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Juneau’s new mascot for combined football team is…uh-oh

Suzanne Downing
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The Crimson Bear mascot for Juneau-Douglas High School and the Falcon for Thunder Mountain High School will remain for most sports, but the football mascot for the new combined school team?

Students at JDHS, Thunder Mountain, and Yaakoosge Daakahidi High School were offered a chance to vote on three names: Thunder Bears. Capital City Senators and Orcas.

The response was overwhelming for Thunder Bear.

Evidently school administrators did not check the Urban Dictionary:

Bridgett Weiss, the Director of Student Services at the Juneau School District, told the Juneau Empire that it was a “very strong voice” for the Thunder Bears.

Likely because the students did check the Urban Dictionary.

Downer? Alaska’s cannabis taxes drop off

Suzanne Downing
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Downer? Alaska’s cannabis taxes drop off

For the second month in a row, revenue to the State from marijuana sales has slid.

Cannabis tax dropped 18 percent between October and December, according to the Department of Revenue.

December sales of raw cannabis brought in $784,176 in taxes, compared with $872,197 in November and $953,591 in October. September brought in $723,757 in to State coffers. January sales have not been reported yet.

Bruce Schulte, the former board chairman of the Marijuana Control Board, views this change as a maturing of the market. When commercialization began, he said, consumers were buying more buds, which are taxed at $50 per ounce at the cultivar level. The trim — leaves and stems — is taxed at $15 an ounce and is used in manufactured edibles.

Schulte said the consumer demand may be shifting toward those manufactured products as they become more available. The manufacturing of consumables is still in its infancy in Alaska.

October was the end of the first year of legal commercialized marijuana sales after voters approved legalizing commercialized marijuana in November of 2014.

In October, growers sold 1,004 pounds of bud and 626 pounds of trim, but in December those numbers were down to 824 pounds of bud and 519 pounds of trim.

In 2016, the Revenue Department predicted the State would receive $6 million in 2017 and $12 million in 2018 from marijuana sales.

In fiscal years 2017 and the first part of fiscal year 2018, the state has collected a combined $6.3 million in taxes. At the same time, the number of taxpaying growers has increased from 44 to 82 from 2017 to 2018.

Fairbanks remains the heartbeat of the pot cultivar industry in Alaska, with 15 taxpaying entities. Anchorage has 12.

 

Dunleavy seat: Senate Republicans turn down governor’s pick

Suzanne Downing
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Dunleavy seat: Senate Republicans turn down governor’s pick

AK GOP REAFFIRMS: SEAT BELONGS TO THE PEOPLE

Gov. Bill Walker yesterday demanded the Senate Republicans take a formal vote on his nominee to replace Mike Dunleavy.

Walker got his way and now he’s back to the drawing board.

Senators took their vote this morning in private. They rejected his pick, Randall Kowalke, a Mat-Su Borough Assemblyman and announced it quickly at sunrise.

“Republicans are united. This is not the governor’s Senate seat. It belongs to the people,” said Alaska Republican Party Chairman Tuckerman Babcock. “We provided him with three names, and the governor never explained why he rejected them and he hasn’t asked us for more names. We stand ready to help if asked.”

This morning’s vote followed efforts yesterday by Senate Republicans that were more conciliatory in nature toward Walker, encouraging him to reconsider his choice and work through the traditional process in support of the people of District E.

Senators appeared to want to not make it a point of strife, but to work cooperatively to solve the problem of the vacant seat, which represents a swath of Alaska that is very conservative.

But the governor shot back with a harsh letter to the Majority, saying he is going to do what is best for the district and Alaska, and that, as a non-partisan governor, he doesn’t have to take the advice of local Republicans.

His nomination of a moderate like Kowalke could have been his effort to break up the Senate Majority, but he characterized it as a “I know best” decision.

[Read: Governor to Senate Majority: I’m sticking with Kowalke]

 “We believe the people of District E should be given an opportunity to fill the seat with a candidate they support through the traditional process, which is designed to respect the will of the voters. The seat does not belong to us in the Senate, or the governor. The seat belongs to the people of District E.” — Senate Majority Leader Peter Micciche

WHAT IS WALKER’S NEXT MOVE?

Walker may have lost political ground, but has 10 days to come up with another name. He has at least one potential nominee in his back pocket, and some pundits say his pick of Kowalke was a head fake to get to that person: Eddie Grasser, who is a lobbyist for the Alaska Safari Club International.

In an election year, the nomination of a hunting advocate would help Walker shore up a section of Republican voters who have grown disillusioned with him over hunting and fishing access issues.

Walker backed out of an important access case that involved a historic road across Ahtna Native Corp. land to rich fishing grounds on the Klutina river and lake area. Walker angered fishermen when carved out a deal with the Corporation, but at the last minute the deal collapsed when Ahtna rejected it. The case, which had been in the courts, is now muddling on the back burner for the Department of Law.

[Read: Ahtna rejects settlement over Klutina Road]

Grasser, well-known in Juneau and in the trophy hunting community, was not on the list provided to the governor by District E Republicans, but like Kowalke, was brought in for an interview by Walker.

The original three names forwarded by District E Republicans were District 9 Rep. George Rauscher, Todd Smoldon, and Tom Braund. All three interviewed with the governor, but he also included a dozen other people on his list to replace Mike Dunleavy, who has left the Senate to challenge Walker for governor.

GOING HIS OWN WAY

Walker also didn’t choose from the list provided him by local Democrats in District 40, after Rep. Dean Westlake was forced to resign over “MeToo” harassment claims in December.

But it’s well-known in Democratic circles that Walker worked closely with the Alaska Democratic Party to find an alternative name for Westlake that most would agree with, and John Lincoln, a Democrat from Kotzebue, was easily confirmed after drama ensued for days over the three names originally given to him by the local Democrats in District 40.

Through conversation with Democratic leaders in a district he will easily win this November, Walker found Lincoln to be an acceptable and willing alternative.

But for Senate Seat E, Walker is taking a combative and top-down approach. He knows District E voters will likely pull for Walker’s Republican opponent, which may be why he has shown no interest in talking with the people to find a replacement for Dunleavy.

Dunleavy’s seat isn’t his only concern. Walker also must find a replacement for former Democratic Rep. Zach Fansler, District 38, who resigned in disgrace and was out of office on Feb. 12 after a violent incident with a woman in a hotel room in Juneau in January.

That district has been “unorganized” but recently elected a Democratic Party chairman and is starting the process of forwarding three names to the governor.

Bang, bang: She’s out and on the lam

Suzanne Downing
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Bang, bang: She’s out and on the lam

A California woman who was involved in a mid-day gunfight outside an Anchorage mall on Jan. 27, and who ran from officers to evade capture, was released on her own recognizance, due to lenient standards set by Senate Bill 91.

Now she’s skipped her court date, which was this afternoon.

Jessica Malcolm is a 26-year-old, tatted-up felon who allegedly came to Anchorage to visit family. As a felon, she’s not allowed to own a gun. She had a Glock on her and a magazine with with 30 rounds of ammunition when police finally arrested her in late January.

Police said a group of people got into an altercation in the parking lot of the Shockwave Trampoline Parks at the Northway Mall.

“At some point during the altercation, the suspects used gunfire to address the issue they were having with each other. Several shots were fired damaging vehicles parked in the area. No one was injured. As officers with the Patrol Division responded to the scene, the suspects fled. Three of the suspects fled in an SUV and crashed near Rodeo Place. They got out and took off running towards Bragaw Street. Officers caught the suspects in a parking lot near the post office. They were taken into custody, arrested and transported to jail,” according to police.

Malcolm was charged with a Class C felony — felon in possession of a firearm.

[Read: Bang, bang, you’re out of jail]

But in Alaska, she had no prior criminal record. After her arrest, she was let out of jail on her own recognizance. The pre-trial risk assessment tool judged her to be a low-risk release.

How low did she score on the risk assessment?

On a scale of zero-10, she scored zero.

Why so low?

The tool only considers criminal history from Alaska, and Malcolm had just arrived from California two weeks prior to the shooting, in which no one was hurt.

Where is she now?

The judge issued a warrant for Malcolm’s arrest.

What’s the background on the catch-and-release part of SB 91?

Gov. Walker signed SB 91 into law in 2016, and it radically changed how justice is served in Alaska. Fewer people spend time incarcerated under its provisions.

[Read: University of Alaska Justice Center summary of SB 91]

The SB 91 automated bail system went into effect on Jan. 1, 2018. Conditions of release are done via a computer algorithm  and the system added  a huge new Department of Corrections Pre-Trial Enforcement Division, with 65 new armed state personnel assigned to it.

These officers conduct the pretrial risk assessments. The system is said to be “color blind,” and therefore racially neutral.

Typically, only those who score a 10 on the risk assessment are held in jail before trial, although a judge can take other conditions into account.

Two of the other defendants in the shootout have also been released. Tajean Grant-McKay is out after posting bail, even though he had a prior warrant for his arrest at the time of the shootout on Jan. 27. Ebon Moore also bonded out.

Update/clarification: Some defendants charged with low level or non-violent offenses, and who are assessed as low risk, are required to be released without having to pay money bail.

When a defendant is released without paying bail, a judge may impose “conditions of release” on the defendant.

In the case of Malcolm, the judge could have imposed an unsecured bond (a promise to pay money if she failed on release), and/or ordered her to be supervised by the pretrial enforcement division, and other conditions.

Walker to Senate Majority: I’m sticking with Kowalke

Suzanne Downing
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GOVERNOR DIGS IN, SAYS SENATE NEEDS TO VOTE NOMINEE UP OR DOWN

Gov. Bill Walker wrote a letter to Senate President Pete Kelly and Majority Leader Peter Micciche today, saying he has no intention of withdrawing the name of Randall Kowalke, who he has appointed to fill the seat vacated by Mike Dunleavy.

Kowalke’s appointment is controversial because both he and the governor have, in essence, thumbed their noses at the Alaska Republican Party, which did not recommend Kowalke for the conservative seat.

District Republicans met in January and, with 45 people participating and a total of more than 500 hours of work, forwarded three names to the governor: Tom Braund, Todd Smoldon, and Rep. George Rauscher. Kowalke’s name was far down the list in their selection process, although he has filed a letter of intent to run for the seat this year.

District E became vacant when Mike Dunleavy withdrew from the Senate to focus on his run for governor.

Walker’s move is not only a slap to the Republicans in the district, but has an election-year overtone, since he is being challenged by Dunleavy for governor. On Monday, Senate Republicans told the governor in a letter that he needed to go back to the district and get some more names.

Today’s salvo from the Governor’s Office was unyielding.

Gov. Walker wrote to Senate President Kelly and Majority Leader Micciche:

“I have received your letter regarding my recent appointment of Randall Kowalke to the vacant seat for Senate District E.
The filling of a legislative vacancy is governed by Alaska Constitution, Article II, Section 4 and AS 15.40.3520. The process outlined by the statutes generally involves three steps: (1) legislative vacancy occurs; (2) Governor has 30 days to appoint someone from the House or Senate district who is from the same political party as the legislator that vacated the office and meets the qualifications set forth in the Alaska Constitution for election to legislative office; and (3) once the Governor has made an appointment, the appointee must be confirmed by a majority of members of the same political party from the legislative body for which the appointment was made. If the appointee fails to be confirmed, the Governor has an additional 10 days to appoint another person to the office, followed by another confirmation vote. Nowhere in statute or the Alaska Constitution does it require the Governor to select names from a list provided by a political party; instead, the selection of names from a list has been a tradition that is only outlined in the bylaws of the Alaska Democratic and Republican parties.

“While I appreciate your concern for the Republican party’s selection process, I am a non-partisan Governor and my decisions are not based on the wishes or demands of any one party. Rather, my appointment of Mr. Kowalke was based solely on my sincere desire to make the best decisions for all Alaskans, including the residents of Senate District E. Mr. Kowalke is a respected leader in his community and an elected member of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough Assembly with broad support. His extensive private and public service in a wide array of sectors, and longstanding volunteer civic service to state and community, demonstrates a commitment of service to the people of Alaska and an understanding of the issues confronting us. I received more positive input in support of Mr. Kowalke from the local elected officials and residents in the Matanuska-Susitna area than for all the other applicants combined. In fact, I was encouraged to appoint Mr. Kowalke from your own Senate Majority, recommendations which I took very seriously. [underscore is ours] Mr. Kowalke has the integrity, dedication, political acumen and work ethic necessary to be a productive member of the Senate Majority and the best person to represent District E in the State Senate.

“In closing, I have no intention of delaying the selection process by requesting additional names from the Republican party while my current appointment is still pending. Should the Senate Republicans choose to reject Mr. Kowalke’s appointment, I will forward another name for consideration pursuant to requirements in the Alaska Constitution and State law.

* * *

PARTY CHAIRMAN’S RESPONSE

Tuckerman Babcock, chairman of the Alaska Republican Party, urged Senate Republicans to respect local Republicans and vote the governor’s nominee down. He called the governor’s letter “arrogant.”

In a letter to the senators, Babcock wrote:

“The Governor’s arrogant response to your letter dated February 13, 2018 and his dismissal of decades of tradition involving the actual people who live and work in the respective legislative District, deserves a swift and unambiguous response.  That is a vote not to confirm the Governor’s personal favorite for Republican Senator.

“The Alaska Republican Party is asking you to honor the nominations made by the local volunteers.  They have more say and more at stake in who the new Republican Senator is from Senate District E than does the so-called “Independent” Governor.  Legislative seats are filled by the voters of the district, legislative vacancies are not just another of the Governor’s cabinet appointments.  

“It is surely the view of every tin pot dictator in history that they, and they alone, know what is best for all.  It is rare to see such naked arrogance displayed in writing as evidenced in the Governor’s February 13 response to your conciliatory letter.

“I noticed the Governor attempted to implicate Republican Senators in his action to dispense with tradition and substitute his preference, and his preference alone, as to who should fill the Republican Senate vacancy from Seat E.  I find it hard to believe that any Republican Senator would actually encourage the Governor to ignore the volunteers of the Alaska Republican Party.  

“Perhaps it is time for the Legislature to consider removing the Governor from having any role in appointing Legislators.  Nothing in the State Constitution requires the Governor to be involved.    

“There is but one course in the face of the arrogance and hubris displayed by Governor Walker:  Voting not to confirm his Republican Senate appointment until he appoints someone from a list provided by the local Republicans of Senate District E.

“Earlier this week, the entire Mat-Su delegation wrote a letter to the governor supporting the local volunteers’ efforts and requesting he respect their wishes.”

Kowalke is governor’s pick for Senate Seat E

 

The education funding bill? It has no funds for education. Go figure.

Suzanne Downing
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By GARY WILKEN
GUEST CONTRIBUTOR

A few days ago, spirits were running high in the education community because the Democrats in the House of Representatives had sold everyone on the idea that they had passed a bill (House Bill 287) that early funded K-12 education. Such an event does indeed represent forward progress on K-12 funding, but unfortunately, they didn’t.

After passage of HB 287, Rep. Scott Kawasaki was quoted in the Daily News Miner as saying:

“Basically, what the vote meant yesterday is that we were putting our money where our mouth is: funding education in its entirety.”

If by funding education in its entirety Scott means the bill made a 90 percent reduction — yes, 90 percent — in education funding and included zero money for the public education foundation formula, then unfortunately, he was correct.

Rep. Kawasaki wasn’t alone in his misplaced enthusiasm. The Democrat majority’s press release on HB 287, dated Feb. 7 and released immediately after passage, stated:

“Tonight, the Alaska House of Representatives passed legislation to early fund Alaska’s K-12 public education system … HB 287 appropriates $1.32 billion for K-12 public education, the same amount as proposed by Gov. (Bill) Walker, and includes $1.2 billion from the Constitutional Budget Reserve.”

As a longtime supporter of our K-12 education system and a fan of early education funding, I wish this were indeed true.

What the House Democrats actually passed was a bill with botched language that appropriates only 10 percent of what’s required to fund K-12 education.

In fact, the bill is completely void of any reference at all supporting $1.2 billion expenditure required for K-12 education, or, for that matter, any fund source for this critical expenditure.

In a further blunder, the bill that passed directs a small amount of money specifically to pupil transportation and to Mt. Edgecumbe School.

So, if your kids need a ride to a school in Sitka — the House Democrat Finance Committee has you covered. Where were our Interior representatives in this debacle? Asleep at the wheel?

This mess was created because the Democrats chose to fund education from the Constitutional Budget Reserve, which requires 30 votes in the House. If 30 affirmative votes are not cast, the language automatically is deleted from the bill because a funding source has not been identified.

“Backstop language” is then added to make sure something as important as this ultimately gets funded in some manner. All this language isn’t exactly rocket science, and there have been examples of it in practically every budget for decades. It should have been a no-brainer.

However, when the Republicans offered the amendment on the House floor to fix this glaring error and thereby assure a funding source for early education, the Democrats shot it down. As a result, the backstop wasn’t included and there is no funding for the education formula in the legislation that on Friday was transmitted to the Senate. Our Fairbanks Democrats joined in voting it down, led by Rep. Kawasaki and Rep. David Guttenberg, both of them Finance Committee members.

As a former co-chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, I’m aware of the wealth of information available to these folks from extremely competent professionals attached to the House and Senate Finance Committees. However, if you don’t or won’t listen to the pros who work for you, you get what you deserve.

There’s some explaining to be done. Our local representatives need to take their game up a notch. Our local representatives should have known better, and Fairbanks has every right to expect better.

We are a community that should be proud of producing seven Senate presidents, including the current one – Sen. Pete Kelly — and nine chairs of Senate Finance, a list that includes Sen. Kelly as well. Sen. Kelly is relevant to this discussion because the only hope of fixing this nonsense will be in the Senate with Sen. Kelly and his crew of competent professionals.

Hopefully the Senate will be able to use this somewhat useless appropriation bill to correct the House’s negligence and actually get this issue straightened out so that educators, parents and children can really rely on early funding for education, a goal sought by all supporters of Alaska’s outstanding K-12 system.

Gary Wilken has lived in Fairbanks for 62 years, and was a state senator for Fairbanks and Fort Wainwright from 1997 to 2009. He was a member of the Senate Finance Committee for eight years, co-chairing for four years.

Shadow mayor Begich behind ML&P sale to Chugach Electric?

Suzanne Downing
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UTILITY SALE COULD BE DECIDED BY ONE PERSON’S VOTE

The proposed $1 billion sale of Anchorage’s Municipal Light & Power to Chugach Electric Association will be before voters starting in mid-March, when the mail-in ballots are sent out.

Most voters will mark their ballots without having thought through the questions, because the electrical grid is not their area of expertise.

  • What is the background of the proposed sale of ML&P to Chugach Electric?
  • Why is the city charter being changed so the $1 billion sale could pass by a single person’s vote?
  • How did Mark Begich, representing Chugach Electric, and Mayor Ethan Berkowitz put this sale together behind closed doors?
  • Does the IBEW stand to benefit?

BACKGROUND

In March 2017, the Anchorage Economic Development Corporation convened a working group to look at a possible merger of the two companies, something that had been discussed since the 1990s.

The group met in open session twice, and then in closed session to discuss findings and recommendations. It decided the 295,000 citizens in Anchorage would be better served with one electric company, rather than two.

The group pointed to economies of scale issues: A city like Anchorage is too small to support two separate utilities, and in a letter to Mayor Ethan Berkowitz the group expanded on that thought:

  • Capital costs are increasing for both power generation and maintaining the grid. These items are expensive and the two companies are making duplicate investments.
  • Operational costs are increasing; that could be reversed by merging the companies.
  • A merged company could take better advantage of opportunities in renewable energy, micro-grids, net-metering, and the ability to diversify fuel sources.
  • And, “the alignment of development strategies with political and consumer priorities would provide more efficient future development of the Anchorage electric grid.”

By June, the Anchorage Assembly had passed a resolution urging the Municipality of Anchorage, ML&P, and Chugach to begin to develop the merger.

However, Chugach was not the only entity interested in ML&P; it’s just the only one we know about. The public doesn’t know what kind of interest was expressed by at least two other “bidders.”

But others would have trimmed the workforce, and the powerful IBEW, which controls Chugach, was having none of it. The merged entity must include no workforce layoffs, according to the deal.

On Dec. 21, Mayor Berkowitz announced he will put the sale of ML&P to Chugach onto the mail-in ballot for the election that ends April 3. This is something he and former Mayor/Senator Mark Begich had been working on for months, although he did not bring up Begich’s involvement.

He told the Assembly that Chugach had proposed a “competitive” price for the purchase price of ML&P, had agreed that rates would not be raised as a result of this sale, and had assured the mayor there would be no layoffs.

If the sale of ML&P is approved by voters, the transaction will take place over the following 18 months and must be approved by both the Assembly and the Regulatory Commission of Alaska.

Chugach would pay $712 million, which includes $524 million of ML&P debt, $18 million for debt defeasance, and another $170 million in ML&P equity. There is an additional $170.3 million in annual acquisition payments.

Then, for the next 30 years, former ML&P customers would payments in lieu of taxes totaling $142 million, even though an electrical cooperative doesn’t have to pay property taxes.

MAJORITY PLUS ONE BALLOT QUESTION

The second part of the ballot question would lower the voter threshold for approving the sale. It would make it a simple majority vote, rather than the 60 percent that is normally required by city charter.

That means 50 percent plus one vote is needed, which all but guarantees passage.

Normally, such sales or acquisitions require 60 percent by the city charter, but that difference — lowering the voting threshold by close to 20 percent — is not revealed in the ballot explanation, nor is the reason for suddenly lowering the required “yes” votes to the 50+1 majority.

MARK BEGICH, SHADOW MAYOR OR CHUGACH DEALMAKER?

Mark Begich has a contract with Chugach to ensure the sale goes smoothly, and he’s been back and forth from Chugach to his old haunt at City Hall for months, helping put the finishing touches on the deal with Mayor Berkowitz.

How much Begich and his Northern Compass Group is being paid by Chugach ratepayers and the IBEW to grease the skids is unknown; presumably he will get a handsome cut.

But a confidential report obtained by the Anchorage Daily News shows that the $1 billion price tag established by Begich and Berkowitz is at the upper limits of what ML&P is believed to be worth.

Voters also won’t know what the ballot term “competitive price” means without being shown the other “bids” from interested parties. Is there another bid of higher value? How much money did Mayor Berkowitz and Mark Begich leave on the table?

They’ll have to trust Mayor Berkowitz, Mark Begich, and the left-dominant Assembly, which has seen at least some of the documents, but is under a confidentiality agreement to not discuss them.

UNION APPROVED

The IBEW, already influential in politics in Alaska, has an interest in the deal going through. Chugach Electric is a cooperative whose board is highly influenced by union politics.

The highest paid employees in the muni are IBEW workers, and they’ve received a promise of no layoffs, even as the proponents of the deal promise economies of scale. A journeyman meterman in Anchorage can expect more than $50 an hour in wages, and at least that much in benefits. All of that will be preserved under the IBEW-approved deal.

[Read: The approved ballot language here, with revisions]

Senate president: No need for taxes

Suzanne Downing
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Alaska Senate President Pete Kelly today said the governor and House Majority’s income tax proposal is  not needed.

“With oil prices and production, we’re within grasp of a balanced budget. That doesn’t mean we don’t have to have a fiscal plan. We’re going to move forward with a fiscal plan. But I think the talk of taxing Alaskans — we would hope they would put that in the garbage can over on the House side. The point is that is not part of the Senate’s plan going forward.

“We do need to have a structured draw from the Earnings Reserve. And that’s going to be one of the Senate’s priorities, is making sure there are structured rules for getting into that ERA.

“We have the money to close the gap in very few years. So we need to change our rhetoric, that $26 rhetoric,” he said, referring to the $26 price that Alaska North Slope crude oil bottom out at in 2015.

“That was what began this discussion. People who were a little freaked out at the time because oil was so low, maybe they were right to be concerned or even panicking a little bit,” he said.

“But the Senate didn’t panic. We have measuredly moved forward on putting a rational method in place to make sure we can balance our budget.”

The governor has offered an income tax that would only pay for deferred maintenance capital projects and has offered an operating budget that is larger than last year’s.

KOWALKE DISCUSSION AHEAD

On a separate topic, Kelly said the Senate Republicans had not yet met to discuss Gov. Bill Walker’s nomination of Randall Kowalke to fill the spot vacated by Mike Dunleavy, who represented District E before restarting his campaign for governor in late December.

Kelly said he had no issue with Kowalke but felt the people of the district were not listened to by the governor.

“Our biggest concern  — the people of the Mat-Su treated properly in the advancing of Mr. Kowalke’s name. That’s going to be our point of discussion,” he said.

In January, about 45 Mat-Su Republicans spent hours voting on the applicants for Senate Seat E, and forwarded three names to the governor, which he ignored.

District political activists have told Must Read Alaska that they thought Walker had essentially given them the middle finger by not respecting their process.

Senate Republicans have the authority to approve or deny the governor’s appointment.

Kowalke is governor’s pick for Senate Seat E

 

Mayor ‘Nothing to report’ Berkowitz, Part II

Suzanne Downing
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0

A GALAXY FAR, FAR AWAY

A videographer who calls him/herself “Reformed Snowflake” has released a second YouTube video poking fun at Anchorage Mayor Ethan Berkowitz, who has “nothing to report” week after week in the Anchorage Assembly meetings.

The video is a fast-paced string of Assembly meeting clips starting in early January, 2016, and also star Assembly Chair Dick Traini and his successor Elvi Gray-Jackson.

Neither of them could coax a report from the mayor.

The first stealth video ribbing the mayor popped up on YouTube last week, and can be found at this link:

‘Nothing to Say Mayor’ video is direct hit at Berkowitz

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