COURT OF PUBLIC OPINION IS NOW IN SESSION
Both Alaska Public Media and the University of Alaska have advertising pushes underway to preserve their state funding. The Legislature has five days left in its regular session, and will deliver its budget to the governor shortly thereafter. Gov. Michael Dunleavy is then expected to trim spending back or even call the Legislature back into special session.
The video ads for the University of Alaska are showing up on television, YouTube, and Facebook. There are also campaign-style signs around Anchorage that state: “UA Strong.”
Under Gov. Bill Walker, these right-of-way signs like the one spotted below would be considered illegal and DOT would have removed them, but these are gentler times:
Public broadcasting ads are showing on YouTube and Facebook. They direct people to “Do democracy” and call the governor’s office to tell the governor public broadcasting wants its money.
I have (mistakenly, I guess) always been under the impression that “public media” was just that. “Public”. Apolitical. When public funds are used to fund “public” services of any sort, the services should represent all public “funders”. Not liberals. Not conservatives. Every political persuasion, every taxpayer/citizen within reach of the “public” medias’ purview, should be represented. That is not the case in Alaska or America, now days. I, as an Alaskan citizen, object to any sort of advertising, either pro or con, by “public” media, for any political position/reason. Time to shut down all publicly funded political posturing in Alaska, and America, for that matter. I also include U of A publicly funded political posturing in my opposition. It’s not ethically, morally or politically correct. Period!!
These signs are a violation of Municipal Code AMC 21.11.080D.
Never thought UAA backers would be scofflaws
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