Page 1643 – Must Read Alaska

Part II: Which Republican is running for governor?

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December 9, 2016

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With 24 months to go in the Bill Walker Administration, Alaskans are already looking for an alternative. Mark Begich and Sen. Bill Wielechowski are said to be interested Democrats, but who among Republicans is queueing up to make a run for governor?

The list we posted earlier this week was by no means complete. Since then, readers have pointed out that there are a few other politicos and some business leaders who might challenge Walker, who is not a member of a political party and whose approval rating has slipped into the 30s, according to pollster Ivan Moore.

Our list continues, starting with those now holding public office:

Mike Chenault: Elected to the House in 2000, Speaker Mike Chenault of Nikiski is on everyone’s list as a possible contender for governor. He knows state government inside and out, has a political resume a mile long, projects an easy manner, is knowledgeable about the workings of government and is handing over the speaker’s gavel to Rep. Charisse Millett. He was on the Kenai Peninsula Borough School Board, the Kenai Fire Service Board, and was president of the North Peninsula Chamber of Commerce.

Strengths: Impressive political resume. Successful House speaker (most years). Some statewide name recognition. Respectable fundraising ability. Strong political base on the Kenai. Aw-shucks, down to earth style will appeal to many voters.
Weaknesses: Maybe tied to the fiscal crisis, as leader of the House during the big spending years. 2018 will not be a good year for former legislators. Kenai political base would be split if Sen. Peter Micciche runs.

Peter Micciche: Senator Micciche is a centrist from the Kenai who served as the mayor of Soldotna as well as on the Soldotna City Council. He was elected to the Legislature in 2013. His management experience is impressive, having been the superintendent of the ConocoPhillips liquefied natural gas plant in Kenai for several years. He started his career with Phillips Petroleum in 1986 as a roustabout, working his way up. He also has a commercial salmon gillnetting permit.

Strengths: Moderate politics, which may appeal to general election voters. Good grasp of private sector principles. Articulate. Intelligent. Kenai Peninsula base.
Weaknesses: Statewide name recognition. Fundraising might be a challenge. Primary voters may be less drawn to his moderate place on the spectrum. Sometimes can be thin-skinned with the media.

Click Bishop: Senator Bishop of Fairbanks has a lot of experience in government, having been commissioner of Labor under Gov. Sean Parnell and having been a senator since 2013. He has strong ties in the labor arena as the administrator for Alaska Operating Engineers and Employers Training Trust, 1991-2006 and he’s from the Interior, an important part of the state. Plus, he is a heck of a nice guy.

Strengths: Hails from Interior Alaska, which is often a battleground region in statewide races. Government experience. Would draw labor support, which would be helpful after the primary.
Weaknesses: Little statewide name recognition. Strong labor ties may be a problem in the primary. Fundraising may be a challenge.

Business Leaders. The year 2018 could be a good year for political outsiders not tied to the fiscal crisis and unpopular decisions that are likely to be required:

Doug Smith: The former president of Little Red Services, an oil field services company, Smith sold the company to Arctic Slope Regional Corporation and is now president and CEO of AES, a subsidiary of ASRC. He’s taken public stances favoring SB 21, the More Alaska Production Act, as well as the need for state budget cuts.

Strengths: Strong business credibility and management skills, having built a successful company. Would likely be in a position to dedicate some personal funds. Would draw support from the oil and gas service sector.
Weaknesses: No name recognition outside of the oil and gas community. No political experience. Has never held office.

Scott Hawkins: Founder and CEO of Advanced Supply Chain International, co-founder of HAI Shirokuma tours, both successful companies, Hawkins also was founding president of the Anchorage Economic Development Corporation. He founded the nonprofit Prosperity Alaska and his independent expenditure group, The Accountability Project, was instrumental in defeating Vince Beltrami, Harry Crawford (twice), Jim Colver, Luke Hopkins and others, preserving a Republican Senate and House.

Strengths: Business credibility and management skills, successful businesses and nonprofits. Political fundraising ability and campaign experience. An economist who gets things done. Numerous sitting legislators are aware of what he has done for them.
Weaknesses: Little name recognition outside of Anchorage. Has never held office. His independent expenditure work on legislative races would draw brickbats from the left.

Ralph Samuels: Once a candidate for governor, and a state representative from 2002-2008, Ralph Samuels is happy these days as the VP of government affairs for Holland America Princess Lines. A former airline executive for Penair, former chair of the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce, and former board member of the State Chamber of Commerce, as a legislator, he was the only one who voted against Sarah Palin’s Alaska Gasline Inducement Act (AGIA) to build a natural gas pipeline from the North Slope, with $500 million in state funds.

Strengths: Good name recognition, strong people skills, a natural in front of a crowd, he understands both state government and has strong chops when it comes to economic development. Has experience running statewide campaign. Can raise money. Demonstrates ability to take tough stances.
Weaknesses: Doesn’t seem to want to run again. Would have to be drafted. Wife is an oil company lobbyist, which would draw brickbats from the left.

The Obamacare showdown begins

Suzanne Downing

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December 8, 2016

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Armed with Outside money from unknown organizations, Anchorage-based Ship Creek Group is leading an effort today to try to get U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan to back down on their opposition to Obamacare.

With a Republican president set to take control of the West Wing, and with Republican majorities in the U.S. House and Senate, the signature legislation of President Barack Obama is heading into heavy seas.

It will change, but no one knows by how much.”Repeal and replace” is the mantra.

At 1:30 pm, an orchestrated press conference presenting itself as a grassroots cause springing forth from the masses — will hold a press event at The Boardroom, an office space in downtown Anchorage where the left-leaning political consultancy Ship Creek Group has its suites.

John-Henry Heckendorn is Ship Creek Group’s founder and owner, and Andre Horton is the event coordinator. Horton works for Lottseldt Strategies, which also owns Casey Reynolds’political blog MidnightSunAK. These entities have worked tirelessly to elect Democrats in Alaska.

The idea, Must Read Alaska has learned, is to especially hold Murkowski’s feet to the fire by telling stories of real Alaskans who have real health concerns that have been helped by their access to subsidized insurance.

What they won’t tell you during the press conference is that Obamacare is collapsing all around real Alaskans.

In fact, earlier this year, the Republican-led Alaska Legislature had to bail out Obamacare with a $55 million infusion of cash at the request of Gov. Bill Walker, an unaligned politician who sides with Democrats in most cases.

“What I’m getting — and I guarantee what the Alaska Legislature’s getting — is constituents pleading with them for help,” Sen. Dan Sullivan told Politico earlier this year. “There’s been no state in the union more negatively impacted by Obamacare than Alaska.”

That’s true, according to every analyst, and the stories that Sen. Murkowski’s staff hears every day are horrific: Real Alaskans with real health concerns are paying more for their health care coverage now than they pay for their mortgages.

And the choice that was promised by Barack Obama and the Democrats? That’s one of the biggest rackets of the century, critics say.

In May, Moda Health announced its long-anticipated withdrawal from the market next month, which leaves Alaskans with only one option for health insurance in the individual market. Some 14,000 Alaskans will be forced to change insurers next year, and they are down to one company.

Monthly premiums of $3,000 per person is not unlikely in the near future, as Alaskans have seen increases of more than 30 percent per year each year in Alaska since the Affordable Care Act was implemented.

Sen. Murkowski is not impressed with Obamacare and has shared stories on the floor of the Senate about:

Alaskans paying more than $2,000 per month for the cheapest bronze plan available on the “marketplace.” For $24,000 a year, a bronze plan pays for only 60 percent of health care bills, with a $6,000 deductible.
In Anchorage, a couple with Moda had been paying $2,500 a month with a $10,000 deductible, an increase of $1,000 a month over their premiums for 2015. Now that they must switch to Premera for 2017 and will see yet another increase.

A woman in Anchorage has watched year after year as her rates increased from $500 a month to nearly $2,000 a month and fears for what the 2017 premium rates hold.

A married couple in Wasilla was paying $850 per month prior to Obamacare, but that plan was not acceptable under the new regulations, despite the President’s promise that “if you like your plan, you can keep it.” They had to find another insurer. Next year, they will be paying over $2,300 per month. That means they will be paying over $17,000 more per year for the same coverage, a 268 percent increase in just one calendar year.

A family of three in Ketchikan will pay almost $2,000 per month next year, for one of the cheapest bronze plans available. This plan comes with a $10,500 deductible. So despite paying almost $24,000, nearly all medical bills will still be paid out-of-pocket by this family.

“I am hearing from more and more Alaskans that they feel it is cheaper to simply not buy insurance, pay the tax penalty, and hope no one in the family becomes sick. Hoping to not get sick is not a health plan,” Murkowski said. “And as more and more Alaskans drop out of the market, costs for those that remain go up, driving more to drop out, and the system overall tumbles into a death spiral.”

The picture for Obamacare in Alaska is grim. State officials have said that the last company standing — Moda — can’t raise its rates high enough to cover the bills.

Here’s what today’s Obamacare-support event promises:

ALASKANS ANNOUNCE PRESS EVENT ON ACA REPEAL

Alaskans come together tomorrow to share stories about their experience with Obamacare and advocate for a clear plan that protects vulnerable citizens.

ANCHORAGE, ALASKA –

Alaskans are rallying together against the proposal to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) without a plan to protect the provisions that Alaskans have come to depend on.

At 1:30 pm tomorrow, Thursday, December 8th, a multi-generational, multi-community group of Alaskans are holding a press event to share their stories about the impact of the ACA in their lives and express their concerns about the proposed repeal.

The event is hosted by the Boardroom, an Anchorage co-working space that houses more than fifty young professionals, free lancers, investors and local small business owners. The Boardroom is located on the second floor of the Key Bank Plaza building downtown, at 601 w 5th Ave, Anchorage. A conference call-in line will be sent around tomorrow. Contact Andre Horton with any problems calling in.

Concerned citizens and advocates in Alaska are determined to defend the ACA’s key provisions which have expanded heath care coverage to Americans with pre-existing conditions, allowed those under the age of 26 to stay on their parents’ plan, eliminated lifetime and yearly coverage caps, and has covered millions of working families and children in states that have expanded Medicaid.

At tomorrow’s press conference, advocates will outline what’s at stake for Alaskan’s families if Congress repeals the ACA without a plan for replacement. For millions of Americans there is much uncertainty in a world without the Affordable Care Act, and there is even more uncertainty if the ACA is repealed without a plan to replace the law with something else.

SCHEDULE:

1:30 – Attendees arrive, distribute informational materials, open conference line

1:35 – Open with welcome and introduction from Facilitator

1:40 – 1st speaker: Rev. Matt Schulz, Pastor at First Presbyterian Church, Anchorage

1:45 – 2nd speaker Nathan Ord, commercial fisherman, medical student – WWAMI Program, Juneau

1:50 – 3rd speaker: Rep. Adam Wool, business owner, father of family with multiple preexisting conditions, Fairbanks

1:55 – 4th speaker: Matt Findley, President of the Alaska Hemophilia Association

2:00 – Brief transition to press questions (Facilitator)

2:00-2:25 – Press questions

2:25 – Wrap up and concluding remarks (Facilitator)

2:30 – Opportunity for one-on-one questions and on camera interviews

2:45 – Take Down

Bright, shiny objects: Trump transition, parties, inaugural news, new taxes

Suzanne Downing

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December 7, 2016

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MAKING THE ROUNDS: DC is an absolute beehive of activity this week. Spotted at the Alaska State Society’s Dec. 5 holiday party, was Trump Campaign’s Alaska Director Jerry Ward, flanked by Alaska Public Media’s Liz Ruskin and Sen. Dan Sullivan Senior Advisor Amanda Coyne, photographed above.

Also partying with fellow Alaskans were Kaleb Froehlich, Will Treadwell, Hannah Beckett, Parker Haymans, Ayla O’Scannell, Kathy Mayo (does it get more stylish?), Breg Bringhurst (rural adviser for Lisa Murkowski) with wife Charlene and their new baby, while normally reserved Sullivan staffer Liz Banicki could not get enough of that baby. Jack Ferguson (with fellow lobbyist and wife Veronica Slajer) was busy being the insider that he is. Everyone seemed to be holding a stuffed teddy bear, which were the party favors.

In DC this week is House Minority Leader Rep. Charisse Millett, outgoing Finance member Rep. Lynn Gattis, and House Minority Floor Leader Rep. Dan Saddler, there for the National Conference of State Legislatures. Sen. Bill Stolze attended and was also making the rounds of the Capitol, where he was seen at Sen. Dan Sullivan’s office on the 7th floor of the Hart Building.

Meanwhile, Millett, Saddler and Gattis were spotted having lunch with Sen. Dan Sullivan in the Senate Dining Room.

Others in DC include Sen. Lyman Hoffman and Rep. Geran Tarr .

Staffers Kim Skipper (Rep. Saddler) and Rex Shattuck (Rep. Mark Neuman) are attending NCSL, where they serve on key committees.

Could Sen. Stoltze be in line for a position with the Trump team, possibly something to do with Agriculture? It’s the speculation. He does, after all, love to push Mat-Su carrots wherever he goes.

Others making the rounds include Mat-Su Borough Manager John Lucy, who along with the Mat-Su Borough delegation was meeting with Sen. Sullivan and taking in the DC Christmas sights.

TRANSITION/INAUGURAL NEWS: The Alaska State Society has set Jan. 21 as the date for its inaugural ball joining with Montana, Washington, Oregon, and Colorado State Societies. “The Best of the West” Inaugural Ball will take place in the Old Ebbitt Grill Atrium, steps from the White House. It’s a non-partisan event with an open bar and heavy hors d’oeuvres. Cocktail or “Black Tie Lite” attire is encouraged. Tickets.

Jerry Ward, who is all of a sudden on the “Trump Everything A-list,” has been named Native American affairs liaison for the Trump Presidential Inaugural Committee. He’s got the inside track for a Trump permanent position, most likely with Native issues. He’ll meet with Lt. Gov. Byron Mallott on Friday.

Ward is on the 58th Presidential Inaugural Committee and is working on details for how Alaskans can get tickets to the various parties and parades. Stay tuned.

“I’m amazed. It’s exciting times,” Ward said. “Standing here at the window looking out over Washington, D.C. — it’s quite a ways from the convention in Fairbanks. I’ve never done anything like this before.”

Among events he is trying to get Trump to attend on Jan. 20 is an inaugural ball at the National Museum for American Indians, where a Native American-themed event will be honoring Native American veterans. He’s on that A-list, too.

SALES TAX FOR ANCHORAGE? Anchorage Assembly member Bill Evans on Tuesday introduced a four percent sales tax on goods and services, exempting things already taxed, such as cigarettes and hotel rooms, and exempting food, medicine, child care, legal, doctor education, utilities.

Evans says it will add $100 million to the city, offset by a greater property tax exemption. It’s also a defensive measure in case the state imposes a sales tax. The sales tax proposal has a cap of $200.

A public hearing on the tax will be held Dec. 20.

The alt-left news picks its next battle with Amy Demboski

Suzanne Downing

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December 7, 2016

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They were such a nice young couple. But in 2010, the FBI busted the two, who had been quietly living in King Salmon with one child and one one the way.

They had made their way to Anchorage with an assassination list when they were apprehended.

Agents arrested Paul and Nadia Rockwood for activities related to terrorism. Basically, they lied about a list they had given to someone — a list with more than a dozen names of people they considered enemies of Islam.

Paul Rockwood Jr. was a red-bearded weather forecaster from Virginia who now is serving time in federal prison, while Nadia, a pregnant, apple-cheeked Brit, was exiled to England to serve her sentence of probation.

The two had drafted a list of targets in the Lower 48 that were prime for terrorist attacks. They did this while in King Salmon, Alaska. No one in the small town of 440 people suspected a thing.

FAST FORWARD TO 2016: THE LEFT WANTS YOU TO SHUT UP

When Anchorage Assembly Member Amy Demboski asked a question on her radio talk show about whether a Muslim organization possibly in Alaska has terrorist ties, as is alleged by some credible sources, the alt-left media came loaded for bear.

Demboski is no stranger to controversy. During her run for Anchorage mayor, an accusation was made — not by her, mind you — that her Democratic opponent supported incest. Demboski was pushed by then-radio host Casey Reynolds to deny it, but in fact she had not made the charge in the first place.

Later, the tape was produced that revealed that now-Mayor Ethan Berkowitz had (jokingly) said he didn’t care one bit about who had sex with whom. Father-son, no problem, he jousted on the show he shared with his conservative co-host Bernadette Wilson.

But the calling out of Demboski for not distancing herself from that accusation was like a dog whistle to the Democrats. An election tempest ensued with the Left losing its collective head because Demboski would not condemn those making the accusation. As she said at the time, she had no knowledge of the incident. It was not enough.

This past week, Demboski riled the Left again.

screen-shot-2016-12-06-at-8-22-15-pm — *Greg “Shoaib” Jones shakes hands with the Rev. Jesse Jackson during the National Democratic Convention this summer. Jones was a delegate from Alaska and a Bernie Sanders supporter.*

She had had Democrat Greg ‘Shoaib’ Jones on her show recently. He is a member of the Muslim faith and he ran for Rep. Mark Neuman’s District 8 seat, losing badly to the incumbent in one of the most conservative areas of the state.

Demboski asked Jones about his ties to a group called Muslims of America, which is a legitimate line of questioning, considering that the group has had some controversy swirling around it — it used to go by another name: Jamaat ul-Fuqra.

And considering that Jones had said he was a member of the group.

While Muslims of America may or may not be made up of the same folks who identify with terrorism, it’s easy enough to find the links online that would lead a reporter to ask the same questions. A government-funded report on the link between white collar crime and terrorism uses Jamaat ul-Fuqra as a poster child. The Anti-Defamation League has its antenna up for the group, which it ties to Muslims of America.

Muslims of America’s leader, Pakistani Sheikh Muburak Gilani, was linked to the kidnap and murder of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl in 2002. Pearl was working on a story about Richard Reid, the “shoe bomber.” Gilani was interviewed extensively by authorities, but was cleared. CBS’ 60 Minutes has a report on the Gilani-Daniel Pearl connection.

Jones attended Tuesday’s meeting of the Anchorage Assembly and, at the invitation of Democrat Assemblyman Eric Croft, took after Demboski, saying her show spews hate.

She was undaunted: “They are saying I’m spewing hate speech, simply because I shared an article that was featured on Fox News nationally. This is a witch hunt. No wrong was committed until Alaska Commons lied and stoked a fake fire,” Demboski said.

THE OFFICIAL WORD IS…

Last year, FBI Director James Comey said the agency is investigating suspects linked to the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in every state.

“We have investigations of people in various stages of radicalizing in all 50 states,” Comey told the National Association of Attorneys General, as reported by The Hill. He went on to explain that law enforcement is not likely to be the first to notice “someone acting in strange ways.”

The crush of political correctness in the liberal media has had a chilling affect on free speech. And yet the media has also not yet caught up with the fact that Americans are tired of having to edit themselves to fit an ever-changing standard of accepted speech. It’s why Donald Trump is the president-elect and more governors than ever are Republican.

As Demboski navigates the bullies who disagree with her and her line of questioning of those who seek public office, she’s also become subject of threats. Two weeks ago she received a disturbing text message that reminds her that the arena of public opinion can be filled with violent people.

Which is why she protects her First Amendment rights with the Second Amendment pistol at her waist.

Alaska’s electors face pressures to go rogue

Suzanne Downing

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December 7, 2016

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Alaska’s three Republican electors gather in Juneau on Dec. 19 to cast their official ballots for president. It’s an exercise that will happen on the same day across the nation in the 50 capitols plus the District of Columbia.

Sean Parnell, Carolyn Leman, and Jacqueline Tupou — Alaska’s electors for the Republican Party — pledged to vote for the person whom Alaskan voters chose (by a wide margin) on Nov. 8: Donald Trump. It’s winner takes all electors in Alaska.

Trump won 53 percent of the Alaska vote to Clinton’s 38 percent.

To compare, in 2012 Mitt Romney/Paul Ryan won 54 percent of the vote to Barack Obama/Joe Biden’s 40.81%. In 2008, McCain/Palin won 59.42% of Alaska’s vote to Obama/Biden’s 37.89%.

Alaskans can attend the 2016 Electoral College Ceremony at the State of Alaska Library Archives Museum Building in Juneau at 11 a.m., Dec. 19:

As in other parts of the country, Alaska’s electors are getting calls and letters, and have been since the election. Progressives who favor Hillary Clinton are begging them to vote for anyone but Trump. At least one caller promised that there was money for an elector’s legal defense, should he or she choose to defect from their duty.

A petition group boasts that it has 4.7 million signatures of people asking electors to change their votes in favor of Clinton.

The Trump campaign itself is calling electors to ensure they aren’t being bought off, threatened, or otherwise pressured. In other words, Trump is taking no chances that Alaska’s electors will go rogue, and his organization was contacting Alaska’s Republican electors earlier this week.

Just to say “thanks,” of course.

There is no constitutional mandate for electors to vote as they pledged, and there is no specific Alaska law that does clearly lays out the rules, either. It’s quite vague and relies on the honor system:

Alaska Statute 15.30.090 Duties of Electors states: After any vacancies have been filled, the electors shall proceed to cast their votes for the candidates for the office of President and Vice-President of the party that selected them as candidates for electors, or for the candidates for the office of President and Vice-President under AS 15.30.026 if the electors were named under AS 15.30.026, and shall perform the duties of electors as required by the constitution and laws of the United States. The director shall provide administrative services and the Department of Law shall provide legal services necessary for the electors to perform their duties.

That’s ambiguous wording. State law, it appears, leans on the U.S. Constitution, which is silent on the matter of an elector’s conscientious objection.

In fact, there appears to be no real consequence in Alaska law for what’s called a “faithless elector.” Would it be a Class A or B misdemeanor? The question has never been tested.

Alaska’s electors have always followed the will of the voters. The will of Alaskans has been with the Republican Party during every presidential election, save one. Only in 1964 did the Democrats’ electors have the opportunity to cast their ballots, and they did so for Lyndon B. Johnson, who had won Alaska and nearly every other state.

Alaska's electoral votes through since Statehood. — *Alaska’s electoral votes since Statehood.*

There are 538 electors across the United States, with 270 needed to win. Donald Trump won 306 of those votes.

Democrats who are making one last Hail Mary pass to change the outcome of the election only need to convince 37 Republican electors to give their votes to Hillary or someone else, like John Kasich.

The newly minted Hamilton Electors are not likely to find defectors from Alaska, however. As for Kasich, he caught wind that he was being dragged into the fray and today told the Republican electors to vote for Trump:

“I am not a candidate for president and ask that electors not vote for me when they gather later this month. Our country had an election and Donald Trump won,” Kasich wrote on Twitter.

However, at least one of the 538 have declared himself to be a faithless elector, and there may be five others mulling it over.

If the movement succeeds — and it’s unlikely to — the matter goes to the U.S. House of Representatives for a final decision. There’s no doubt the House would confirm Trump, thus rendering the electoral shenanigans meaningless.

More on the twists and intrigue of what happens if electors go rogue can be found at the Constitution Center blog.

How the bombing of Pearl Harbor shaped the Alaska Highway

The 907

Suzanne Downing

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December 6, 2016

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How the bombing of Pearl Harbor shaped the Alaska Highway

screen-shot-2016-12-02-at-3-50-16-pm — The USS Arizona under attack by Japanese on Dec. 7, 1941. (Photographer unknown, National Archives and Records Administration ID 195617.)

It is 75 years since the Dec. 7, 1941 bombing of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

Alaskans, many of whom are a transient lot by nature, don’t often reflect on what the surprise attack did for the development of our state. Call it a silver lining, if you will, because if not for the attack, there might be no road to Alaska.

The surprise bombing went on for 110 long minutes, with 353 Japanese fighter planes, launched from six aircraft carriers sinking four U.S. battleships and heavily damaging four others, along with a litter of other planes, ships and infrastructure. Some 2,403 Americans died that day and 1,178 others were wounded.

Pearl Harbor attack — In this photo taken by a pilot of a Japanese fighter plane as the attack on Pearl Harbor was underway, a torpedo had already hit the USS West Virginia on the far side of Ford Island, in the center of the photo, and other ships and planes are on fire. Note the Japanese script at the bottom of the photo, indicating it is an official government document.

The shock of having our own territory attacked brought the U.S. officially into World War II. We had already been quietly helping our allies in Europe, to be sure, but Pearl Harbor changed everything.

The very next day, Dec. 8, the US declared war on Japan. Decisions during wartime come quickly.

One such decision came two months later, when Congress approved the US Army’s plan to build a highway to Alaska through Canada, with the United States bearing the complete cost of the project. The Canadians were to take over the Canadian portion of the highway at the end of the war.

The project had languished for decades but gained urgency because of the growing aggressiveness of Japan. Already, the Imperial Japanese Army had occupied the islands of Attu and Kiska in the Aleutians. The Japanese had breached both Alaska and Hawaii.

On March 8, 1943, road construction began, and the entire route was essentially rough and ready for military use by Oct. 28, 1943. It was barely passable and has been a work in progress ever since.

It took nearly 16,000 soldiers and civilians to push through 1,700 miles of wilderness from Dawson Creek, British Columbia, to Big Delta, Alaska, where the pioneer road met the Richardson Highway, which itself was not much more than a trail for gold stampeders.

Seventy-five years later, it takes decades and thousands of permits to build roads in America. Alaskans rightfully complain that the federal government won’t allow an 11-mile one-ane gravel road from King Cove to the all-weather airport at Cold Bay. The King Cove City Council has been trying to get the road since 1976.

As a state, Alaska has not built a major new highway in half a century.

But during World War II, the U.S. and Canada built an international highway in eight months.

*A caterpillar tractor-grader building the Alaska Highway in 1942.*

The hardships of building the Alcan through the wilderness of Canada are almost unimaginable today. The men arrived in still-frozen territory and had to wait until the ground thawed just enough to get started.

Cpl. Refines Sims Jr., left, and Pvt. Alfred Jalufkamet of the US Army Corps of Engineers meet in the middle as they complete construction of the Alaska Highway in 1942. — Cpl. Refines Sims Jr. and Pvt. Alfred Jalufkamet of the US Army Corps of Engineers meet in the middle to celebrate the completion of the Alaska Highway in 1942, the biggest North American project since the building of the Panama Canal.

Then came the rivers of mud and ice that swamped the equipment, the floods, the forest fires, the mosquitoes and the exhausting pace of work. None of the hardship is visible today to the traveler who takes on what is one of the greatest road trips in the world — the Alcan Highway, and feels quite victorious when reaching the historic milepost at Mile 1520 in Fairbanks.

This project from hell in 1942 was the road to the future. A National Geographic documentary on the construction of the Alcan tells the story with footage that reminds the viewer how, once upon a war, Americans believed they could do just about anything.

Which Republican is vying for Alaska Governor’s Office

Suzanne Downing

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December 5, 2016

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With the 2016 election behind us, and the Anchorage municipal election dead ahead, politicos in Alaska are looking around for the conservative who will be at the top of the Republican ticket in less than 24 months.

Who will run for governor as a Republican and how crowded will be the field? Here are the names that knowledgeable observers are dropping at this early stage:

Robert Gillam: The race will begin shortly, with multi-millionaire Robert Gillam expected to throw his hat in the ring the first week of January by putting together a “kitchen cabinet” that will meet on a weekly basis. He’s also said to be working on a publicity campaign to stop Gov. Walker’s proposed state income tax. If he doesn’t get a post as Secretary of Interior, watch for him to commit $3-5 million (rounding error) to fund a race for governor.

Strengths: Virtually unlimited financial resources, positioning him well to “buy” the primary election in what is likely to be a crowded field. Potential to be a Trump-like candidate, with his personal wealth and propensity for blunt talk. Could position himself as a true outsider.
Weaknesses: No direct political or government experience. Has not run for office before. Potential to be a Trump-like candidate, which would be a problem only if things go badly for The Donald.

Mike Dunleavy: Sen. Mike Dunleavy (R-Mat-Su & Copper River valleys) is said to be working on legislation to stop Gov. Walker from raiding the Alaska Permanent Fund dividend in the future. He is a bold firebrand conservative, both socially and economically. His tall stature and rugged good looks don’t hurt, either.

Strengths: Solid conservative credentials. Would use the Perm Fund Dividend as a populist issue. Administrative experience, strong in education.
Weaknesses: Needs statewide name recognition. Will need broad electoral appeal.

Charlie Huggins: Retiring Sen. Charlie Huggins, of District D, has military background (retired colonel) as well as excellent relationships in the Legislature. Once president of the Senate, he’s leaving office, which could give him the distance he needs from the problem that the 30th Legislature will face in closing the fiscal gap.

Strengths: Strong personal charm, gentlemanly demeanor, truly a nice guy. Military street cred. Strong likability factor.
Weaknesses: Needs statewide name recognition. Can he raise the money.

Anna MacKinnon: Sen. Anna MacKinnon, co-chair of Senate Finance, has the experience to be governor, and the good relationships across party lines, but whether that’s the direction she wants to go is the big question for her. She could suffer politically during this legislative season because, during tough fiscal times, she’ll be making some unpopular decisions.

Strengths: Has been an excellent state senator. Thoughtful. Articulate. Experienced. Hard working.
Weaknesses: Statewide name recognition. May be tied to the Alaska Legislature’s history of overspending.

John Binkley: Former legislator (House, Senate) from Fairbanks, John Binkley is a riverboat captain who is in the tourism business and has an easy laugh every time someone asks him if he’ll throw his name in the hat for governor. He’s done that, he says. It’s not likely, but people ask.

Strengths: Interior base, which is an important battleground region in statewide elections. Business experience and leadership. Great network and therefore good fundraising capacity. Friendly, likeable demeanor. Legislative experience.
Weaknesses: Does not seem to want the office.

Pete Kelly: Sen. Pete Kelly of Fairbanks has considered it but he’s got a huge battle to get through with the fiscal crisis. He can’t throw his name in the ring if in June that crisis is as bad as it was this year in June, meaning he’s got a tough route to the governorship.

Strengths: Interior base, which is an important battleground region in statewide elections. Thoughtful and strategic. Likeable. Strong conservative street cred.
Weaknesses: He’s got to fix the fiscal crisis. That is going to be a challenge.

Don Young: Rep. Don Young could run for governor, and sometimes jokes that he will. But this week he said he’s running for his House seat in 2018. He’ll be 85. Some say if he ran, everyone should simply get out of the way.

Strengths: Statewide name recognition – no one has more. Excellent campaigner. Amazing statewide campaign machinery. It’s his for the taking.
Weaknesses: Does not seem to want the office. Congressman Young looks quite happy in his current office, now 43 years in.

Lisa Murkowski: Some have floated Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s name as a possibility. But that would open up her Senate seat in two years, and Alaska has a powerhouse Washington team that few want to see split up. She has fought too hard to get where she is.

Tuckerman Babcock: Chairman of the Alaska Republican Party, Babcock wrangles all the disparate elements of a party that has a lot of contentious factions. If he can keep that group straight, he could have a shot. But can he avoid the “friendly fire”from the right?

Strengths: Formidable political skills. Great statewide network. Ties all up and down the Railbelt region.
Weaknesses: Needs statewide name recognition. May draw fire from Joe Miller faction.

Dan Sullivan (Mayor): Former Anchorage Mayor Dan Sullivan is always mentioned and has indicated his interest. The unions might have something to say about it, but the mayor surely knows how to cut a budget.

Strengths: Statewide name recognition. Outstanding family pedigree. Strong street cred managing budgets and controlling costs. Sizable political machine in Anchorage. Fundraising abilities. Experience running in a statewide race.
Weaknesses: Intense union opposition. Anchorage roots, which is not always helpful statewide.

Loren Leman: Former Lt. Gov. Loren Leman — conservative, thoughtful, and experienced — has been thinking about it for years. Is this his time? His and Carolyn’s youngest daughter tragically died in a climbing accident one year ago this week. The healing process is never a straight line. Only Leman can know when he’s ready.

Strengths: Experienced both as a senator and lieutenant governor. Managed budgets through lean times in Alaska. Strong support in faith-based community, hardworking, fiscal hawk. Alaska Native.
Weaknesses: A long time has passed since he was in office and Alaska is a transient state. Name recognition and political brand will need to be re-established with a new era of voters. Can he raise the money?

Bill Walker: Current “Nonpartisan” Gov. Bill Walker is said to have brought in a political consultant to see if he could run on the Republican side, and the consultant came back with the verdict: No.

Strengths, weaknesses: Look for Walker to run again as an (ahem) “nonpartisan” as he obviously relishes being governor.

MISSING: SOMEONE FROM THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY

Both John Binkley and Dan Sullivan have strong business credentials, but they are considered part of the political class, not outsiders. Robert Gillam is a political outsider, but he’s closely aligned himself with Donald Trump, and that’s a relationship that could help or hurt, depending on how The Donald does as president.

Where is the business community and who might emerge as a person with the courage to lead during the toughest fiscal situation since the late 1980s? Who has the business credibility, grasp of the issues, potential for broad electoral appeal, and the political savvy to put together a strong campaign?

Some mention the name Brad Keithley, but he’s not likely to pass the opposition research test. As a career attorney, his profession can hurt him.

Others say Joe Beedle (Northrim Bank president), but Joe has landed the job of a lifetime. He has not shown political ambitions, preferring to move the needle in lower key ways.

John Sturgeon has almost folk hero status in Alaska after battling the Park Service all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. He’d have to re-register as a Republican, but he does have broad appeal because of his David-and-Goliath taking on of the federal government.

The hunt is on, and the suggestion box is open. Send your thoughts to [email protected].

How Mitch McConnell saved the Supreme Court

The 907

Suzanne Downing

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December 5, 2016

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WASHINGTON, DC – Conservative Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan had some kind words to say about GOP “establishment guy” and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

Sullivan, sitting in his office with a loosened tie after a morning of committee hearings, pointed out that one of the least understood stories outside of the Beltway is about how McConnell was able to block a President Obama nomination to the US Supreme Court for the rest of his presidency.

When conservative Justice Antonin Scalia died on Feb.13, 2016, it was not only shocking (there was no autopsy after he died at a remote lodge), few believed that Republicans could stand together for nearly a full year and block a nomination for his replacement. It was an election year, after all. Standing together is not always what Republicans do.

They did. And McConnell deserves the credit.

It was a gamble, to be sure, because neither the majority leader nor anyone else could be certain that Hillary Clinton would not be the one choosing the next Supreme Court justice. If she was, it would have likely been a lot worse than the name advanced by President Obama.

A month after Scalia’s death, Obama nominated Merrick Garland, who was the Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

But McConnell early on said he would not meet with Garland, and that set the tone and pace for the rest of the Senate Majority. Many followed suit. The Huffington Post types went nuts, saying the Senate was defying the U.S. Constitution.

But there’s the rub: The Constitution does not give a timeframe for when a nominee must be voted on, Sullivan explained.

Obama, in nominating Garland, reminded senators of his constitutional duty to nominate a new justice and scolded them about their corresponding constitutional duty to “do their job” and hold a vote on that nominee.

“I’m amused when I hear people who claim to be strict interpreters of the Constitution suddenly reading into it a whole series of provisions that are not there,” Obama said. “The Constitution is pretty clear about what is supposed to happen now.”

But the Constitution is perfectly silent on the ASAP part of the process. McConnell, well aware that the stakes were high, knew his Constitution.

Sullivan pointed out that Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution says the President “shall nominate, and by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, shall appoint ambassadors, other public ministers and consuls, judges of the Supreme Court, and all other officers of the United States, whose appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by law.”

Nowhere does the Constitution start the clock on such advice and consent, Sullivan said. And, of course, that process only refers to an up and down vote on the nominee. It’s not a rubber-stamp, nor was it intended to be.

In fact, Article I, Section 5 states: “Each House may determine the rules of its proceedings.” Senators, when asked, said they were considering Garland, reading all of his opinions, doing research on him, and they’d continue researching him for a good long time. Maybe until Jan. 20, 2017.

It’s not that uncommon. As legal observers might recall, Democrats blocked the nomination of Miguel Estrada to the DC Circuit Court for over two years because they didn’t like Estrada’s legal philosophy and because he was a President George W. Bush nominee. This is the same thing that the Republican-controlled Senate has returned in favor to President Obama.

Estrada finally had to withdraw his name and move on with his life.

And, as Sen. Sullivan pointed out, it was Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer in 2007 famously said the Senate “should not confirm a [GW Bush] Supreme Court nominee except in extraordinary circumstances.”

WHO MIGHT BE ON THE LIST

Meanwhile, Donald Trump back in September issued a list of potential nominees, including these:

Keith Blackwell is a justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia, appointed in 2012. He previously served on the Court of Appeals of Georgia. and was a Deputy Special Attorney General of the State of Georgia, an Assistant District Attorney in Cobb County, and a commercial litigator in private practice. Blackwell is a graduate of the University of Georgia School of Law.

Charles Canady is a justice of the Supreme Court of Florida since 2008. He was the court’s chief justice from 2010 to 2012. Justice Canady served on the Florida Second District Court of Appeal and as a member of the United States House of Representatives for four terms. Canady is a graduate of Yale Law School.

Neil Gorsuch is a judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, appointed to the position in 2006. Judge Gorsuch previously served in the Justice Department as a Deputy Assistant Attorney General. Judge Gorsuch was a Marshall Scholar and received his law degree from Harvard. He clerked for Justices Byron White and Anthony Kennedy.

Mike Lee is the junior U.S. Senator from Utah who serves on the Senate Judiciary Committee. He has previously served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Utah and as a Supreme Court Clerk for Justice Alito.

Edward Mansfield is a justice of the Iowa Supreme Court, appointed in 2011 and retained by voters in 2012. Justice Mansfield served as a judge of the Iowa Court of Appeals. He teaches law at Drake University. Mansfield is a graduate of Yale Law School.

Federico Moreno is a judge of the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida and a member of the Judicial Conference of the United States. He served as a state and county court judge in Florida. Moreno is a graduate of the University of Miami School of Law.

Margaret A. Ryan is a judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces since 2006. Judge Ryan served in the Marine Corps through deployments in the Philippines and the Gulf War. She attended Notre Dame Law School and served as a JAG officer for four years. Ryan clerked for Judge J. Michael Luttig of the Fourth Circuit and Justice Clarence Thomas.

Amul Thapar is a judge of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, since his 2007 appointment when he became the first South Asian Article III judge. He has taught law students at the University of Cincinnati and Georgetown and served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Washington, D.C. and the Southern District of Ohio. Immediately prior to his judicial appointment, Judge Thapar was the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. Judge Thapar received his law degree from the University of California, Berkeley.

Timothy Tymkovich is the chief judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, appointed in 2003. He served as Colorado Solicitor General and graduated from the University of Colorado College of Law.

Robert Young is the chief justice of the Supreme Court of Michigan, appointed in 1999, and became part of a majority of justices who embraced originalism and led what one scholar described as a “textualism revolution.” Justice Young was a judge on the Michigan Court of Appeals and is a graduate of Harvard Law School.

The list so far includes:

1. Keith Blackwell

2. Charles Canady

3. Steven Colloton

4. Allison Eid

5. Neil Gorsuch

6. Raymond Gruender

7. Thomas Hardiman

8. Raymond Kethledge

9. Joan Larsen

10. Mike Lee

11. Thomas Lee

12. Edward Mansfield

13. Federico Moreno

14. William Pryor

15. Margaret A. Ryan

16. Amul Thapar

17. Timothy Tymkovich

18. David Stras

19. Diane Sykes

20. Don Willett

21. Robert Young

Meanwhile, Merrick Garland’s nomination is, according to several on The Hill, dead on arrival under President-elect Trump.

Federal permitting — a chance to reform

Suzanne Downing

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December 2, 2016

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Don Young is holding forth, as he does. He’s telling the story of an Alaska harbor master who wants to install a buoy in the harbor for safety. But the harbor master has to get separate permits from the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the EPA.

And then he has to get State permits from the Departments of Natural Resources and Fish and Game. He’s working on five permits for one small buoy.

“And it’s a buoy! It’s for safety!” Rep. Young exclaims, throwing up his hands at a bureaucracy that has become Kafkaesque.

Young has been beating on the permitting-abuse drum for decades. It’s a constant theme of his because Alaskans call his office nearly daily with the most outrageous tales of federal bureaucracies run amuck.

“It shouldn’t take calling your congressman to get relief from the federal bureaucracy, but that is often the route citizens end up having to take,” said Matt Shuckerow, press secretary to Young. “A call to an agency from a member of Congress — that’s something they don’t like to get.” But it’s also the type of call Young and his staff have to make on behalf of Alaskans on a regular basis to get things moving for people who are trying to accomplish the simplest of tasks.

THE PERMITTING ACT THAT SWALLOWED THE ECONOMY

The extravagant expansion of the federal permitting process has created an entire industry that for decades has gummed up the works of critical infrastructure projects and ground progress to a halt.

“The National Environmental Policy Act is the mother of all environmental laws,” said John MacKinnon, executive director of Associated General Contractors of Alaska. Take the Juneau Access Project, which started the NEPA process back in the early 1990s.

“You have to select a ‘preferred alternative’ and if that alternative involves wetlands you need an Army Corps of Engineers permit. But the Corps says they have to look at ALL alternatives so they can choose the one that has the least damaging and still practical alternative. That means you have to start the process all over again,” MacKinnon said, bringing out a graphic he shows during presentations to illustrate the epidemic growth of permitting requirements:

It’s only gotten worse under the Obama Administration, with the environmental lobby having taken over the Department of Interior, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Forest and Park Services.

Everything from buoys to bridges are now held up by the overzealous permitting regulations. NEPA, once a simple law that required environmental impact statements, has grown into thousands of pages of regulatory burden as a result of its ambiguously broad mandate.

NEPA’s requirement that projects complete environmental impact statements before taking major action has given nearly unlimited power to both the federal bureaucracy and environmental organizations, as illustrated by Juneau Access Project, now closing in on a quarter of a century of delays.

SULLIVAN TAKING UP THE CHALLENGE

screen-shot-2016-12-02-at-11-34-05-am — *U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan*

Rep. Young has a counterpart in the Senate who shares his concerns and is uniquely positioned in a committee to do something about it.

U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan, who has advocated for the Juneau Access Project, is developing a bill that will unwind some of the major problems NEPA has created.

[READ: How to put building permits on fast track]

Sullivan has also been talking with President-elect Donald Trump about the need for federal permitting reform in order to jumpstart jobs and rebuild the nation’s aging infrastructure.

The draft of the bill will only be able to reflect what is the purview of the Subcommittee on Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife that he chairs in the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. His staff is delving deep into topics like wetlands mitigation, which has become costly and impractical in Alaska, with its more than 170 million acres of wetlands.

“When we wanted to build a middle school in Juneau, there were pockets in the forest that were the size of potholes, but they decided to call it a forested wetlands,” explained MacKinnon, who used to serve on the Juneau Assembly. “We need to dial down the mitigation on wetlands. It’s gone from costing $10,000 per acre on the North Slope to almost $50,000. It’s extortion.”

One way to lessen the burden of NEPA would be to put in place a set of categorical exclusions, but to do so without also creating another new layer of study requirements that would be open to abuse by the environmental lawsuit industry.

“Forty years ago, the biggest problem we had was trying to find the money to build something. Today our biggest obstacle is getting permission,” MacKinnon said.

With both Rep. Young and Sen. Sullivan committed to permitting reforms, and with a new pro-business president taking the oath of office, the rewrite of federal permitting laws and regulations is tantalizingly close.

Part II: Which Republican is running for governor?

The Obamacare showdown begins

Bright, shiny objects: Trump transition, parties, inaugural news, new taxes

The alt-left news picks its next battle with Amy Demboski

FAST FORWARD TO 2016: THE LEFT WANTS YOU TO SHUT UP

THE OFFICIAL WORD IS…

Alaska’s electors face pressures to go rogue

How the bombing of Pearl Harbor shaped the Alaska Highway

Which Republican is vying for Alaska Governor’s Office

MISSING: SOMEONE FROM THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY

How Mitch McConnell saved the Supreme Court

WHO MIGHT BE ON THE LIST

Federal permitting — a chance to reform

THE PERMITTING ACT THAT SWALLOWED THE ECONOMY

SULLIVAN TAKING UP THE CHALLENGE

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