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Public Speaks on MOA’s Proposed 3% Sales Tax; Public Hearing to Continue Jan 13 

Natalie Spaulding
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23
Public Speaks on MOA’s Proposed 3% Sales Tax; Public Hearing to Continue Jan 13 

On Tuesday night, Dec 2, the public gathered at the Loussac Library Assembly Chambers to discuss the Municipality of Anchorage’s proposed 3% sales tax. The Assembly did not vote on the proposal at this meeting but instead chose to extend public hearing to January 13, 2026. According to Assemblyman Christopher Constant: “The intent of the sponsors is to continue the public hearing… to allow more time for public process and conversation.” 

Public hearing on Ordinance No. AO 2025-133 lasted a little over 1 hour with each person receiving a maximum of 3 minutes to speak. Here is a sampling of what the public testified regarding the proposed 3% sales tax: 

Support for the 3% Sales Tax 

Anchorage resident, who is a private property owner, small business owner, and spent 24 years in law enforcement: “I strongly support this ordinance. I strongly support the things we do for the city to run it in the right way.” 

Representative from Covenant House Alaska: “We are here to speak in support of the proposed sales tax… Stabilizing childcare providers and expanding access will help young parents remain employed, support their families and avoid future homelessness.” 

Anchorage resident from Fairview neighborhood: “We take care of the most homeless in Alaska. I see that all the time. I think this is a very good tax… I think this is a good way to take the burden off the people in Anchorage.” 

Requests for Revision/ Clarification 

Anchorage resident, who was born and raised in Anchorage and recently moved back from Nevada: “I think the public would love to know exactly why this 1, 1, 1 is needed and have good information about that so they can make a decision.” 

President and CEO of Foraker, Lauri Wolf: “Alaska’s nonprofits are significant economic drivers in the municipality. We represent 11% of the municipal’s employment base and 10% of employment on average across Alaska.” Wolf asked the Assembly to revise the ordinance to exempt non-profits from the sales tax and to make the exemption process easy, online, and at no cost to non-profits. 

Opposition to the 3% Sales Tax 

Anchorage resident from Midtown neighborhood: “I strongly oppose this new tax. Government spending is notoriously inefficient. If you wanted to provide property tax relief, you could simply lower the property tax.” 

Eagle River resident: “I’m here to speak against the proposal for 3% sales tax. The concern is not with the goals of supporting childcare, housing, public safety, or property tax reduction. These are very real needs. My concern is with the structure of the tax and the long-term damage that rigid earmarks inflict on Anchorage’s fiscal resilience… if Anchorage ever adopts a sales tax, it should strengthen our fiscal future, not reduce it. This AO does not do that. I urge you to reject this ordinance or substantially revise it before placing on the ballot.”  

Former Attorney General and Candidate for Governor, Treg Taylor: “This tax proposal is bad for Anchorage. It is bad for Anchorage families… You don’t stimulate economy by taxing it. You don’t encourage families to stay in Anchorage by taxing them. The new tax reflects unwillingness by Anchorage to tighten its own fiscal belt, despite Anchorage families having to make hard decisions on their budgets every day due to increased costs for goods, services, housing, and energy.” 

Senior from Service High School, testifying for the first time: “Implementing a significant new tax for the municipality of Anchorage is the wrong move at this time… Our focus for Anchorage should not be on taxation, but it should be growing the economy and the private sector for revenue.” 

Anchorage resident: “What is bad about this tax? You get it started; where does it end? It’s not going to. It’s just going to keep rising and rising and rising… Clean up your wasteful spending, and once you’ve done that, then if you need tax revenue, come back with that. Put it out for general vote.” 

These quotes were taken from the first 10 testimonies. Many more testimonies were given at the meeting. You can watch the full public hearing below (3:54:05-5:15:55): 

Assembly Regular – December 2, 2025 – 2025-12-02 17:00:00 

White House Media Bias Portal Inflames Freedom of the Press Debate

Todd M Lindley
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29
White House Media Bias Portal Inflames Freedom of the Press Debate

In a bold move to challenge what it calls pervasive misinformation in mainstream media, the White House under President Donald Trump has launched a new online portal dedicated to tracking and exposing alleged biases, lies, and distortions in news coverage. The initiative, announced in late November 2025, features a “Media Offenders” section on the official White House website, highlighting outlets like The Washington Post, MSNBC, and CNN as repeat offenders in categories such as “left-wing lunacy” and “omission of context.” The portal includes interactive leaderboards ranking networks by repeated inaccuracies and a “Hall of Shame” for persistent violators, aiming to provide Americans with “unfiltered truth” amid ongoing tensions between the administration and journalists.

The launch coincides with a call to action for the public to submit tips on biased or false reporting. White House officials describe the effort as a “service to truth and transparency,” emphasizing that “the days of the Fake News Media controlling the narrative with lies, fake anonymous sources, and willful bias are over.” Valid submissions will update the database weekly, potentially amplifying public scrutiny of media practices. Supporters hail it as a necessary counter to perceived liberal bias, with the administration tying it to recent legal victories, including multimillion-dollar settlements from ABC and Paramount over alleged misrepresentations.

Critics, however, view the portal as an escalation in Trump’s war on the press, warning it could intimidate journalists and undermine First Amendment protections. Press freedom advocates argue it blurs the line between accountability and government overreach.

The rollout follows a series of personal attacks by Trump on reporters, including derogatory remarks toward female journalists from major networks. As of December 3, 2025, the portal has drawn mixed reactions on social media, with some users praising its transparency while others decry it as authoritarian. With trust in media at historic lows, the initiative tests the boundaries of executive influence over public discourse, potentially setting a precedent for future administrations.

FDA Email Sparks Vaccine Safety Debate for Alaska’s Children

Todd M Lindley
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11
FDA Email Sparks Vaccine Safety Debate for Alaska’s Children

A recently shared internal FDA email has sparked controversy, revealing that agency staff identified at least 10 child deaths potentially linked to COVID-19 vaccines. The findings, based on VAERS data analysis, highlight concerns over delayed safety signals and mandate policies during the pandemic. The email, obtained and shared by the Washington Post on November 29, 2025, calls for major reforms at the FDA.

In the email, FDA Director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) Vinay Prasad wrote, “It is horrifying to consider that the US vaccine regulation, including our actions, may have harmed more children than we saved. This requires humility and introspection.” The deaths, involving children aged 7 to 16, were rated as “likely, probable, or possible” attributions to vaccination, with Prasad noting the analysis was long overdue despite reports dating back to 2021.

Myocarditis was one of the main adverse reactions for young boys attributed to the COVID-19 vaccine. It is highly likely that the FDA knew of the risks of heart damage among teenagers when they issued an EUA to Pfizer in May 2021.

“Worse, the FDA delayed acknowledgement of the safety signal until after it could extend marketing authorization to younger boys 12-15, had the acknowledgement come early, these younger boys, who likely did not require COVID-19 vaccination, may have chosen to avoid the products.”

In Alaska, according to data from the Association of Immunization Managers, as late as April of 2023, a total of 165,187 children under the age of 18 had received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. The physical effects on these children are likely to get overlooked due to the evolution of reporting COVID related events. Prasad described this as, “any small differences in opinion about specific cases are due only to the fact that subjective attribution of death is inherently a topic where reasonable people may have subtle disagreements.”

Dr. Prasad acknowledges that VAERS is passively reported and it is incumbent on the provider to input the information for safety surveillance. Due to the cumbersome nature of the process, Prasad stated that “many more deaths may be unreported.”

Prasad concludes the memo asserting openness to vigorous debate on matters of public health. He states that all debates should remain internal until ready to be made public, stopping any selective reporting of information. “Some staff may not agree … submit your resignation letters” stated Prasad not mincing words.

The HHS under the leadership of Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is moving forward to restoring gold standard evidence based medicine. This email from the FDA indicates that serious introspection is occurring to understand the direct health effects related to the COVID-19 vaccines, especially on children.

3042d15c-676b-48ac-8148-1a2204ef420e (1)Download

Fairbanks School Board Prioritizes Pornographic Literature 

Natalie Spaulding
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20
Fairbanks School Board Prioritizes Pornographic Literature 

Despite receiving approximately 500 community complaints about pornographic material in the public-school library, the Fairbanks School Board refused to revise school library policy. School Board Member Loa Carroll-Hubbard proposed the revision in a school board meeting on November 18, 2025: “There should be no sexually explicit material in our libraries. Period.” As of now, current policy permits pornographic literature.

Superintendent’s Response

Superintendent Dr. Luke Meinert responded to the request for revision by emphasizing the current policy’s provision of parental rights: “Parents do have the full rights and responsibilities. If they don’t want their student to check books out from our library, they certainly have that right. They can also restrict certain books that they don’t want their children to have access to.” 

Caroll-Hubbard addressed Dr. Meinert’s argument, stating: “I get that parents have a right to decide, but not all parents are engaged.” She points out that even highly successful parents with demanding jobs may not have time to monitor their kids’ choice of library books. Furthermore, she says, “I don’t know that I ever shared my library books with my mom and dad.” 

Real Harm to Children

According to the American College of Pediatricians: “Consumption of pornography is associated with many negative emotional, psychological, sociological, and physical health outcomes. These include increased rates of depression, anxiety, acting out and violent behavior, younger age of sexual debut, sexual promiscuity, increased risk of teen pregnancy, child sex abuse, sexual trafficking, and a distorted view of relationships between men and women.” 

Despite the real harm pornographic literature causes children, the majority of Fairbanks School Board Members stated they support the library policy as written.

Prioritizing Sexual Content Over Proficiency in English, Math, and Science

Board President Bobby Burgess and Vice President Meredith Maple defended two books with sexually explicit content: Looking for Alaska by John Green and The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison. Both Maple and Burgess contended that books like these help children process life’s complexities, and that the books taken as a whole offer valuable lessons.  

Burgess argued that John Green’s intention in Looking for Alaska was to argue “really in a rather pointed way that emotionally intimate kissing can be a whole lot more fulfilling than emotionally empty oral sex.” 

He also explained Toni Morrison’s intention in The Bluest Eye: “[The book] was really about humanizing people, understanding patterns of violence and the internalized racism and systemic racism that leads to additional harm.” 

The lessons highlighted by Board President Burgess seem strange to prioritize, considering the majority of kids in Fairbanks public schools test below proficiency levels for English, Math, and Science. 

Children need proficiency in reading, writing, math, and science to succeed after graduation. Public schools have a responsibility to impart to students the basic knowledge they need to succeed, not to burden their still-developing brains with literature that contains sexually explicit, intense, adult concepts. 

Failed Motion

On Tuesday, December 2, the school board revisited the issue, listened to public comments, and voted on a motion to review library policy and poll the community for input.

School Board Clerk Morgan Dulian highlighted concerns regarding legal ramifications: “Mat-Su school district is a perfect example. They paid out $89,000 and had a long legal battle and a lot of time (and time is money) and had to return the books to the library.” She admits, “there are obvious concerns from the community on certain books that are in the library;” however, she contends that the legal battle would cause more harm than good.

The motion failed 4-7. Yes votes: Post Representative Colonel John Campbell, Base Representative Colonel Timonthy Foster, Treasurer Loa Carroll-Hubbard, and Board Member Audra Hull. No votes: Board President Robert Burgess, Vice President Meredith Maple, Clerk Morgan Dulian, Board Member Timothy Doran, Board Member Naomi Hewitt, Regional Student Council Representative Liam Wade, and FNA Representative Melissa Charlie.

November 18 Regular Meeting

Board Discussion: 2:20:18-2:42:24

December 2 Regular Meeting

Relevant Public Testimony: 26:12:00-29:11, 32:50-43:21

Board Discussion and Vote: 2:20:00-2:41:11

Today’s the Day: Time to Reject MOA’s Proposed 3% Sales Tax 

Natalie Spaulding
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26
Today’s the Day: Time to Reject MOA’s Proposed 3% Sales Tax 

Tonight, the Municipality of Anchorage Assembly votes on a proposed 3% sales tax at its Regular Assembly Meeting, Dec 2, 5pm-11pm. Buried deep in the agenda is Ordinance No. AO 2025-133, listed as item 14.K: the sales tax proposal.

The ordinance reads: “An ordinance of the Anchorage Assembly submitting to the qualified voters of the Municipality of Anchorage a ballot proposition amending the Home Rule Charter to authorize a 3% sales and use tax: 1% for property-tax relief; 1% for public safety and infrastructure; and 1% for childcare and housing; and authorizing borrowing from the MOA Trust Fund corpus to finance start-up costs. Chief Administrative Officer and Mayor LaFrance.” 

New public hearings will begin no earlier than 6pm and end no later than 11pm. The proposed 3% sales tax is the 11th ordinance listed in this section with one ordinance following.  

The public may give testimony in person at the Z.J. Loussac Library Assembly Chambers or submit a written testimony here: Assembly – Public Testimony. 

Suggested Testimony Template 

Here is a suggested testimony to read in person at the meeting or submit online. Please feel free to adjust it however suits you. 

Chair and members, 
My name is ________, and I’m an Anchorage resident. 
 
I oppose Ordinance No. AO 2025-133 for the following reasons: 

  1. Writing a new tax into the Charter is a significant, often permanent change. Once it is in place, future Assemblies and voters will have a very hard time adjusting or reversing it, even if the ordinance causes economic strain. 
  1. A 3% sales tax is undeniably regressive. It raises the cost of living for families already stretched to the limit, while the promised property tax relief does not reach everyone—especially renters and lower-income households who will feel the hit immediately. 
  1. The ordinance bundles several unrelated priorities into a single tax authorization. Public safety, childcare, housing, and tax relief are all important, but merging them together prevents residents from evaluating each one honestly and independently. 
  1. Authorizing borrowing from the MOA Trust Fund corpus to cover start-up costs puts Anchorage’s long-term stability at risk. 

Please vote no on Ordinance No. AO 2025-133. Thank you for your time. 

Railbelt Reliability Council Reviews 2026 Budget at December Board Meeting

Todd M Lindley
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2
Railbelt Reliability Council Reviews 2026 Budget at December Board Meeting

The Railbelt Reliability Council (RRC) convened its board meeting on December 1, 2025, with a focus on key agenda items including the development and approval of the 2026 budget and surcharge filing. The meeting comes as the organization continues to advance regional planning and reliability standards for Alaska’s interconnected electric grid. While specific agenda details remain limited, the session is expected to address ongoing efforts in integrated resource planning and enforcement of operational rules to enhance system efficiency and security.

The Railbelt Reliability Council, certified by the Regulatory Commission of Alaska in 2022, serves as the state’s first Electric Reliability Organization for the Railbelt region, which powers nearly three-quarters of Alaska’s population from Fairbanks to the Kenai Peninsula. Formed through efforts among utility companies, NGOs, and policymakers, the RRC aims to boost grid resilience, lower long-term consumer costs, and foster cooperation among entities like Golden Valley Electric Association and Chugach Electric Association. The 15-member board includes directors from various sectors of the power industry in Alaska. Notably, among them are the Railbelt Utility Co-ops, Alaska Energy Authority (AEA), Alaska IPP, Alaska Public Interest Research Group (AKPIRG), and Renewable Energy Alaska Project (REAP).

A key discussion point in the meeting packet involves the CEO goals outlined starting on page 37. These goals emphasize implementing enforceable standards and regionalized resource planning to promote long-term reliability, sustainability, and affordability across the Railbelt. For the council, this means strengthening collaborative infrastructure projects, mitigating risks from natural disasters and cyber threats, and optimizing costs for consumers through unified generation and transmission strategies. As RRC President and CEO Edward Jenkin stated, “I am excited for the opportunity to lead the RRC and realize the value provided through Railbelt-wide standards and regional planning… to help achieve long-term reliability, sustainability, and affordability.”

Regarding the 2026 budgets, the RRC operates on funds collected via a surcharge from five load-serving utilities under the Equitable Allocation of Costs Rule. The proposed budget, developed publicly, determines the total surcharge amount, though specific figures for 2026 have not been finalized ahead of the meeting. This funding supports standards development, planning, and administrative operations.

2025-12-01 Board PacketDownload

Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly to Hear Update on Grand Jury Investigations Amid Allegations of Judicial Corruption

Todd M Lindley
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0
Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly to Hear Update on Grand Jury Investigations Amid Allegations of Judicial Corruption

Residents of the Kenai Peninsula Borough are gearing up for a pivotal assembly meeting where local advocate David Haeg will present an update on investigative grand juries, spotlighting ongoing concerns about judicial integrity in Alaska. Scheduled for today, December 2, 6pm, the brief presentation promises to delve into a series of resolutions that have fueled calls for greater transparency and accountability in the state’s legal system.

The presentation stems from a history of borough-approved resolutions that initiated scrutiny of the grand jury processes. It began with Resolution 2022-004, adopted unanimously on January 18, 2022, which affirmed the constitutional right of Alaska grand juries to investigate public welfare issues and urged legislative reforms for independent probes. This was followed by Resolution 2023-026 on March 14, 2023, also passing 8-0, which specifically requested hearings on grand jury independence and alleged violations through Supreme Court Orders like SCO 1993, which critics say restrict citizen access to juries. Similar endorsements came from the City of Kenai (Resolution 2022-45) and City of Homer (Resolution 22-020(A)), highlighting a regional push against perceived encroachments on constitutional powers.

Haeg’s 10-minute presentation, titled “Investigative Grand Jury Update,” will emphasize the significance of these efforts in combating alleged judicial corruption. It underscores the grand jury’s historical role in Alaska, citing past instances where grand juries tackled government misconduct, such as the 1985 probe into Governor William Sheffield’s dealings that led to impeachment proceedings. The importance lies in restoring public trust: unchecked corruption erodes equal protection under the law, as grand juries serve as a citizen safeguard when oversight fails.

The public can participate in person at the Betty J. Glick Assembly Chambers or virtually via Zoom. Written comments may be submitted in advance through the borough’s clerk office. Advocates hope this meeting will galvanize actions such as demanding the release of sealed reports and forming an independent commission.

Cathy Tilton and George Rauscher Confirmed to Alaska Senate

Natalie Spaulding
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7
Cathy Tilton and George Rauscher Confirmed to Alaska Senate

Over the weekend, on November 29, the Alaska State Senate confirmed the appointments of former Speaker of the House Cathy Tilton and former Representative George Rauscher. Tilton and Rauscher were appointed by Governor Dunleavy to fill vacancies left by Candidate for Governor Shelley Hughes and Candidate for Lieutenant Governor Mike Shower. 

Tilton will represent District M (Wasilla), and Rauscher will present District O (Sutton). Both Tilton and Rauscher join the Senate Minority Caucus, comprised of 6 Republicans. The new appointments will not affect the Senate Majority Coalition, comprised of 9 Democrats and 5 Republicans. 

Senate President Gary Stevens (R-Kodiak) issued the following statement: “I want to welcome newly appointed Senators Rauscher and Tilton and thank them for stepping forward at such an important time for Alaska. We have major work ahead—stabilizing our fiscal outlook, strengthening education, and charting the course for a gasline—and collaboration will be essential. I look forward to working with them during the upcoming legislative session as we take on these challenges together.” 

Welcome Tilton, RauscherDownload

Anti-Constitution Implications of MOA’s Land Acknowledgement

GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
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28
Anti-Constitution Implications of MOA’s Land Acknowledgement

By David Arehart

In February 2025, Must Read Alaska published an opinion article I wrote about the Anchorage Assembly’s Land Acknowledgment. This Acknowledgement or what I will refer to as the Proclamation, is read at the start of each Regular Assembly Meeting. When first hearing the Acknowledgement, I thought of it as just another scolding and correcting lecture from the illiberal left. 

I am writing part two to underscore what I think is a more serious implication of the Land Acknowledgement. The Acknowledgement deliberately erodes legitimacy of the United States and by promoting it, the Assembly violates their oath of office. 

For reference, the Land Acknowledgement, published July 11, 2025 in the Municipal Agenda, is included at the end of this article. The meeting agenda for the Regular Assembly Meeting on Dec 2 still contains the Land Acknowledgement.

The first two and last three sentences of the Proclamation are rather murky concerning who actually has sovereignty over lands within the Municipality of Anchorage (MOA). The Proclamation’s platitudes served up to Alaska Natives ignores resolution of traditional land claims under the 1971 Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA). The Proclamation strongly implies that more than ANCSA is needed; that we now must pursue decolonization and equity. To be clear, all lands within the State of Alaska fall under the ultimate sovereignty of the United States of America. 

The third sentence is the most troublesome. This sentence reads, “It is an actionable statement that marks our collective movement towards decolonization and equity.” To advocate decolonization is to call for an uprising, a revolution. The problem with today’s edgy advocacy groups, such as the Proclamation writers, is that they think words, such as decolonization and equity, can be redefined to whatever meaning serves their purpose. I am curious about who ends up with all the real property equity after decolonization? 

In order to need decolonization, there must be a colonizer. Writers of the Proclamation lack courage to clearly identify the colonizer. The “colonizer” is none other than the United States of America. To decolonize is to remove the “colonizer,” the United States of America, and reassign or restore the land to another sovereign. To whom is sovereignty being transferred? Again, the writers of this Proclamation are silent. Decolonization (removing United States sovereignty), eliminates the Constitution and all its protections, including the Bill of Rights and Separation of Powers. 

All Assembly Members and the Mayor are required to take an oath of office upholding the Constitution of the United States of America. By issuing and reading this Proclamation at the beginning of each bi-monthly Assembly Meeting, the Assembly violates their oath of office, because the Proclamation’s decolonization manifesto entails the removal of the U.S. Constitution. 

MOA Assembly’s Land Acknowledgement: July 11, 2025

A land acknowledgement is a formal statement recognizing the Indigenous people of a place. It is a public gesture of appreciation for the past and present Indigenous stewardship of the lands that we now occupy. It is an actionable statement that marks our collective movement towards decolonization and equity. The Anchorage Assembly would like to acknowledge that we gather today on the traditional lands of the Dena’ina Athabascans. For thousands of years the Dena’ina have been and continue to be the stewards of this land. It is with gratefulness and respect that we recognize the contributions, innovations, and contemporary perspectives of the upper Cook Inlet Dena’ina. 

David Arehart is a retired registered civil engineer and lifelong resident of Alaska. His engineering work and projects are scattered across Alaska, from Ketchikan to Utqiagvik to Diomede to Atka. 

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