggling to stay afloat during the current economic downturn – hoping for better days ahead – so they have no choice but to rein in their holiday celebrations.
No question, Alaska has some big problems to solve. But one of our greatest blessings is that, here, an individual can still make a big difference. If we so choose, we can move the needle. And we can see the tangible results of our efforts.
In the year ahead, I will be doing my best to help tackle some of these problems, to make a difference in Alaska. I hope you do, too.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Scott Hawkins is a 35-year Alaskan who has served as a business owner and manager, an economist, an economic development professional, and a civic contributor. Earlier this Fall, he filed a letter of intent to explore a run for governor.
Editor’s Note: Must Read Alaska offers space on our web blog to all announced Republican gubernatorial candidates. Last week, we featured Rep. Mike Chenault, who addressed the spate of misconduct allegations sweeping legislatures across the country.
AK Dems took money from Franken PAC
AL FRANKEN FUNDED ALASKA DEMOCRATIC PARTY, MARK BEGICH
The Alaska Democratic Party was a beneficiary of Sen. Al Franken’s political action committee, “Midwest Values.” Some $2,500 went from the PAC to the ADP.
Franken has recently been accused of sexual misconduct by more than one woman and is under pressure to resign from the Senate.
Another Alaska recipient of Franken’s PAC money was former Sen. Mark Begich, who was trying to hold onto his seat in 2014. He took $5,000 from Franken’s Midwest Values PAC.
Will ADP give the money back, or will they use it to buy sexual harassment insurance for their executive director Jay Parmley, who has been accused of similar blatant transgressions?
DEPARTMENT OF SALACIOUS
Must Read Alaska wrote about Parmley, a man with a past, when he was hired last year, quoting a story in the Daily Caller that said Parmley’s former girlfriend accused him of infecting her with HIV. Another Caller story detailed accusations of sexual improprieties.
The Alaska Democratic Party knew of these allegations when it hired Parmley.
They only needed to do a cursory search online, which would also have turned up this information from the Atlantic Monthly:
Turmoil in North Carolina’s Democratic Party has been no secret, thanks to some salacious details leaked to the press from a staffer’s sexual harassment complaint in 2012. The party’s then-executive director, Jay Parmley, resigned after accusations from another male staffer but denied any wrongdoing. The party chairman eventually left as well.
In March, current chairman Randy Voller described the party as “broke” and said it was evaluating whether to shut the doors on its Raleigh headquarters.
On his own blog, Parmley writes: “Jay Parmley is an asset that any political party would be grateful to have on their side. Luckily for the Democratic Party he has been committed to their cause since he was a youth. Jay Parmley has been affiliated with a number of Democratic organizations over the years including Young Democrats of America, the Democratic National Committee, South Forward, and Democracy for America. He is a member of the State Democratic Chairs Alumni Association, American Society for Public Administration, University of Oklahoma Alumni Association, and Technology Student Alumni Association.”
Elsewhere on the web, it’s noted that Parmley has served as executive director of more state Democratic parties than anyone in party history—all in the South.
Did the Alaska Democratic Party not believe the women and men who made these accusations? What will the party do now with the Franken money it took?
As for Mark Begich, he can’t give the money back to Franken — he donated all of his campaign’s excess funds to … wait for it … the Alaska Democratic Party.
Pinnacle Group stands up business for conservative candidates
From the looks of it, the new campaign consultancy Pinnacle Group AK is going to be busy in 2018.
While talking about their plans for their just-launched “campaigns for conservatives” business, Rick Whitbeck and Zach Freeman fielded yet another inquiry from a candidate needing their help. That makes five, and they only opened for business on Monday.
For a start-up, that’s beginning to feel like they’ll hit capacity within a few weeks.
“I feel busy already,” said Freeman, who came over from a company that has been active in campaigns in Alaska, but is not Alaska-based.
Freeman and Whitbeck are providing wrap-around campaign services and strategy, including web development, platform messaging and training, event and fundraiser planning, social media management, video, audio, and graphic design, media placement, reporting and administrative support.
But they’re only taking candidates who represent conservative values.
“Our goal is to elevate conservative candidates and causes, and help them be successful,” said Whitbeck, who has a long history with the Alaska Republican Party. He served on the State Central Committee for over 20 years, the past year and a half as vice chair of the party.
He also has 25 years of sales and business development experience, and has worked on many Republican campaigns since his days as the head of College Republicans in Alaska.
Since getting his start in Alaska in 2012, Freeman has been busy helping non-profit advocacy groups and conservative issues. A graduate of Liberty University in Virginia, he has been based out of Seattle, but spends half of his time in Alaska these days. He has a strong graphic and design background, and a knack for strategy.
Asked what the overall theme is for Pinnacle Group AK, and the two said that they only work for one side, the conservative side, and their goal is to move government incrementally toward conservative leadership.
They also want to provide affordable services to the right candidates.
“Realistic pricing for the Alaskan market place,” Whitbeck said would be one differentiator. “You just can’t charge $75,000 for a House race in Alaska — the money is just not there.”
Other companies that operate in the campaign management arena are Hackney and Hackney, Hellenthal, Fire Island Strategies, PS Strategies, Brilliant Media, and on the liberal end of the spectrum, Gov. Bill Walker’s choice, Ship Creek Group, and its partner company Lottsfeldt Strategies, owner of MidnightSunAk political blog.
Several individuals also manage and assist campaigns as a part-time business.
Lawsuit: Is frozen ground considered wetlands?
TIN CUP LLC VS. U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS APPEALED
What if all of Alaska’s permafrost qualified as wetlands?
A court appeal filed on Oct. 31 may provide the answer to that question, and it has serious economic implications for everything from small businesses to the proposed Alaska LNG project.
Some 85 percent of Alaska may be designated as such, according to the federal government.
Pacific Legal Foundation filed the original lawsuit in 2016, challenging what is known as the “Alaska Supplement” to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ 1987 Wetlands Delineation Manual. That’s the manual that details what is, and what is not a wetland.
The lawsuit is on behalf of Tin Cup LLC, a family-owned business that operates a pipe manufacturing company well known in the oil patch: Flowline.
The North Pole company owned by the Schok family is trying to build on 200 acres of permafrost land it owns.
The lawsuit says that the Corps doesn’t determine adequately whether permafrost is wetlands, and sweeps all permafrost — vast areas of Alaska — into federal jurisdiction.
Any land that is subject to Clean Water Act jurisdiction becomes so severely regulated by federal agencies that it’s economically nearly impossible to develop.
Tin Cup LLC owns 455 acres in North Pole, and its company Flowline Alaska makes pipe and other steel items for the North Slope oil industry. Having outgrown its current location, the company wants to move to a location where it will have room to store pipe and other materials. That’s going to require a gravel pad, some buildings, and a railroad spur.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers defines gravel as a pollutant under the Clean Water Act, so Tin Cup is having to ask permission to use its property.
According to the Pacific Legal Foundation, “defining what exactly qualifies as a wetland has been confusing and controversial.
“To dispel the confusion and quell the controversy, Congress in 1993 passed a law requiring the Corps to use its 1987 Wetlands Manual for all wetland delineations, unless and until the Corps adopts a new “final wetland delineation manual.” The Corps never adopted a new manual.”
The Corps didn’t follow the law, but developed regional supplements that allowed it to expand its jurisdiction.
The Alaska Supplement brings frozen ground into the wetlands category. The agency has granted what Tin Cup believes is “an onerously conditioned permit to Tin Cup to develop its property.”
The district court of Alaska rejected Tin Cup’s challenge of that ruling and the case is now on appeal, with Pacific Legal Foundation as the company’s legal advocate.