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Walker digs out in first video of campaign season

Suzanne Downing
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Walker digs out in first video of campaign season

‘THE ENDLESS SHOVEL’ PREMIERES AS ALASKANS ARE READY FOR SPRING

Gov. Bill Walker stars in his first big campaign video ad of the season today, and it features him endlessly shoveling snow into a place where he shovels it some more, while others criticize. But no matter how much he shovels, he appears to be making no progress and the likable critics finally have a barbecue.

Whether it’s an effective message is uncertain. Watch the video below and judge for yourself.

“Our first video ad of the 2018 election: It’s been a long winter and a long journey towards a sustainable fiscal future for Alaska over the last three and a half years. We’ve got farther to go, but we are grateful to all the Alaskans who’ve rolled up their sleeves and gotten to work tackling our challenges together. Thank you!”

As soon as the video was posted on Facebook, a few fawning compliments appeared within the hour, as the Ship Creek Group, which is the Walker campaign team in Alaska, had salted the promotion in advance, like laugh tracks for a sitcom help the viewers feel more jolly.

This is a technique that is called “astroturfing,” which makes it look like there is a grassroots movement. But soon the critics found the video and started posting their viewpoints, many of which were removed by the administrators.

 

TWO THUMBS UP OR DOWN?

Several political observers said that while the ad was technically good and in its original form looks like a lot of money was spent on it, it tells a lot about what Walker thinks of both himself and Alaskans:

He’s the only one who is working and all the critics are out of touch.

He paints his critics as clowns and ne’er-do-wells; one of them clearly looks like an outside Texas oil man, with hat, blue jeans and cowboy boots. The other looks like a … metrosexual of some sort.

Leave your comments below in the critic’s zone.

Barbara Bush, wife and mother to presidents

Suzanne Downing
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Barbara Bush, wife and mother to presidents

SHE CAME TO ALASKA TO CAMPAIGN FOR HER HUSBAND

(Updated: Funeral arrangements: The George Bush Presidential Library Foundation website writes that Mrs. Bush will lie in repose from noon to midnight Friday at the church for those wishing to pay their respects. Invitation-only services are planned for 11 a.m. Saturday at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Houston. Burial will be on the grounds of the Bush library at Texas A&M University in College Station, where the couple’s 3-year-old daughter, Robin, who died in 1953 of leukemia, was buried.)

Former first lady Barbara Bush died Tuesday at her family’s west Houston home, her husband by her side. She was 92. Just two days earlier she had decided to not return to the hospital for care, knowing her time was near.

In American history, only one other First Lady — Abigail Adams — was both the wife of a president and the mother of another president. Between her husband George H.W. Bush and her son George W. Bush, the Bushes were in the White House for 12 years.

She was born in New York City on June 8, 1925, to Pauline and Marvin Pierce. Barbara and George H.W. Bush met at a Christmas party in Connecticut; he was a senior at Phillips Academy in Andover, Mass. and she was a 16-year-old boarding school student.

Barbara and George had been married for 73 years; in addition to her husband, she is survived by five of her children, 17 grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren, and her brother, Scott Pierce. She and George lost their daughter Robin to leukemia when the girl was 3.

She was a devoted advocate for literacy. Her son Neil had dyslexia and she spent much of her life advocating for reading, forming the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy, which is still a strong and influential grant-making organization that advocates for reading.

She was also an advocate for people with AIDS, for cancer research, and was vocal on many other social issues.

Party activist Randy Ruedrich dined with Mrs. Bush when her husband was running for president in 1988. They ate at Elevation 92, which overlooked Ship Creek off of Third Avenue. Hope Nelson, president of the Alaska Federation of Republican Women; Jim Crawford, the Republican Party chairman; and Gloria Tokar, who was the manager of Don Young’s campaign, all attended, along with National Committeewoman Marilyn Paine and National Committeman Eldon Mulder.

The next day there was a community gathering near Fish Creek. Concerned about rain, they built a structure with a roof, but it wasn’t needed. Some 200 people attended the rally across from former Gov. Wally and Ermalee Hickel’s home.

“She was one of the easiest people to relate to that I have ever met,” Ruedrich said.

Alaska Republican Party Chairman Tuckerman Babcock recalled meeting Mrs. Bush in 1980 while she was campaigning for her husband in the Republican Primary.

“Firm, opinionated, and gracious,” is how he described her.

Opinionated she was. Although a lifelong Republican, she didn’t mince words about those who didn’t measure up. On the Larry King Show in 2010 she had this to say about former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin: “I sat next to her once, thought she was beautiful, and I think she’s very happy in Alaska, and I hope she’ll stay there.”

Of candidate Geraldine Ferraro, who ran against her husband for vice president in 1984: “I can’t say it, but it rhymes with ‘rich.'” She later apologized, and said the word she meant was “witch.”

And when in 2013 her son Jeb was considering a run for the White House, she said: “There are other people out there that are very qualified and we’ve had enough Bushes.”

In a speech to the graduating class of Wellesley College she said: “At the end of your life, you will never regret not having passed one more test, not winning one more verdict or not closing one more deal. You will regret time not spent with a husband, a friend, children, or a parent.”

Legislature declares September 11 as Patriot Day

Suzanne Downing
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2
Legislature declares September 11 as Patriot Day

UNITED MESSAGE TO GOV. WALKER: DON’T MESS WITH IT

The Alaska Legislature today unanimously passed a bill establishing September 11 of each year as Patriot Day.

On Sept. 11, 2001, the United States suffered the worst terrorist attack in its history. Nearly 3,000 people lost their lives and more than 6,000 were injured.

“Patriot Day honors the men and women who came to the rescue on September 11, 2001,” said Sen. Kevin Meyer (R-Anchorage), the bill’s sponsor.

“This bill is about recognizing members of law enforcement, firefighters, emergency medical responders, doctors, nurses, first responders, and ordinary citizens–everyone who demonstrated courage and sacrifice on that day.” – Sen. Kevin Meyer

SB 152 requests the governor to order the observation of Patriot Day and to display the U.S. flag at half-staff in honor of those who lost their lives in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attack.

Sen. Kevin Meyer, SB 152 bill sponsor

“We should never forget our fellow Americans who’ve made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our nation since that tragic day in 2001,” said Sen. Meyer. “Alaska-based military personnel have fought terrorists abroad–as recently as the September deployment of the 4-25th Brigade from Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson–on a mission that truly began on Sept. 11, 2001.”

In a time when our Legislature is highly divided on fiscal issues, there could have been no stronger statement than 60-0. Sponsors signed on from both sides of the political spectrum, making it clear to the governor that any dilution of the intent of the day is unacceptable.

 

Ben Eielson High School Air Force Junior ROTC cadets raise the American flag for reveille as a tribute to Patriot Day at Amber Hall Sept. 11, 2012, Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska. Patriot Day is a day to reflect on the lives lost and to honor the memory of the sacrifices made on 9/11. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Zachary Perras)

WHY NOW, IN 2018, WAS THIS NEEDED?

Last year, Walker issued a Sept. 11 Commemoration Day statement  that spelled out a new meaning for the day. It would be one where “we as Americans reflect on the importance to our nation of freedom, tolerance, patriotism, diversity, and respect for others, and are grateful for the rights and freedoms that we hold as Americans.”

It was a dilution of the national intent of Patriot Day, turning it into a day where pure patriotism and heroism were mixed in with reflection on diversity and tolerance, freedom, patriotism. Walker had mixed messages together to make Patriot Day mush.

The criticism was stinging and swift. Walker fielded dozens of angry calls and mounted a defense at the rebuke that came his way, saying he was doing what everyone had done before him.

But he hadn’t — he had changed the intent of the day and Alaskans saw that as an insult to the memory of those who rushed into the flames, and those who went to war to secure our nation from further attacks on our homeland.

Today, no stronger statement could have been made than this: While Alaskans appreciate tolerance, diversity, and respect, patriotism is a thing apart. It’s about sacrifice for one’s fellow countrymen. It’s about showing courage and love of America, as a parent loves a child with unflinching willingness to put one’s life on the line.

SB 152 is now on its way to the governor’s desk to be signed into law, which will help him remember in September, when he signs the proclamation, that the day is a national day of mourning, and a profound day for all Alaskans to honor and remember those who sacrificed.

* * *

(A bill to make Sept. 11 a national day of mourning was introduced in the U.S. House on October 25, 2001, by Rep. Vito Fossella (R-NY) with 22 co-sponsors, among them 11 Democrats and 11 Republicans. The bill requested that the President designate September 11 of each year as Patriot Day. Joint Resolution 71 passed the House by a vote of 407–0, with 25 members not voting. The bill passed the Senate unanimously on November 30. President Bush signed the resolution into law on December 18, 2001. On September 4, 2002. Sept. 11, 2002, as the first Patriot Day.)

Didn’t file for your taxes in 2014? Don’t let a refund slip away

Suzanne Downing
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0
Didn’t file for your taxes in 2014? Don’t let a refund slip away

IRS DIRECT PAY SITE IS DOWN, AND OTHER TIPS FOR THE DAY

The IRS says a billion dollars is waiting for up to one million people who may lose out on a fading tax refund simply because they did not file a federal income tax return in 2014.

It’s not too late, but the three-year window to file for it is about to close.

Many taxpayers choose not to file because they didn’t earn enough money to be required to file.

But for those who had federal taxes withheld by their employer, they could be due a refund of those taxes. Even if you aren’t required to file, you may qualify for benefits like the Earned Income Tax Credit.

However, you’ve got to file a tax return to get the money back from the government.

There is usually no penalty for failure to file, if you are due a refund, according to the IRS. You just can’t wait forever.

“Generally, after the three-year window closes, the IRS can neither send a refund for the specific tax year. nor apply any credits, including overpayments of estimated or withholding taxes, to other tax years that are underpaid,” according to the taxing agency.

Current and prior year tax forms and instructions are available on the IRS.gov Forms and Publications page.

Taxpayers who are missing Forms W-2, 1098, 1099 or 5498 should request copies from their employer, bank or other payer.

If you’re unable to get your missing forms from an employer or other payer, visit IRS.gov and use the Get a Transcript tool to order a “Wage and Income transcript.” Taxpayers can also file Form 4506-T to request a transcript of their tax return. Taxpayers can use the information on the transcript to file their return.

ONLINE DIRECT PAY SYSTEM HAS BEEN DOWN

Those trying to pay their taxes online today have encountered a broke IRS web site. The Direct Pay system, which lets people pay an estimate of taxes from their bank account gave users an error message today.

“This service is temporarily unavailable. We are working to resolve the issue. Please come back later and try again, or you can visit the Make a Payment page for alternative payment methods. We apologize for any inconvenience.”

You may be able to pay your taxes via the department’s other methods, such as debit or credit cards.

“Currently, certain IRS systems are experiencing technical difficulties. Taxpayers should continue filing their tax returns as they normally would,” was the statement from the IRS.

PERMANENT FUND IS TAXABLE

Dividends for adults are taxed by the IRS. Your child’s dividend may be taxable, if they reach a certain income threshold. Even if part or all of your dividend was garnished, the entire amount must be reported as taxable income.

The amount of the 2017 Permanent Fund Dividend was $1,100.00. The state’s Federal Tax Identification number is 92-6001185.

The PFD Division’s mailing address is:

Permanent Fund Dividend Division
PO Box 110462
Juneau, AK 99801-0462

If taxes were withheld from your or your child’s PFD, report the withheld amount on IRS form 1040 on the line for “Federal Tax Withheld.” If a refund is due after you report the dividend and taxes withheld, the IRS will issue any refund due.

For tax questions, call the IRS by calling 1 (800) 829-1040 or a tax preparer in your area for additional information.

And if you’re at this point in the story, you are probably going to need to file an extension.

Ortiz: ‘What’s cap ex?’

Suzanne Downing
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7
Ortiz: ‘What’s cap ex?’

…THAN TO REMOVE ALL DOUBT

A former high school teacher who represents Ketchikan in the Alaska House of Representatives admits he is a newcomer to tax policy.

During Monday’s House Finance Committee, Rep. Daniel Ortiz, who taught economics at Ketchikan High School before having an out-sized influence over the state’s oil tax policy, struggled with basic economics terms.

During a presentation by oil and gas consultant Rich Ruggerio on the different factors that influence investment decisions in the energy sector, Ruggerio used the terms “cap ex” and “op ex,” which brought the question:

“Another greenhorn question: Cap ex and op ex. Tell me what they are and how they relate to this picture.” Ortiz asked Ruggerio.

After a short pause, Ruggerio responded:

“Cap ex is short for capital expenditures. Op ex is short for operating expenditures.”

To further understand “capital” and “operating,” and other basic economics terms important to understanding tax policy as it impacts oil in the pipeline, Must Read Alaska has found a handy set of flash cards.

ConocoPhillips finishes exploratory season on high note

Suzanne Downing
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0
ConocoPhillips finishes exploratory season on high note

COULD MEAN BILLIONS FOR STATE TREASURY

As promised last year, ConocoPhillips drilled five wells this winter — and then things were going so well, they drilled one more for good measure.

The company confirmed enough data to “support the previously announced estimate of a recoverable resource potential of at least 300 million barrels of oil,” at the Willow Discovery in the National Petroleum Reserve Alaska.

All six wells encountered oil and verified the potential of the lease that the company holds. A find of this significance should yield 100,000+ barrels of oil per day through the Trans Alaska Pipeline System for years to come.

The company said it will study the information and continue active exploration and appraisal wells in 2019.

ConocoPhillips has a 78 percent working interest in the discovery; Anadarko Petroleum Corporation holds a 22 percent interest.

The wells are within about 28 miles of the Alpine Central Facility. In fact, ConocoPhillips may find that the Willow Discovery is large enough to support its own standalone facility.

Initial production is projected for as early as 2023, if timely permits are received. When it comes online, such a sizable reservoir will generate enormous revenue for the State of Alaska, the North Slope Borough and the federal government. This was the biggest exploration season the company has had in 15 years.

Greater Willow has been moved by the Bureau of Land Management from the Greater Moose’s Tooth Unit to the Greater Bear’s Tooth Unit.

Among the achievements recently announced by the company is the longest well ever drilled in North America, which occurred at CD5 in the Alpine Unit.  ConocoPhillips’ drilling record includes two state of Alaska drilling records at its CD5 drill site.

Notably, the company’s CD5-25 well set a North American land-based, well-drilling record for the longest horizontal lateral, at 21,748 feet. At over 4 miles, such drilling capability greatly reduces the size of the production footprint required for development of new fields, which in turn minimizes environmental impact.

 

Governor’s kids celebrate his birthday by asking for money

Suzanne Downing
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13
Governor’s kids celebrate his birthday by asking for money

YOU COULD DONATE TO HIS CAMPAIGN, THEY SAY

Gov. Bill Walker is celebrating his 67th birthday today, and so are his children. They sent out a fundraising note to potential supporters of his reelection campaign:

“Today is our dad’s birthday.  Help us celebrate by donating any amount up to $500 today!”

“It was the summer of 1990 and we were begging for a treehouse.  We asked our dad to build us one and he said he would, but he would need a crew. We eagerly volunteered. About 30 minutes into the several weekend project we were ready to call it quits, but our dad kept us plugging away until we had a finished product. In retrospect it’s clear to us now that our dad didn’t need our “help.”  He was teaching us life lessons about working hard, staying focused and accomplishing our goals.

“Dad is still teaching us these same life lessons.  We know no one who works harder, is more focused, or accomplishes more than our dad.  He and Byron Mallott are fighting for Alaska like no one else.  Donate any amount today up to $500 per candidate to join their team and help us celebrate our dad’s birthday.  Like adding a treehouse to our backyard, our dad and Byron are working day in and day out to make this place we call home better and brighter for all.  By donating today, you show up as they labor together to build our future.” 

The note was signed by Lindsay, Tessa, Adam, and Jordan.

Readers who would like to send a birthday message to the governor may do so in the comment section below.

Loose ends in the Legislature

Suzanne Downing
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0
Loose ends in the Legislature
COMMENTARY AND CLEAN-UP HITTER
The legislative mood is better this year than last at this point in the extended session. Yes, there have been some tense moments and threatened mutinies, but today is Day 91 of the 90-day session and it’s relatively orderly.
Even though it hasn’t rained in Juneau for a week and hiking has been glorious, members are starting to yearn for their home cribs. Must Read Alaska predicts there are 17 days to go before they bolt for the airport.

The fact that the Senate took the Permanent Fund dividend off the negotiating table by agreeing with the House’s $1,600 dividend proposal makes it easier. Education funding has been separated out from the operating budget and that keeps House Democrats from taking the entire state budget hostage. Finishing their work doesn’t seem impossible, as it did last year at this time.

Still to be resolved is whether to allow the Alaska Gasline Development Corporation the authority to borrow $1 billion from some unknown entity — for some unknown amount of work — for some unknown spoils that the lender would receive in return. (Read: China.)

That’s a question that should keep legislators up at night because $1 billion represents almost a quarter of the operating budget, and giving away their appropriating authority (and some control over the agency) is serious business.

It’s the kind of serious topic Must Read Alaskacan see failing in the Senate in the next two weeks. Perhaps there will be a discussion with the governor to move that question to a special session so the billion-dollar baby can be baptized (or not) in its own blankity blank-check water.

Without funds, AGDC will have a hard time moving forward toward permitting in 2020.

Also at loose ends is a way pay another $1 billion in legal obligations that the State still owes small, independent oil exploration companies, and that will require bonding authority the governor is requesting.

So while there may be an operating budget of $4.5 billion (give or take), legislators are still wrestling with additional chunks of borrowing that total another $2 billion.

EDUCATION FUNDING VS. EDUCATION FUNDING
Gov. Bill Walker is dressing left to appear as the progressive lefty who crowds Mark Begich out of the running this election cycle. Then he’ll tack right again after June 1 to try to win actual voters.

After the House Democrat majority passed a bill to increase education funding by $25 million per year as an ongoing obligation, the governor quickly issued a fawning press release. He just loves the idea — because of course the NEA loves the idea and he needs the NEA.

This was the first time since taking office that Walker has had anything to say about increasing Education’s base student allocation.

Senate Republicans passed an education funding bill, too. It put a $35 million education funding infusion next year, on the condition that the governor’s own SB 26 (structured Permanent Fund draw) passed and was signed into law.

Evidently his SB 26 is not all that important to Walker anymore because he had absolutely nothing to say about it. He hates the Senate Republicans with a passion, but also wishes to distance himself from the bill he introduced last year.

HOUSE ROUNDUP

The House and Senate seem to be on track for stitching up their business within a couple of weeks, but curiously the House majority Democrats keep holding committee meetings and hearing bills, even though the 90-day session is over and they should just stop with the showboating, since none of their bills will get through the Senate. They are wasting the public’s money.

Notes on lawmakers in the last days of session:

REP. DAVID EASTMAN: Eastman, District 10, moved to adjourn on Sunday. He was voted down 39-1. Some say he’ll have a challenger for the primary in Dee Dee Jonrowe.

REP. CHRIS TUCK: Lots of people are saying Tuck is not going to run for his District 23 seat.

REP. SCOTT KAWASAKI – Is he really going to take on Pete Kelly for Senate, knowing how much work it will be? He’s never had an adversary like Kelly before and it would get in the way of his summer party plans. But Bart LeBon has staked out a solid campaign for Kawasaki’s House District 1 seat, , and a Democrat has also entered the race and started raising funds, so Scotty K has a tough decision.

REP. GERAN TARR: The tantrum-thrower from District 17 is none too happy with Rep. Gabrielle LeDoux, because it’s hard to take your marching orders from a strong woman with an R behind her name, who waltzed into power and has not paid her dues in the caucus.

REP. IVY SPOHNHOLZ: She and Rep. Tarr can often be seen wagging their fingers at Speaker Bryce Edgmon, in obvious displeasure with having LeDoux call the shots. There’s a power struggle that is interrupting the “bi-partisan” harmonic convergence in the House. District 16.

REP. CHARISSE MILLETT: The House minority leader from District 25 is going into an election cycle unsure of which Higgins she will face — Pat or Patti. Last go-round she fended of Pat, but by fewer than 100 votes. She won’t be taking anything for granted.

REP. DAN SADDLER: Saddler’s District 13 race is getting crowded. Three Republicans — Saddler, Cook, and Christianson — and now a “fake-independent” in the personage of Danyelle Kimp, who may believe he can convince voters he is not a Democrat following the footsteps of Reps. Jason Grenn and Daniel Ortiz.

To be clear, Kimp is Democrat all the way. Must Read Alaska loves this pic of him with Donna Brazile, featured as his Facebook profile photo:


REP. PAUL SEATON: Seaton, District 31, didn’t get his income tax passed and that was to be his crowning achievement. Word is he’s done, and the Republican Party is going to throw a fit if the Division of Election allows him on their primary ballot.

Sarah Vance and John Cox are Republicans who have filed, while Robert Ruffner is an unknown: How can he receive or solicit funds from commercial, sports, dip net sector while at the same time remaining on the Board of Fisheries and making allocation decisions? Smell test? Also, Alaska District 31 Republicans do not recognize Ruffner as a filed Republican candidate. He has troubles with the district.

REP. CHUCK KOPP:He has a challenger from the right in Steve DuPlantis, but this District 24 former cop is well-liked, and he is a veteran campaigner, so it’s his to lose at this point (with plenty of game left).

REP. JUSTIN PARISH: In discussing the use of phones in school zones, Juneau’s one-and-only Justin Parish spoke with authority, reminding everyone that he was a crossing guard prior to entering the Legislature.

REP. LOUISE STUTES:Friday is costume day in the Legislature, where everyone feels compelled to wear the cloth — the traditional kuspuk — regardless of their cultural heritage. Stutes also brought a leafy-flowery crown on Friday, which resulted in a kuspuk one-upmanship that we hope to never see again.

Disorient Express on the Chamber ‘Kentucky Derby’ ride

Suzanne Downing
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13
Disorient Express on the Chamber ‘Kentucky Derby’ ride

MAN SAYS HE WAS GRABBED AND GROPED  BY DRUNKEN BUSINESSMEN

(Caution to readers: Language is strong in this article, but you’ve read worse).

It happened in Juneau and led to the resignation of two legislators this winter. Now, sexual harassment and assault allegations have hit the top Anchorage business trade group.

Joseph Lurtsema, who runs a social media and marketing company out of midtown Anchorage, hoped to make new business acquaintances and friends during the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce’s “Kentucky Derby” train ride, a day of networking and fellowship that turned into a bit of a groping nightmare for him and possibly others.

The train is a six-hour ride to Indian and back, and includes good food and an open bar. Activities include “casino and networking games, split the pot, a silent auction, karaoke and more!” Participants were encouraged to wear hats and Kentucky Derby attire. The Chamber even posted a Pinterest page for inspiration.

But some men attending the event were decidedly ungentlemanly.

Lurtsema posted his experience on Facebook the following day, but in a conversation with Must Read Alaska on Friday night, he indicated that his experience with the Chamber’s event was unpleasant: “There are predators among us,” he said, before deciding to go public .

During the ride, he said he was approached by an inebriated man in his mid-20s who grabbed Lurtsema by the crotch and said,  “You are so sexy, I want to touch you all over!”

Lurtsema told him to back off and the man went to the other side of the train car.

The second incident occurred while he was on the phone talking to one of his clients. Another man, also in his 20s, slapped his butt and grabbed ahis private parts. The man winked and “strutted confidently away, leaving me in shock and disgust. What was going on here?”

Was Lurtsema trapped on a train with a bunch of Harvey Weinsteins? A woman responded on Facebook that she, too, was grabbed in the butt while on the train ride.

“I also got a serious ass-grabbing on the train yesterday-and maybe here is the sad difference between men and women, I’m so immune to it by now, that after I looked up and couldn’t identify which of the people passing by me had done it, I remarked on it to the women I was talking to and moved on. I didn’t think about it again, or even consider reporting it. For those that you can identify:please pursue. I’ve had nothing but amazing interactions with everyone at the Chamber, and not a one of them would condone any of this behavior, and there was security there for our benefit. Don’t let a few drunken idiots on one afternoon ruin your chances of business success: I never do,” one woman wrote.

In the third incident Lurtsema recounted, a man aggressively flirted with him and commented on his butt, saying “I just want to slap it,” among other inappropriate comments. The man turned to a woman and convinced her to pinch him on the bottom.

“I couldn’t believe what was happening to me. He was flirting and saying other inappropriate things to & about other men at the event,” Lurtsema wrote.

As the ride came to an end, he says people were getting more and more inebriated and he recalls five men and two women commenting on the size of his butt, his looks, and one man asked him how large his penis is, (although he used a different term.)

“I am absolutely disappointed, violated, disgusted, and shocked that I was molested multiple times at a professional Anchorage Chamber of Commerce event. I spent over $1,000 to become a member of the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce, which gave me these tickets to the Chamber Train event,” he wrote.

When reached, Anchorage Chamber of Commerce President Bruce Bustamante said he was not ready to comment, but he had referred Lurtsema to the police and to the Alaska Railroad, which handled security for the event.

“I was raised to be a Warrior, not a victim,” Lurtsema wrote. “I want to bring Sexual Assault Awareness to the Alaska Business Community. Alaska is the #1 crime & sexual assault State per capita in the United States. We hear it all the time but when it happens to you, it gives you a certain perspective. I’m sure there are many others in our community who have experienced this kind of behavior. If this is happening to me, it’s happening to other Men, Women, and Children throughout our community. Sexual Assault is happening all over Anchorage, and it’s one of the most personal forms of pain, betrayal, and eternal discomfort one can experience. I’ve been to dive bars, clubs, and other events where the likelihood of a situation like this would be substantially higher. I thought participating at the most Popular Anchorage Chamber of Commerce event would place me in the safest area in Alaska. I was wrong, it was dangerous.”

Lurtsema said he emailed Bustamante and received a full-some response that said he would investigate the matter.

“I want to tag other Ambassadors & staff of the Chamber so they are completely aware of what’s happening in their backyard so we, as a community, can prevent these types of incidents from ever happening again. Thank you for reading, and please support those who have experienced Sexual Assault. I’m sure there are others out there without a voice. Let’s be their voice. God bless,” Lurtsema wrote.

WELCOME TO THE CLUB CAR

Everyone on a party train has a different idea of what constitutes fun. While what Lurtsema experienced will not be unfamiliar to women in Anchorage, where sexual assault is a well-documented occurrence, his account is a reminder that men, too, can be victims of harassment and sexual assault. Rarely do they talk about it because there is a stigma when it comes to being sexualized and bullied by other men.

But Lurtsema said if he doesn’t speak out, he would be condoning the behavior, and he thinks Anchorage deserves better.

Reporting sexual harassment can come at a cost. In one study, 75 percent of women who reported sexual harassment said they experienced retaliation. 

Lurtsema said he considered the price he might have to pay by speaking out. He’s willing to pay it.

A few weeks ago, Lurtsema said he was going to run for Anchorage Assembly and today he said those plans have not changed.

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