Party with the Polynesian community as they celebrate Uluao ‘Junior’ Aumavae as Equity Officer

By
Suzanne Downing
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28
18

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.

28 COMMENTS

    • Steve, while your first sentence may or may not hold merit, your second, is, well, moronic unto the nth degree….

      Just sayin’….

      • Actually Steve has a legitimate point. If we are to be a “colorless” society of people equally protected under the Constitution and Bill of Rights, then why are we celebrating select groups? When you do this you do not unite people, you divide people. We are all Americans no matter your race or ethnicity.

        • I respectfully disagree, Michael Johnson, within your take upon mine own response unto Steve.

          Steve’s response was that there is some discrepancy based solely upon the origin of the individual with said position, versus a juxtaposition of the origin of another individual within another perceived position equal unto the position within the first example.

          The position, within itself, has no bearing as unto need.

          The individual that holds said position, whether needed or not, whether justifiable or not, there is no need to somehow determine whether one of a certain demographic that is afforded a position of responsibility is compared unto a hypothetical, supposedly demographic that is afforded an equal responsibility, regardless of their demographic location…

          Within that determination, there is no difference.

    • I understand that people of Polynesian descent are native Americans and also the people of Hawaii are Polynesians. I’m glad that any native American ascends to a public office. Good for them. Happy native American month.

      • Bronson is trying to maintain some sense of balance and control, not an easy task in today’s climate. The Samoan population in Anchorage is substantial. Junior is an Anchorage man. A good fit. The last equity officer was a woke, radical from Tacoma. Please let Bronson do his job. He doesn’t need a fight from his own people.

  3. What else would we expect from assembly racists Dunbar, Constant et al., but to oppose a respected accomplished Samoan. #weloveourpacificislandfriends #stoppacificicislandracism

    • Chuck, you got it all wrong. They don’t kowtow to minorities. Instead minorities have to achieve appropriately aggrieved victim status to be worthy of support and recognition from the assembly 9! Their myopic self-serving opinion is all that counts here. (Which is also why Forest has filed for re-election, despite the fact that he claims to stand for more diversity and racial equity)

        • Chuck, you are making my point. In the eyes of the assembly 9 giving property to the black caucus is akin to “reparations” as they appear to clearly perceive this group as particularly victimized. Virtue signaling with tax payer dollars!

  7. Sounds like Uluao “Junior” Aumavae and the Polynesian Association of Alaska need to show up at the next Anchorage Assembly meeting and celebrate his appointment as Equity Officer. The idea that this elected body will sue the chief executive of the city over the dismissal of an ‘at will’ employee and use tax payer funds to do it, is outrageous.

    “You get the government you deserve”, it is said. When will the people of Anchorage stop electing these puerile fools to their Assembly?

  9. While position is bureaucratic democracy joke, forcing the far left to lose their marbles in such a public way with Dunbar’s minority appointee was a smart move.

    Clearly demonstrates the desire of bureaucrats to amass power and authority over democracy and community service.

    Stay classy ANC Assembly!
    Vote third party!

  10. Why is our city suing itself? That’s just nutty. Didn’t the assembly get the memo from the city’s attorney that told them their Equity Officer ordinance is illegal according to both city charter and state constitution? What a clown show!

  11. “The Assembly has appropriated $50,000 for its legal fees to litigate the case.” We the Taxpayers of the city do not authorize our Tax dollars to do to this. The assembly wants to do this then the must pay out of their pockets.

  14. Can somebody please explain to me why any city needs an Equity Officer? Employment practices are already regulated by the law. Why would you make a paid position like this unless there is another agenda here? I smell something and it doesn’t smell like common sense. Maybe non-sense?

  15. So much for being a color blind society. Sadly, most everything seems to be about defining a person by ethnicity these days and the media, you included MRAK, are doing a bang up job of perpetuating racial labeling and propagation of division. Keep the race-bait industry going. MLK must be rolling over in his grave.

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