The Seattle Public School Board on Wednesday passed a resolution to ask the Washington Board of Health to begin the process for adding a Covid-19 vaccine to the list of vaccine requirements for students attending the public schools.
According to Fox News, the board held community engagement sessions in advance of the decision. The board met with Leading up to the decision, school leaders conducted additional community engagement sessions with the following: Latinx Community with Public Health –Seattle and King County, the NAACP, the Seattle Special Education PTSA, the Somali Community, Families of Color Seattle, General Seattle Public Schools Families and Staff, Native American Families and Students of Color.
The process for adding the vaccine to the list of required shots for schoolchildren goes through a rigorous process at the state level and no decision is expected for many months.
Seattle Public School has 55,986 students in grades PreK-12.
On Tuesday, the Portland Public School Board debated a vaccine mandate for all students, but decided that this is not the right time to implement such a mandate. The board ultimately delayed the decision. Portland has 49,000 students enrolled in its public schools.
California was the first state in the nation to announce Covid-19 vaccine requirements for in-person learning starting the term following FDA full approval of the vaccine for a child’s age.
Since then, demonstrations have taken place. After Southern California parents pulled their children out of school to protest the Covid-19 vaccine mandate on Monday, the schools saw a 2 percent dip in attendance. Hundreds of people converged on the Capitol in Sacramento that day to protest the mandate.
The Pfizer-BioNTech Covid vaccine has been approved for youth ages 5 to 11 (and up to age 17) under the Food and Drug Administration emergency use authorization. Earlier, the FDA approved the vaccine for ages 12-18. On Nov. 2, the Centers for Disease Control expanded vaccine recommendations to about 28 million children in the United States in this age group and allowed providers to begin vaccinating them immediately.
The Anchorage School Board meeting heard testimony Tuesday about the homeschooling charter program Family Partnership Charter School. Discussion about the school consumed over two hours of the meeting, and a vote was never taken on extending the charter, as the matter was postponed.
Board Member Kelly Lessens motioned to extend Family Partnership’s charter to a full 10 years. The Board members began discussion on that amendment and there were three who appeared to support granting a full 10-year charter — Margo Bellamy, Dave Donley, and Kelly Lessens, while Dora Wilson and Carl Jacobs seemed to be undecided.
The apparent dissenters — Andy Holleman and Pat Higgins — argued that a 5-year charter would be adequate.
Although it was never said outright, the apparent sticking point is that a few years ago, a reimbursement was made to a parent at the charter school for a class from a religious-based institution, without that class having been preapproved by the district. The amount was minor, but some school board members do not like the religious-based education service providers.
Before last year’s school shutdowns, FPCS had 679 students, but now about 1,000 students attend the FPCS, and the school would like to expand capacity to 3,000, thus are asking for a 10-year extension on its charter so it may plan for expansion. Some school board members apparently want to cap enrollment.
During the meeting, Superintendent Deena Bishop and others mentioned how schooling had changed and how Family Partnership Charter school is the future of schooling.
As hundreds of students and their families look for resources and options for learning, a proposal from ASD to cap the number of students was concerning to those testifying in support of the charter school.
“Hearing homeschooling is the future of education, made me more resolved we need a 10-year charter and not to limit the number of students. Please commit to letting ASD hear your voice about where your tax dollars will go. Please feel free to check out the attached sample letter about Family Partnership Charter Renewal,” one parent wrote to Must Read Alaska.
Family Partnership Charter Schoolbegan with the efforts of parents and teachers. The school’s first charter application was presented to the Achorage School District in 1996 and unanimously approved in January 1997. Final approval by the State of Alaska Board of Education approval came on June 23, 1997 and FPCS opened its doors a week later.
The charter school is a bridge between home-school students and formal education. It provides a mechanism by which families may work with certified teachers to plan personalized individualize learning plans for their students. The school enrollment is by lottery, and is highly sought by parents in the district.
In the end, Family Partnership Charter renewal was tabled until the Dec. 6 meeting. The public may still testify by writing to [email protected].
Mayor Bronson named Uluao “Junior” Aumavae as Chief Equity Officer of Anchorage in October, and the Samoan community is preparing to celebrate in Samoan style.
On Friday evening from 6-8 pm in the Wilda Marston Theater at the Loussac Library, the Samoan community is inviting Anchorage to come and celebrate what they view as history in the making. Traditional dancing, food, and festivities are planned to fete Aumavae for breaking through that glass ceiling and becoming a key adviser to the mayor on matters of fairness. Aumavae is the highest-appointed Samoan in Anchorage’s history.
The chief equity officer position is set by an ordinance signed by former Mayor Ethan Berkowitz. According to the ordinance, the chief equity officer cannot be fired without the consent of the Assembly. But Mayor Dave Bronson has asserted that that is a power-grabbing overreach by the Assembly, and he fired the equity officer who had been hired by former acting mayor Austin Quinn-Davidson, just before she had to hand over the keys to the city to Bronson.
That man, Clifford Armstrong, is suing, asking for damages that include back pay and attorneys’ fees.
The Assembly leftist majority of nine does not recognize Aumavae as the legitimate chief equity officer, yet his confirmation vote is set for next Tuesday’s Assembly meeting. The majority says it still recognizes Clifford Armstrong of Tacoma as the actual equity officer, and is setting up a lawsuit against the mayor over his firing of his senior adviser without the Assembly’s permission. The Assembly has appropriated $50,000 for its legal fees to litigate the case. It seems unlikely the Assembly majority will attend the celebratory event, as they view Aumavae as illegitimate.
On Wednsday, the formal challenge against President Biden’s vaccine mandate under the Congressional Review Act has been filed by all 50 Republican senators, including Dan Sullivan, Mike Braun, Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, Bill Hagerty, Roger Marshall, Mike Lee, James Lankford, Rick Scott, Marsha Blackburn, Rand Paul, Cynthia Lummis, Shelley Moore Capito, Marco Rubio, John Barrasso, Cindy Hyde-Smith, John Thune, Jerry Moran, Roger Wicker, Richard Burr, Mike Rounds, John Hoeven, Pat Toomey, Tommy Tuberville, James Risch, Mike Crapo, Ted Cruz, Tom Cotton, Joni Ernst, Kevin Cramer, Josh Hawley, John Boozman, Jim Inhofe, Chuck Grassley, Todd Young, John Kennedy, Ron Johnson, Ben Sasse, Steve Daines, Deb Fischer, Lindsey Graham, Thom Tillis, John Cornyn, Tim Scott, Bill Cassidy, Roy Blunt, Richard Shelby, Rob Portman, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, and Mitt Romney.
Congressman Fred Keller (R-Penn.) and other members in the U.S. House of Representatives introduced the same bill.
The Congressional Review Act provides an expedited process for Congress to eliminate an executive branch rule. This move to overturn President Biden’s vaccine or test mandate for private employers is guaranteed a vote on the Senate floor. The rule was transmitted to the Senate on Nov. 16th, setting up a floor vote as soon as early December.
“I’ve been co-leading the effort with Senator Braun to ensure appropriate congressional review of President Biden’s overreach in implementing this unconstitutional mandate on private employees before it goes into effect. No employee of a private business should ever be forced to choose between getting vaccinated or putting food on the table for their families because of an unconstitutional mandate,” Sen. Sullivan said.
“In 2020, Congress and the President worked in a bipartisan way on an agreement that we would provide relief to American businesses on the condition they keep their employees. Now, Joe Biden is taking a sledge hammer to that employer-employee connection,” he said.
“Firing hard-working Americans who have made the personal choice not to get vaccinated not only undermines the significant work Congress and the Trump administration did to save millions of jobs during the pandemic, it also exacerbates the workforce shortages employers are already facing. This is just wrong. We all want to put this pandemic behind us for the benefit of our health, our families, and our economy, but we cannot lose sight of the massive, negative impacts that this unconstitutional mandate will have on hard-working Americans and their families.” – Sen. Dan Sullivan
BACKGROUND:
On Sept. 8, President Joe Biden announced vaccine mandates that extend to 80 million private sector workers and additional mandates on millions of federal workers and contractors.
To implement this mandate, the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) issued an Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS). Employers that fail to comply will be fined $13,653 for each offense and willful violations will result in a $136,532 penalty. This rule places unrealistic compliance burdens on employers—especially during a time where business and supply chains are already under duress. For example, 30 days after publication, all requirements other than testing for employees must be in place. In addition, 60 days after publication, all testing requirements must be in place.
The Congressional Review Act (CRA) can be used by Congress to overturn certain federal agency regulations and actions through a joint resolution of disapproval. If a CRA joint resolution of disapproval is approved by both houses of Congress and signed by the President, or if Congress successfully overrides a presidential veto, the rule at issue is invalidated.
Neal Fried, an economist for the State of Alaska, says the number of employees working on the North Slope are back down to the numbers of employees working there in 2005. There’s no recovery yet, as it takes longer in Alaska than in other oil-producing regions, he said.
Fried was a presenter at the opening of the Alaska Resource Development Council’s annual meeting, which is being held via teleconference this year.
Fried also said that last year, Alaska experienced deflation, but this year has experienced record inflation.
President Biden signed the infrastructure bill on Tuesday, surrounded by gleeful Congress critters, including Alaska’s very own Congressman Don Young.
While the entire Alaska delegation voted in favor of the bill, I want to focus on the pair that is up for reelection next year, Lisa Murkowskiand Don Young. Both incumbents posted glowing press releases touting their support for the massive piece of legislation.
While there are many infuriating provisions in the bill, for me the worst is funding for broadband internet in the Bush. This is Alaskan Delegation pork at its worst. Rural broadband is going live worldwide next year via Elon Musk’sStarlink. The only thing federal broadband money will end up doing is being recycled back into campaign donations for people who supported it, in this case, Lisa and Don, which may be the point.
We have come to the point in our state history that Lisa and Don have focused on little more than the amount of free money they can appropriate for Alaska. Every single other policy issue is either ignored or traded away in return for a bit more cash. You would think with a 50-50 split in the U.S. Senate and a 5-seat Democrat majority in the House, Lisa and Don would be able to leverage their power a little better. Sadly, as long as Lisa can prattle on about renewables and Don can support his union buds, there is no interest whatsoever in using that power to pursue anything other than their personal unicorns and other shiny objects.
So, what else was in the infrastructure bill? The text of the bill can be found at this link. It is quite long and complex. An in that length and complexity, you can bury a lot of ugliness. Sean Moran writing in Breitbartdid a pretty decent review over the weekend. Also important is what was NOT in the bill. We’ll talk about that a bit also.
There is no funding for a border wall with Mexico. Given unvaxxed illegals flooding across the Mexican border, some of whom end up here in Alaska, you would think Lisa and Don would care. There is more money for processing of the 2 million illegals who crossed the border in 2021.
Now that the Biden administration has figured out that all they have to do to shut down a pipeline, any pipeline, is to pull its operating or environmental permits, you would suspect that TAPS is now at risk. While there is language ordering a study of the cancellation of Keystone XL, there is no order to restore its permits. No removal of the ability of this administration to pull permits on a whim.
There is a mandate to install DUI breathalyzers in all vehicles by the 2026 model year. You don’t blow, you don’t go. There are a lot of other ways to drive under the influence than alcohol these days (marijuana, drugs, prescription drugs, etc).
There is funding for a pilot program to figure out how to tax people based on the number of miles drive.
It contains a provision to allow federal agencies to bypass “buy American” rules if they think it will increase costs. Sounds like a payoff to the CCP to me.
It includes a provision to start regulating crypto currencies as a payoff to existing Wall Street investment houses and bankers.
Broadband money will be doled out based on race and ethnicity, with rural whites sitting in the back of this particular bus.
While there is money for roads and bridges here in Alaska, there is no money for either a Knik or Turnagain Arm bridge.
The bill has been variously described as Green new Deal Lite with all the attendant electric vehicle, zero emissions, and carbon reduction provisions. It also appears to ensconce into federal law the underpinnings of CRT, using the word “equity” at least 64 times.
Despite Lisa and Don’s victory lap, this is a pretty ugly piece of legislation, one that they are proud of. Governance as a simple money grab is not doing Alaska any favors. From here, it is long past time to install people in office with other priorities. Our opportunity to do that is next year. It’s time to take it.
Alex Gimarc lives in Anchorage since retiring from the military in 1997. His interests include science and technology, environment, energy, economics, military affairs, fishing and disabilities policies. His weekly column “Interesting Items” is a summary of news stories with substantive Alaska-themed topics. He was a small business owner and Information Technology professional.
After a group of more than 100 doctors sent a complaint to the State Medical Board over a couple of Anchorage physicians who are trying to treat Covid-19 patients before they get deathly ill, a new group of advocates has emerged: Patients who support the Covid-treating doctors.
On social media, through email lists, text messages, and phone calls across Alaska, a message has been sent out for people to contact the State Medical Board immediately to protect independence of physicians who are using Ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine.
“ALASKA HERO DOCTORS UNDER ATTACK” the headline reads.
The messages requests Alaskans speak out now and defend doctors who are prescribing Ivermectin and the Chloroquine drugs for early-stage Covid to not be punished by the profession.
The State Medical Board meets on Friday, and Wednesday is the deadline for written comment on this or any matter. Comments can be submitted to [email protected].
“We cannot allow the establishment to stack the deck with testimony supporting the refusal of hospitals to treat early intervention with proven drugs and not allowing patients their right to choose,” the message reads.
“These good doctors are being threatened that they may lost their medical credentials to practice here in Alaska If they continue administering early treatments not in line with desires of the medical industrial complex and its definition of ‘best practices.'”
Already, at least one complaint letter has been received by the Medical Board pertaining to the few doctors who are helping Covid-infected people with a combination of treatments that include the two drugs, high doses of Vitamin D, Zinc and a handful of other nutraceuticals.
Dr. Leslie Gonsette wants those pioneering physicians punished by the Medical Board. She has been part of the group of doctors wanting to frighten and punish their non-conforming peers.
In her letter to the board, dated Nov. 3, she says the cause of death for many Covid patients is “MISINFORMATION.” She references the Early Treatment Summit that convened in Anchorage.
Gonsette, who is a “hospitalist,” (a doctor who takes care of patients once they are in the hospital), has helped organize the campaign against any physician that tries the novel treatments, used around the world, to keep Covid patients out of hospitals. Her letter, obtained through a public records request, follows. (Must Read Alaska will also obtain the other letters through public records requests):
From: Leslie Gonsette
To: Board, Medical (CED sponsored)
Subject: Misinformation
Date: Wednesday, November 3, 2021 11:40:02 PM
To whom this may concern:
My name is Leslie Gonsette and I am a board certified internal medicine and pediatric physician. I am with the Alaska Hospitalist Group and work primarily as a full time hospitalist at Providence Alaska Medical Center, where I also serve on the Medical Executive Committee.
I have worked in Alaska for 10 years and have come to care for COVID-19 patients much of the last 2 years. First the virus was the cause of many unfortunate deaths, now MISINFORMATION is.
The Federation of State Medical Boards issued a warning months ago about the possible license suspension of physicians spreading misinformation, which is undertaken by that state’s medical board. I urge you to address the public and all physicians in Alaska regarding the actions the medical board is taking to prevent this. A similar plea was written in the Anchorage Daily News and I quote this below along with a link to the article below.
On October 30th, a meeting organized by the Mayor of Anchorage, invited in-state and out-of state doctors to discredit vaccines, masks and propagate misinformation. Here are the videos as proof: https://www.alaskacovidalliance.com/morning- session, https://www.alaskacovidalliance.com/afternoon-session.
I ask you to act now before more lives are lost and more importantly because ethically we must not condone this behavior or such conduct will continue unchecked.
“I ask the Medical Board to do one of two things: Expedite its handling of my and any other similar complaints in order to address the issue now and render its judgment about whether certain public statements of false, misleading or dangerous medical information by the named doctors is unacceptable. And, if the board will not tolerate such conduct, what consequences will be imposed on those doctors, thereby setting a standard for all doctors in Alaska. Or it should issue, at its earliest opportunity, an advisory statement outlining its view of the ethical requirements of Alaska doctors with respect to the public dissemination of false, misleading or dangerous medical information, and the potential consequences of such conduct. In effect, the board would be warningdoctors that certain kinds of behavior violate the board’s adopted code of ethics and could lead to sanctions or reprimands or even, in the most extreme cases, license suspensions.”
The letter that has been circulating among doctors by Gonsette-associated physicians says:
By RONNA MCDANIEL, CHAIR, REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE
Just two days after a red wave swept state and local elections across the nation, Biden released the details of his Covid vaccine mandate threatening millions of workers and small businesses. Biden couldn’t do his job, so now he wants Americans to lose theirs. The Republican National Committee is committed to fighting this egregious overreach every step of the way and has already filed a federal lawsuit to stop this unconstitutional decree.
Biden’s mandate would force small businesses with as few as 100 employees to require their workers to be vaccinated, strictly tested, or fired. He’s also forcing a similar mandate on our nation’s frontline health care workers, threatening their careers after they risked their lives to lead us through a pandemic. Between this and other regulations Biden has pushed, more than 100 million American workers will be under some type of Biden vaccine requirement — that’s two-thirds of all workers in the country.
Biden’s mandate is blatantly unconstitutional. Weaponizing the federal government to force private businesses to fire hardworking employees if they do not comply is a stunning abuse of power to accomplish his political agenda. Giving unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats the power to mandate vaccines for nearly one-third of the country is deeply undemocratic, and the White House knows it. Biden’s Chief of Staff Ron Klain practically admitted that they are using these regulations as “the ultimate work-around” for federal vaccine requirements.
But the mandate is not only unconstitutional. It flies in the face of individual rights. Making Americans choose between medical freedom and their livelihoods is a violation of personal liberty. While I am pro-vaccine, the Biden administration does not have the authority to force hardworking Americans to make a very private decision that could cost them their jobs and their ability to provide for their families.
There’s an economic cost, too. Biden’s failed policies have already caused prices to skyrocket, driving up costs for businesses and making it difficult for them to retain their customers. Now Biden’s mandate would punish small businesses already stretched thin by Democrat lockdowns, labor shortages, and policies that paid workers to stay home rather than return to their jobs. Businesses who refuse to comply face fines ranging from $14,000 all the way up to over $136,000. That’s a heavy burden for businesses that are already struggling to stay afloat.
And yet, Biden had the audacity to assert, “Vaccination requirements are good for the economy.”
That’s obviously not the case. Already, half a millionshipping containers with $24 billion worth of goodsare stranded off the coast of California, unable to unload thanks to a labor shortage. The mandate will only make things worse. Some truckers are warning that this mandate would cause many drivers to quit, compounding the worst driver shortage the industry has seen in almost 40 years. Railway employees are also threatening to strike over the mandate. As the American Trucking Association put it, the mandate could “cripple the supply chain.”
Biden claims his vaccine mandates are “emergency” actions to protect workers, but if that’s the case, why don’t his rules go into effect until January? It’s clear what this is really about: attacking our frontline workers, first responders, small businesses, and the rights of the American people.
Biden’s attempt to force Americans into getting onboard with his agenda is divisive and unacceptable. That’s why the RNC is suing the Biden administration over its unconstitutional vaccine mandate. This is about so much more than a shot. It’s about defending the principles of limited government and individual freedoms that built America and made it great. We will maintain every legal option to fight this authoritarian overreach.
Ronna McDaniel is the chairwoman of the Republican National Committee (RNC).
On a 49-degree Monday outside the White House, President Joe Biden spoke at length about the political success of the infrastructure bill he was about to sign into law.
He spoke for so long, that after his remarks, Congressman Don Young of Alaska remarked, “We were wondering when you were gonna stop. We damn near froze to death,” as caught on a live microphone. Young was attending the signing ceremony and is credited with helping craft the bipartisan legislation to rebuild roads, bridges, and expand broadband.
During Biden’s remarks, the president talked about all of his experience as Vice President under Barack Obama, when he had the responsibility for overseeing and implementing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act), a $900 billion emergency package.
“I’m proud to say that when we finished implementing that Recovery Act, it was determined that there had been less than two tenths of 1 percent waste, fraud, or abuse.
Biden spoke about how he communicated extensively with mayors and every governor except one:
“I won’t mention that; save one,” he said laughing, “She could see Alaska from her porch…” he said, referring to former Gov. Sarah Palin.
Palin was skewered by Saturday Night Live in a skit in which actress Tina Fey portrayed Palin and Amy Poehler portrayed then-Senator Hillary Clinton addressed the nation on topics of sexism, the presidential election, global warming, and the fact that they did not agree on anything at all.
Palin was the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee alongside Arizona Sen.John McCain. On Oct. 2, 2008, Palin and then-Sen. Joe Biden debated for 90 minutes in the only vice presidential debate of the campaign.
Since that Saturday Night Live skit in 2013, many commentators on social media, in the corporate media, and elsewhere actually believe or have joked that Palin said she could see Russia from her house. Biden twisted the joke yet again in 2021 to make it sound like Palin could see Alaska from her house … which is in Wasilla.
