Recall rallies kick off by renting biggest venues

By
Suzanne Downing
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42
197

FUNDING COMES FROM BIG PUBLIC EMPLOYEE UNIONS

The Recall Dunleavy Committee rented the biggest venues in three Alaska communities for a statewide kickoff this weekend for signature-gathering on the petition booklets the court allowed them to use.

The group says it is hosting 49 kickoff events around the state, but the biggest by far will be at the Sullivan Arena in Anchorage, the Carlson Center in Fairbanks, and Centennial Hall in Juneau, where people can sign petitions this weekend and grab some bumper stickers and other swag. The kickoff will be an event designed for maximum media exposure.

The group needs over 71,000 signatures to put the recall of Gov. Mike Dunleavy on a ballot, something which the primary organizers — former Gov. Walker employees Scott Kendall and Jahna Lindemuth — hope to do by July in a special election.

The ability to rent the biggest venues in the state shows that the group is well funded; it has had paid staff for over nine months.

But because the final Supreme Court decision hasn’t been issued on the actual validity of the recall, there is no way to discover who the major funders are at this point. These funders do not need to be reported to the Alaska Public Offices Commission.

However, Must Read Alaska has learned that the Alaska State Employee Association and the AFL-CIO have stepped forward with a “blank check” to support the recall committee’s court costs, which are said to be approaching six figures. Other costs are being handled by private donations. One of the lead treasurers for the effort is Joelle Hall of the AFL-CIO.

The final court decision will be on or about March 25, after which the recall effort is considered a “real campaign,” and the usual finance reporting must begin.

On the campus of UAA, students report that paid recall signature gatherers are telling passersby that they should sign the petition because the governor is trying to take people’s Permanent Fund dividends.

Defending the traditional PFD was, of course, one of the governor’s key campaign issues, and he has long defended the statutory calculation for the dividend. He requested the Legislature allow the people of Alaska to vote on what the formula should be, and put it into the State Constitution so it is no longer a political football, a request that has been denied.

Recall Dunleavy Committee has just passed its first anniversary. The group, led by Kendall and Lindemuth, purchased its domain name a year ago Feb. 18 — just 11 weeks after the governor was sworn into office.

KEEP DUNLEAVY HIRES CAMPAIGN MANAGER

On the other side, the Keep Dunleavy group was organized after the Alaska Supreme Court ruled that the recall group would be able to collect signatures even without a final ruling on the legitimacy of the recall.

Cynthia Henry of Fairbanks chairs that group, and Kelly Goode is the campaign manager. Goode is the former deputy commissioner of the Department of Corrections.

Fundraising has picked up for Keep Dunleavy, since it was announced, according to MRAK sources. Sources say millions of dollars will need to be spent defending the governor, who took office 14 months ago.

In addition to that group, there’s the Stand Tall With Mike group that has been primarily involved with the court case, trying to convince the court that the justifications given by Recall Dunleavy cheapen the concept of elections and of the recall process itself.

The group had two lawyers fighting the ballot initiative, but the only remaining lawyers now involved are with the Department of Law. The Stand Tall group decided to save its money for the campaign side after it became evident the Alaska Supreme Court was going to allow the recall to go to the ballot. The formal decision is still weeks away, but most political observers now see that as a formality.

LEAKED POLL

Democrat pollster Ivan Moore leaked polling results from December, which showed the Dunleavy recall in a dead heat with voters. Moore sampled 694 registered voters statewide, and the poll, he says, has a margin of error of 3.8 percent:

  • Yes, do recall – 48.4%
  • No, don’t recall – 47.6%
  • Not sure – 4.0%

Moore says it is not actually a dead heat but a .8 percent lead to “yes.” He is encouraged by that number.

However, Moore is also the pollster who had Alyse Galvin in a statistical dead heat with Congressman Don Young in 2018, but in the end, Young won over Galvin, 53.3-46.7. Moore also predicted that Ethan Berkowitz would win over Don Young in 2008 — by a 9-point margin.

42 COMMENTS

  1. We law abiding & constitutional respecting citizens should flood these leftist events & make known our displeasure & discontent with unions & leftists trying to overturn the results of an election, a political coup, because they don’t like the fact they lost.

    • The process is legal. Legality is not defined as those things you like or approve of. This is the complaint conservatives have when liberals complain about immigration law enforcement, so why should you get a pass to call a legal act a coup just because you don’t like it? Your just making stuff up.

      • B:. The election is over. Dunleavy won. Quit playing games with the electorate. Your guy, Walker, couldn’t even face the voters. And your other guy, Mallott, is still in hiding. Grow up, B.

        • The election is over. The legal and constitutional options for disaffected constituents are not. At least, that’s how it looks through the lens of childlike exuberance.

        • According to mynamestats.com, Steven is the 36th most popular name in the US, with 365.76 people out of 100,000 using the name. There are fewer than 1,656 people with the name B. Who’s afraid, Steven? Not this bot.

      • Because the basis of this recall is low on actual legal issues but high on disagreement with policies & priorities, never the intent of a recall.

      • The process is legal but the threshold for the recall has not been legally met. Were this not the most corrupt and partisan judiciary in the country, this “process” would be over.

        • It’s nice to have a legal expert join the conversation. Pro bono, no less. Where are you admitted? Also, please point out the convictions, or short of that, the indictments, that support your claim of corruption. I wasn’t aware that our judiciary was leading the pack — the best in the country, apparently — but I wouldn’t feel comfortable repeating the claim without evidence. So please share.

          • Why do you hide, B? Are you that involved in the Dunleavy recall that you don’t dare tell us? Lindemuth? Kendall? Are you an attorney yourself? Where admitted.? Are you disaffected? Disenfranchised? Disengaged? Or just…..feeling dissed? Don’t you just LOVE
            MRAK? btw, please drop Suzanne some of your money to keep us all ignited.

  2. I have a problem with two liberal women having a table set up inside the Bethel cultural center, which is part of the UAF remote campus.

    Keep the politics out side of the class rooms.

    • A campus is not a class room — a class room is a room on a campus where classes are held. Campuses in general are ideally places that support the free exchange of ideas: conservative, moderate, and liberal. When you advocate to suppress one them then you support the suppression of all. Both of which are illegal under the constitution.

  3. If these idiots who are trying to stiff Alaskans from their PFD money really want to pack their venues, they should invite Trump.

    • Pretty sure the Sullivan is paying people rent the place. You just have to pay $27 for a hot dog once you get in.

  5. I’d wager that George Soros and that bloomberg idiot are involved in funding this recall. Both have stated they are actively involved in buying seats for Democrats all across tbos nation by seeing dems are elected at all costs. And it’s just another circumstance where the dems cannot accept the will of the People’s VOTE. They’re all a bunch of pathetic sore losers, just like Hillary.

  6. 50/ 50 odds with a 4 percent swing?
    When is the gambling going to be up and running..might be a good chance for the state to wring in some cash?

    • It may be 50/50 on the recall vote, but it is 100% certain that this is judiciary is the most corrupt and partisan in the country. Not surprising considering the current legislature and the prior administration- but still noteworthy. Without it- there would be no recall.

  8. Sign the petition.
    Simply do not use your own name.
    Some date of birth.
    An address? A trailer at 705 Muldoon Road Anchorage.
    Lots of people vote from there — just ask GABBY.
    Then pick up what ever swag they have and recycle them appropriately.
    Now if the there ends up being invalid signatures they are not counted…
    The paid for signature makes a buck and the group parts with money, it improves the economy, because money is circulating.
    It’s a peaceful protest.

    • To clarify for DEB

      All petition books contain this warning language.

      AS 15.45.570. Statement of Warning.

      Each petition must include a statement of warning that a person who signs a name other than the person’s own to the petition, or who knowingly signs more than once for the same proposition at one election, or who signs the petition while knowingly not a qualified voter, is guilty of a class B misdemeanor.

    • There you go DEB,

      Encouraging others to commit a crime.

      What you suggest is against the law.

      I believe that puts you open to prosecution for promoting criminal activity.

      See Alaska Statute 15.45.570

      • Don’t forget to turn us both in.
        .
        Double the bounty, donate it to Walker.
        .
        Then we can both turn Nayem in… hate speech suppressing our First Amendment rights or something heinous.
        .
        Double the bounty, donate it to Dunleavy.
        .
        This could work!

      • Nayem Mayhem. No crime and you obviously aren’t an attorney (unless you worked for loser Bull Walker….which makes you a loser too). First Amendment allows his/her speech, you dummy. What is illegal, is to engage in a conspiracy to commit election fraud. The Division of Elections is tasked with verifying all names to see if they are registered voters. btw, any word lately on your pedophile Lt. Governor?

  9. I’ll invite one and all to join with me and stand tall for Recall.

    We cannot allow a governor who doesn’t understand the concept of the separation of powers to remain in power.

    He cannot be allowed to attack the judiciary because courts make decisions he doesn’t like.

    He cannot be allowed to keep the legislature from upholding its constitutional responsibilities to fund programs that provide for the health, education, and well-being of Alaska’s people.

    We cannot trust a governor who uses state funds for his own political gain.

    Alaska’s finest legal experts have drafted a petition stating the reasons we must recall Governor Dunleavy.

    We respectfully ask you to join us in the recall process.

  10. Self identify is great for gender (see anchorage women’s shelter lawsuit)/, citizenship (see illegals protectionist cities)address (see homers self indenting resident in office) but as soon as one offers an option to self identifying as pro Kevin Meyers for governor and sign a petition…..It upsets an anti great governor, who, supports the citizens before unions, nonprofits, and anti safe development of resources!

    Don’t hate the player I did not create the game!

  11. I would like to know how much the “rent” was for the Sullivan Arena for 3 days and if it covered the Operational Costs. SMG has a no loss contract to operate the Sullivan Arena, hope “rent” goes towards $288,000.00 Loss paid by the MUNI. I asked the Administration and the Assembly what the Charge was and what the operating costs where for 3 days. No response from the Administration or Assembly. Lot of Shady stuff going on with the Recall Dunleavy Committee to include the Courts!

  12. It would be nice to hear what the turnout for these shindigs were. The ADN buried their article about it, I’m guessing they didn’t get quite the response they were hoping for.

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