In a first for a downtown diner that has been a political hangout since before Statehood, the White Spot Cafe is going to be the place for a political fundraiser.
The candidate is Nick Begich for Congress, and the date is Feb. 15, 5:30-7 pm.
The White Spot, 109 W 4th Ave., is a classic hole-in-the-wall diner that specializes in breakfast and lunch, and especially is known for friendly staff, big portions, and good coffee. The diner survived the 1964 earthquake, the oil boom and bust, and even Covid shutdowns by Mayors Ethan Berkowitz and Acting Mayor Austin Quinn-Davidson, and it has a loyal clientele of civic and business leaders, many of whom have witnessed the history of the young state as it grew. It’s a place where elected officials, business owners, and blue collar workers come together to enjoy fresh halibut sandwiches. The current owner is John Bridges.
Begich, a Republican, is running for the seat now held by Congressman Don Young.
The State of Alaska Covid Data Hub reports that more that one million doses of Covid vaccine have been administered in Alaska since the vaccines became available in early 2021 — 1,001,941 to be exact as of Friday morning.
Most people getting the Covid shot receive two doses, which is considered by the medical establishment as “fully vaccinated,” but many are receiving boosters, which would account for the number of doses being as high as it is. Some 62 percent of Alaskans are considered “fully vaccinated” against Covid.
Cases of Covid in Alaska are spiking, regardless. Some 1,566 new cases were reported on Feb. 3.
Since March of 2020, 213,606 instances of Covid infection have been reported, and 1,060 deaths of Alaskans have been attributed to Covid.
Also since March, 2020, some 3,474 Alaskans have spent time in the hospital due to effects of the virus. As of Friday, 160 people are in Alaska hospitals with Covid.
The percent of vaccine breakthrough cases continues to rise as a percentage of all cases that are documented. In November, some 41.8 percent of known Covid cases were among those who had been vaccinated, up from 38.7 percent in October, and 35.2 percent in September. The data lags by two months in the state’s reporting, as seen below.
According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, coronavirus cases are declining nationwide. The U.S. averaged more than 540,000 new cases per day last Friday, according to the CDC.
The National Republican Committee, made up of Republican leaders from every state, is expected on Friday to formally condemn Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois for their role in the special House committee on the January 6 Attack on the Capitol. A condemnation would withdraw all support from them from the party and its subdivisions.
A resolution coming out of the GOP Resolutions committee on Thursday says that Cheney and Kinzinger care more about destroying former President Donald Trump than they do about winning back a Republican majority in the House. Friday is the last day of the GOP Winter meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The resolution being advanced says that the two are participating in a “Democrat-led persecution of ordinary citizens engaged in legitimate political discourse, and they are both utilizing their past professed political affiliation to mask Democrat abuse of prosecutorial power for partisan purposes.”
It goes on to say the GOP “hereby formally censures Representatives Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois and shall immediately cease any and all support of them as members of the Republican Party for their behavior which has been destructive to the institution of the U.S. House of Representatives, the Republican Party and our republic, and is inconsistent with the position of the Conference.”
As for Cheney, she came out swinging with a statement on Twitter:
“The leaders of the Republican Party have made themselves willing hostages to a man who admits he tried to overturn a presidential election and suggests he would pardon Jan. 6 defendants, some of whom have been charged with seditious conspiracy. I’m a constitutional conservative and I do not recognize those in my party who have abandoned the Constitution to embrace Donald Trump. History will be their judge. I will never stop fighting for our constitutional republic. No matter what,” she wrote from her campaign Twitter handle.
Nearly one year ago, the Alaska Republican Party made a similar censure of Sen. Lisa Murkowski for her vote to convict Trump during his second impeachment trial. But it’s unclear if the national GOP is going to remain silent on that or assist Murkowski in her bid for re-election. A resolution by the Alaska Republican Party to request the national party withdraw support from Murkowski failed because the resolution was seen as needing more work.
Murkowski formally announced in November that she is a candidate for 2022, and even though the party has requested that she leave the party, she filed as a Republican. Her main opponent is Republican Kelly Tshibaka, who has been endorsed by Trump.
Murkowski has the support of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, and the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
In the Alaska House of Representatives, the Democrats are trying to punish Rep. David Eastman for going to Washington, D.C. on Jan. 6 to hear the former president speak, and for his membership in the nonprofit group known as the Oath Keepers.
When the idea of a new city hall in Juneau surfaced several years ago, the idea fell flat. State budget tightening had impacted city finances and the thought of spending $27 million on a brand-new government building (complete with a waterfront view on prime downtown real estate) seemed excessive.
City Manager Rorie Watt stated the project would consolidate city employees in one central location, make operations more efficient, and eliminate the need to rent space in other downtown locations, thus saving $750,000 annually.
Then Covid hit and the plan went dormant.
Now with Covid waning and Alaska awash in federal funding for critical infrastructure, the proposal has been resurrected. This time, however, city officials have mounted a public relations campaign to convince the electorate that their original idea had merit.
Last October, an online survey was conducted to gauge public opinion about the project. The survey captured 1,326 responses – approximately 4% of Juneau’s population. About three-fourths (74%) of respondents indicated they were supportive or strongly supportive of building a new city hall instead of continuing to rent office space, while 18% indicated they were opposed or strongly opposed. Nine percent had no opinion.
City officials are now using this unscientific survey as evidence that the majority of Juneau residents support the project.
However, as noted in the survey, it represented a self-selected sample rather than a random sample and results “should not be considered statistically representative of Juneau’s adult population.” In addition, approximately 17% of those surveyed were city employees who may have been biased in favor of new quarters. Respondents were not prevented from voting multiple times.
Somewhat misleading in that it didn’t mention the cost of the project, the survey only disclosed that reduced space rental costs could theoretically finance a $12 million 30-year bond. How many respondents thought $12 million was the full cost and given rising interest rates, is that even accurate now?
Using a dozen different criteria (such as parking, cost, accessibility, etc.) officials later narrowed down practical locations to eight possible sites in the borough. The leading candidate, to date, to no one’s surprise, is the originally proposed location, on top of the Downtown Transit Center/Parking Garage.
While the Downtown Transit Center is identified as one of the least expensive options, is it realistic to use the original $27 million estimate given that building costs have skyrocketed in the interim?
By placing the emphasis on this arguably questionable cost figure, other equally important considerations are being ignored. Parking availability was rated highly in the survey and accessibility was deemed important, yet the Downtown Transit Center offers little of either. In fact, the majority of respondents (over 60%) preferred a location in the Mendenhall Valley or Lemon Creek where these requirements could be met.
The former Walmart location in Lemon Creek preferred by most who took the survey was estimated to cost $38 million. Is this number credible given the dubious cost estimate of the Downtown Transit Center site?
Juneau’s economy remains fragile. A recent Empire article was cautiously optimistic about the upcoming cruise season but failed to mention a major cruise line bankruptcy and the on-going schedule cancellations of many cruise lines in first quarter 2022.
Unoccupied storefronts line Juneau’s downtown streets. Business owners are struggling with higher property taxes. Who will fill the empty commercial property added to downtown if the city abandons its leases and vacates the current city-owned location? Are all of the economic impacts surrounding this project being considered?
Finally, how many city employees will continue to work from home, a concept favored by 61% of survey respondents?
There’s nothing wrong with evaluating more efficient options for city government. But the campaign to sell this specific concept has not bolstered the credibility of the process. Much like the $77 million Capital Civic Center mega-project, Juneau’s city leaders seem hell-bent on ignoring public concerns and forging ahead with questionable assumptions toward a pre-determined outcome.
Both projects will be competing for speculative federal funding and will require a level of financial support from taxpayers. Over-hyped projects like this, with costs that are under-estimated, usually become budget-busters. Supporters justify continuing them by arguing too much money is already invested, leaving taxpayers stuck with the final bill.
The time to ask questions and get answers is now – before reaching the point where we cannot change course.
After retiring as the senior vice president in charge of business banking for Key Bank in Alaska, Win Gruening became a regular opinion page columnist for the Juneau Empire. He was born and raised in Juneau and graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1970. He is involved in various local and statewide organizations.
Alaska House Speaker Louise Stutes canceled the floor session Wednesday, because “a large portion of representatives have been exposed to Covid-19 in the last 24 hours,” according to her office. Instead, Wednesday was a “technical session,” lasting less than 20 seconds.
The leftist majority under Stutes was planning to continue its efforts to strip Rep. David Eastman from all of his committees due to his membership in the nonprofit organization called Oath Keepers.
Rep. Bart LeBon of Fairbanks posted on his Facebook page that he had tested positive, and sources say he had been in caucus with 16 of the 18 Republican minority members. None who have tested for Covid have yet announced they tested positive, but not all members have tested.
“If you’re following events in Juneau, you may have noticed I’ve not been attending committee hearings in person. The reason is that I recently tested positive for COVID-19 and am currently in quarantine. I am fully vaccinated and my symptoms have been mild. Legislators and staff are on a testing cycle to ensure new cases are identified early and the Capitol has activated the appropriate exposure protocols following my positive test. Though I am not physically in the building, I’m staying current on legislative business. I have been attending meetings remotely and my dutiful staff is keeping me up to date on any official business. Thank you to all those who have reached out to wish me a speedy recovery. I look forward to returning to the Capitol next week after my symptoms resolve,” LeBon wrote on his Facebook page.
The House Committee on Committees Democrats have been plotting against Eastman to remove him from all committees, with Republican members Cathy Tilton and Laddie Shaw objecting; the report must be approved with a simple majority of the House. It is becoming evident that the leftist House majority does not have the votes, and at this point cannot even conduct business.
Since convening 17 days ago, Stutes majority has fixated on Eastman as its sole purpose, and little work has been accomplished under her watch. Many will be gone on Friday, while others will be in quarantine.
The one bill that is being advanced to the floor for Friday, should there be a regular floor session, is HB 118, legislation to grant prisoners more rights to computer access. Its sponsor is Rep. Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins of Sitka.
For over six hours on Thursday, attorney Robin Brena tried in every way possible to get under the skin of Juneau-based Alaska Redistricting Board member Budd Simpson. Brena, law partner to former Gov. Bill Walker, insulted Simpson’s intelligence, ethics, and finally he insulted Simpson’s wife.
Brena, in fact, spent well over a half an hour talking about Simpson’s wife, Paulette Simpson, a well-known supporter of a road north out of Juneau. Brena brought up the fact that Paulette is a Republican. He entered into evidence a letter to the editor from Paulette, dated 14 years ago, which promoted a road from Juneau to Skagway. Brena brought up Paulette’s activism in the Juneau Access project as proof that the map that Budd Simpson drew for the political boundaries in Juneau, Haines, and Skagway was but a thinly veiled attempt to build the road between the communities.
Brena, a multi-millionaire who made his money suing oil companies, pointed out that 22 years ago, a ballot measure asked people if they wanted a road. Voters in the Mendenhall Valley leaned yes, while downtown voters leaned no. He said polls show Skagway aligns on that topic with downtown Juneau, and therefore, those communities are better together.
The attack on Paulette Simpson, rather than the map itself, revealed that Brena thinks wives should be seen but not heard, and certainly are not independent of their husband’s work in any way.
Brena did not reveal to the judge that his own law partner, former Gov. Bill Walker, had killed the road in 2016, citing the state’s financial crisis.
In 2016, Must Read Alaska wrote, almost prophetically, “The option the governor chose is the most expensive alternative: Running slow, mainline ferries that are unreliable and woefully inadequate to the transportation needs and are expensive for working class families. Ferry worker union contracts will continue to explode the cost of operations and require ever-expanding subsidies. Eventually service will have to be cut. “The access road would have allowed the state’s new shuttle ferries to make a 27-min run between Haines and the road ending at Katzehin, cutting travel time, costs, fees, and enabling service throughout the day. The current sailing from Auke Bay takes 4.5 hours. Today’s decision ensures that the people who will be able to afford to get in and out of Juneau will be the monied class.”
The road is dead, but Brena would not let the topic die, so long as it served his purpose to prove that Skagway should be politically connected with road opponents in downtown Juneau.
When Budd Simpson drew the Southeast political boundaries map last year that was eventually adopted by the Alaska Redistricting Board, he didn’t take into consideration the Juneau road project, he said.
The rules are that districts must be contiguous, compact, and have roughly equal numbers of residents. There is no map more contiguous geographically than the Northern Juneau to Skagway map. The ferry terminal in Auke Bay, 12 miles north of Juneau, is the water link between the communities, and the airport, also in the Mendenhall Valley, is the only air link. Skagway has a road to Whitehorse, a Canadian town that is slightly smaller than Juneau where its residents do a lot of their shopping.
On cross examination by attorney Matt Singer, Simpson said a road between Juneau and Skagway will likely not be built any time in the future, and there will be other redistricting exercises between now and whatever may happen with the road. Budd Simpson agreed with that.
Brena also told Judge Thomas Matthews that Skagway residents want to be linked to downtown Juneau, jumping over the more contiguous Mendenhall Valley, because that is where they shop. The truth is that people from communities in the region shop all over Juneau, but Skagway residents are least likely to shop in the downtown corridor since they have the same tourist trap gift shops in their own community. People shopping in Juneau are more likely to be going to Home Depot, Valley Lumber, Don Abel Building Supply, Fred Meyer, and Costco, or heating, automotive, or other supply stores all over the Juneau area.
Brena also repeatedly attacked Budd Simpson because he is an attorney with various clients who may have interests in lines being drawn a certain way. Brena did not reveal to the judge that he and his family have property in Skagway, and that he has economic interests there.
The hearing about the new political lines in northern Southeast Alaska went on all day, with breaks and an hour for lunch. Several people appeared before the judge, including the mayor of Skagway, who opposes having his community linked politically with the Mendenhall Valley, saying it marginalizes the people of Skagway, and local Skagway business owner Jan Wrentmore, who said Skagway is more like downtown Juneau and the people of the Mendenhall Valley, 10 miles north of the downtown area, can’t possibly be educated about the needs of a tourism economy.
Redistricting in Southeast Alaska has proven tricky because the region has lost population and the maps are having to adjust to compensate.
This one of several redistricting challenges being heard over the final maps. Court challenges to the maps are the norm. In the Southcentral region, the Mat-Su Borough and the Valdez Borough are also challenging the way the map links Valdez with the Mat-Su.
The final redistricting maps, some now being litigated, are at the map gallery at this link.
In December, Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson selected Cheryl Frasca as the director of the city’s Office of Management and Budget. She was confirmed without controversy on Tuesday by the Anchorage Assembly. Through her 47-year career working for the U.S. Congress, governors, mayors, and state legislators of different parties, Frasca bring a wealth of skill in dealing with state and city budgets and public administration.
Frasca was the OMB Director for the Municipality of Anchorage from 2000 to 2002 and 2009 to 2012 and served in the same role for the State of Alaska from 2002 to 2006. She has also worked in the private sector dealing with government relations, fiscal policies, and policy analysis issues.
“Cheryl is one of the top financial minds in the entire state of Alaska,” said Mayor Dave Bronson. “I am elated that she has agreed to once again serve the people of Anchorage as we work together to help our great city prosper.”
Frasca has a Bachelor of Political Science from California State University Hayward and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Alaska Southeast.
You would have had to live under a rock to not be impacted by the pandemic. We all know that some have been affected more than others. Some have lost loved ones, some have lost relationships, some have lost businesses and generations of hard work, and some have lost their right to govern their own bodies.
We also all know how this has turned into a political weapon to divide us and push agendas on a fearful people. You would also have had to live under a rock to miss the record breaking convoy in Canada that has sparked a global movement for freedom.
Throughout the world, we are watching live as our neighbors in Canada are taking a stand against the cross-border vaccine mandate on truckers.
They are fighting for their jobs, for their ability to bring supplies to their families and communities, and for their freedom to choose what they inject into their own bodies, without coercion.
When the pandemic first hit us, the truckers never stopped. While the rest of the world spent two weeks locked down and not leaving their homes, truckers kept on trucking. Before vaccines, before therapies, before treatments, before knowing the risks, they kept driving to bring all of the things you ordered from the comfort and safety of your home. They filled your grocery stores and pharmacies. They brought you hand sanitizer and masks, vitamins and food.
Now they are taking a stand against nonsensical federal mandates that strip them of what I believe is a fundamental human right. Hundreds of thousands of Canadians have had enough. The size of the movement is incalculable, and it has inspired demonstrations of solidarity world wide, from Australia to Europe to Africa to Alaska. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau calls truckers “the fringe.” Well, we the fringe are making our voices heard.
My heart swells with pride and hope as the people make a peaceful protest against government overreach that is nothing short of tyranny. Of course, the media keeping in line with their crumbling narrative has villainized and attacked these people. But if you open your eyes, you will see the most beautiful display of community, diversity, and patriotism I have ever seen.
The people are refusing to let the government divide them into vaxxed and unvaxxed. They are rejecting the fear and propaganda of a hypocritical prime minister. They are rejecting discrimination and coercion against a minority. They are embracing their humanity and joining together to make a stand for freedom for all. They are bringing each other gas, and food to sustain the protest. They are playing hockey in the streets. They are singing their national anthem and waving flags. They are cleaning up the streets and the statues. They are fathers, mothers, children, grandparents, friends, strangers, vaxxed, and unvaxxed. They are the shot heard round the world and they have awakened the Patriot in us all. And their stance is costly. They need us to support them. It’s time to hold the line.
“In the beginning of a change the patriot is a scarce man, and brave, and hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot.” – Mark Twain
There is a line drawn in the sand and it’s time to pick a side. Do you stand for freedom of speech and medical choice? Or do you stand with the ones forcing their will upon others? I have been fighting these mandates since the beginning. Freedom over fear.
I will always stand for freedom. It’s in my blood. History is being written right now. What will it say about you? Do you stand up against discrimination of a minority? Or do you join the mob rule panicked cancel culture?
As Alaskans, these truckers are our lifeline. This is our chance to thank them not just for the supplies they deliver, but for their most important delivery yet….freedom.
Jamie Allard is an Anchorage Assembly member representing Chugiak and Eagle River.
Anchorage Police Chief Michael Kerle was unanimously confirmed at the Anchorage Assembly meeting on Tuesday. He was sworn-in as the Anchorage Chief of Police on Wednesday at the Anchorage Police Headquarters.
Kerle was appointed after former Chief Ken McCoy stepped down to become chief equity officer at Providence Alaska Medical Center, where he appears to be launching his political career. McCoy’s first act upon leaving office was to appear in his police uniform in an ad for Bill Walker for governor.
Chief Kerle began his law enforcement career in 1996 when he joined APD as a recruit in the Academy. He was promoted to Deputy Chief in February of 2020.
Over the course of over two decades at APD, he has held positions in the Patrol Division, Special Operations, and Crime Suppression.
Chief Kerle has a bachelor of science degree from the University of New York, is a graduate of the Police Executive Leadership Graduate Program and the Administrative Officer’s Course from the Southern Police Institute at the University of Louisville, the FBI Hazardous Devices Executive Management School and the SWAT Commander’s School.
Chief Kerle and his wife Grace have been married since 1995.
Kerle shared the following statement: “Thank you to our Anchorage community who recognize, and greatly appreciate, the sacrifice and dedication of our police officers, and their willingness to put their lives on the line to protect others. Strong relationships of mutual trust between the police agencies and the communities they serve are critical to maintaining public safety and effective policing. To those members of the community that are hesitant or reluctant to trust or work with our department, let us communicate through fact based dialogue to resolve our differences in order for all members of our community to feel safe and build on the future through mutual cooperation.”
