Before a KTVA reporter looked at Rebecca Logan’s court records, the candidate for Anchorage mayor had already gone over all of them with her family and her circle of advisers. After all, these were not just parking tickets.
Was her messy divorce over a decade ago, which dragged her into some financial problems and wage garnishment, going to come back to haunt her?
What about the DUI she received a decade ago — would it hurt her chances with the voters?
How would she explain it all without harming her former spouse? Her children? Her husband?
Logan’s family and friends said they were ready and they’d stand by her. She filed her letter of intent to run in September for the mayoral election that occurs starting about March 15, when Anchorage voters receive their mail-in ballots.
This week, KTVA TV News ran a report on these items. It had an edge not typically seen in mainstream media. It scrambled the timeline on events surrounding her divorce and financial hardships. It misstated other events.
Logan found herself having to decide whether to take on all the inaccuracies, one by one, or just hold her head high and stick to the issues facing the city.
“What do you think Anchorage citizens are more concerned about? What happened in my debt and wage garnishment all those years ago, or what’s happening in this city with crime and the quality of life today?” she said this morning by phone.
Rather than relive a traumatic period of her personal life, Logan says the murder, property thefts, and deteriorating conditions in Anchorage are the issue voters care about.
Anchorage experienced 35 known murders in 2017, and more than 3,100 vehicle thefts.
Logan said that crime being out of control was a big motivating factor in her decision to run for mayor:
“Vehicle theft jumped by 73 percent in 2016, and another 50 percent year over year in 2017,” she said. “Everyone in Anchorage knows someone who has had their car stolen.” Meanwhile, there were eight violent crimes per 1,000 residents last year, and residents clearly feel unsafe, she said.
“I just want people to talk to me before making up their minds,” Logan said. “These bad things in life do happen to real people, and I’m no exception. My life is an open book — I’ve not tried to hide anything.
“But we all know that this city is heading in the wrong direction, and that’s what this campaign is all about — making Anchorage safer for families, safer for women, and safer for all of us,” she said.
Gov. Bill Walker appointed Tiffany Zulkosky of Bethel to represent District 38 in the Alaska House of Representatives. She replaces Zach Fansler, whose resignation took place on Feb. 12 after he was accused of slapping a woman. No charges have yet been filed.
Ms. Zulkosky, 34, is vice president of communications for the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation. Previously, she served as Bethel’s mayor, was a director for the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Western Alaska, and worked as rural director for former U.S. Sen. Mark Begich.
“Tiffany is the best person for this job. I’m proud and humbled to forward someone with such a compelling background and strong voice to House Democrats for consideration,” Gov. Walker said. “If and when she is confirmed, the district will be represented well.”
The Democrats in the House will meet and vote on her confirmation in coming days.
There’s a new Mike in town. The Senate Republicans this morning confirmed Mike Shower as senator for District E, replacing Mike Dunleavy of Wasilla. Shower will be sworn in next week.
Shower, a retired US Air Force pilot and now a FedEx pilot, had been nominated by his district Republicans after their first round of nominees got tangled up in politics in the Governor’s Office. Gov. Bill Walker rejected Todd Smoldon and Rep. George Rauscher, and had nominated Tom Braund of Sutton, who withdrew within 24 hours to care for a loved one who is ill.
Shower’s name came up in the first round of nominations in January, but he was a new Republican and he was skipped over for the “top three” names to be sent to Walker. Shower’s name came up again in the second round, but a question arose as to where his voter registration as a Republican actually was.
Shower had filled out a new voter registration on Jan. 13 at his District 10 Republican convention, and it was hand delivered to the Division of Elections. But the information was not entered into the system. He then registered again online.
After some confusion, the Division of Elections found his original paperwork, which showed that he indeed had changed his registration on Jan. 13.
Shower will stay in Wasilla and attend a town hall meeting with the Mat-Su delegation at 10 am on Saturday at the Palmer Senior Center, before heading to Juneau.
He replaces Mike Dunleavy, who resigned to run for governor.
“The Senate will soon be made whole again with the addition of Mr. Shower,” said Senate President Pete Kelly. “Alaska is home to more military veterans per capita than any state in the Union, and we hope Mr. Shower brings that culture of service to the Legislature as he works on behalf of the people of District E.”
Shower served in the U.S. Air Force for two decades as a pilot where he achieved the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and commanded the first squadron of F-22s at Elmendorf Air Force Base. As Squadron Commander, he led the first successful F-22 intercept of a Russian aircraft in 2007.
“The Senate stood tough for the people of District E and we appreciate that Mr. Shower was chosen through the traditional process,” said Senate Majority Leader Peter Micciche. “His military service to this country is exemplary, making him well suited for today’s tough decisions. We’re looking forward to working with Mr. Shower to address the problems that face Alaskans.”
Reached at his home in Wasilla, where he was caring for his wife Michelle after she had major surgery on a broken leg yesterday, Shower said he was also busy answering phone calls, and he is excited about getting to work for the people of Alaska.
“I guess when God tells you you’re going to get involved, He goes big,” he observed.
DIVISION OF ELECTIONS LOST PAPERWORK, THEN FOUND IT
To the Division of Elections’ credit, it has admitted having misplaced the voter registration of Mike Shower, who Gov. Bill Walker had nominated for Senate Seat E. That took some political courage in an era when that quality is sometimes in short supply.
Yesterday, the Division was not able to locate the Wasilla Air Force veteran’s voter registration form, but that changed today when it was discovered, lost in the shuffle.
Alaska Republican Party Chairman Tuckerman Babcock said that although he has plenty of criticism for the Elections Division for all kinds of inadequacies, having a voter registration file go missing for a month does happen from time to time. It just doesn’t usually happen in such a public way.
Shower was one of the names submitted by District E Republicans to replace Mike Dunleavy, who had stepped down to focus on his campaign for governor.
Media reports followed the social media posts of a poorly sourced blogger, who said Shower was not a Republican. But witnesses said they saw him register at the District 10 Republican convention on Jan. 13 and his registration was hand-delivered to the Elections Division in Juneau.
Yesterday, Shower re-registered online just to make sure. But today, the Division has found his original paperwork.
A compendium of news items picked up along the way to Juneau:
GOVERNOR REPLACES INDUSTRY SEAT WITH LABOR LEADER
Gov. Bill Walker has chosen a public employee labor union leader to serve on the Workers’ Compensation Board in a seat that is formally, by law, a slot for private sector representatives. Chad Bolduc’s appointment should make AFL-CIO President Vince Beltrami very happy, but makes the small business community cringe. Bolduc was an Alaska State employee and an alternate member of the APEA/AFT Executive Board of Directors, and was formerly a union rep for the Maine State Employees Association.
He replaces small business owner Chuck Collins, but the Legislature must first approve Bolduc’s appointment. They might not confirm it because the appointment appears to violate Alaska Statute Sec. 23.30.005 Alaska Workers’ Compensation Board.
Labor would have 10 people represented on the board, and private sector 8. The commissioner has one seat.
FAIRBANKS CANDIDATE EMERGES
Jim Sackett of Fairbanks has filed to run against Rep. David Guttenberg, the District 4 Democrat.
Sackett, a Republican, runs a ministry for ministers, but has also operated companies throughout his career, such as Nenana Gravel and Toghotthele Corp. He has an MBA from University of Alaska Fairbanks and has been married to his wife Cheryl for 30 years.
Jim Sackett holds an organizational meeting for his campaign launch.
DEMS OUTRAISED BY REPUBLICANS
A review of the financial filings with APOC show that on Feb. 1:
– Alaska Republican Party had $165,781 cash on hand.
– Alaska Democratic Party had $36,976 cash on hand.
– Alaska Republican Party raised $165,221 last year
– Alaska Democratic Party raised $94,413
Nationally, the RNC has $40.7 million cash on hand and no debt. The DNC has $72.1 million and $5.6 million in debt.
BEGICH, BERKOWITZ, CANTWELL – HOAX FUNDRAISER?
Washington Sen. Maria Cantwell is having another Alaska-based fundraiser, and it’s hosted again by Mark Begich and Ethan Berkowitz. Cantwell led the charge to block the opening of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge 1002 Area for limited oil exploration. Here’s the invitation, in case you want to attend. We hear her campaign is going to be strongly based on shutting down Alaska:
Must Read Alaska has been informed there is no such fundraising reception tonight. This information is posted by the Sunlight Foundation in cooperation with the Center for Responsive Politics, which runs OpenSecrets.org, although when contacted this morning, neither group would take responsibility for the posting:
WHEELS COMING OFF ML&P SALE?
Now we are finding out that there were higher bids — or would-be bids — for Anchorage’s ML&P? But what did Chugach Electric have that the other bidders did not have?
Mark Begich.
Last time Begich was involved in a sale like this — ATU — the public lost close to $400 million. He orchestrated a no vote on the Assembly on an $800 million sale, only to sell the utility later for $400 million. The voters don’t have all the information on what’s behind the sale of the city’s utility, and what Mark Begich’s cut is going to be.
Gov. Bill Walker has chosen Mike Shower to fill the Senate E seat vacated by Sen. Mike Dunleavy, who is running for governor.
Shower is a United States Air Force retired pilot who now flies for FedEx. He was among the original applicants to the Senate Seat E position.
“I am deeply appreciative that Gov. Walker has appointed a new senator from the list of nominees submitted by the Alaska Republican Party,” said ARP Chairman Tuckerman Babcock. “I have no reservations about Mike Shower and expect he will be confirmed, although that is a decision that is up to the Republican members of the State Senate,” said Tuckerman Babcock.
Shower was educated at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado. He flew F-15Cs and F-22s, and was a pilot instructor between 1990 and 2010 and retired as a lieutenant colonel.
After his military service, he transferred to civilian work in support of the U.S. and allied air forces, providing training to aircrews before starting as a pilot for Delta and then FedEx in 2012.
Shower was among four names given to the governor by party members in District E, which stretches from Wasilla to Valdez and wraps around to Whittier. His name was offered in the second round, after Walker tangled with the District in the first round of nominations.
His nomination must be confirmed by sitting Republicans in the Alaska Senate, who are meeting today to discuss his nomination.
“I would like to express my gratitude to Republican leaders in District 10 for nominating me to serve the great people of Alaska in Senate District E,” Shower said in a statement. “I am also deeply honored by my appointment to that seat by Governor Walker. I look forward to to speaking with Senate leadership and to the Senate’s consideration of my appointment.”
Married with three children, Shower and his family moved from Eagle River to Wasilla, District 10, in 2010. He has a son who is a retired U.S. Marine, a daughter who is married to an Army veteran, and a 17-year-old son who graduates from high school in a few months. He and his wife are grandparents of one.
Beth Bolander, an artist from Haines, has just been edited by the precious snowflakes. And now she’s been bullied by them. She may not know it, but her art will never be the same.
Bolander’s elaborate, time-consuming artistic endeavor, Doragon, after winning third place in the Juneau Wearable Arts Show last weekend, was pulled from the final runway lineup because someone of Asian heritage complained about “cultural appropriation.”
Welcome to the world of politically correct runway art.
Christy NaMee Eriksen was offended by the entry. She said that viewing it was like being punched three times. She actually equated it to physical violence against her.
“Culture is not a costume. Real life in this body cannot be made up,” she wrote in a long and anguished essay on Facebook.
“Then you are punched again, bc it was so planned and so supported. Accepted into the show and dress rehearsed. You are punched several hundred times at once, in sync with the applause of the audience. There is not tasteful blackface. There is not tasteful redface. But here are my neighbors. My community’s teachers, reporters, doctors, artists, builders, leaders. Here they all are, cheering for yellowface.
When you approach the JAHC executive director and staff (the organizers) they say “honestly christy it’s been a long day.” And “you’re not making this easy” and “I asked ____[asian person] and she said it was okay.” This is how they punch you again and again on reflex, simply bc they are so used to punching your people this way. So sure of their body, so confident in being, so unused to listening. This punch is the worst bc they scold you with your own name, as though even it can be twisted for their own delight. As though you are a tired child and not a former board member, not someone who has shown knowledge or leadership in racial justice at their org, as though you are not a donor, a gallery sponsor, a ticket buyer, or a real life Asian person with real life thoughts and feelings. From their view, you are punching yourself.
Racism isn’t one act or one person being offended. It is an institutionalized oppression, kept alive by intentional and unintentional practices that center the experience of white people and invalidate people of color. The JAHC should be a leader in the arts and a leader in racial equity in our city. They owe us an apology and they must commit to doing better.
I’d like to ask my community, especially white allies, for help. Will you advocate for racial justice in our town by making this same request of the JAHC, and having the conversations necessary to create change? The honest truth is I am weak of spirit lately. I have to set some boundaries for myself around this. I am posting this with sorrow and with hope and now I am letting it go for awhile so it doesn’t eat me. Thank you in advance for listening. Thank you for being in this community with me. Thank you to people of color who have both courage and faith, sharp teeth and soft lips, you inspire me, thank you the most. Kamsahamnida
THE BULLYING BEGINS
Dozens of people agreed, expressing sympathy for Eriksen’s position and some said they were shocked and appalled at how insensitive the costume was, presumably because the artist is not of Asian descent, the model is not of Asian descent, yet the work of art incorporates Asian themes such as kimono, obi, and chopsticks, along with a mermaid theme.
The Juneau Arts and Humanities Council didn’t do what most arts organizations do first, which is defend the artist (or the model, who cannot help but feel burned by the criticism).
Instead, JAHC piled on publicly to mollify a complainant. It apologized in writing for offending anyone.
“The JAHC deeply regrets the pain that running this piece has caused and disavows all forms of cultural appropriation. In deference to experts more educated on those difficult topics, the artist, production team, and JAHC have made the decision to not run the piece in today’s show.” – Juneau Arts and Humanities Council
JAHC went on to say it would embrace the controversy as a learning moment that would foster community discussion.
One contrarian on Facebook said the criticism went too far, and that equating a costume on a runway with being punched is unfair to people who have really been punched.
That’s how conversations go on Facebook — everyone’s a critic, and this conversation was no different. People chimed in from both sides and the debate rages on.
But it exposed a Chairman Mao-style Cultural Revolution taking place in the Juneau arts community, where certain forms of art will be banned from sale, and now from view. This is a purging of the impure. During the Cultural Revolution, only art representing rosy-cheeked revolutionaries was allowed, and then only expressed in social realism style of art. There was, after all, a correct way to do art.
In 2018, the leading Juneau arts organization is now censoring art that is impure in its imagination. There are incorrect ways to do art in the new cultural revolution in Juneau.
The artistic suppression extends not only to Bolander, but now to every artist who is planning to work on a wearable work of art for next year’s show.
Every performance artist or model will be mindful of the public shaming, and each will hold back just a little, consciously or unconsciously. Children will need to be taught the new rules of first checking to make sure no one will be offended before putting a crayon to a piece of paper.
Some artists will second-guess themselves: “Can I incorporate chopsticks?” “Is this raven head OK?” Without exception, they will seal off areas of creativity for fear of reprisal: No African-inspired elements. No Alaska Native inspiration. No Plains Indian leatherwork. No Asian inspiration.
It’s a brave new world for artists. But we have even more cautions for the wearable art creators: Whatever you do, in the future, no pants. Pants were invented in China by nomadic tribes. Please don’t be insensitive.
Three Southwest Alaska names have been chosen by District 38 Democrats, and two of the names belong to former mayors of Bethel. The third runs a job training program. Anyone of them could be the next state representative. Or the governor could go his own way and pick someone else.
District 38 lost representation when Rep. Zach Fansler had to resign from office, effective Feb. 12. He had been accused of various abuses of a woman in a hotel room in Juneau a month earlier — slapping and such — although charges have never been filed. Fansler had only held the job for a year, after ousting longtime Democrat Bob Herron.
Led by Fansler’s legislative aide Ben Anderson-Agimuk, who suddenly. became District 38 chair for the Alaska Democratic Party, Democrats took applications from interested persons over last week and chose from among them:
Yvonne Jackson
Yvonne Jackson, runs job training programs at the Association of Village Council Presidents, a nonprofit tribal organization in Bethel. Jackson, 28, is registered as a Democrat but in voter roles lists her address in Anchorage, according to at least one recent voter database, and she has spent several years working and studying in Anchorage. Born in Bethel and raised in Kasigluk, she completed her associate’s degree in Anchorage in 2105.
Raymond Williams
Raymond “Thor” Williams, former Bethel mayor who has worked in substance abuse for the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corp. Williams, 50, is a registered Democrat in Bethel. Originally from the East Coast, he has been a resident of Bethel for over 20 years and serves on the Bethel City Council; he was mayor from 2005-2006. He also serves on the Lower Kuskokwin School District Board.
Tiffany Zulkosky
Tiffany Zulkosky, a former Bethel mayor. A database search of Zulkosky, 34, shows that she is not currently a registered Democrat, but is a registered “other. Born and raised in Bethel, she is of Yup’ik and Polish descent and is vice president of communications for the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation. She earned a bachelor’s degree in organizational communication from Northwest University and master’s in public administration from the University of Alaska Southeast.
Gov. Bill Walker has until March 12 to pick from among the three names he has received, or a person of his own choosing, such as he did for District 40s replacement of Dean Westlake with John Lincoln, and as he has tried to do in Senate Seat E, with less success.
House District 38 covers a rural part of Southwest Alaska that has Bethel as its hub. One person has filed for the District 38 House seat that will be on the ballot this year: Darren Deacon, a Native from the village of Kalskag, has filed to run for the Fansler’s old seat as a Republican.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission isn’t coddling the Alaska Gasline Development Corporation anymore. And it’s not giving the AKLNG project a trophy for participation.
In fact, FERC dished out a helping of “tough love” to Alaska’s gasline project last week.
In a long and detailed Feb. 15 letter to AGDC, FERC told the State of Alaska that its January answers to 801 questions FERC had asked in August were not up to grade level.
“To date, only minimal drafts, and in most cases just outlines, of these plans have been provided, and/or the development of the plans have been deferred to a later date…” FERC complained about the quality and completeness of AGDC’s responses to questions.
This was like the parent-teacher conference from hell: Johnny’s work was “unsatisfactory.”
FERC went on to say that an application that lacked answers to specific questions “will be considered incomplete.”
And without a complete application, there will be no ‘social promotion’ to a permit.
In addition, the federal authority said that AGDC must go back and do the engineering analysis and environmental workup for routing the gasline to either Valdez or Port MaKenzie. Right now, it’s headed to Nikiski, a destination chosen back when the project was being led by the commercial partners, not the State of Alaska.
That request alone is asking the State to scope out two more huge projects.
Last week’s letter and request for information from FERC is 170 pages long. The ask is enormous.
But the key point is that FERC says it has asked for specifics and has received generalities or a “none of your business” type answer from AGDC. And it’s clear that FERC is not amused.
The federal regulatory body is asserting that it needs studies that AGDC doesn’t think it needs, such as sediment modeling and health impact assessment.
According to the federal agency, if AGDC keeps sending back “not applicable” answers, FERC will keep sending the questions back, wrote James Martin, the project’s point person at FERC. This could go on for a while, if AGDC really thinks it can wear out the patience of the federal regulator.
“Per these regulations, I am informing you that any response from AGDC that states, ‘the information is not required by the state or other agency and will not be provided’ will be considered incomplete and reissued. Incomplete responses and the reissuances of requests for information will affect the schedule for completing the environmental review,” FERC’s Martin wrote.
“Rather than providing specific avoidance and mitigation measures to be adopted or describing potential considerations if the construction schedule cannot be maintained, AGDC has deferred providing information to future plans or the permitting phase (e.g., through Alaska Department of Fish & Game Fish Habitat permit application or other processes). It is imperative that the information provided in AGDC’s responses include definitive commitments to implement specific avoidance, minimization, and mitigation measures. Incomplete information or ill-defined commitments by AGDC may compromise our ability to adequately assess and disclose the full impact of the Project.”
Martin is making it pretty clear that his agency is in control and has no intention of advancing the draft environmental impact statement without everything he has asked for.
FERC demanded that a complete response to its request for information should come within 20 days of the Feb. 15 letter. If information is not available, then FERC implied that preparation of the draft environmental impact statement would be likely be impacted: “You should be aware that the information described in the enclosure is necessary for us to continue preparation of the draft environmental impact statement.”
WHAT EXACTLY DOES FERC STILL NEED FROM AGDC?
AGDC’s original application to FERC contained 50,000 pages of material, including maps, engineering and design.
But FERC has given AGDC an 289-item punch list to complete, where it says AGDC’s original application fell short. The items needed are complex and will require time and money.
For example, the first item on the punch list is broken into eight parts:
a. Wildlife Avoidance and Interaction Plan (see also Wildlife data requests). Provide confirmation that AGDC would incorporate the U.S. Fish and Wildlife’s (FWS) Polar Bear Interaction Guidelines (Non-Department of Interior Guidelines, November 2010) and Polar Bear Deterrence Guidelines (last updated March 2017) into the Project-specific Wildlife Avoidance and Interaction Plan.
b. Marine Mammals Monitoring and Mitigation Plan (see also Marine Mammal data requests)
c. Revised Restoration Plan (see also Vegetation and Soils data requests)
d. Groundwater Monitoring Plan (see also Groundwater data requests)
e. Noxious/Invasive Plant and Animal Control Plan
f. Fugitive Dust Plan (see also Soils data requests)
g. Public Land Use and Recreational Use Coordination Plans, or the equivalent, to provide site-specific information on each of these areas proposed to be crossed and measures to reduce impacts on these areas. The response to data request No. 17 for Resource Report 8, dated December 29, 2017, indicated that AGDC would develop these plans after the final environmental impact statement (EIS), but before construction. However, FERC needs site-specific information on the construction and operation of the proposed facilities in these areas, as well as measures to reduce impacts, in order to complete the draft EIS.
h. Site-specific plans for residences within 50 feet of Project workspaces. The response to data request No. 10 for Resource Report 8, dated December 29, 2017, indicated that AGDC would develop these plans prior to construction. FERC requires these plans to complete the draft EIS in order to provide all affected landowners the opportunity to comment on the plans.
CAN AGDC DO IT IN 20 DAYS?
On Nov. 16, AGDC ‘got out over its skis’ and asked FERC to speed up review and take action on its application. It believed it would get an environmental impact statement in 12 months for the biggest permitted project in North American history.
But the State agency had not even submitted its answers to the 801 questions it received from FERC after filing its application in April.
In December, AGDC President Meyer wrote that the agency had “asked federal officials to publish a schedule for Alaska LNG’s Environmental Impact Statement process immediately.”
That is an unusual ask, since the federal agency was still waiting for its 801 answers.
And in January, the Alaska agency said it had given FERC its final answers and postured that it was ready to go: “AGDC expects FERC will determine they now have the information necessary to complete their analysis and will soon publish a schedule for the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process in the federal register that outlines the activities over the next year to develop a draft EIS and a final EIS. The outcome of this NEPA process will be a FERC order that authorizes AGDC to construct Alaska LNG.”
In January, Meyer characterized his agency’s status as having achieved a milestone: “Today’s accomplishment, on top of recent commercial agreements, is a clear signal to the markets that Alaska LNG is on track to deliver energy stability at competitive prices by 2024/2025.”
That was not how FERC saw it.
FERC’s Feb. 15 response to AGDC was sobering in both its tone and in the scope of items still missing from the application. The Chinese ‘investors’will, no doubt, be taking a keen interest.
To date, AGDC and the Governor’s Office have issued no response to the letter that has, for the moment, left them speechless.
