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Blind spot: Who is influencing the people who write the news in Alaska? There’s an app for checking the news echo chamber

Suzanne Downing
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Blind spot: Who is influencing the people who write the news in Alaska? There’s an app for checking the news echo chamber

A new tool by the website Ground.News reveals how people with Twitter accounts are interacting with news sources, and who is influencing them on Twitter. It is revealing when it comes to Alaska journalists, who dominate the Twitter universe in Alaska, and who also shape the narrative of the news.

Ground News’ main emphasis is to analyze news reports from across the globe. Readers can see results from an algorithm that shows whether left-leaning media has a blindspot to the story, and which stories right-leaning media is ignoring.

In addition, readers can use a tool on the site to analyze Twitter and Reddit accounts for who their account owners “like,” “share,” and otherwise interact with.

Must Read Alaska analyzed the accounts of many of the people who shape the mainstream media coverage in Alaska to see if they are interacting mostly on one end of the spectrum.

The results may not surprise readers:

Dave Hulen, the editor of the Anchorage Daily News, interacts 98 percent of the time with left-bias news sources on Twitter, including the newspaper he edits.

Must Read Alaska used the “blindspot” tool to compare Hulen to Must Read Alaska’s account which interacts with 75 percent right-leaning Twitter sources.

Hulen’s top three news sources are the ADN, USA Today, and the Los Angeles Times. His top three news influencers are Marc Lester, ADN photographer; Dr. Anne Zink, Alaska’s chief medical officer; and Charles Ornstein, of ProPublica.

Downing’s top three news sources include NewsMax, where she writes a column; Fox News; and BitChute. Top influencers are Kevin Showalter, who regularly badgers Dr. Anne Zink on Twitter over state Covid policy; Jack Posobiec, who is described by Wikipedia as an “alt-right and alt-lite political activist, conspiracy theorist, television host, journalist, and Internet troll;” and Paul Thacker, an X Games X Games medalist and outdoor enthusiast.

Here are the results for a handful of other journalists in Alaska who are on Twitter regularly:

Rebecca Palsha, Alaska’s News Source: 62% of the news @RebeccaPalsha interacts with on Twitter is centrist, 37% is left. Top three sources are: ADN, New York Times, Washington Post. Top three influencers are Kyle Hopkins, WasillaWarlock, and Charles Ornstein.

Kyle Hopkins, ADN’s Pulitzer Prize winner: 98% of the news @kylehopkinsAK interacts with on Twitter leans left, 2% is centrist. Top three sources are: ADN, ProPublica, New York Times. His top three influencers are Charles Ornstein. of ProPublica; Elizabeth Harball, of Alaska Public Media’s Energy Desk; and Hopkins’ wife, Rebecca Palsha, of Alaska’s News Source.

Elizabeth Harball, Alaska Public Media Energy Desk: 94% of the news @ElizHarball interacts with on Twitter leans left, 6% is centrist. Top three sources are: ADN, Washington Post, New York Times. Top three influencers are Kyle Hopkins, David Hulen, Michelle Theriault Boots.

Michelle Theriault Boots, ADN: 95% of the news @Theriault_Boots interacts with on Twitter leans left, 5% is centrist. Top three sources are: ADN, New York Times, Washington Post.

Tom Hewitt, editorial page editor for ADN: 100% of the news @tomhewittnews interacts with on Twitter leans left. Top three news sources are ADN, New York Times, Washington Post. Top three influencers are Henry Cole, Will Muldoon, Ben Matheson.

Ryan Binkley, publisher of the ADN, isn’t a regular Twitter user, but his biggest influencers on Twitter are Howard Weaver (former ADN editor), Tom Hewitt, and Kyle Hopkins.

James Brooks, ADN: 95% of the news @AK_OK interacts with on Twitter leans left. Top three sources are: ADN, CBC News, New York Times. Top three influencers are National Weather Service Juneau, Matt Buxton (leftist political blog), David Reamer (historian).

Matt Buxton, Midnight Sun AK blog: 100% of the news @mattbuxton interacts with on Twitter leans left. Top three news sources are ADN, CBC News, CNN. Top three influencers are Alaska Landmine (blog), Andrew Kitchenman (KTOO), James Brooks (ADN).

Alaska Landmine: Not enough data. Top three influencers are James Brooks, Matt Buxton, Dave Stieren.

Amanda Bohman, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner: 40% of the news @FDNMborough interacts with on Twitter leans left, 20% leans right, 40% is centrist. No top three news sources listed. Top three influencers are Tom Hewitt (ADN editorial page editor), ZubyMusic, and Samantha Godwin.

Nat Herz, Alaska Public Media Energy Desk: 96% of the news @Nat_Herz interacts with on Twitter leans left. Top three news sources are ADN, Indian Country Today, Associated Press. Top three influencers are Alaska Public Media, Alaska Landmine, Tegan Hanlon (Alaska Public Media).

Tegan Hanlon, Alaska Public Media: 96% of the news @teganhanlon interacts with on Twitter leans left. Top three news sources are ADN, New York Times, Washington Post. Top three influencers are Alaska Public Media, Liz Ruskin (APM), and KTOO.

If all the journalists in Alaska seem to be heavily left leaning, there is one bright spot: Becky Bohrer, AP reporter in Juneau. The algorithm rates her 100 percent centrist.

Try the Twitter Blindspotter tool yourself at this link.

Chris Nyman: Inflation, national debt, suspending the dividend

GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
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Chris Nyman: Inflation, national debt, suspending the dividend

By CHRIS NYMAN

As I reflect on our situation post-pandemic and wonder “what the heck just happened? Was it worth all this suffering to defeat President Trump?” I also see that inflation is now an undeniable statistic.

We’ve been told that it didn’t exist before due to the new way they measure it – even though prices were increasing for average Americans. It is great that the stock market has been performing so well for investors, but it may also portend increases in consumer prices.

Which brings me to the subject of the national debt. It has always seemed to me that the only way out of this massive debt is inflation is to make the money we owe worth less. But in theory inflation causes interest rates to rise, which would increase the interest on the national debt to horrific levels and perhaps cause taxes to rise in order to sustain the federal kleptocracy. Alternatively, interest rates can never rise due to this conundrum and inflation will eat us alive. This is the downside of not balancing the budget and printing “money” at will.

The politicians always say, “Future growth will pay our way out of this.” That might be true only if the economy grows faster than the rate of government growth.

Which brings me to our own fiscal situation: the State of Alaska budget.

I read the opinion letter from Speaker Louise Stutes. She seems sensible and in touch with our fiscal reality (although I will never forget she once supported income taxes to continue paying deficit dividends). I do appreciate the House’s position on this to not over-draw the Permanent Fund Earnings Account. So the usual range of options is there for us: Reduce the dividend, impose new income and/or sales taxes, or increase taxes on our most valuable industry. We are fortunate that oil prices have recovered somewhat so the situation is not as bad as it could be.

Nonetheless, the choice could not be more clear: The dividend must be ”suspended” until our fiscal accounts are in order. For instance, we have depleted our emergency reserve account the Constitutional Budget Reserve. The Alaska Constitution requires that we repay those borrowed funds. Do you think the Alaska Supreme Court will allow us to continue borrowing money from any source to continue dividends?

Regarding new taxes the ultimate issue would be whether the dividend is a legitimate “public purpose” (Re: Alaska Constitution Article 9 Paragraph 6: Public Purpose) on a par with basic services such as public safety and economic development, I don’t think so.

The reality is the Legislature will likely figure out some way to pay a reduced “dividend” by sleight of hand or an honest assessment of what we can actually afford.

In the long run, suspending the dividend for a few years would be best. We are not that far away from getting our accounts in order and having sustainable revenue from our oil-derived  trust fund (the Permanent Fund) to have surplus funds for a dividend of some type again.

Read: Chris Nyman It’s time to suspend the dividend

Sand moves fast through hourglass as Legislature high centers on budget, PFD

Suzanne Downing
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Sand moves fast through hourglass as Legislature high centers on budget, PFD

The Alaska Legislature is into the autumn of its 30-day special session and there seems to be little movement on the big pieces of legislation that should have been accomplished in the 90-day session, or even the 120-day session.

The regular extended session ended May 19. The first special session called by the governor this year ends on June 18.

Here’s what still hasn’t been done: There is no Operating Budget, the Mental Health Budget, the Capital Budget, the Permanent Fund Dividend. In other words, the funding of government for the year starting July 1 has not been decided since Jan. 19’s opening gavel.

That’s 139 days of legislating and no budgets to show for it. None.

It gets down to fighting over dollars, of course, but ultimately, it all hinges on what what Legislature plans to do with Alaskans’ Permanent Fund dividend this year.

The Permanent Fund dividend is a question that has vexed the Legislature since 2016, when Gov. Walker took half of the dividend and then proved, through a court decision, that it was merely an appropriation, not a royalty, as it had been envisioned by the Permanent Fund founders. Walker’s handling of the dividend was a major part of the public turning against him, as they also did against Sen. Cathy Giessel and Sen. John Coghill, and more than a few House members who didn’t solve the structural problem.

Appropriations are fought over year after year, and this year the fight looks more protracted than ever.

Here are some numbers to watch:

Zero: The amount the Alaska House of Representatives has appropriated for the Alaska Permanent Fund dividend. The House Majority tried for $500, but it was “no deal” from the Republican minority. They were not going to have a vote for a $500 dividend on their voting record.

$2,350: The amount the Alaska Senate has appropriated for the Alaska Permanent Fund dividend. This is roughly equal to the 50-50 split the governor has asked for in his constitutional amendment legislation, and he says he can live with that if the people can only be allowed to vote on SJR 6.

$1,000: The approximate amount that the dividend could be this year and not be in violation of the spending cap provided in SB 26, which creates a Percent of Market Value draw on the Earnings Reserve Account.

$81 billion: The balance of the Alaska Permanent Fund.

$18.3 billion: The amount in the Alaska Permanent Fund’s Earnings Reserve Account.

11: The number of Alaska State senators needed to agree to the Conference Committee compromise on the budgets and the dividend.

50-50: The governor’s proposal in SJR 6 to return to the formula that was historic, where half of a five-year rolling average of the fund’s annual investment income was dedicated to dividends for the people, and the rest could be used for government or reinvested into the principle.

That last number is key: If the Senate already had 11 senators in agreement, they’d have a deal struck, and the conference committee and rest of the Legislature would be heading home. But it’s apparent they don’t have 11 senators. There are those on both sides of the political fulcrum who want Alaskans to have a full PFD or at least a constitutional question on the ballot. And there are those who are philosophically opposed to the dividend altogether and want it as small as possible.

Conference Committee Chairs Sen. Bert Stedman and Rep. Neal Foster are trying to run out the clock a bit more and start the panic journalism machine going about government shutdowns, counting on the media to blame the governor and blame the Republicans for having no budget.

The conference committee also doesn’t want other legislators in Juneau, and most are, in fact, not there right now, since they would have to pay for their own room and board. The Legislature passed a law a couple of years ago saying if they don’t pass a budget, they can’t take per diem during special session.

It’s worth noting that those on the conference committee don’t need the legislative per diem — they are all pretty well off. They also don’t want all the other legislators in Juneau because idle hands get into mischief and bored legislators could make all sorts of trouble for leadership. Like a coup in the House, where Speaker Louise Stutes spends more time “at easing” than leading.

This week, there’s a meeting of the House Finance Committee. There’s a meeting of the House Judiciary Committee. And there is a clock ticking on all the functions of government:

  • HB 69, Operating Budget
  • HB 70 or SB 50: Capital Budget
  • HB 71: Mental Health Budget
  • HB 72, SB 52: Permanent Fund dividend
  • HJR 7 or SJR 6: Governor’s proposal to ask voters to decide if Permanent Fund dividend should be in constitution.
  • In other words, the only job the Legislature has, other than voting on gubernatorial appointments, is not done.

The leaders in the Legislature appear to want to kick the PFD can down the road to August, when there will be yet another special session. They don’t appear to want to give up 50 percent of the eligible earnings of the Permanent Fund, nor do they want Alaskans to be able to vote on it because they know how Alaskans will vote, if given the chance.

This puts Sen. Bert Stedman in an awkward position. After all, he was the one who proposed the 50-50 split in 2017 with SB 21, and it was then-Sen. Mike Dunleavy who supported his proposal and helped him move it.

Now Stedman has the chance to move his own proposal forward. Does Stedman have the courage to champion the 50-50 in 2021 as he did in 2017? Time will tell, but time is moving faster than ever with 11 days to go in the special session and three weeks until state government ceases to exist.

Read Gov. Mike Dunleavy: If we’re going to save the dividend, this is the year

Gov. Mike Dunleavy: If we’re going to save the dividend, it will have to be this year

GUEST CONTRIBUTOR
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Gov. Mike Dunleavy: If we’re going to save the dividend, it will have to be this year

By GOV. MIKE DUNLEAVY

Support for protecting the Permanent Fund dividend in the Alaska Constitution has reached unprecedented levels. Nearly 100 Alaskans called into the House Judiciary Committee hearing to voice their support and thousands more have sent letters of support.

The “let them eat cake” crowd comprised of the Anchorage Daily News editorial board and once-powerful former state senators are clearly getting nervous as they lash out at our increasingly bipartisan plan. To top it off, 17 out of 20 senators have now voted yes on a $2,350 PFD – the highest PFD amount in Alaska’s history. 

This support couldn’t come at a more critical juncture. Last year, the Legislature “gifted” Alaskans a $992 dividend. This year, the House proposed just $500, but ultimately, it failed to pass. Since my days in the Senate, I’ve consistently warned that the PFD is facing an existential threat from those who would rather see every penny of Alaska’s shared wealth used up by state government. The point of no return is rapidly approaching, and if we’re going to save the PFD, it must be this year.

That’s why Alaskans must be given the chance to vote on protecting the PFD in the constitution. A majority of the Legislature has made it abundantly clear that following the law is not an option, and in fact, the full statutory dividend failed to pass in both legislative bodies this year. As I’ve said hundreds of times before, we must follow the law or change it with a vote of the people.

That also means enshrining the PFD in the constitution so that it can never be tampered with again, and to ensure government cannot spend more from the Permanent Fund than what is owed to the people. A 50-50 split is not perfect, but it presents a path forward in a Legislature where most members are openly hostile to the dividend. The resulting $2,350 dividend is expected to increase to $3,263 over the next decade based on a conservative growth rate of 6.25%, and because the PFD will be in the constitution, that money can never again be touched by lawmakers without a vote of the people.

Some have rightly wondered why 50-50? Anyone who knows me is aware that no one has worked harder since 2016 to save the full PFD. But as I’ve said since my Senate days, without constitutionalizing the PFD, the shrinking dividends are a clear precursor to the ultimate end of the PFD program.

As a consistent defender of the PFD, I truly believe this may be our final chance. Last year’s $992 dividend represented only 20% of the Permanent Fund draw. If some in the Legislature had their way, your share would fall to about 10% or less this year. This is what’s driving me and many defenders of Jay Hammond’s vision to ask for your support of SJR 6. A $2,350 PFD in exchange for a guaranteed, and ever-increasing amount is something I can make peace with to secure the future of the PFD for our grandchildren, and most Alaskans I talk with feel the same.

Ultimately, Alaskans’ voices are the only ones that matter. As I’ve consistently stated, you must have the final say when it comes to making changes to your shareholder rights. This basic tenet of our democracy was ignored by the previous administration, and if we’re going to protect the Permanent Fund and the PFD, we must return these decisions to the hands of the people just like Alaskans did 45 years ago when they chose to establish the Permanent Fund in the constitution. This is exactly what SJR 6 does.

While recent history has demonstrated that hoping the Legislature does the right thing is a fool’s errand, we are fortunate now that there is a growing consensus among legislators that the Permanent Fund and the dividend must be preserved through a constitutional amendment and a vote of the people. This fickle window of support will not last forever. The time to act is now. 

Politicians have been saying for years, “We’ll get to this next year.” Enough is enough. We save the PFD now; we save it forever. Give the people a chance to solve this with a constitutional amendment so we never have to wonder if there will be a PFD this year.

If you’ve come to the same conclusion, I encourage you to contact your legislators and let them know that you support putting the PFD in the constitution forever. You can do so with our easy-to-use tool at akgov.us/pfd or by visiting gov.alaska.gov/pfd.

Regardless of your position on the plan, it’s been an honor serving as your governor. I will always fight for Alaskans to have the opportunity to vote on your Permanent Fund and PFD so that we can constitutionally protect them for generations to come. Thank you for all your support and prayers and I look forward to moving our state forward together. 

Mike Dunleavy is the 12th governor of Alaska.

Voting right denied to Anchorage man because ‘signature didn’t match’

Suzanne Downing
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22
Voting right denied to Anchorage man because ‘signature didn’t match’

For one Anchorage super voter, his vote for mayor in the recent mail-in runoff election wasn’t counted, even though he went to great lengths to “cure” his ballot.

And even though his signature matches the one that is on file with the State of Alaska, the same signature that is on his driver’s license.

And even though he has been a super-voter since at least 2012, only missing one municipal election and having missed no state or federal elections.

Must Read Alaska is protecting the voter’s name, but has verified his story through reviewing official documents he received from the Anchorage Division of Elections / Municipal Clerk’s Office. For the purpose of this story, we’re calling him Sig Signer.

Signer voted the Anchorage mail-in ballot, as he did in 2018 and 2019, when he didn’t run into trouble with his signature. He used the same signature in 2021.

A conservative, Signer is an avid voter. So when he received an email from the Municipal Clerk saying his ballot needed to be “cured” because the signature on the outside of the envelope did not match the one on file, he acted quickly.

On May 13, Signer sent an email back to the Division of Elections with a photo copy of his driver’s license, and the proper form requested by the Elections Office. The signatures matched.

That same day, he received an email from Brandy Yeates of the Election Office, stating that “We have received your Voter Declaration and ID and will get your ballot processed.” Signer assumed his civic work was done and that he had cured his ballot.

On June 4, the Election Office sent Signer a letter letting him know he had not been able to vote because his signature didn’t match. Municipal Clerk Barbara Jones suggested that he register a new signature with the State of Alaska.

Must Read Alaska has reviewed all of Signer’s email and printed communication from the Municipal Clerk’s Office, which had given him a deadline of May 21 to submit his “voter declaration” to “cure” his ballot. The election was certified on May 25. The Election Office had eight days to let Signer know that his ballot was still not accepted.

The story illustrates an unresolved problem with the mail-in balloting system used by Anchorage, which relies on a left-leaning Election Commission to review questioned ballots and make a final determination. It’s the kind of situation that would not have occurred if Signer had gone to one of the three in-person voting locations during the weeks leading up to the election, had shown his driver’s license, signed the register, and then voted a traditional ballot.

The story also illustrates that even as aggressive as the Bronson campaign was in looking over the work of the Election Office, and as much criticism as Municipal Clerk Barbara Jones lobbed at Bronson’s volunteer election observers, there was at least one vote that was not allowed to be cast due to a human decision that a signature didn’t match.

Read: Municipal Clerk insults election observers and Washington Post picks up story, blames Bronson volunteers

From the election observers’ perspective, they said they felt bullied by the Municipal Clerk, and that they were kept at such a distance, they could not clearly see what was going on during the adjudication of ballots.

Must Read Alaska wants to hear from readers who had a similar experience. If you were denied the right to vote by the Municipal Clerk’s Office and Election Commission, let us know in the comment section below.

Murkowski to vote no on controversial bill that could lead to more election fraud

Suzanne Downing
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Murkowski to vote no on controversial bill that could lead to more election fraud

Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski is reported to be a “hard no” for a radical overhaul of U.S. election law, known as the For the People Act, according to the Associated Press.

The proposed law, supported by President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, passed the House along party lines. The bill would make voter fraud easier and change campaign finance laws. Every state would be required to set up 15 days of early voting and absentee ballots would have to be issued for any reason. All states would be required to provide same-day voter registration for federal elections, and allow voters to change their registration at the polls.

The bill would require automatic voter registration for all, vote by mail for all, and even though it would require vote by mail, it would make Election Day a federal holiday. It would require all states to adopt online voter registration (now adopted in 39 states), and require states to allow all 16- and 17-year olds to pre-register to vote in advance of becoming eligible to vote at age 18.

Under the bill, states would be greatly restricted in their ability to clean up their voter rolls, as the law would prevent purging of names six months before an election. The bill restores voting rights to felons who have completed prison terms.

HR 1 was originally introduced by Rep. John Sarbanes in 2019, as on behalf of the Democratic majority that took control of the House of Representatives in the 2018 election. It was the first official piece of legislation for the 116th United States Congress, but was blocked by the Republican-controlled Senate.

Now, the Senate is split but the Democrats are in charge because they control the White House, and the bill is said to be heading for a floor vote the week of June 21. It appears all Republicans are against the measure as is Sen. Joe Manchin, the West Virginia conservative Democrat.

A separate bill, called the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, would reauthorize provisions of the Voting Rights Act and is more likely to get bipartisan support.

Murkowski and Manchin wrote to the leaders of both the Senate and House on May 17, urging the reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act, and arguing that voting rights has “not been a partisan issue” since the bill was first passed 1965 and “we must not allow it to become on today.”

The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act would reestablish Justice Department oversight over voting laws in states with a history of discriminatory practices. Those states that were once under Justice Department oversight included eight Southern states plus Alaska.

The U.S. Supreme Court struck down key provisions of the Voting Rights Act in 2013, lifting federal supervision of Alaska’s elections. The 5-4 ruling said that the VRA method for identifying states needing federal election oversight was unfair and arbitrary.

Republican Women of Fairbanks’ summer salad spectacular returns

Suzanne Downing
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3
Republican Women of Fairbanks’ summer salad spectacular returns

After a year off, the annual Summer Salad Spectacular returns this year from 5:30-7:30 pm, June 10, at the home of David and Aldean Kilbourn. It’s a fundraiser for the Republican Women of Fairbanks, which uses the funds to help elect Republicans.

Art Chance: Ashes of our fathers, the Normandy invasion, and the soy boys

SENIOR CONTRIBUTOR
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Art Chance: Ashes of our fathers, the Normandy invasion, and the soy boys

By ART CHANCE

Let us transport ourselves back 80 years:  On Dec. 7, 1941, the Imperial Japanese Navy all but destroyed the US Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and launched a war against America and other Western interests in the Pacific region. 

Fast forward: In December of 2019 a biological weapon was launched against the US and Western interests from China.   

We don’t need to determine whether the release of the Covid-19 virus was accidental or intentional, we only need to look at the reaction to the release. Once the release was discovered, the Chinese closed off all internal transportation and communication with the Wuhan province, yet it allowed Wuhan to maintain communication with the Western world.  Every Chinese citizen who traveled to the West from Wuhan, whether it was an act of war, or simply serendipity, was a biologically armed cruise missile aimed at the Western World.

This isn’t 1941 or 1962; there is no FDR or JFK who will pronounce it a day that will live in infamy or who will promise to pay any price and bear any burden to set it right.  

We live in the World of the Beltway wimps and the soy boys.   We still have some warriors in our military but the Left is doing its best to extirpate them, just as they are trying to eliminate police on our streets.

I’m writing this in the evening Alaska time on June 5, which is 5-ish am English time on June 6.   At this time on June 6, 1944, there were about 150,000 men crammed into landing craft approaching the French coast. Few of the troops were veterans. The command tried to somewhat leaven the force with men who’d seen combat in North Africa or Italy, but most were raw recruits who, while well-trained, had never seen combat.   

There is an argument for this from the Civil War, when commanders learned that troops who had assaulted fixed works and survived were very reluctant to do it again, see, e.g. Cold Harbor.

Although the Germans didn’t really expect the Allied invasion to come on the Normandy Coast, it was nonetheless very heavily defended. That said, most of the German frontline troops were not veteran fighters; other than a few SS tank units and Panzer Grenadiers called to the Western Front, most were rear echelon troops.  The primary Allied objective was to prevent the seasoned SS Panzer units and Panzer Grenadiers from reinforcing the troops on the front line.

The Allied troops who assaulted that line were in high school a couple of years before; their officers were at most a couple of years older. If you’ll recall that scene in “Saving Private Ryan” when the camera pans the horizon crowded with ships, it is important to know that the only things in that scene that existed on Dec. 7, 1941, were two WWI battleships and the men themselves who were in high school. Everything else had been built by American industry in scarcely three years.

We have been cowering behind our desks and staying in our homes for almost two years because of a threat that may well be nothing more than a scam, a psy-ops operation. Funny how influenza and pneumonia disappeared as causes of death during the “pandemic.”

Our fathers were better than this.

“Then out spake brave Horatius,
The Captain of the Gate:
To every man upon this earth
Death cometh soon or late.
And how can man die better
Than facing fearful odds,
For the ashes of his fathers,
And the temples of his gods” 
― Thomas Babington Macaulay, Lays of Ancient Rome

Art Chance is a retired Director of Labor Relations for the State of Alaska, formerly of Juneau and now living in Anchorage. He is the author of the book, “Red on Blue, Establishing a Republican Governance,” available at Amazon. 

Read: Art Chance: When you wish upon a star.

Breaking: Former Anchorage Mayor Tom Fink has passed

Suzanne Downing
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Breaking: Former Anchorage Mayor Tom Fink has passed

Anchorage former Mayor Tom Fink has passed, according to family members. He had a serious fall last Sunday, his health deteriorated from there, and he died peacefully in his sleep on Friday night. He was 92. A service will be held at 2 pm on Friday, June 11, at Holy Family Cathedral.

Fink was born Aug. 26, 1928, in Peoria, Illinois. He earned a Bachelor of Science from Bradley University in 1950, and a J.D. from the University of Illinois Law School in 1952, and then moved to Anchorage that year, where he worked in life insurance for his entire career. Fink and Don Schroer owned the Schroer-Fink Agency for many years and Schroder was involved in Fink’s political campaigns.

Fink was mayor of Anchorage from 1987 to 1994, and was in the House of Representatives for from 1967-1976,  
serving as speaker of the House from 1973 to 1975. He left the Legislature when the new Alaska campaign laws (APOC) would have required him to list all of his insurance clients, something he felt was detrimental to his customers.

Fink ran for governor in 1982 and lost to Democrat Bill Sheffield, but he remained active in politics and civic matters all his life. He was very active in the school choice movement even in recent years and attended political events up until the pandemic hit in 2020.

He was married to Pat, and the couple had 11 children. Fink was a devout Catholic and went to Holy Family Cathedral nearly every day to pray, friends said.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy offered the following statement:

“Tom was a talented public servant and driven leader who worked diligently for his constituents both as a Representative and as Anchorage’s Mayor. There is no question that Tom lived a full life and left a lasting impact on those he knew and faithfully served. Rose and I offer our deepest sympathies to the Fink family for their loss.”

Flags will be flown at half-staff on a day of the family’s choosing, he said.

Mayor-elect Dave Bronson issued a statement:

“Deb and I extend our heartfelt sympathy to the family of Tom Fink, who was a genuine leader for Anchorage and Alaska, but most importantly, he was a husband to Pat and father of 11 children, and the loss is profound to all of them,” Bronson said.

“People in Anchorage remember Tom as plain spoken, with a wonderful sense of humor and a firm hand on the budget. His trademarks were his hat, pipe, bow tie, and his warm smile,” Bronson said. “Tom was a true public servant who always worked to make Anchorage a better place for all.”

This story will be updated as details become known.

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