The group called “We’ve had enough! Vote yes! Recall Zaletel” has launched a website.
The group is working to unseat Anchorage Assemblywoman Meg Zaletel, who has one of two District 4 seats in Anchorage, in the midtown area.
The Supreme Court said the petition to recall her was sufficient because she broke the law when she violated the mayor’s emergency orders last summer during an Anchorage Assembly meeting. She argued in court that it was a minor infraction, but her recall was approved by the Alaska Supreme Court.
The recall election takes place until Oct. 26, with ballots going in the mail around Oct. 5.
“A majority of the Anchorage Assembly have ignored the City Charter that Anchorage residents passed. They have ignored spending caps and enacted the largest budgets in Anchorage history. They have misappropriated COVID Cares Act funds to buy buildings and fund political allies. They have increased property taxes and imposed taxes on selective sectors. They have shut the public out of public places. They have mandated business closures that have destroyed many of those businesses. They have restricted access to churches and sporting events. They have literally ignored the law,” the website says.
“Meg Zaletel wrote legislation in 2020 to prevent Anchorage Police Officers from protecting themselves from dangerous criminals,” the recall advocates say.
“Many Assembly Members deserve to be recalled – but a recall of Meg Zaletel is now on the ballot for October 26th and that is the beginning of the end for an Assembly that has ignored the will of a majority of Anchorage residents. They have redefined the entire municipal government to make it serve a small minority who believe in dismantling the rule of law and the standards of society that America was built on. The standard which has made us the greatest nation on earth!
“We are saying enough-is-enough right here at the local level!” the group writes on its website.
The defense for Zaletel is also busy. It has two groups registered with Alaska Public Offices Commission.
“Stand Up for Meg Zaletel” is chaired by AFL-CIO President Joelle Hall, who signed the Recall Dunleavy petition in 2019. “No on Zaletel Recall” is chaired by another person who also signed the Recall Dunleavy petition, Carolyn Ramsey, of Anchorage.
The “We’ve Had Enough” group is chaired by Dr. Russell Biggs, an Anchorage doctor who also tried, but failed, to get Assemblyman Felix Rivera recalled earlier this year. The unions brought in tens of thousands of dollars to keep Rivera in office, vastly outspending Biggs and his small group of grassroots activists in midtown.
Learn more about this recall on the election and see if you are eligible to vote in Anchorage municipal District 4, check the Municipality’s website here.
