Alaska Pride 2.0

Upgraded This Blog From Classic Blogger Template To New Dynamic View Template; Transposed Sidebar Links And Gadgets To Post Pages

2012-02-03T10:40:00.000-09:00

You're right, this blog looks different now. I have upgraded it from one of the classic templates to one of the new Dynamic View templates. I chose the Magazine template, but if you click on Home in the upper left of the top line menu, you can display this blog in any of the other Dynamic Views as well.

You will notice one other difference -- no sidebar links and gadgets. That's because Blogger has not yet expanded the code to include sidebar links and gadgets; back on October 25th, they announced they will do so in the future. But the links aren't permanently lost. I created post pages and transposed most of the links and gadgets to these pages. Since it is permitted to create up to 20 post pages, there's plenty of flexibility. The pages are categorically organized, so finding the links and gadgets should be intuitive using the top line menu.

The links also remain available in their normal locations on the Design page of this blog. One advantage to not having sidebar links on the main page is that it significantly speeds up loading.

If this works, I will convert the primary Alaska Pride blog to a Dynamic View template.

Sarah Palin Unlikely To Announce Her Presidential Campaign Plans Until After July 26th, 2011, Due To The Alaska Executive Branch Ethics Act

2011-06-22T16:32:00.002-08:00

Update October 14th: On October 5th, Sarah Palin announced she would not seek the Republican presidential nomination.

As more hopefuls pile into the Republican presidential race, partisans of Sarah Palin begin to grow concerned over the prospect that Palin might end up waiting too long to jump in, and that she may end up irrevocably behind the power curve after she enters the race. The decision by Congresswoman Michele Bachman (R-MN) to enter the race further fuels that concern since Bachmann is being touted by some talking heads as "Palin without the baggage"; the possibility that Bachmann could start stealing away much of Palin's support exists.

But there is one sound reason why Sarah Palin may be continuing to delay her final decision. Several individuals have hinted that Palin may be waiting until after the second anniversary of her July 26th, 2009 resignation as Governor of Alaska before announcing a decision. The following comment from Conservatives4Palin alludes to this:

The Monster Today 05:44 PM in reply to PCR1:
My guess is it will be right after the 2-year anniversary of when she actually left office, just to be sure there are no last-second ethics complaints filed under the deadline. Yes, we all know those complaints will be as bogus as the others, but they would give the MFM story fodder for months as the complaints work through the process.

The two-year interval is addressed in AS 39.52.180, the section of the Alaska Executive Branch Ethics Act entitled "Restrictions On Employment After Leaving State Service". Subparagraph (a) is the focus of concern:

(a) A public officer who leaves state service may not, for two years after leaving state service, represent, advise, or assist a person for compensation regarding a matter that was under consideration by the administrative unit served by that public officer, and in which the officer participated personally and substantially through the exercise of official action. For the purposes of this subsection, "matter" includes a case, proceeding, application, contract, determination, proposal or consideration of a legislative bill, a resolution, a constitutional amendment, or other legislative measures, or proposal, consideration, or adoption of an administrative regulations.

Other restrictions put forth in the rest of the paragraph only apply for one year. I can see nothing in this particular subparagraph that would restrict Sarah Palin from announcing a presidential campaign immediately. However, considering that anklebiters have filed ethics complaints against Palin under the most spurious conditions, to include an Arctic Cat logo worn on a windbreaker, the Palin camp must believe that someone would file an ethics complaint against Palin if she was to announce before July 27th. So they're just playing it safe.

My prediction is that Sarah Palin will reveal her intentions by no later than July 29.

Obviously, Sarah Palin should not be stampeded into announcing her decision before she's ready. After all, she still has three school-age kids at home, and she must know that she will be subject to one of the most intense vilification campaigns in history if she does run. But the longer she waits to get in the race, the more difficult it will be for her to gain traction, particularly if those looking for a conservative female decide to migrate to Michele Bachmann. While Bachmann is an honorable lady who has served her U.S. House constituency with distinction, she lacks Palin's charisma; she can't light up a scoreboard the way Palin does. She's not inspirational. And we need an inspirational candidate in a field dominated by a bunch of corporate clones (the sole other exception being Ron Paul).

Republicans need to understand that we're not going to inherit the White House and the Senate simply because people are pissed off at Obama. Joe Miller thought he could "inherit" a Senate seat merely because people were pissed off at Lisa Murkowski; Lisa came back and ambushed him in the general election. We will have to work for it. And part of "it" is in transforming the Republican Party from the party of the rich back into the party of the people. The Republican Party cannot win without reaching out to the working class. Republicans have got to stop bragging about creating millionaires, and start working on creating jobs. No more tax cuts for the rich. Sarah Palin is one of the few candidates who can reach the working class, pry them away from their parasitical union bosses, and turn them back into Republicans.

The candidacy of Sarah Palin is essential in rescuing America, even if she doesn't win the nomination. She could still command sufficient support to be reserved for a Cabinet position in a prospective Republican administration......or perhaps even as the running mate for the actual Republican nominee. Romney-Palin, anyone?

Alaskans Already Know Former One-And-A-Half Term Utah Governor Jon Huntsman Jr, And Don't Even Realize It; Jon Huntsman = Lisa Murkowski

2011-06-21T16:13:00.002-08:00

On June 21st, 2011, former Utah Governor and U.S. Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman Jr. announced his formal entrance into the Republican presidential sweepstakes. Huntsman intends to campaign aggressively on the economy and jobs market, and cite his extensive international experience as a major asset. Huntsman also reminded voters of his accomplishments as governor of Utah in balancing the budget, cutting and flattening tax rates and maintaining the state's AAA bond rating. Read the three-page transcript of his announcement HERE, and watch the KSL news video below:

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

Huntsman's official campaign website:

http://www.jon2012.com

Most of us Alaskans probably have never seen Jon Huntsman, never mind know anything about his politics. But we actually know more than we think we do, because in November 2010, we elected a Huntsman surrogate to the U.S. Senate -- Lisa Murkowski. Both Murkowski and Huntsman are considered "moderate" Republicans, although some might categorize them as RINOs. Huntsman has expressed previous support for cap-and-trade and for civil unions for gays; in fact, just last week, Huntsman specifically reached out to two Republican gay groups, GOProud and the Log Cabin Republicans. Furthermore, while Sarah Palin has been characterized as a "quitter" by her political enemies because she resigned as governor of Alaska, Jon Huntsman, by the same standards, can be considered a two-time quitter, having resigned as governor of Utah in 2009 to become U.S. Ambassador to China, and then in 2011 resigning as ambassador to prepare for this presidential run.

Another sign that Huntsman may be a RINO is the fact that he's earned an unofficial "endorsement" from Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV), who said “I feel very comfortable that they’re not ready for – certainly they’re not ready for the former governor of Massachusetts...Which says, in that race, if I had a choice, I’d favor Huntsman over Romney.” HuffPo has provided information on previous campaign contributions to Huntsman HERE.

But you don't necessarily have to take my word for all of this. Let's go to the most informed source about Huntsman's politics; namely, the people who he governed for 1 1/2 terms. Two prominent Utah politicos, Utah Governor Gary Herbert and Utah Congressman Jason Chaffetz, diplomatically opine that Huntsman could be formidable and that he brings credibility to the table. Herbert was Huntsman's lieutenant governor, and Chaffetz, who was Huntsman's former chief of staff and 2004 campaign manager, is politically to the right of Huntsman. But Chaffetz says he still has to go with the candidate he believes has the best chance of beating President Barack Obama, and opines that Romney is in better position to get it done. Video below:

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

A February 2011 in-state Utah polls by Dan Jones (their version of Dave Dittman) indicate that Utah Republicans preferred Mitt Romney over Jon Huntsman by a wide margin, and that's telling, because both are equally well-known in the state. Consequently, there's no guarantee that improved name recognition might necessarily translate into greater success within Republican ranks. An article in the Salt Lake Tribune entitled "How Mormonism could affect foreign policy under Romney, Huntsman" provides an excellent analysis on how the Mormon factor could affect both candidates.

In Alaska, the Restoring Liberty PAC is even more likely to oppose Jon Huntsman than Mitt Romney. The Republican establishment is more likely to line up behind Romney than Huntsman.

Homer Tribune Publishes Letter From Alaska LDS Missionary; Elder Nelson Elias Witt Discusses Mormonism And The Purpose Of His Mission

2011-06-16T00:42:00.001-08:00

With a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Mitt Romney, leading in all recent Republican polls and seemingly on his way to becoming the Republican presidential nominee, curiosity about and interest in the LDS Church continues to grow. Further fueling this interest is not only the success of the parody Book of Mormon musical, which has won nine Tony Awards, but also the LDS Church's official participation in the immigration debate, featuring one statement in which they call for a better balance between enforcement and compassion, and a second statement in which they call upon LDS members to be less judgmental of their fellow congregants.

In response, an LDS missionary based in Homer, Alaska has decided to educate people further about Mormonism and the purpose of his full-time mission. Elder Nelson Elias Witt, who hails from Syracuse, Utah, drafted a detailed letter which has just been published in the Homer Tribune. Elder Witt was assigned to the Alaska Mission, which covers Alaska and Canada's Yukon Territory, 15 months ago; during that time, he's served four and a half months in Anchorage, five and a half months in Seward, two months in the North Pole-Salcha area, and has now spent eight weeks in Homer. One of the reasons missionaries are moved around is so they become accustomed to working with different companions; it increases their tolerance for a wide variety of human beings. A two-person missionary companionship is like no other; missionaries are encouraged to remain within sight and sound of one another 24/7, although they do occasionally do "splits" with other companions.

Elder Witt's greatest frustration is that he frequently encounters misunderstanding about the church and what missionaries are doing. This is due somewhat to miscommunication and misinformation available about them. When missionaries knock on your door, they actually have two purposes; to share the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ, and to offer to perform any helpful service. Examples of service personally rendered by Elder Witt and any of his assigned companions has included building a greenhouse, a shed, and a wall; planting gardens, clearing driveways and sidewalks of snow; helping prepare meals; weighing fish; taking care of endangered eider ducks; and even helping to lay a cement floor for the first time in his life.

Elder Witt emphasizes that if you are not interested in hearing about the Gospel, simply say so, and he will respect your refusal and not impose himself upon you further. To those who already belong to another Christian denomination, Elder Witt notes that Mormonism is designed not to take away any of your current beliefs, but to add to them. Most Christian denominations stress salvation but spend much less time on exaltation; Mormonism stresses both. According to Mormon doctrine, salvation will be ultimately available to nearly everyone who ever lived, except those few who are judged to be "sons of perdition"; by contrast, exaltation means you not only get into heaven, but go to the top floor and hang out with the CEOs in the celestial kingdom, becoming "heirs of the Father and joint heirs with Jesus Christ". You may ultimately qualify to be ordained unto Godhood.

Update June 17th: The Deseret News, one of the journalistic powerhouses of the LDS community, has picked up this story, triggering 36 comments posted to the Tribune story so far. The advantage to a story like this is that it shows there is more to Alaska than Sarah Palin. Nothing wrong with Sarah Palin representing Alaska, but too many Outsiders judge Alaska by Sarah Palin alone. There are other voices, and Elder Witt is a particularly articulate and positive voice.

For those in Homer interested in visiting an LDS service, services are held each Sunday at 10 A.M. at 2821 E. End Road. You can review protocols HERE to know what to expect. For those living elsewhere, go to the Meetinghouse Locator and type in either your postal code or your city.

Alaska Redistricting Board Releases Final Legislative Redistricting Map; Federal Approval Required, Court Challenges Possible

2011-06-14T01:14:00.001-08:00

On June 14th, 2011, the Alaska Redistricting Board released their final map showing the boundaries of the new legislative districts in Alaska. All 40 House seats and 19 of 20 Senate seats will be affected. Nineteen of the 20 state senators will find their seats being contested in 2012; only Senator Dennis Egan (D-Juneau) will be exempt, because his revised district has 87 percent of the same population as the old district. In addition, all districts have been re-labeled. Alaska Dispatch highlights nine different senators who will be significantly affected.

View the proposed new legislative map HERE (takes about three minutes to load). It includes detailed insets for Anchorage, Fairbanks, Mat-Su, and Kenai. Because of the additional detail required for Anchorage, I've cross-published the new Anchorage legislative map below:

Click the map for larger version or go to PDF file

Opponents of the plan have 30 days to file legal challenges. Vince Beltrami, co-chair of the Alaskans for Fair Redistricting, a special-interests coalition of unions and Native groups which does not really represent a cross-section of all Alaskans, says his members will meet next week (June 20th) to decide what to do. "We have concerns certainly," he says. "But right now the jury's out on what we're going to do". Beltrami is also a stereotypical Democratic union boss who posts a periodic Alaska Voices column in the Anchorage Daily News. The political makeup of the Board has also been panned by opponents; the five-member board consists of four Republicans and one Democrat, which means there's concern that Democrats might be gerrymandered. Alaskans for Fair Redistricting is countered by Alaskans for Fair and Equitable Redistricting, which seeks to represent a greater cross-section of all Alaskans.

The plan now has to go to the U.S. Justice Department for review, which will make sure Native voters have not lost political ground. Board executive director Taylor Bickford says the board will wait to see what sort of legal challenges are filed before submitting to Justice, which then has 60 days to approve it or reject it. Lisa Handley, the board's Washington, D.C.-area consultant on the U.S. Voting Rights Act, noted in mid-May that she's never seen a situation as complicated as Alaska's in terms of preserving minority voting.

What Lisa Handley doesn't admit is that is the the federal government's stubborn insistence on race-norming that complicates the system. The fatal flaw in the Voting Rights Act is that a jurisdiction requesting pre-clearance must demonstrate that a proposed voting change does not have the purpose and will not have the effect of discriminating based on race or color. In some cases, they must also show that the proposed change does not have the purpose or effect of discriminating against a language minority group. Membership in a language minority group includes persons who are American Indian, Asian American, Alaskan Natives or of Spanish heritage. The burden of proof under current Section 5 jurisprudence is on the covered jurisdiction to establish that the proposed change does not have a retrogressive purpose. Alaska is one of seven states upon which this requirement is imposed.

Of course, once minority preference is imposed, it is never removed, regardless of how prosperous or accepted minorities become. The advent of a half-Black president had led to no reduction in race-norming or race-baiting in the United States. The civil rights racket is a sweet deal for too many people.

Well-Intentioned Military High School Students Complain About Not Being Allowed To Wear Military Items During Graduation Ceremonies

2011-06-13T14:38:00.000-08:00

There have been multiple incidences featuring high school students who have joined the military before graduation, and who have complained about not being permitted to wear military items during their respective graduation ceremonies, where cap and gown have been prescribed as the official wear for the graduation walk. While these students are to be commended for joining the military, and while their decision reflects favorably upon their character and upbringing, their negative reaction shows incomplete indoctrination in one of the critical attributes of military service -- the ability to follow instructions.

In the first incident reported by The Blaze on June 9th, 2011, North Allegheny High School student Lindsay Starr, who met graduation requirements early and subsequently joined the U.S. Marine Corps, wanted to wear her Marine dress blues to the graduation ceremony. The high school declined her request because they have a strict policy requiring students to wear only cap and gown for the graduation walk. This is smart, because it prevents students from using clothing to hijack the event for political purposes. Pvt. Starr complained about the restriction, saying “I’m just trying to show pride in what I belong to now. I belong to the United States Marine Corps as a 17-year-old. Like, c’mon, now…We’re here for you, we’re here to serve our country. We’re here to protect the freedoms that you enjoy, public schools – you enjoy that freedom because someone went out and died for it.” Local Pennsylvania perspective is provided in this KDKA Channel 2 story, along with 294 comments.

I initially disregarded this story, but The Blaze is now reporting a second similar incident. Two Schuylkill Valley High School students, Joel Hunsicker and Jordan Marker, have already joined the Army. They wanted to demonstrate their commitment by wearing US Army sashes or stoles during the graduation walk. School officials declined their request, saying they wanted the graduation focus to be upon academic achievement alone. So the two individuals did not participate in the graduation walk. Local public opinion is reflected in this Topix forum run by WFMZ Channel 69.

And while I was researching for more background on these two stories, I found a story of a third student not allowed to wear a military uniform during a graduation walk. On June 11th, the Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette reported that Leo High School senior Kylee Furnish, who completed her high school requirements in March and started three months of boot camp just days later, was denied the option of wearing her Marine dress blues during her graduation ceremony although school officials initially told her she could do so. Pvt. Furnish is in the same Marine platoon as Pvt. Lindsay Starr. Pvt. Furnish notes that in boot camp, she was told she should always wear her uniform during ceremonial events, although I seriously doubt she was instructed to violate any civilian protocols in the process. Pvt. Furnish further explained, “If I can’t wear it, I won’t go. It sucks because I worked hard to graduate from high school but I worked even harder to graduate from the Marines.”

A district spokesperson said the district’s policy has always been to have students dress in the same manner. The district cannot place itself in a position where it makes some exceptions for some students but not for others. The district has no problem with Pvt. Furnish wearing her uniform beneath her cap and gown.

And the latter is a reasonable alternative. While many well-intentioned patriots have expressed their disappointment with school officials about these decision, some people with military experience offer a different perspective. I summed up this perspective in a comment I posted in the WFMZ Topix forum (post #101):

While these two young men [Hunsicker and Marker] are obviously well-intentioned, they've missed an important point.

When they fall out for morning formation, they wear the prescribed uniform of the day. No deviation is permitted. Even though a graduation walk is a civilian formation, they should respect the prescribed "uniform of the day" for that event, which is cap and gown -- and ONLY cap and gown.

If they want to show their pride in becoming soldiers, a better way to do it would be to wear dress greens BENEATH the cap and gown, then after the graduation walk is over, they can remove cap and gown and show their pride to others.

One of the most critical attributes of military service is the ability to FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS.

Let me make it crystal clear that no condemnation of these well-motivated young troops is implied. Their devotion to service is admirable. But our military is generally well-respected; even those who criticize the use of American military power generally avoid bashing the troops. It has not always been that way; I remember stories about Vietnam veterans being mistreated and even spit upon after their return from Vietnam during the late '60s/early '70s. I do not want our military providing any excuse for a return to those conditions.

While it would be a nice gesture if all school districts were to allow military graduates to wear uniform items during graduation ceremonies, it is the right of school districts to impose reasonable restrictions to prevent graduations from becoming politically-partisan events. The job of the military graduate is to comply with the dress requirements.

Guam's Governor Edward Calvo Wants To Hold A Plebiscite On Guam's Future; Choices Will Be Independence, Statehood, Or Free Association

2011-06-13T01:17:00.000-08:00

The island of Guam is currently a "non-governing US territory", meaning its 180,000 residents hold U.S. citizenship, but cannot vote in US presidential elections. In Congress, Guam is represented only by Delegate Madeleine Bordallo in the U.S. House; delegates have limited voting rights. Plans to increase the U.S. military presence in Guam by moving in 8,000 troops from Okinawa is prompting concern that the native Chamorro population will be swamped by outsiders. Guam's demographic breakdown is currently 40 percent indigenous Chamorro, 27 percent Filipino, 12 percent from other Pacific islands and the remainder White or others.

In response to growing Japanese discontent over the American military presence on Okinawa, at least 8,000 U.S. Marines and their dependents will be transferred to Guam incrementally, to be completed in 2014. Another source indicates as many as 9,700 Marines could be eventually transferred. In addition, some military drills involving Okinawa-based F-15 fighters will also be transferred to Guam.

Consequently, Governor Edward Calvo has stepped up efforts to fulfill a campaign promise and to hold a plebiscite on self-determination in 2012. The choices would be U.S. statehood, independence or free association with Washington. Free association is different than the commonwealth status currently enjoyed by Puerto Rico; Guam would be recognized as a sovereign nation but retain close ties with the United States. The Marshall Islands, Palau and Micronesia also hold "free association" status.

A search of the Pacific Daily News for articles under the term "plebisicite" yields a considerable number of articles, but all require payment for viewing; only brief abstracts are provided for free. One article which is available and which was published on May 12th, 2011 reveals some complications. The Guamanian government must decide whether all citizens of Guam can vote in the plebiscite, or only those of Chamorro extraction. The problem with a Chamorro-only vote is that it may violate the Organic Act of 1950 as well as the 14th and 15th Amendments to the U.S. constitution. For example, the Organic Act, Section 1421(b)(m), limits voter qualifications to "citizenship, civil capacity, and residence"; it does not include ethnicity, race, or ancestry. The 14th Amendment guarantees equal protection to all citizens, and the 15th Amendment mandates that no state or local government shall abridge or deny a citizen's right to vote.

Read the 114-page Organic Act of 1950 HERE.

Obviously, a binding plebiscite vote restricted only to Chamorros can not be permitted under any circumstances; it would be a violation of Federal civil rights laws to which Guamanians, as U.S. citizens, are fully subject. It would also guarantee that Congress would reject the outcome of any such vote unless it maintained the status quo. And one person posting a comment to the story wants to add "status quo" to the list of prospective options; the individual claims that more Guamanians favor maintaining the status quo than the other three options combined. Some Guamanians also believe that the Chamorro-only vote option is being pushed by Chamorro supremacists who want independence and who believe limiting the vote to Chamorro residents will increase the chance of independence.

The frustrations of Governor Calvo are further explained on the Decolonize Guam blog. There is also a Statehood For Guam advocacy site to promote that point of view.

Two comments posted to the Pacific Daily News story highlight the two sides of the debate over prospective voter eligibility. The pertinent parts are reproduced below:

CHamorroRoots 5:48 AM on May 12, 2011:
...If non-native Chamorros on Guam are eligible to vote during this plebiscite it would defeat the purpose, spirit and intent for an indigenous people of their homeland to determine its political status. Guam does not have immigration and population control within its domain. This is all controlled by the US. It is immoral to be subjugated under these conditions that will dilute the indigenous and descendents self-determination vote.

Bonelos 3:10 PM on May 13, 2011:
Pardon my ignorance. How can a true plebliscite be held to decide Guam's political status? By definition, this is supposed to be a vote by the 'people' of a country or district. Who do you plan on identifying as a 'true' people of Guam to ensure that our island is properly represented? Better yet, who shall decide what is better for Guam?

Look around you - there are no longer 'Chamorros' in existence. There are many of us who are descendants - however, where do we draw the line on eligibility? My 'bloodline' consists of Chamorro (supposedly), Filipino, Japanese, and, Native American - do I qualify to vote? Is there a scientifically designed pre-qualification process that will ensure that the 'right' people are making the 'right' decisions for our island?...

The bottom line: Guamanians should be allow to determine their future via plebisicite, and we should respect the final decision. But a plebisicite must comply with Federal civil rights laws to be valid. This means ALL Guamanian citizens. Perhaps Chamorros can address their unique situation through a mechanism similar to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act.

Sarah Palin E-Mails Now Released And Available For Public Inspection

2011-06-10T10:45:00.007-08:00

Now updated with links to KTUU Channel 2 and KTVA Channel 11 coverage.

The Anchorage Daily News' Alaska Politics blog is chronicling the release and publication of the 24,199 pages of e-mails from the Sarah Palin Administration. Their reporters are providing periodic updates on this thread and, in cooperation with ABC News and KTUU Channel 2, will eventually be posting a PDF file. Like other media outlets, ADN paid the requested $725.97 to get the six boxes full of records.

Alaska Dispatch has tasked two reporters, Amanda Coyne and Jill Burke, to cover this story. Alaska Dispatch has a reputation for being slightly biased against Sarah Palin (Craig Medred is the primary offender). They are providing a running commentary at this link.

KTUU Channel 2 has weighed in with their own story now, which also provides a portal to a host of additional stories, such as how Ron Paul had Palin on his own short list of running mates in 2008.

KTVA Channel 11 has published both a basic story and a summary of some of the e-mail contents. In one e-mail, Palin accused Barack Obama of stealing her idea of the energy rebate and the TC-Alaska gasline talking I points, etc.

AP videos embedded below:

Conservatives4Palin will be posting those e-mails that they believe "shed some light" at this link.

The New York Times is first out of the box with the e-mails; they've now posted a searchable archive online at the link provided below:

-- http://projects.nytimes.com/palin-emails/date/2008-08-01

Their archive is not complete; it will continue to grow. I have scanned the first 65 pages posted on the Times, and find nothing derogatory about Sarah Palin. Most of this initial batch discusses the Branchflower investigation and shows that Sarah Palin ordered the collection of hard drives from computers in order to actively cooperate in the investigation.

The Washington Post has now published a searchable partial archive of 317 pages of e-mails; it's a 7.1 MB file taking about three minutes to load. Link:

-- http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/politics/palin-emails/pdf/Dec42006-Feb202007.pdf

The Los Angeles Times is developing their archives and posting them in the following portal:

-- http://documents.latimes.com/sarah-palin-emails/

The Huffington Post has a portal to a Scribd document containing its own archive at the following link:

-- http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/10/sarah-palin-documents-emails_n_874469.html

MSNBC has now incorporated the new e-mails in with their previous e-mail archive, and has published a list of the redacted e-mails at the following link (an 8.5 MB file, takes about four minutes to load):

-- http://palinemail.msnbc.msn.com/

-- http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/i/msnbc/Sections/NEWS/palin_withheld_emails.pdf

This should be enough to get interested people started. More links will be posted here as they become available.

Alaska Communications Systems (ACS) Petitions The State Of Alaska For Permission To Distribute Phone Directories Only Upon Customer Request

2011-06-08T02:15:00.001-08:00

Are you an Alaskan tired of being spammed with huge clunky paper copies of phone directories every year? Help may be on the way -- thanks to the private sector. The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reports that Alaska Communications Systems (ACS) has filed a petition with the Regulatory Commission of Alaska (RCA) to, among other changes, permit ACS to distribute the white pages portion of phone directories only upon customer request. If the RCA approves this petition, Alaska will become the 15th state to do away with this mandate.

ACS filed the petition on May 26th, 2011. Designated Docket U-11-064, you can read the full petition HERE; the highlights are published below:

• Waive the 3 MC 52.250 requirement that ACS annually provide a paper copy of the residential white pages portion of the telephone directory to customers in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau and the Kenai Peninsula, allowing ACS to provide a residential white page directory upon request. The directories for North Pole, Sitka and Kodiak are not impacted.

• Waive the 3 MC 52.250 requirements that ACS directories contain rates for directory assistance calls, instructions for placing telegrams, and party-line calling procedures. ACS believes these requirements are outdated and may cause customer confusion.

• Declare that 3 MC 52.250 requires ACS to include only the telephone numbers of its customers in ACS directories and furnish ACS directories only to its customers. should the Commission determine that customers of all carriers must be included in and receive the ACS directory, ACS requests that all carriers receiving directory service from ACS be required to pay a fair share of the directory costs.

This is long overdue. I absolutely support eliminating the requirement to distribute white pages to all customers. However, I do NOT support ACS's request to limit their listings to their own customers only; that's excessively parochial. If they intend to publish white pages, they should list all phone numbers in a given area. I do support ACS's desire to permit them to charge a fair price to other providers to list their customers' phone numbers.

The RCA welcomes public comments on this proposal; they can be published at this portal. There have been no public comments submitted thus far, so if you want to get rid of mandatory phone directories, you better let them know. The suspense date for comments is June 27th.

The primary benefit will be in reduced environmental costs. In Fairbanks alone, nearly 15 million pages of residential white page listings are printed in 63,000 books each year. ACS also publishes a separate book of white page listings in Anchorage, and eliminating those 150,000 copies would save about 91 million pages.

The other major provider, GCI, has not petitioned for any changes yet, but they're weighing their options. Alaskans also receive a phone directory entitled RAM (Regional Anchorage & Mat-Su Valley), published by Ziplocal in Orem, Utah. Ziplocal actually offers an opportunity to opt out of receiving their printed directory; contact them HERE.

Rasmussen Poll And ABC News/Washington Post Poll Both Show Mitt Romney The Most Electable Republican, Sarah Palin The Least Electable

2011-06-07T00:41:00.002-08:00

Two major polls of Americans of all political persuasions provide the same results about prospective Republican candidates; namely, Mitt Romney is the most electable Republican, and Sarah Palin the least electable. This is important because they provide snapshots of how well Republican candidates may perform outside their base.

First, a Rasmussen poll of 1,000 Likely U.S. Voters conducted June 2-3, 2011. Respondents were read a list of the presumptive Republican candidates and asked if they considered each candidate qualified to become President. The results are provided below, in order of the most qualified. In parenthesis, I enter the net rating, obtained by algebraically subtracting the Not Qualified percentage from the Qualified percentage:

-- Mitt Romney: 49 percent Qualified, 25 percent Unqualified (+24)
-- Tim Pawlenty: 27 percent Qualified (-5)
-- Ron Paul: 27 percent Qualified (-16)
-- Newt Gingrich: 26 percent Qualified (-22)
-- Sarah Palin: 23 percent Qualified (-40)
-- Jon Huntsman Jr: 20 percent Qualified (-8)
-- Michele Bachmann: 20 percent Qualified (-25)
-- Herman Cain: 18 percent Qualified (-17)

While Sarah Palin doesn't have the lowest Qualified rating, her 63 percent Unqualified rating gives her a huge -40 net rating, the worst of all the listed candidates. One cannot win an election with those type of negatives.

Next, an ABC News/Washington Post poll of 1,002 adults conducted June 2-5, 2011. Read ABC News accompanying analysis HERE, and the Post's analysis HERE. This poll matched up how various Republican candidates would match up in trial heats against Barack Obama. The results are provided below:

-- Obama 47-47 vs. Mitt Romney
-- Obama 50-40 vs. Jon Huntsman Jr.
-- Obama 52-42 vs. Newt Gingrich
-- Obama 51-40 vs. Tim Pawlenty
-- Obama 52-39 vs. Michele Bachmann
-- Obama 56-39 vs. Sarah Palin

Update: Conservatives4Palin sees a silver lining in this poll; they note that support for Palin among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents has more than tripled since the last ABC News poll in April. However, getting the Republican nomination and getting elected President are two different things.

Once again, Mitt Romney appears to be the most electable, and Sarah Palin the least electable. In both polls, the least conservative Republicans appear to be the most electable (Huntsman has a credible net rating of only -8 in the Rasmussen poll). Thus it is difficult to fathom how a hard line conservative can defeat Barack Obama in November 2012, so the backup plan should be to put an electable Republican at the top of the ticket, and a hard-line conservative as the running mate. This worked for Richard Nixon in 1968, and for George H.W. Bush in 1988.

But which conservative? The most effective conservative would be one who is charismatic and can light up a scoreboard, and who possesses a group of near-fanatically loyal partisans. Only one conservative hopeful shows those characteristics -- Sarah Palin (although Rick Santorum has some potential). Moreover, the two complement each other well in two important demographics. Romney scores better than Palin among those making $100,000 or more per year, while Palin scores better than Romney among those making less than $50,000 per year. Palin has the edge among Evangelicals, while Romney has the edge among non-Evangelicals.

Put Romney and Palin together on the same ticket, and you have a powerful one-two punch that could knock Barack Obama all the way back to Illinois, Kenya or Indonesia (his choice) in November 2012.

State Of Alaska To Release The 24,199 Pages Of Palin E-Mails On June 10th; Sarah Palin Not Concerned About The Contents

2011-06-06T14:30:00.003-08:00

Update June 10th: Sarah Palin e-mails now released; access links and other related information published in this post.

On June 6th, 2011, Governor Sean Parnell's office announced they will release 24,199 of the 26,552 pages of Sarah Palin's e-mails at 9 A.M. on Friday June 10th. The remaining 2,353 pages will continue to be redacted despite criticism from conservative pundit Paul Jenkins, and the state still plans to charge $725.97 for one five-box set of the records, despite editorial criticism from the Anchorage Daily News. The state also plans to bill those who want the e-mails shipping costs, which can drive the total price up to over $1,200, since each box is said to weigh 55 lbs. A total price of $1,269.70 was quoted to Andree McLeod, based upon overnight delivery to Anchorage.

Update later on June 6th: Gov. Sean Parnell's Chief of Staff Mike Nizich now says that public review copies of the e-mails will be made available in Anchorage and Fairbanks, so Andree McLeod and other interested Alaskans may not have to pay for them after all. The latest word is that the Anchorage batch will be available at the legislative offices of Reps. Mike Doogan and Berta Gardner. Information on contacting the Anchorage and Fairbanks Legislative Information Offices is available HERE.

The records to be released include e-mails that went between the Yahoo accounts of Palin and/or her husband, Todd Palin, and about 50 top state officials. When one side of those e-mail discussions passed through the state mail computers, it is considered to have became a public record. In addition to Andree McLeod, others asking for copies include the Anchorage Daily News, the Associated Press, MSNBC.com, the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the Washington Post, CNN, Mother Jones and ProPublica.

MSNBC reveals that they'll be teaming up with Mother Jones and ProPublica to sponsor the public archive that will be created after MSNBC scans the e-mails in and posts them online. This was previously done with 2,544 pages of e-mails from January 2007 to September 24th, 2008 that were copied to, directed to, or from Todd Palin and seven members of then-Governor Sarah Palin's staff, including Governor Palin. These e-mails were posted online on January 25th, 2010, and are still available at the following link:

http://www.crivellawest.net/palin/default.html

There were no Watergate-style "smoking guns" uncovered as a result of these e-mails.

Sarah Palin does not appear to be concerned about the possible content of the e-mails or the political impact. On June 5th, 2011, during an interview with Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday, Sarah Palin addressed the issue of the e-mails, along with a host of other topics. Read the complete five-page transcript of the interview HERE. Her response appears on page 3 (after the jump):

WALLACE: All right. I want to talk about a controversy because this week, Alaska officials, as you well know, are going to release thousands of pages of your e-mails as governor. Are you worried that some of those emails could be damaging?

PALIN: No, because, you know, I think every rock in the Palin household that could ever be kicked over and uncovered anything, it's already been kicked over. I don't think there's anything private in our family now. A lot of those emails obviously weren't meant for public consumption. They are between staff members. They're probably between family members.

So, you know what, I'm sure people are going to capitalize on this opportunity to go through 25,000 emails and perhaps take things out of context. They'll never truly know what the context of each one of the emails was, or each one of the issues were that I was working on that day, or in that time period.

But whatever, Chris. It's like nothing surprises me anymore. We'll keep doing what we're doing. I'm going to keep going forward with solutions that I want to see applied to this great country, the challenges that we're facing. And things like that are going to be perhaps a distraction for others. They won't distract me.

WALLACE: Let me just ask one follow-up in that regard, because one of your former advisers, Frank Bailey, has written a book. And in it, he says, and he uses some of your e-mails because he was the recipient of them, he says that there were times when you were unethical, that he was told to write fake letters to the editor under false names or to spend hours manipulating TV polls by voting on the phone over and over again.

PALIN: Those are complete lies, Chris. And I say it unequivocally that Frank Bailey has some ethical problems of his own. In fact, out the 25,000 employees that I was in charge of, 24,000, in Alaska, and in our large administration, and with the $14 billion that we were working on, heady things, big things were working on, only one person in the entire administration had to undergo ethics training. And it was because of blunders that this individual, Frank Bailey, would engage in, and result in.

It was Frank Bailey who [is] still under investigation today, but making money off of taking private emails from somebody after having hoarded them for some years. It was only Frank Bailey who was ordered to undergo ethics training. So, he's got some issues.

Watch the full 25-minute video below:

The Alaska attorney general's office is investigating Bailey for allegedly using state e-mails wrongfully in his anti-Palin screed, "Blind Allegiance", and is working with the state’s IT division to discover whether it is missing e-mails that may be in Bailey’s possession. The allegations, first reported on May 10th by the Anchorage Daily News, were surfaced in an ethics complaint filed by Andree McLeod. In a leaked draft of the manuscript obtained by The Daily Beast in February, Bailey writes that for the book he used more than 60,000 e-mail messages he sent or received while serving as Palin’s aide.

Like the other e-mails, this batch of e-mails will most likely be more smoke than fire. Sarah Palin may occasionally have a hazy recollection, but she doesn't lie. Her loyalists will remain loyal, and her detractors can't do any more damage than they've already done.

Spring Ice Breakup In Alaska Also Affects Coastal Communities: Tide Pushes Sea Ice Onshore In Kotzebue Right Up Against A Home

2011-06-06T10:34:00.000-08:00

While the problems of spring ice breakup along Alaska's rivers get publicity, ice breakup can also affect Alaska's coastal communities as well. Alaska Dispatch highlights this video embedded below which shows how the tide can push sea ice onshore......and right up to the door of a home.

Note that Kotzebue, a community of 3,201 (2010 census) that sits on a glorified spit on Kotzebue Sound abutting the Chukchi Sea, is prepared to deal with the problem. Cops were notified, and heavy equipment was quickly deployed to push the ice back into the sea. Happy ending. Had the ice not been moved, the next tidal surge could have damaged the home and perhaps pushed it right off its foundation.

Keeping It Real At 66 North has posted additional videos of sea ice going out in Kotzebue. This is a longtime regularly-updated blog on life in Kotzebue through one resident's perspective. Another Kotzebue blog is Eskimo Power, edited by a Yup'ik Eskimo hunter.

Alas, Alaska Dispatch just had to spoil their post by taking a cheap shot at Sarah Palin. They wrote "You've seen 'Sarah Palin's Alaska' -- now welcome to Our Alaska" -- the implication being that Sarah Palin's account may have been less than authentic. The fact is, no one person defines Alaska -- not even a prominent public spokesperson such as Sarah Palin. Palin's perspective of Alaska is just as valid, but no more so, than the perspective of any other Alaskan.

Joe Miller Addresses 150 Patriots During A Restoring Liberty Rally In Fairbanks

2011-06-04T10:32:00.000-08:00

As advertised, Restoring Liberty held a political rally in Fairbanks, Alaska on June 3rd, 2011, and the marquee performer was former U.S. Senate candidate Joe Miller. The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner estimates that 150 patriots were in attendance at the rally, which featured a barbecue and where two pamphlets were circulated. One pamphlet informed people about jury nullification, and the other advocated a Constitutional amendment to prevent the U.S. from adopting the notorious United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child; the Convention is considered to infringe upon both parental rights and national sovereignty.

Among some of the more significant points put forth by Miller:

-- Affirmed he is still living in Fairbanks. This debunks rumors that he had moved to Wasilla, Arizona, or Nevada.

-- Does not plan any formal runs for elective office, but will not rule out the possibility in the future. I would not be surprised if he runs for the U.S. Senate against Mark Begich in 2014; potential primary opposition might include Anchorage Mayor Dan Sullivan.

-- Reaffirmed support for abolishing the U.S. Department of Education because federal education oversight is not an enumerated Constitutional power of Congress. Federal oversight of education has transformed many of our public schools into academic sweatshops where testing takes precedence over teaching and where political correctness runs amok.

-- Called upon Alaskans to hold judges more accountable through the retention election process. Retention elections have a tendency to be rubber stamps for the Alaska Judicial Council. The Restoring Liberty Alaska PAC is intended to identify and support those Alaska candidates hewing most closely to constitutional values.

-- Continued to decry the fact that Lisa Murkowski’s write-in ballots were hand counted while his were machine-counted. The Alaska State Legislature has since addressed this issue, passing legislation which confirms the state’s long-standing practice of judging intent when deciding how to count a write-in vote. SB31 makes this unequivocal statement: “In counting votes for a write-in candidate, the director shall disregard any abbreviation, misspelling, or other minor variation in the form of the name of a candidate if the intention of the voter can be ascertained.” Gov. Sean Parnell signed the bill into law on May 17th.

Other politicos in attendance included State Senator John Coghill (R-Fairbanks) and Fairbanks-North Star Borough Assemblyman Michael Dukes, who got rousing applause. Also present was Ryan McKee of the UAA College Republicans. Perhaps McKee is personally a constitutional conservative, but the UAA College Republicans undermine that reputation by inviting former Bush hatchet man Karl Rove to speak at their next convention. Rove actually campaigned for Utah's former RINO Senator Bob Bennett, who was sent packing by Utahns at their state convention in 2010, paving the way for Mike Lee's election.

State Of Alaska Says Andree McLeod Must Shell Out As Much As $1,269.70 For 24,199 Pages Of Sarah Palin's E-Mails; Her PFD Check Should Cover It

2011-06-02T22:22:00.003-08:00

Andree McLeod

The State of Alaska expended untold man-hours on organizing and duplicating 24,199 pages of e-mails authored by Sarah Palin while she was governor in response to a number of inquiries. And now they want to recoup their investment. So they're asking those who requested copies of Palin's e-mails to pony up a duplication fee of $725.97, plus shipping costs. Even though the e-mails were requested under Alaska's public records law more than two years ago when she was running for vice president, the state is allowed to bill the requestors.

According to The Blaze, there were originally 26,552 pages of e-mails, but 2,353 pages have been redacted. Linda Perez of the governor's office explained that e-mails were redacted and withheld based on the right to privacy afforded by the state constitution as well as legal justifications established in court cases over Alaska public records law. That includes attorney-client privilege and the state's right to withhold records considered deliberative process, meaning internal discussions of policy that happen before a decision is made. Perez also said the state will provide a "privilege log" that describes the reason each of the records was withheld or redacted.

Those requesting the e-mails included the Anchorage Daily News, the Associated Press, MSNBC.com, the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the Washington Post and CNN. The Blaze also reveals that Mother Jones and ProPublica are also getting copies; Mother Jones, MSNBC.com and ProPublica plan to make the documents available for mass consumption in a searchable archive. Individuals to receive the e-mails include Geoffrey Dunn, author of the recently published book "The Lies of Sarah Palin," and yes, Andree McLeod.

When Andree McLeod contacted Gov. Sean Parnell’s administrative director, Linda Perez, to protest the fee, Perez refused to budge. Perez informed McLeod that the only way she could review the e-mails for free was to come to Juneau, and that WPX courier could deliver the set of e-mails, bundled into five boxes which weigh 55 lbs. each, to Anchorage overnight for $543.73 or 2nd day delivery for $443.73. The state is providing printed copies because it doesn't have the software to electronically redact information from emails. Update June 6th: Gov. Sean Parnell's Chief of Staff Mike Nizich now say that public review copies of the e-mails will be made available in Anchorage and Fairbanks, so Andree McLeod may not have to pay for them after all.

So that means if Andree McLeod wants the e-mails sent to her in Anchorage, she would have to pony up as much as $1,269.70. I'd say her Permanent Fund Dividend check that she will presumably receive in October should just about cover it. McLeod said she's not sure how she's going to pay for her copies of the records. I guess she should have thought of that before launching her grand crusade.

Update June 3rd 10:23 A.M: It appears Andree McLeod is now willing to pay, but wants to review the redacted e-mails first. She posted a copy of the e-mail sent to Gov. Parnell as a comment to this ADN story:

The Alaska Public Records Act states that I have the right to review public records. I want to review the copies of Palin's (redacted) emails before I dish out $725 for duplication fees and hundreds more on top of that for shipping.

For the last few years, hundreds of thousands of dollars has been spent on expanding your Anchorage gov's office. You have transferred more positions from Juneau to Anchorage than other governors, not counting Sarah. For all intent and purposes, you occupy the Anchorage office as much as the Juneau one.

So, why is it that the copies of Palin's (redacted) emails can't be shipped up here for review before members of the public spend their precious dollars on them?

Why has your free-wheeling staff taken such a hard, rigid and inflexible approach to the dissemination of these public records, continue to increase the cost of these records and erect more barriers for the average Alaskan by not shipping these records to your Anchorage office for review?

Why has your staff only implemented taxing ways to disclose these (redacted) public documents? What about scanning them?

Am I to understand that when it's convenient for you and your staff, the Anchorage office becomes a viable extension of your Juneau office, except when it serves the public re: the review of these emails as stated in the Public Records Act?

So, is it also your position that I have to expend more money to fly down to Juneau to review these (redacted) public records before I decide whether to dish out over $1,000 for these (redacted) public records?

Sincerely,
Andree

To paraphrase Andree McLeod, the culture of obsession continues...unabated.

Mitt Romney Officially Launches Presidential Campaign; Former U.S. Senate Candidate Joe Miller To Lead Alaskan Tea Party Opposition

2011-06-02T15:32:00.001-08:00

On June 2nd, 2011, at a noontime barbecue at Stratham farm in New Hampshire, Mitt Romney, a Republican presidential candidate in all but in name, became a candidate in name as well, launching his official campaign. And Romney led off by criticizing President Barack Obama over the state of the economy, saying "Barack Obama has failed America." Read the full text of his announcement HERE.

Mitt Romney's official campaign website has now been resurrected at the following link:

http://www.mittromney.com/

Romney attacked Obama for expanding the role of the federal government, adding, "we are only inches away from ceasing to be a free market economy. I will cap federal spending at 20 percent or less of the GDP and finally, finally balance the budget." He also said his number one priority on Day One of his administration will be job creation, and he will repeal Obamacare. KSL Channel 5 news video, which also presents Romney's announcement speech, embedded below:

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

But Romney, despite leading in many polls to include the latest Public Policy Polling survey, in not without vulnerabilities. For one thing, some continue to question if America is ready for a Mormon president, although with the exit of Mike Huckabee from the race, Evangelical opposition to Romney is softening. Other vulnerabilities include his continued defense of RomneyCare as well as perceived "flip-flopping" on some social issues, despite the fact that, as a Republican, he had to govern strategically to make progress in an overwhelmingly Democratic state like Massachusetts.

Nevertheless, the Tea Party is preparing to exploit his weaknesses. In Alaska, Tea Party opposition is coalescing around former U.S. Senate candidate Joe Miller. The Western Representation PAC with which he's associated has purchased the domain StopRomney.org, and issued a statement accusing Romney of changing his position on key conservative issues like "gun rights, gay rights, abortion, immigration and health care." Miller said tea party voters are looking for a constitutional conservative, which precludes them from supporting Romney.

Joe Miller is also forming two additional PACs; the Restoring Liberty Alaska PAC, which will be dedicated to supporting and electing candidates for local and state offices who are dedicated to the principles of limited government, and the Restoring Liberty Action Committee, intended to educate the public on the principles of constitutionally limited government, focusing on issues like tax and revenue policy, health care reform and the timeless rights granted by our Creator. Considering the reaction to Miller in the comments posted to the ADN story, there's obviously a hell of a lot of educating to be done.

Illegal Alien Ex-Cop Rafael Mora-Lopez Pleads Guilty To Passport Fraud And Falsely Claiming U.S. Citizenship In Anchorage

2011-06-01T16:50:00.002-08:00

Update August 25th: The latest available information on this case is now published HERE.

Rafael Mora-Lopez

On June 1st, 2011, former Anchorage police officer Rafael Mora-Lopez appeared in federal court in Anchorage and pleaded guilty to one count each of passport fraud and false claim of U.S. citizenship. He faces up to 13 years in prison when he is to be sentenced on August 25th. The story has spread far beyond Alaska and has been picked up by the Washington Post.

In the interim, Mora-Lopez will continue to be out on bail, but under home confinement and electronic monitoring. Prosecutors agree that Mora-Lopez is not a flight risk, he's not a danger to the community, and that he aware of the consequences of failure to appear for his next hearing.

Read 18-page plea agreement document HERE. KTVA Channel 11 news video embedded below:

As specified in this previous post, Mora-Lopez entered the United States from Mexico illegally in 1989. He then stole the identity of Rafael Espinoza, a U.S. citizen living in Mexico at the time, to bring his wife, Margarita Cynthia Espinoza, to the U.S. They have since sired one child. He worked as a bus driver for Anchorage People Mover from 1999-2005, then was hired by the Anchorage Police Department. Mora-Lopez was caught in January 2010 when he renewed his passport under the name of Rafael Espinoza; the real Rafael Espinoza had already applied to renew his own passport. When confronted by his superiors at APD, Mora-Lopez owned up to the crime and promptly resigned from the department; he would have been fired.

APD Chief Mark Mew explained why the initial fingerprint-based background check did not discover the existence of an American citizen named Rafael Espinoza, the name used by Mora-Lopez. It's because the real Espinoza, who now has dual citizenship, did not live in the United States and does not have fingerprints on file here. Since there was no record in the United States beyond the fact that he existed, it was an empty slate.

Mora-Lopez may also face action from the state of Alaska. During his time in Alaska, he received more than $27,000 in Permanent Fund Dividend checks. Assistant Attorney General John Novak says they're considering filing charges to recoup the payments; undoubtedly, they're awaiting the outcome of sentencing on August 25th before proceeding.

Anchorage Landlord Under Fire For Possible Discrimination Against Prospective Alaska Native Tenant Stacy Deacon

2011-06-01T15:08:00.000-08:00

An unidentified Anchorage landlord may be the subject of a local civil rights investigation for possible discrimination against a prospective Alaska Native tenant. Stacy Deacon, an administrative assistant with Alaska Newspapers, Inc. is the complainant, and documents her experience in an article entitled "Housing discrimination isn't old history in Alaska". The Anchorage Daily News also did their version of this story, but turned off the comments. This is the same Stacy Deacon who also appeared as an extra in the movie "Everybody Loves Whales"

Deacon got tired of living with relatives, so she attempted to rent a two-bedroom apartment for herself, her male companion, and her three-year old daughter. The landlord was quite cooperative over the phone, and instructed her to have the electricity turned on in her name and to bring a couple of paycheck stubs and an official identification card to the lease signing. Even Deacon's request to delay payment of the full rent and deposit until later did not particularly dampen the landlord's receptivity.

But when she showed up, things changed. From her account:

He said, "I have some questions first off; what happens when you have to go back to the village?"

I said: "I would not be able to because I would need to pay the rent and that is my priority."

[He responded:] "Well I have rented to Native families before and they have always left me high and dry. When sometimes one of the family members goes back or the entire family goes back, I am left there stuck and I just don't think this is going to be a good fit, but I will talk it over with my wife, but she is a lot less understanding than I am."

The landlord continued to question her about the ethnic background of her companion and her parents. He then decided not to proceed immediately with the lease-signing, saying "We'll just go ahead and repost the For Rent sign and if we don't get anybody by the thirtieth of the month, we'll go ahead and give it you." Later that same day, the landlord phoned her and said he would definitely not rent to her, but offered to reimburse her for the electric deposit if she could not get it back.

This story does have a happy ending. Stacy Deacon found another two-bedroom apartment which offered better amenities, including a small dedicated yard for the three-year-old. But Deacon also decided she'd been discriminated against because she is Native, and has contacted what she calls a "local state agency", which is confusing, because she does not name the specific agency. Options available locally include the Anchorage Equal Rights Commission and the Alaska State Commission for Human Rights.

Deacon assures us she's not one of those civil rights trolls who hollers "Discrimination!" every time someone looks at her cross-eyed. Indeed, she could have published the landlord's name and the address of the property, but chose not to. She deserves credit for showing some restraint. But we haven't heard the landlord's side of the story, so we can't yet rule out the possibility of an honest communications foul-up.

Where the landlord screwed up is in using the term "Native". Instead, he should have used the term "Bush Alaska"; the problem he's experienced with people from Bush Alaska is not uncommon. But unfortunately, civil rights laws require landlords to expose themselves to categorical risk. If the incident took place the way Stacy Deacon says it did, the landlord is going to face some adverse action.

But while housing discrimination isn't old history in Alaska, it has longed ceased to be representative or typical history. Most landlords have no financial incentive to discriminate, and remedies are currently available. Discrimination is the exception in Alaska.

Did You Know You Can Buy Steak And Lobster With Food Stamps In Menominee, Michigan?

2011-05-31T02:31:00.000-08:00

From the Council of Conservative Citizens website comes this illustration:

A larger version is available HERE

According to the Back To Basics website, this receipt dated February 2nd, 2011 was found in a parking lot shortly thereafter. A handful of other blogs such as Weasel Zippers picked it up, but offered no further details. There are no media stories about this development. However, a post on the Kingwood discussion forum offered this interesting tidbit: A Michigan resident who won $2 million in the state's lottery is still eligible for food stamps because the applicable law does not count lottery winnings as "income".

I've not seen such an egregious abuse of food stamps in Alaska, but we're not exactly guiltless, either. Lawmakers are constantly scheming to widen the eligibility for Denali Kid Care above the current 175 percent of the Federal poverty level threshold. And in December 2010, former Anchorage School Board candidate Bob Griffin decried the fact that the percentage of students in the Anchorage School District receiving taxpayer-subsidized meals had risen from 26 percent in 2004-05 to 42 percent in 2009-10.

Worse yet, a visit to the Anchorage School District website illustrates the scope of this racket. You will find that an ASD student from a family of four qualifies for a free meal even if the household income is as high as $35,841. The same student will still qualify for a reduced-price meal even if the household income is as high as $51,005. And "reduced-price" doesn't merely mean 30 percent or even 50 percent off; at the high school level, it's 90 percent off.

The problem is that there has been a Doppler shift in the concept of welfare. Once intended merely to provide people down on their luck with the basic necessities of life such as food, clothing and shelter, welfare is now geared to guarantee its recipients a middle class lifestyle. Meanwhile, people who work for a living can't afford steak and lobster -- at least on more than an occasional basis.

The idea is that if you want to move beyond a subsistence lifestyle and actually build wealth, you should have to work for a living, if able. Of course, it would help if our economy could create a wider variety and greater number of jobs, but market forces are better at creating jobs than bailouts and stimulus packages. Still, there must be some obligation levied upon people to keep themselves employable.

Department Of Homeland Security's "FAST" Program: An Alternative To TSA Groping Or A Real World Version Of PreCrime In "Minority Report"?

2011-05-30T15:34:00.000-08:00

Perhaps many of you may have seen the 2002 movie "Minority Report", in which a specialized police unit called PreCrime apprehends criminals based on foreknowledge provided by three psychics called "precogs". The term "Minority Report" stemmed from the scenario that the three precogs may see different visions of the future, and that the system only provided data on the two reports which agree; the "minority report" is discarded. In the movie, the system broke down after one of the PreCrime officers (played by Tom Cruise) was falsely accused.

On May 30th, 2011, The Blaze is raising a hue and cry about a possible real-world version of "Minority Report". The Department of Homeland Security, in response to persistent complaints about invasive and intrusive passenger screenings by TSA, is testing a new program called FAST (Future Attribute Screening Technology), which would purportedly subject Americans to pre-crime interrogations and physiological scans to detect those allegedly intending to commit a "terrorist act" at sports stadiums, malls, airports and other public places. The system uses a computer program that studies physiological indicators of a person, such as heart rate and the steadiness of a person’s gaze, and then uses the data to make a judgment on whether that individual has something called “malintent”.

While The Blaze also includes a video, Infowars has posted a longer video which I consider more informative:

Although Infowars is run by the notorious conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, author Paul Joseph Watson raises a legitimate concern, namely that ordinary citizens who act "weird" or "scared" will get swept up in this net, while trained terrorists will wriggle through because they'll be skilled in evasion techniques. Infowars also believes it's not about homeland security, but about population intimidation and control; the system wants to acclimate Americans into discarding belief in the customary presumption of innocence.

The Department of Homeland Security lists the FAST program as one of 19 different Human Factors/Behavioral Sciences Projects on their website. They provide the following overview:

The Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate Human Factors/Behavioral Sciences Division (HFD) Future Attribute Screening Technology (FAST) project is an initiative to develop a prototype screening facility containing a suite of real-time, non-invasive sensor technologies to detect cues indicative of mal-intent (the intent or desire to cause harm) rapidly, reliably, and remotely. The system will measure both physiological and behavioral signals to make probabilistic assessments of mal-intent based on sensor outputs and advanced fusion algorithms and measure indicators using culturally neutral and non-invasive sensors. FAST uses an established independent peer-review process to ensure objectivity and thoroughness in addressing all aspects of the program.

Two other closely-allied programs on the DHS list include "Hostile Intent Detection - Validation of Observable Indicators of Suspicious Behavior Project", to be applied at primary screening checkpoints, and "Hostile Intent Detection - Automated Prototype Project", to be applied at secondary screening checkpoints.

Analysis:

-- Will FAST replace the objectionable TSA patdowns, or will it be in addition to them? If FAST merely augments the patdowns, it will be a sign that Homeland Security clearly wants to increase control and oppression of the population.

-- How will FAST flag potential terrorists who are trained to evade the techniques? No answer is given, although the answer might be proprietary in nature.

-- Will the results of a negative FAST flag wrongfully prevent someone from boarding an aircraft? For someone who lives in the Lower 48, this may be little more than a glorified nuisance. After all, if you live in L.A. and want to go to Las Vegas, you can just get on I-15 and be in Vegas three hours later. But what if you live in Alaska, and want to go to Seattle? The alternative to flying is a three-day trip down the ALCAN; hardly a viable alternative. And don't tell us Alaskans that we should have known that when we moved up here; when I moved to Anchorage in 1992, there wasn't even a "no-fly list" at the time.

In the coming years, staying away from airports may not be enough to avoid a run-in with TSA. Homeland Security has also embarked on a massive totalitarian occupation of America where security checkpoints will litter highways and roads, transport hubs, as well as a host of public events.

For passenger screening to be accepted and effective, it cannot result in someone being arbitrarily denied the option to board a flight; passengers must be given the opportunity to prove themselves harmless to the flight. The mere concept of a "no-fly list" is totalitarian and un-American. If the FAST program denies the presumption of innocence, it must be challenged.

John McCain Suggests Sarah Palin Could Actually Beat Barack Obama, Thinks Mitt Romney Still Vulnerable On Health Care

2011-05-29T09:42:00.001-08:00

Whatever one thinks about John McCain's political persuasions, one cannot deny that the man knows politics from the ground up. He continues to get re-elected to the U.S. Senate from his home state of Arizona again...and again...and again, despite the fact that many Arizonans express strong opposition to him. He even successfully defeated a name opponent, J.D. Hayworth, in the 2010 primary election.

Thus when John McCain sounded off about the Republican Presidential field on the May 29th edition of Fox News Sunday, it is appropriate to take notice. McCain focused upon two Republican Presidential hopefuls -- Mitt Romney and Sarah Palin. He didn't spend much time discussing Romney, except to acknowledge what many people already know; namely, that Romney is still vulnerable on health care. Referring to RomneyCare, McCain stated "I think he realizes that and is trying to address it...Whether he will address it successfully or not, I don't know. But he certainly has a good ground campaign in places like New Hampshire and others where he's really - you know, having been around the block once is always more helpful for next time."

But McCain spoke much more at length about his 2008 running mate, Sarah Palin. McCain noted that he has never seen anyone as mercilessly attacked and relentlessly attacked as Palin has during the past couple of years. This is actually an understatement; the anti-Palin comments posted to the various sources linked in this post show the opposition is not principled, but for the most part emotional, hysterical, and vindictive. A spate of anti-Palin poison-pen books is inundating the market, although the opportunistic turncoat Frank Bailey, who authored "Blind Allegiance", is getting deservedly bitch-slapped from one end of the talk-show circuit to the other, having been hammered by Sean Hannity and Dana Loesch.

But John McCain also thinks Sarah Palin can actually beat Barack Obama in 2012. McCain said "Of course she can. She can. Now, whether she will or not, whether she'll even run or not, I don't know...But she certainly is a major factor and I believe she can be very competitive." McCain also paid tribute to Palin's ability to inspire great passion among the Republican faithful.

While there's no doubt that Sarah Palin is "very competitive" even at present, the notion that she could actually defeat Barack Obama is premature and unproven. In fact, poll after poll which match Obama head to head against leading Republican hopefuls show Obama scoring better against Palin than the others. Only Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee showed they could hold Obama to a standstill -- and Huckabee is now out of the mix. Obama's projected success against Palin is a manifestation of her high negatives, which Palin partisans have a tendency to minimize or brush aside.

It's arrogant and foolhardy to merely brush off the high negatives; politics is driven as much by perception as reality. One recent example of the power of perception is illustrated by the annual Gallup Values & Beliefs poll conducted from May 5-8, 2011. When respondents were asked what percentage of Americans they thought were gay, 35 percent opined that 25 percent of Americans are gay, despite more official reports that only three percent are gay. This perception results from the successful adoption of the "puffer fish" strategy by the gay rights lobby, in which they make themselves look bigger than they really are. Gay advocates have succeeded in convincing a significant segment of the population that not only is homosexuality "cool" and "hip", but that simultaneously, all gays are to be considered eternal victims, regardless of employment stability or financial status. And gay advocates are succeeding in convincing gullible people that they are more numerous than they really are.

The same strategy is being employed by anti-Palin activists. They ignore her strengths and maximize her weaknesses and imperfections. The solution is not to minimize or ignore these people, but to attack them relentlessly and destroy their credibility. This is not difficult to do; the anti-Palin activists undermine their credibility primarily through their hysterical syntax, their intellectual arrogance, and their bias against the working class.

Sarah Palin is competitive. But Sarah Palin has yet to show she can defeat Obama.

Former Alaska U.S. Senate Candidate Joe Miller Launches The Restoring Liberty Alaska PAC To Promote A Return To Constitutional Government

2011-05-27T02:25:00.001-08:00

Former Alaska U.S. Senate candidate Joe Miller has not given up his fight to restore constitutional government in America. According to Alaska Dispatch, he's now launched the Restoring Liberty Alaska PAC, and he intends to kick it off with a rally in Fairbanks on June 3rd, 2011. Update June 4th: Read the account of the rally HERE.

The rally will be held at Pioneer Park in Fairbanks on Friday June 3rd from 5 - 7 p.m. According to the flyer, the objective of Restoring Liberty Alaska PAC is to impact campaigns across the state for the benefit of all Alaskans. They will fight to get state and local candidates who are dedicated to the principle of limited government and who reject corruption elected here at home. They will also work to elect candidates who accept the important role of the state in our federal system, practice Thomas Jefferson’s mandate of nullification of unconstitutional laws and assert states’ rights under the 10th Amendment. They will fight to defeat candidates who reject a constructionist view of the U.S. Constitution. They will work to elect candidates who accept the important role of the state in our federal system, practice Thomas Jefferson’s mandate of nullification of unconstitutional laws and assert states’ rights under the 10th Amendment. And finally, they will work to restore vote integrity to Alaska elections. Restoring Liberty Alaska is also unwaveringly pro-life.

Restoring Liberty Alaska PAC has also registered with the Alaska Public Offices Commission (APOC) and the Federal Election Commission.

Joe Miller was the only candidate in the 2010 U.S. Senate race who believed the national debt was a problem and that one of the solutions was to shrink the size and superfluosity of the federal government. One of his more unique suggestions was to abolish the Department of Education, a proposal of which I genuinely approve. The federal government has imposed intolerable burdens upon schools in the United States; federal mandates have caused school districts to hire more administrators to oversee implementation of the mandates and document results. This has absolutely nothing to do with educating our kids; indeed, it diverts resources away from the primary task of educating our kids.

When Joe Miller showed up at a Tax Day Rally in Post Falls, ID in April, one person in attendance was quite impressed and shared her observations HERE. Adrienne characterized Joe Miller as an exceptional speaker who even managed to give props to their number one "tourist attraction" as he called it - Dave Smith Motors. Apparently a number of Alaskans don't like Cal Worthington's prices and buy their vehicles from Dave Smith instead. When Adrienne asked Joe Miller's wife, Kathleen, if they saw anyone in the Republican field that was a standout for nomination, her answer was a simple, "No".

Presumably, that includes Sarah Palin.

Joe Miller has not ruled out another try for elective office in the future. Unless Congressman Don Young decides to stand down in 2012, he should not even bother to run for the U.S. House; Don Young defeats all competition, and the office is likely his for as long as he wants it. A more promising target might be Mark Begich's U.S. Senate seat in 2014. It's a credit to Joe Miller that he's still interested in promoting his message of constitutionality despite the sustained attacks received from detractors during his Senate campaign.

Alaska's Leading Conservative Shock Jock Dan Fagan Back On The Air With KBYR 700AM In Anchorage Effective June 6th

2011-05-25T23:19:00.000-08:00

On June 6th, 1944, the Allies launched their invasion of continental Europe. And on June 6th, 2011, conservative shock jock Dan Fagan will launch his invasion of the airwaves once again. The former KFQD radio personality will be broadcasting his new show on KBYR 700AM in Anchorage from 6 A.M. to 9 A.M. Monday through Friday, which will compete directly against another conservative shock jock, Rick Rydell, who airs on KENI. Furthermore, KTBY Channel 4 expressed an interest in televising Fagan's radio show, so the show will now originate from a TV studio and air simultaneously on KBYR. Fagan also plans to video-stream the show live daily on The Alaska Standard.

The early morning time slot enables Fagan to avoid competing directly against his replacement on KFQD, Dave Stieren, for whom Fagan expresses great respect.

Fagan's decision actually dates back to that fateful day in October 2010 when John Tracy, who had hired himself out as an attack dog for Lisa Murkowski, tried to strongarm KFQD General Manager Dennis Bookey into dumping Fagan, and temporarily succeeded -- even if it was only for one day. Fagan decided he could not leave himself so vulnerable in the future, so he sought a deal in which he could actually own his own show rather than be a mere radio station employee. He negotiated a deal with KBYR, and three months later, resigned from KFQD. A no-compete agreement prevented him from working for another radio station for three months after leaving KFQD and imposed a six-month gag order on him.

By owning his own show, Dan Fagan is now better prepared to continue to confront the big-money special interests which is his forte. I look forward to his return, and plan to listen (although I'll have to set my alarm).

Read the rest of the story on The Alaska Standard; it contains some other inside information not previously disclosed.

U.S. Postal Service To Relocate Its Western Area Distribution Networks Office From Anchorage To Denver; Anchorage Distribution Center Unlikely To Be Affected

2011-05-25T13:45:00.001-08:00

The main postal facility located at Anchorage International Airport also serves as the official processing and distribution center for all postal mail entering the state of Alaska. In addition, intra-Alaska mail is also processed through this facility. Consequently, it has come as a shock to some people when the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reported on May 25th, 2011 that the U.S. Postal Service plans to relocate its Western Area Distribution Networks office in Anchorage to Denver. Steve Deaton, who currently heads up this office, is retiring effective May 31st, 2011, and his duties will be transferred to another person in Denver. USPS provides no information in their Newsroom about how this will impact mail distribution in Alaska.

Consequently, Alaskans commenting to the News-Miner story are concerned that this will degrade postal service in Alaska. Some people believe transit time will be increased, and packages will be subject to delays and damage. One person posted the following comment:

Glacierwolf wrote on Wednesday, May 25 at 09:33 AM:
This is horrific for business in Alaska.

10 years ago a letter mailed in North Pole to a North Pole PO Box or address was delivered the next day. Then it took 2-3 days when the mail went to Fairbanks and back. Today it is 5-7 days to go from North Pole, to Fairbanks, off to Anchorage, back to Fairbanks and then return to North Pole for delivery.

Tomorrow - it will go from North Pole, to Fairbanks, to Anchorage, off to Denver, Spend a day or two or three in Denver, back to Anchorage, truck to Fairbanks, then to North Pole. The Post Office will charge $.45 cent stamp and their actual cost for the letter will be more like $1.50......... they will lose money, then ask for a giant rate hike. In 2-3 years Alaskans will be forced to 'pay' for the privilege of putting 3,000 miles on a letter and allowing the Post Office to store it for the 9-11 days of transit time.

Worse for business. Forget sending anything fragile or perishable - now you will be worried about solid items getting ripped out of damaged boxes...

As a result, U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski has gotten involved. She sent a letter to Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe, warning him that the impending restructuring and relocation of the Western Area Distribution Networks office from Anchorage to Denver without a transition period is short-sighted, noting that because so much of Alaska is off the road network, Alaska’s mail service is more complicated than the majority of systems nationwide. In part, Murkowski wrote, “I am extremely concerned to learn that there does not appear to be any transition or training plan for transferring this knowledge and experience to the Denver operation...Placing the responsibility for intra-Alaska mail and bypass mail service in the hands of untrained personnel two thousand miles and two time zones away without a clear sense of our Alaska’s routes and challenges may help the Postal Service’s bottom line but will impact our vast state’s economy and connectedness.”

You can read the full letter HERE.

Analysis: This appears to be merely a transfer of a specific bureaucratic position from Anchorage to Denver; there's no evidence that the centralized Anchorage Processing & Distribution Center itself will be significantly curtailed or closed down. Supporting this contention is the fact that Senator Murkowski is not asking that the decision be abandoned, but that there should merely be a longer transitional period. Also supporting this contention is the fact that on April 29th, USPS announced that it plans to conduct a study at the Juneau Customer Service Mail Processing Center for possible consolidation of some operations into the Anchorage Processing & Distribution Center. The study, known as an Area Mail Processing (AMP) study, involves a review of the mail processing and transportation operations to determine capacity needs at a facility in order to increase efficiency and improve productivity.

USPS would not consider transferring Juneau mail processing to Anchorage if the Anchorage Processing Center was to be curtailed or closed. Consequently, it is my belief that the Anchorage Processing Center itself will remain fully operational; mail from one North Pole address to another North Pole address, or, for that matter, from one Alaskan address to another Alaskan address will NOT be sent all the way to Denver for processing.

Update May 26th: Ernie Swanson, communications programs specialist for the Alaska District of USPS, confirms that mail delivery in Alaska will be unaffected. He said the transfer of Deaton's responsibilities to Denver should have no bearing or slowing down of the bypass system and no mail delays are expected. It's strictly a bureaucratic move.

The Bottom Line: The quality and timeliness of delivery of Express, Priority, and First Class Mail should not be impacted by the decision to transfer the Western Area Distribution Networks office to Denver. But the quality and timeliness of Bulk and Bypass Mail delivery could be degraded somewhat. Once again, the failure of postal management to communicate fully and clearly with the public has caused unnecessary consternation.

Anchorage's So-Called "Graffiti Artist" Maximino "Meno" Gonzales Tagged By Cops After Vandalizing Tudor Road Bridge

2011-05-24T18:28:00.000-08:00

Anchorage's self-professed "graffiti artist" Maximino "Meno" Gonzales has finally been tagged by Anchorage Police after he was observed tagging a foot bridge that crosses over Tudor Road near Willowcrest Elementary School at 2:30 A.M. on May 24th, 2011. Gonzales ran away after spotting two APD officers, but was caught shortly thereafter with cans of spray paint and paint on his hands. Gonzales, who had no previous record, was given a citation and released; he is charged with possession of graffiti implements and graffiti on public or private property. If tried and convicted, he could be fined up to $2,000 and jailed for up to six months. He could also be ordered to remove the graffiti, pay the property owner for removal, or pay the Graffiti Busters program the cost of removing it from public facilities.

[Ed. Note: Since two of the three local media outlets spell his last name "Gonzales", that's the spelling I'm using for this post.]

Officer Scott Lofthouse, who investigates graffiti, gang and street crime for APD, say Meno only faces misdemeanor charges since he has no prior record. He further states that neither Meno nor his graffiti have any gang ties. He also admits that Meno is talented, and has a global audience, but states, "The problem is that the forum he's using to display that art is illegal. By tagging other people's property he's costing them money."

The Anchorage Daily News inadvertently boosted Gonzales' rep by featuring him and his "art" in their Focal Point: Mountain View blog on November 10th, 2010, which includes samples of his work. His work was being featured at the now-closed Mountain View MTS Gallery. Gonzales cites Andy Warhol as a major influence upon him. Just prior to its closing, the MTS Gallery raffled off a piece of wall the art house had provided Meno to stencil and spray paint.

Gonzales is believed to have tagged numerous places all over town during the past two years, and police invite those who've been tagged to contact Officer Lofthouse at 907-786-2492.

Public Reaction: Most comments posted to ADN are against Gonzales. However, one person suggested that the Alaska Railroad hire him to do artwork on their trains. The man is talented enough to where he could be considered a possible contributor to the One Percent For Art program. However, he cannot be allowed to simply appropriate the entire public domain as his own personal canvas. Furthermore, allowing him to continue tagging public facilities could invite copycats to do their own tagging, after which Anchorage would begin to look more like East L.A. We will not tolerate our city being transformed into a ghetto or barrio.

Raw Videos Of Catastrophic Damage From May 22nd F5 Tornado In Joplin, Missouri

2011-05-22T19:36:00.000-08:00

Update: Four outstanding aerial view photos of the tornado damage in Joplin are now available at the Daily Mail website . Since they're copyrighted AP photos, they cannot be published here.

While we Alaskans enjoyed another relatively quiet weekend weather-wise, the weather scene was anything but quiet in the Lower 48. Dominating the weather news is a tornadic outbreak which affected Metro Minneapolis on May 22nd, 2011; the damage was concentrated in the northwest section of town. At least 100 homes are known to be damaged (very few actually destroyed), countless trees down, one dead and 29 injured at this point.

But swallowed up in the publicity is another tornado which wreaked even worse havoc in Joplin, Missouri, a community of around 50,000 in the extreme southwest corner of the state. According to this timeline of events, the thunderstorm that spawned the Joplin F5 tornado first developed in southeast Kansas. At around 5:41 P.M. CDT., it dropped a single tornado with multiple vortices into the center of Joplin; St. John's Regional Medical Center took a direct hit, but remains standing. However, many other buildings in the area were demolished; the Hampshire Terrace Apartments, with 150 units, was flattened. A Home Depot reported significant damage, a Lowe's was destroyed, and photos of a destroyed Walmart also surfaced on Twitter. The roofs of two city fire stations collapsed. As of 4:50 P.M. on May 24th, the death toll has now reached 122, with 750 people injured and an estimated 8,000 structures damaged or destroyed. The National Weather Service just upgraded the tornado to an F5, with winds in excess of 200 mph.

A graphic showing the path of the tornado is now available HERE.

Two raw videos show the extent of the damage; you will see that buildings directly to the north and directly to the west of the hospital have been leveled:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtXPPWiTatI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bu7B4FMKIPQ

And here's a video from the KSFN Channel 16 broadcast tower showing the tornado:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDOLjlzQYSs

A discussion thread with numerous pictures posted has been started HERE. There are unofficial reports that as much as 50 percent of the town has been damaged or destroyed; some sporadic looting is taking place.

Note that Joplin's infrastructure took a major hit; the hospital is unusable, two fire stations are impaired, and three major stores which would be a source of supplies, Home Depot, Lowe's, and Walmart, are now unusable. These people are on their own for a while; this is as bad as it can get. One must be prepared to be self-sustaining and to help each other out in the event of these types of disasters.

Did You Know A Single DUI Can Bar An American From Entering Canada, Even To Transit To Alaska?

2011-05-21T12:29:00.000-08:00

Yes, it's true -- according to this May 15th, 2011 article in PhillyBurbs. Unfortunately, many Americans traveling to Canada, either to visit the country or to transit to Alaska, don't find out until they arrive at the Canadian border. The results can be embarrassing at best, and costly at worst.

The information is publicly available on the Citizenship & Immigration Canada website. Past DUIs are considered "criminality", which can cause a ban. Specifically, they state "If you have been convicted of driving while impaired by alcohol or drugs, you will probably be found criminally inadmissible to Canada". Appeal of a ban is possible; a separate page on the website provides instructions on overcoming criminal inadmissibility. But in general, these are the rules of thumb regarding DUIs:

-- A single simple DUI unaccompanied by death, injury, or property damage will generally result in you being denied entry for ten years after conviction.
-- An aggravated DUI or more than one DUI on your record may result in a lifetime ban.

PhiilyBurbs cites the example of Michael Edwards, who has multiple DUIs. Edwards, a mortgage writer from Lower Southampton, was arrested for DUI in Bensalem in 1987 and 1988 and a third time in Falls in 1995, when his son was three years old. He was convicted for the latter crime in 1996. He's has no infractions since. In 2010, he decided to accompany his 18-year-old son on a driving trip up to Fairbanks; his son was reporting to Eielson AFB. But when they reached the Canadian border, Canadian officials turned him away even though it had been 14 years since his last infraction, saying he'd have to go back home and apply for a special waiver to get into their country. It could take as long as a year to process, and it guaranteed nothing. It could also cost $1,500 in legal fees, even if unsuccessful. His son had three days to report to Eielson.

His son continued the journey alone, while Michael Edwards went to a nearby hotel and, in his words, was "freaking bawling for like two hours straight". Edwards later said, "It was the ultimate humiliation...If I had committed murder, I could see that. Are you kidding me? What was I going to do while passing through their country for a few days?"

Of course, Michael Edwards had three DUIs on his record. But even one is enough. Alpha Riley of Tullytown said he had been driving a tractor-trailer into Canada almost every other day for five years. Then, all of a sudden, he was denied because of a DUI conviction from 1991 when he was serving in the military. "I called my boss up, and he had to come up and make the delivery," said Riley, who added that he's applied for a waiver but hasn't heard back yet. Only one DUI, but still denied after 19 years.

What can you say? Canada is a sovereign country -- they have the right to control entry into their country. You think they want to have 12 million illegal immigrants sucking down public benefits? Of course not. The only effective strategy at the moment is for us to publicize these restrictions as far and wide as possible so that fewer Americans will get blindsided.

But it seems like Canada could make an exception for Americans who want to enter Canada simply to transit the country to Alaska and vice versa. They could issue a special travel pass with restrictions. They could even attach a sensor to the vehicle if they were concerned about the possibility that the person might want to disappear in Canada instead. The Trans-Alaska Highway is the only land route between the Lower 48 and Alaska, which makes it an important means of access. I don't see how an exception for Trans-Alaska Highway users would pose a grave danger to Canada's sovereignty.

YouTube Video: CTV Provides Aerial Tour Of Slave Lake, Alberta After Wildfire

2011-05-17T12:30:00.000-08:00

In this latest story about the Slave Lake wildfire, CTV provides an aerial tour of the city. On Monday May 16th, 2011, CTV Edmonton photographer Cam Wiebe took a chopper ride over the area. You can see the location of the main fire corridor; virtually nothing remains within that corridor. Outside the main fire corridor, destruction was more selective; fire would bypass some buildings and burn others. But you'll also see areas of the town relatively untouched; the foundation for re-building is there and Slave Lake will eventually recover from this disaster, although some evacuees think it will be a smaller town and that it will take years to rebuild.

http://youtu.be/is6X_VoAC-Q

Read my previous post for a summary on how the fire started and its initial effects. Global News has a frequently-updated blog HERE, and there's a dedicated Twitter stream HERE. The Edmonton Journal has now published a much more detailed account on how the fire got started.

The fire itself, still considered uncontained, has now consumed 2,000 hectares, although the aerial tour showed only a few hot spots within the city itself. Residents who evacuated have not been given a timeline when they can return, because the fire is still uncontained and essential services such as power, water, gas, electricity and adequate policing are not yet available. RCMP Sgt. Brian Scott did say that residents might be allowed back in for a brief look-see by the weekend at the earliest.

Firefighters from Edmonton initially headed to the site Sunday evening to help local fire crews try to bring the blazes under control. Alberta has also deployed 124 helicopters, 20 air tankers and scores of heavy ground-based machines. Approximately 80 additional firefighters from Ontario will arrive Tuesday, followed by 200 additional firefighters from British Columbia. The province could ask for additional help from the U.S., Mexico and New Zealand if necessary.

There's already been one documented tale of heroism. Bill Kinnee, husband to Slave Lake mayor Karina Pillay-Kinnee, has been cited for having saved a neighbor's home from burning down by remaining behind and dousing it with water. It's also believed his actions saved other homes in his neighborhood from destruction as well. One Canadian blogger, Frank Hilliard, suggests that trees were allowed to grow too close to the town; he likens them to barrels of turpentine sitting on top of a pile of kindling. Each one burns with explosive force in a fire. He suggests clearing out more defensible space around towns.

Those who wish to help can donate online to the Canadian Red Cross.

Wildfire Consumes One-Third Of The City Of Slave Lake, Alberta; No Deaths Or Injuries So Far

2011-05-16T19:38:00.000-08:00

Update May 17th: Updated post on Slave Lake wildfire available HERE, includes aerial tour of city after the fire.

In a scenario eerily reminiscent of the 1996 Miller's Reach wildfire in Big Lake, Alaska, a wildfire which originated around 1:30 P.M. on Saturday May 14th, 2011 in forests about 15 km southeast of Slave Lake, Alberta, Canada has consumed at least one-third of the city, and is still considered uncontained as of this post. Significant Canadian media links available below:

-- Official Slave Lake city website
-- Edmonton Journal timeline
-- CBC report, Fire destroys 40% of Slave Lake (with photos)
-- CTV Edmonton gallery of 24 photos
-- Vancouver Sun, Hundreds of Slave Lake homes now just smouldering rubble
-- Toronto Sun website, includes a dramatic aerial photograph
-- Slave Lake fire Twitter reports
-- NASA image

It was around noon local time on Sunday May 15th when the fire began its charge towards the town. Strong winds, gusting at times to 100 km/h, drove the fire steadily towards town. By 5 P.M., the fire jumped the road and roared into town. Sparks and ash whipped out ahead of the fire set house after house alight. The power went out; fire hydrants stopped working. The library, City Hall and numerous businesses burned, while the schools, hospital, RCMP detachment and banks were spared. But the worst of the destruction was concentrated in the southeast part of town, where a neighborhood containing a mix of two hundred 1,200- to 2,000-square-foot homes ranging in price from $300,000 to $500,000 was consumed. The video embedded below captures the sheer magnitude of the inferno:

If there's a bright spot so far, it's in the news that there have been no deaths or injuries reported. About 95 percent of Slave Lake's 7,000 residents evacuated to nearby communities.

Those who wish to help can donate online to the Canadian Red Cross.

Pew Education Survey Shows Americans Wising Up To The Education Bubble; 57 Percent Of Respondents Believe A College Education Not Worth The Money

2011-05-16T17:42:00.000-08:00

On December 16th, 2010, the highly-respected Forbes.com published an article by Jerry Bowyer about the coming "education bubble". Bowyer's premise is that because we decided it was axiomatic for the middle class to attend a four-year college and get a degree, we created a complex system of tax breaks and special lending deals designed to make sure that the number of Americans who bought bachelor's degrees was as high as possible. This tax-and-lend system, similar to that which inflated the housing bubble, has also created a multi-generational education bubble. Facebook billionaire Peter Thiel also believes there's an education bubble, and even went so far as to create the Thiel Foundation, which announced it would give 20 people under the age of 20 $100,000 to drop out of school and become not just tech entrepreneurs, but world-changing visionaries.

The numbers support a bubble theory. According to the College Board, 70 years ago there were 1.5 million students enrolled at American universities. By 2006, that figure had swelled to more than 20 million. Meanwhile, the cost of tuition has grown steadily higher. Over the past 25 years, college tuition and fees have risen three times as fast as individual family income. And over the past decade, tuition has increased at a rate of 5.6 percent per year beyond the rate of general inflation. Thousands leave school each year saddled with college loan debts of five and six-figures.

This education bubble is now beginning to sour public perspective on college education. The Pew Research Center has released the results of a primary survey of 2,142 adults 18 and older taken from March 15-29, 2011, in which they found that a majority of respondents not only believe the American higher education system is not worth the money students spend, but a greater majority think college is simply too expensive for most Americans to afford. Included in the report is the results of a second survey of 1,055 college and university presidents in the U.S. conducted during the period March 15th through April 24th, 2011; read the methodology HERE.

-- Read the full 159-page report HERE (takes about a minute to download)
-- Read the shorter executive summary HERE

Significant Highlights:

-- 57 percent of respondents say the higher education system in the United States fails to provide students with good value for the money spent.
-- 75 percent of respondents say college is too expensive for most Americans to afford. Adding to the difficulty is the fact that it has become harder for college graduates to land the type of jobs that would permit them to discharge student debt as quickly as in the past.
-- 86 percent of respondents who have already graduated from college say it has been a good investment for them personally.
-- 47 percent of general public respondents say the main purpose of a college education should be to teach work-related skills and knowledge, while only 39 percent say it is to help a student grow personally and intellectually; the remainder opine that both objectives are equally important. In contrast, 50 percent of college presidents tilt towards growth while 48 percent tilt towards employability. This tilt towards employability is beginning to permeate local election results as well; during the April 2011 Anchorage Municipal Election, the only one of the three school bonds to pass was the one explicitly funding to improve vocational education.
-- Tenure may be on the way out. Only 24 percent of college presidents say that, if given a choice, they would prefer that most faculty at their institution be tenured. Armed with this information, lawmakers who are targeting public sector employees for their fair share of sacrifices may start drafting measures designed to eliminate tenure at public universities, at least for new hires. The justification for tenure has long ceased to exist.

The survey failed to examine the impact of political correctness in colleges upon public opinion. This is a significant omission because of the widespread perception, particularly among conservatives, that excessive political correctness degrades the academic environment. Many universities are clearly dominated by and biased in favor of the political left, who frequently seek to censor political expression from the right under the guise of "speech codes". Many universities have political pecking orders based upon membership in protected classes; this means that non-Whites, females, and gays endure fewer restrictions upon political expression than Whites, males, and heterosexuals. Many professors use their courses as fora for social engineering and revisionism, seeking to inculcate a Blame America First mentality in their students. In the face of all this political correctness, it's a wonder that only 57 percent of the survey respondents think college is a waste of time and money.

To recapture the allegiance and respect of the public, colleges need to offer more affordable education and provide a surer path to employment than they do now. But just as importantly, they must de-emphasize the political correctness and restore their reputations as being defenders of free speech.

Mike Huckabee Announces He Won't Run For President In 2012; Sarah Palin And Newt Gingrich Expected To Benefit

2011-05-14T19:39:00.000-08:00

The long-awaited announcement was delivered by Mike Huckabee on his Fox News program on May 14th, 2011, and like a master showman, he forced the audience to watch his entire program before he disclosed his political future at the very end. Mike Huckabee will not be running for President of the United States in 2012. YouTube video of AP story embedded below:

Huckabee's entire statement can be read on Sheya.com, which also contains a video clip. Here's the most significant part of the statement (I've broken it into two paragraphs for readability):

The past few weeks, the external signs and signals and answers to many of the obstacles point strongly toward running. When I am with people encouraging me to run, it’s easy to feel the strength of their partnership and commitment to help me to the finish line. Only when I was alone, in quiet and reflective moments did I have not only clarity, but an inexplicable inner peace—a peace that exceeds human understanding. All the factors say GO, but my heart says NO. And that is the decision I have made and in it have finally found resolution. I don’t fully understand it myself — but I’m sure the pundits will. But I know that under the best of circumstances, being President is a job that takes one to the limit of his or her human capacity. For me, to do it apart from an inner confidence that I was undertaking it with God’s full blessing is unthinkable.

I can’t know or predict the future, but I know for now my answer is clear and firm. I will not seek the Republican nomination for President this year. I will gladly continue doing what I do and helping others in their campaigns for Congress, governorships, and other positions. I’ll certainly give more detail about this decision in due time and especially to those who have faithfully and so sacrificially been part of the process. I know I will deeply disappoint many people I love. So many good and dear people have put forth extraordinary effort without any assurance I would mount a campaign. It pains me to let them down. I also know my decision will delight just as many who aren’t that fond of me. I am eternally grateful for the faithful support of my wife, children and real friends who promised to stand with me no matter what. I had come to believe I would be in the race for President. I won’t be. But I will for sure be re-dedicating myself to standing for and communicating the principles of common sense, Constitutional government, and civil discourse that I believe are critical to the survival of our great Republic.

Huckabee declined to endorse another candidate. Asked about Mitt Romney, who leads many polls, Huckabee said he got a "wonderful voice mail" from him after his announcement on Saturday, but said only that he would support him if he winds up the Republican nominee.

Reaction by other Presidential hopefuls such as Donald Trump, Newt Gingrich, Tim Pawlenty, and Jon Huntsman Jr. was quickly forthcoming. All basically characterize Huckabee as a great guy and an important leader. Gingrich said "...He [Huckabee] has achieved that prominence without a campaign simply based on his personal appeal and the attractiveness of his views and his character. His statement tonight emphasized the spiritual dimension of his life and his decision process".

So who gains? According to Nate Silver, who published an analysis before Huckabee's announcement, Sarah Palin, Newt Gingrich, and Rick Santorum are the most likely gainers, based upon a host of factors. Sarah Palin may be in the catbird seat to pick up many of Huckabee's Evangelical voters, because despite the fact that Newt Gingrich has been reaching out to social conservatives, Gingrich is on his fourth marriage and was previously accused of adultery. On the other hand, this could be offset by the fact that Gingrich is perceived to have a more powerful intellect than Palin. The Des Moines Register, which reflects political opinion in the key litmus primary state of Iowa, thinks Tim Pawlenty and Michelle Bachman may also benefit. Time thinks Huckabee will still exercise as much influence as possible to stop Mitt Romney from getting the Republican nomination.

Since Gingrich is already in the race, the next question is will Huckabee's disavowal be enough to induce Sarah Palin into the race. She doesn't want to jump in too early and risk becoming stale bread or burning out too early. I'd be surprised if Palin jumped in before July, which would be the second anniversary of her resignation as governor of Alaska.

CNN Unscientific Poll Shows Overwhelming Opposition To "Wet Houses" For Street Inebriates; Anchorage's Karluk Manor Could Still Be A Tough Sell

2011-05-11T14:52:00.000-08:00

The proponents of the Housing First solution to transform the Red Roof Inn in Anchorage, Alaska into the Karluk Manor, which would allow street inebriates to live on the premises without a condition of sobriety, may have a much tougher sell than they dreamed, although the proposal received conditional approval from the Planning and Zoning Commission on August 9th, 2010. A CNN unscientific poll shows overwhelmingly opposition to the creation of such facilities, known as "wet houses", for inebriates.

The poll is currently on the right side of CNN's main page. In response to the question "Are taxpayer-funded "wet houses" -- where alcoholics are allowed to drink -- a good idea?", 74,338 people have voted as follows, so far:

-- No: 85 percent (63,146 votes)
-- Yes: 15 percent (11,192 votes)

Prompting the poll is a CNN story about the St. Anthony Residence in St. Paul, which is partly funded by the state of Minnesota, and operated by Catholic Charities. It's one of five "wet houses" for chronic alcoholics in Minnesota. It's not a treatment center, although residents have access to counselors. They're even allowed to drink at St. Anthony; while the alcohol isn't provided, the men are allowed to bring it to the residence. The residents receive a monthly check of $89, and most of it goes to alcohol.

Highlighted in the story is a St. Anthony resident, Nick Lott. After vodka ruined his career as a kitchen manager, Lott found himself sleeping under a bridge. He had been in and out of detox centers at least 100 times, sometimes just staying there for a shower and a place to sleep. In the interview, Lott said "The staff treat you with respect...I'd be in a bad, bad position without a place like this...I would be running around panhandling and annoying people and maybe even stealing." He actually made efforts to curtail his drinking while in residence, although Lott also notes that the reason people like him who hit bottom don't quit drinking is because they believe alcohol is the only thing they have left in life.

Alas, Nick Lott is no longer in residence. Shortly after the interview, he died.

Proponents of wet houses say they save money and time that would be otherwise directed towards enforcement and damage control. Opponents don't object to the existence of the facilities, but believe the failure to impose a sobriety requirement allows mercy to completely rob justice -- they save people in their sins, rather than from their sins. A University of Washington-led research team studied a group of 95 chronically homeless alcoholics and found that in one year, they cost taxpayers more than $8 million in hospitalizations, detox center treatments and incarcerations. When the same group spent one year in Seattle's Housing First program -- residences where they are allowed to drink -- the same group cost $4 million in taxpayer money, according to the study, which was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. As a result, other cities, including Anchorage, Alaska, Memphis, Tennessee, and Philadelphia are considering building similar housing.

One of the leading opponents of the Karluk Manor plan in Anchorage was former Downtown Assembly candidate Ron Alleva, who finished a distant second behind incumbent Patrick Flynn in the April 5th, 2011 municipal election. He and other people living near the area were concerned primarily about the lack of a sobriety requirement; they were concerned that street drunks would use it as a base from which they could sally forth into the neighborhood and create public nuisances. Read more about the proposal on the Support Karluk Manor website.

Alaskan Village Of Crooked Creek 70 Percent Flooded Due To Ice Jam On Kuskokwim River

2011-05-10T17:32:00.000-08:00

There's not nearly as many people in Crooked Creek, Alaska (official 2010 population 105) as there is in Memphis, Tennessee. But the effects of flooding are the same everywhere it occurs.

A massive ice jam on the Kuskokwim River has caused waters to back up and flood much of Crooked Creek on May 9th, 2011. The latest reports from the Anchorage Daily News indicate that once the ice jam formed, water levels behind it rose 30 feet in just a short period of time, beginning at 8 P.M. May 8th. An estimated 70 percent of the village's 47 housing units are affected (KTVA Channel 11 reports 24 homes affected); some houses were completely submerged, and some had broken free from foundations and moved a short distance. It's also reported that 53 residents have been evacuated to the Donlin Creek Mine about 10 miles to the north, which can accommodate 200 people, while 84 people remained, some of them headed to the school or to higher ground for shelter. KTVA news video embedded below:

-- Anchorage Daily News gallery of 20 photos HERE
-- KTUU Channel 2 gallery of 18 photos HERE

The village's fuel tank storage area appeared to be affected and some power poles are down, cutting off electricity supply. Temperatures vary from the 30s at night to the 50s during the day, so the power outage is not a life-or-death issue. A subsequent story provides more details, including the fact that one resident awoke to find his home floating in water.

Further down the Kuskokwim River in Aniak, a flood warning remains in effect due to the potential for flooding in that part of the lower Kuskokwim valley. There was some jumbled ice down below Aniak that broke up earlier in the winter; although it came to a stop and didn't cause any flooding, the jumble froze in place, and so there's no concern that the ice jam affecting Crooked Creek will break loose, hit the ice in Aniak, and cause flooding. Meanwhile, breakup along Alaska's other major interior river, the Yukon, is uneventful so far, although it could change with little notice. Breakup has yet to begin on two other rivers, the Koyukuk and Kobuk.

Spring breakup and associated ice jams are annual events. But because Interior Alaska is so thinly populated, it is rare that a village is affected. As a result, many villagers take the risk of building on flood plains along the river. Most of the time it works, but when it goes wrong, an entire village can be flooded. When spring hits Alaska, it hits hard and fast; the state rockets from winter to summer with little regard for the more gradual transitions between seasons to which people in the Lower 48 may experience.

Alaska State Trial For Schaeffer Cox And Cohorts Won't Be Held May 30th; Next Hearing Is On June 7th

2011-05-10T10:54:00.000-08:00

According to the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, the state trial of Schaeffer Cox and his original four cohorts, once scheduled for May 30th, 2011, will not be held on that date. No new trial date has been set, but the next court hearing is scheduled for June 7th. This is partially reflected in the official docket listing on Schaeffer Cox.

Appearing at the Rabinowitz Courthouse in Fairbanks on May 9th were Schaeffer Cox, Lonnie Vernon, Karen Vernon, Michael O. Anderson and Coleman Barney. They are accused of creating what's known as the “241 plot” to kill Alaska State Troopers and court officials. The "241" was the designation for the phrase "We take two of theirs for one of ours". A sixth person, Rachel Barney, faces only the charge of harboring Cox and will be tried separately and most likely much sooner than the rest.

The full list of federal and state charges is available on this previous post.

One reason for the delay is the sheer volume of evidence. The state is expected to finish handing over about 1,500 pages of documents this week. Defense attorneys are still waiting for evidence seized from computers and fire alarms and a separate body of evidence collected by federal investigators due next week. Much of the evidence against the defendants is also reportedly from hundreds of hours of secret FBI recordings of militia meetings, so defense lawyers will definitely want to obtain those as quickly as possible. What we've learned from the Edgar Steele trial is that if defense lawyers plan to challenge the authenticity of government audio tapes, they need to arrange for credible experts at the earliest opportunity and, most importantly, subpoena those experts so that they're not vacationing in a place like Bora Bora at the time the trial takes place. One audio expert claimed there were 351 anomalies in the tapes recording Edgar Steele's conversations.

Supporters of Schaeffer Cox continue to maintain an advocacy website on his behalf, where updates on the case and on Cox's incarceration are available. Cox welcomes letters.

http://standbyschaeffer.com/

Alaska Certified As One Of The Three Most Second Amendment-Friendly States By The Extremist Brady Campaign To Prevent Gun Violence

2011-05-05T14:06:00.000-08:00

The extremism of the Brady Campaign on full display

Alaskans who treasure the absolute and unconditional right to bear arms by law-abiding citizens as conferred by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution can square their shoulders and walk a little taller today. The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, an extremist anti-gun organization, has certified Alaska as one of three states most friendly to the Second Amendment in the United States. The other two are Utah and Arizona.

Of course, the Brady Campaign did not word it that way. Instead, they said that Alaska has tied with Utah and Arizona for the worst score in their annual state rankings on gun laws, noting that "Alaska has weak gun laws that help feed the illegal gun market and allow the sale of guns without background checks". Of course, the graphic shown above illustrates the extremism of the Brady Campaign; they don't like the gun laws of a majority of states as only 19 states got awarded one star or more.

-- Read the Brady Campaign's official press release and view their scorecard for all the states.

You can view Alaska's overall score alongside other states' scores HERE, or an easier-to-read standalone version HERE. You'll see that we got zero points on all areas of concern by the Brady Campaign except for guns on college campuses, for which we got two points. But then they docked us two points for not requiring a permit for CCW. The Brady Campaign's grading system reveals some of their most objectionable objectives nationwide:

-- Background checks on all gun sales
-- Limit bulk purchases (no more than one gun per month)
-- Require a permit to purchase all firearms
-- Ban all assault weapons
-- Ban large capacity magazines (10 or more rounds)
-- Require integrated locks on all handguns
-- Allow random inspections of gun dealers by police (even without probable cause)

The obvious primary objective of the Brady Campaign is to make gun ownership so burdensome that many people will simply not go to the trouble to buy firearms. Note how the Brady Campaign does not respect the presumption of innocence; they want people to prove themselves worthy to get firearms in advance, even though gun ownership is a constitutional right.

Local Alaskan Reaction: As expected, Alaskan reaction to the Brady Campaign's findings is unfavorable. One commenter to the ADN story exposed some misinformation, writing "I work at a local sporting goods store that sells guns. to say that AK doesn't require background checks is wrong. Every gun purchaser must fill out the NICS form and have the information called into the FBI background check. The NICS examiner than issues a proceed, delay or deny based on the background check. Not to mention the DOJ is the one who has been supplying the illegal guns to Mexican cartels, not law abiding citizens of Alaska". And in response to the Alaska Dispatch story, Matthew Carberry wrote, in part, "It's telling that the Brady Campaign (a non-grassroots, funding dependent of the Joyce Foundation with less than 50,000 members) don't show the crime rates in those states alongside their scores. If you do that on your own you'll find there's no correlation between low crime rates and having a high Brady score".

Neither the NRA nor the GOA have officially reacted to this story yet.

Obama Administration Disavows Federal Transportation Proposal To Tax Motorists By The Mile; Proposal Would Discriminate Against Mat-Su Commuters

2011-05-05T11:52:00.000-08:00

The Obama Administration has suddenly reversed course and is washing their hands of a proposal calling for motorists to be taxed by the mile. The proposed transportation authorization bill would require the study and implementation of a plan to tax motorists based on how many miles they drive. The plan is a part of the administration's Transportation Opportunities Act, an undated draft of which was obtained this week by Transportation Weekly. As of this post, 2,487 comments have been posted to the story on The Hill, most are critical, and some are quite educational. Many critical comments have also been posted on The Blaze.

The proposal would create, within the Federal Highway Administration, a Surface Transportation Revenue Alternatives Office, which would be required to consider four factors in field trials: the capability of states to enforce payment, the reliability of technology, administrative costs, and user acceptance. It would cost the taxpayer $300 million through 2017. The Anchorage Daily Planet considers the expenditure a "nutty idea", considering that the country is reeling from the effects of a devastating recession, a gasping housing market, a collapsing dollar, and increased joblessness.

This proposal was apparently a follow-up to a March 2011 Congressional Budget Office report that supported the idea of taxing drivers based on miles driven. Among other things, CBO suggested that a vehicle miles traveled (VMT) tax could be tracked by installing electronic equipment on each car to determine how many miles were driven; payment could take place electronically at filling stations. Some members of Congress are concerned that the deployment of more energy-efficient vehicles is causing a decline in federal fuel tax revenue, and are considering a mileage-based plan as a substitute.

But after the proposal was prematurely leaked, the Obama Administration is now back-pedaling. White House spokeswoman Jennifer Psaki said, "This is not a bill supported by the administration. This was an early working draft proposal that was never formally circulated within the administration, does not take into account the advice of the president’s senior advisers, economic team or Cabinet officials, and does not represent the views of the president.”

In Alaska, such a proposal would discriminate most egregiously against Alaskans who live in the Palmer-Wasilla-Big Lake corridor of the Mat-Su and commute to Anchorage for employment, and completely ignores the reasons why many of those people chose to live there in the first place. These reasons include lower home prices, less regulation, and a better quality of life. Residents of Mat-Su don't want to get government permission to cut down a hazardous tree or government approval before painting their homes. They want their neighborhoods to be a respite from urban life rather than an extension of it.

While there is no secret government conspiracy to drive everyone into the cities to facilitate government control of the population, there are those among the elite exercising influence behind the scenes who support such a policy. They include environmentalists, national security experts, and "New Urbanists". New Urbanists want to squeeze every possible ounce of efficiency out of our society, overriding freedom of choice.

Civil libertarians are also concerned that the installation of tracking devices on vehicles could be used for more than tracking mileage; they could be used to monitor citizens' locations on a continuous basis. This is a valid concern, considered that the population is being acclimated to incrementally greater vetting and control at every step, to include sex offender registries which go far beyond tracking genuine pedophiles, TSA screening at airports, roadside DUI checkpoints (not in Alaska yet), and mandating I.D. checks for purchase of tobacco and alcohol by all citizens. The safety, security, and efficiency cards are being played relentlessly to shame gullible citizens into accepting this intrusion.

Because of the potential for abuse, mileage-based taxation of motorists must be resisted until such time as we get someone in the White House who is firmly committed to preserving fundamental civil liberties for all law-abiding Americans, and who views Americans as law-abiding until they actually prove themselves not to be. The only prospective 2012 Presidential candidates who appear to be overtly concerned about civil liberties are Ron Paul and Sarah Palin.

The Palin Doctrine: Sarah Palin Outlines Her Five Criteria For The Use Of American Military Force

2011-05-05T02:07:00.000-08:00

Previous American Presidents have put forth their basic doctrines for the use of American military force. Prominent examples include the Nixon Doctrine, the Carter Doctrine, and the Reagan Doctrine. Consequently, the 2012 Presidential hopefuls are beginning to put forth their own "doctrines", including Sarah Palin.

During a speech to military families delivered at Colorado Christian University in Denver on Monday May 2nd, Sarah Palin unveiled what is being called the "Palin Doctrine". She proposed five criteria under which she would consider the use of military force should she become President (although she's not yet a declared candidate). Watch the video below (Palin unveils the criteria at the 19:20 point, and you can click HERE to go directly to that spot on the video):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zf-GZPKqOqI

Fortunately, if you don't have 29 minutes to watch the full video, HotAir took the time to transcribe the criteria. HotAir suggests Palin's criteria best correlates with the Weinberger Doctrine that was at the core of Reagan's foreign policy:

-- First, we should only commit our forces when clear and vital American interests are at stake, period.

-- Second, if we have to fight, we fight to win. To do that we use overwhelming force. We only send our troops into war with the objective to defeat the enemy as quickly as possible. We do not send our military and stretch out the mission with an open-ended and ill-defined mission. Nation-building, a nice idea in theory, but it’s not the main purpose of our armed forces. We use our military to win wars.

-- Third, we must have clearly defined goals and objectives before sending our troops into harm’s way. If you can’t explain the mission to the American people clearly, concisely, then our sons and daughters should not be sent to battle. Period.

-- Fourth, American soldiers must never be put under foreign command. We will fight side by side by our allies, but American soldiers must remain under the care and command of the American officers.

-- Fifth, sending our armed forces should be the last resort. We don’t go looking for dragons to slay. However, we will encourage the forces of freedom around the world who are sincerely fighting for the empowerment of the individual.

You can read the complete transcript of her speech HERE. This is genuine conservative doctrine. The United States was designed to be a republic, not an empire; consequently, imperial wars do not fit our constitutional profile.

Operation Desert Storm is the best example of the second criterion. George H.W. Bush made sure we had overwhelming force in place, and that our troops had permission to win before launching. Once the objective of removing Iraq from Kuwait was met, he removed most of the troops. It also helped that Saudi Arabia allowed us to stage from their country.

In contrast, the carpet-bombing of Serbia in 1999 was our most morally-indefensible war ever, although it was technically well-executed. Bill Clinton unleashed our bombers upon Serbia even though Serbia had not attacked us and was only trying to prevent the secession of Kosovo from their country. Worse yet, it was widely believed that Clinton also launched the operation to distract attention from the Monica Lewinsky scandal and his impeachment. The carpet-bombing of Serbia was a clear-cut violation of Palin's first criterion.

Sarah Palin further punctuated her break with the neocons by parting ways with two Jewish neocon foreign policy advisers who had been writing speeches and advising her on policy since she joined the McCain campaign. Randy Scheunemann, who headed up the Committee for the Liberation of Iraq, and Michael Goldfarb. The parting was said to be amicable.

Was Drop Zone Security Owner William Fulton An Agent Provocateur Inserted By The Feds To Set Up Schaeffer Cox?

2011-05-02T11:06:00.000-08:00

While I am normally not receptive to conspiracy theories, an Alaska Dispatch article entitled "Is 'Drop Zone Bill' friend or snitch in Alaska militia movement" triggers plausible speculation that the former owner of Drop Zone Security, William Fulton, not only was a federal informant, but might have also been an agent provocateur deliberately inserted into Schaeffer Cox's entourage to induce illegal activity and set him and his cohorts up for a preemptive federal takedown. The Feds have a track record for using agents provocateur to induce illegal activity; they used "pro-White" Internet shock jock Hal Turner in that role from 2002-2007, paying him a stipend.

Background: A few days after the mass arrests of Schaeffer Cox and his cohorts, Drop Zone Security owner William Fulton abruptly signed over his store to an employee, signed over his homes to attorney Wayne Anthony Ross (without compensation), and disappeared. When asked about whether or not Fulton may have gone into witness protection, local FBI spokesman Eric Gonzales cryptically remarked, "If he were (there), we wouldn't be allowed to comment on that", further fueling speculation that Fulton is one of the two informants.

-- Read the complete list of all federal and state charges faced by Schaeffer Cox and his cohorts HERE.

The portion of the Dispatch article provoking this speculation is the story about Aaron Bennett, who happens to be a Schaeffer Cox detractor and is also a former business associate of William Fulton. Bennett is the co-owner of Far North Tactical, a Fairbanks military supply store that operates out of a small log cabin close to downtown; he sells such items as medical kits, camouflage clothing, boots, guns, sights, armor piercing bullets, handcuffs, body armor, pouches and patches, inoperative grenade bodies sold as paperweights and a wide variety of flags and signs with sayings like “Don’t tread on me.” Shortly after William Fulton went to ground in March 2011, the FBI contacted Bennett and sat with him in a truck for hours grilling him about what he might know and whether he was involved in anything criminal. Bennett believes that Fulton was trying to get him thrown in jail for the rest of his life. Bennett also maintains he did nothing wrong, and there is no indication he has been charged with any crimes. But if his account of what the FBI had to say is true, Bennett may be the reason Fulton went into hiding.

The two first met seven years earlier when Fulton worked at a store in Anchorage called the Ammo Can, where Bennett was a regular customer. After an abortive attempt to open a joint business, the two opened their respective separate businesses. The stores bought and sold inventory from one another, and Fulton helped counsel Bennett on how to make sure he didn’t get accidentally suckered into fencing stolen items. But by August 2010, around the time both informants would have already been working with the FBI, Fulton had somehow gotten himself crosswise with Cox. Fulton’s own words posted to a website forum for the Alaska Citizens Militia confirm that he thought Cox had plans to do something extreme against the government. Fulton claimed that it was he who talked Cox down and averted whatever disaster might have ensued.

But Bennett claims it wasn't Cox who was talking about going against the government. It was Fulton. “He’s a fucking liar,” said Bennett of Fulton's assertions on the militia blog. “Bill invested 90 percent of his time trying to instigate an incident of epic proportions. He was trying to talk to everyone around him into attacking the government.”

The rest of the article documents many more examples of William Fulton's behavior considered odd and in character with someone who had penetrated a group as an agent provocateur to induce illegal activity. In addition, during that same time frame, there was the inexplicable and illogical overreaction by Drop Zone Security at a campaign event for then-U.S. Senate candidate Joe Miller in Anchorage on October 17th, 2010 where Drop Zone personnel swarmed, cuffed, and detained Alaska Dispatch editor Tony Hopfinger. Up until that point, Joe Miller, although slightly behind Lisa Murkowski in the U.S. Senate race, was within striking distance. That event marked the effective end of Joe Miller's electability; he never had a chance thereafter.

Thus it must also be asked whether or not the Feds encouraged Fulton to undermine and take down Joe Miller as well. Much of Joe Miller's political platform, if implemented, would have forced federal drones to go out and find real jobs in the private sector.

The Federal tax charges against Lonnie and Karen Vernon appear to be legitimate; they clearly haven't paid their Federal taxes. But all of these conspiracy charges against the defendants may very well be in doubt. Don't forget that Ted Stevens was brought down by a rogue informant, Bill Allen, who has managed to evade prospective charges of carnal knowledge of underage girls. And also don't forget that Ted Stevens was exonerated due to prosecutorial misconduct.

Up To 400 People Show Up At "Fed Up With The Fed" Rally In Fairbanks; Congressman Don Young Calls Alaska "A Federal Colony"

2011-04-28T11:05:00.000-08:00

The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reports that as many as 400 people showed up at the "Fed Up With The Fed" rally hosted on April 27th, 2011 in Fairbanks, Alaska by the Alaska chapter of Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife (SFW). Although wildlife management was the main course, also on the menu were issues such as mining, oil and gas development, public access, national health care and jurisdiction on Alaska’s rivers. The three most prominent people in attendance were Congressman Don Young, Senator Lisa Murkowski, and Jim Wilde, who was harassed, abused, and arrested by two National Park Service rangers on September 16th, 2010. Wilde was soliciting donations for his continuing fight against charges stemming from that encounter.

Rally organizer Craig Compeau wanted to show how different industries are being affected by the federal government, although Compeau has been accused of "biting the hand that feeds him", having sold more than $600,000 of boats, snowmachines and ATVs to the federal government from 2005-2008. Former state senator Ralph Seekins, who emceed the rally, praised Gov. Sean Parnell for his stands against excessive federal intervention, and encouraged those in attendance to express their support to him. But it was an ordinary person, 53-year-old Dianne Marshall, who best captured the grass-roots spirit of the rally when she said “Everywhere you turn you feel like the federal government is breathing down your neck.” The presence and behavior of TSA screeners at our airports is the most prominent example of this problem, although it appears that the cause of Schaeffer Cox and his cohorts was not promoted at the rally (visit the Stand By Schaeffer Cox website for more information on support efforts).

Alaska's two federal lawmakers in attendance did not disappoint. Congressman Don Young, in classical fire-and-brimstone mode, drew a loud round of applause when he said he would do everything he could in defunding the Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve and that he was going after the park service. Young explained that Alaska is not the state promised to the people in 1959; saying that it has been carved into national parks, preserves, wilderness and recreation areas managed by the federal government. He characterized Alaska as having become "a colony of the federal government.”

But the more moderate Senator Lisa Murkowski was no wallflower, either. Murkowski said Alaskans must work together to fight federal encroachment, whether it’s because of permitting delays, the cumbersome regulatory process or the direction taken by the current political administration. She said the federal government is shutting down our ability to develop our resources so we can be self-sufficient. Senator Mark Begich did not attend, but is sympathetic towards some of the concerns expressed during the rally, and continues to fight for the opening of ANWR for exploration and responsible development.

Local Reaction: There were a surprising number of critical comments posted to the News-Miner story. Rallygoers were panned as being too old, too White, and many benefiting in some way from Federal largesse. There was also some criticism posted to the Anchorage Daily News story. But one person best described what the rally was all about (I broke it up into paragraphs for better readability):

akdarkhorse wrote on Thursday, Apr 28 at 08:16 AM:
Well, unlike most of you uninformed commenters, after work I went by the Pickle Barrel. Everyone was nice. I didn't see any Nazi arm bands. I saw Carharts, blue jeans and sport coats. I saw hundreds of Alaskans who were there to find out more about how the federal government is taking more of our state sovereignty away every day. I heard about the 1,600,000 federal regulations - none of which were passed by congress - that can put you in jail without a single vote by the people we elect to office. I met a nice couple who had been pulled over at gunpoint by federal officers because they violated a state law on a state waterway. There was no foaming at the mouth. There was no angry mob. There were people there, miners, oil field workers, hunters, mothers, grandmothers - folks who were worried about what Alaska was becoming for their children and grandchildren.

Mr. Seekins and Mr. Compeau continually clarified to the crowd that this was all about information and that people need to know so they can get personally involved. I started with shock at what I learned and then quickly evolved into hope that somehow even I could make a difference by getting the facts out to my neighbors, the folks I work with and my friends. Then, we can encourage our Governor to continue to challenge the federal intrusion into our state sovereignty. Thank you SFW for being brave enough to take the uninformed heat from folks who have never stood up for anything but criticize everyone. May God bless you.

And another comment posted to this other DNM story:

Yukonjohn wrote on Wednesday, Apr 27 at 08:22 PM:
I was there this afternoon and it was not so much an "anti government" rally, it was a rally against the government overreaching into our lives. It was very civil, and by the way, I only saw one hoverround, and it was being piloted by a younger man who obviously had a disability. It was a group of some of the finest Alaskans that are found in the interior, and I was humbled to be with some of my friends that I have not seen in a long long time. Good, honest, loyal and hardworking people.

More Details Emerge As To How The Illegal Alien Rafael Mora-Lopez Became Anchorage Police Officer Rafael Espinoza

2011-04-26T20:20:00.001-08:00

Update August 25th: The latest available information on this case is now published HERE.

Rafael Mora-Lopez

Anchorage Police Chief Mark Mew released more details on April 26th, 2011 on how the illegal Mexican immigrant Rafael Mora-Lopez became an Anchorage Police Officer known as Rafael Espinoza. Media stories published by KTUU Channel 2, the Anchorage Daily News, and KTVA Channel 11.

Chief Mew explained why the initial fingerprint-based background check did not discover the existence of an American citizen named Rafael Espinoza, the name used by Mora-Lopez. It's because the real Espinoza, who now has dual citizenship, does not live in the United States and does not have fingerprints on file here. Since there was no record in the United States beyond the fact that he existed, it was an empty slate. Mew added that, in general, people are not fingerprinted unless they are arrested for a crime or apply for a job that requires it. The record could have been blank, or Mora-Lopez could have already established fingerprints on record, as Espinoza, for a previous job application. Either way, Mora-Lopez’s fingerprints were not in the criminal record.

But when the real Rafael Espinoza applied for a U.S. passport, and Mora-Lopez subsequently applied in January to renew his passport under the Espinoza name, it was discovered that his information was at odds with the now-substantial record created by Mora-Lopez having used his identity. Bingo -- red flag! Immediately Mora-Lopez resigned from the department, knowing he'd be fired. If criminal allegations come up against an officer, detectives investigate and the officer is suspended with pay. If charges are filed, the officer is then suspended without pay, and if found guilty, then they are terminated.

Chief Mew also said that APD is investigating Mora-Lopez' polygraph file to determine whether the correct questions were asked, the proper conclusions drawn from the data, or whether Mora-Lopez was capable of fooling a polygraph. Mew then added that Mew said he had been given legal advice not to discuss whether Mora-Lopez and Espinoza knew each other, how long Mora-Lopez used the false identity or whether Mora-Lopez had been in Anchorage since his entry into the United States from Mexico in 1989.

Mora-Lopez was arrested on Thursday April 21st and charged with one count of False Application of Passport, a federal crime carrying a 10-year maximum sentence. He pleaded not guilty and was released on $50,000 bond, subject to home confinement and electronic monitoring. He may face other charges. He is married with one child.

Update April 28th: Now revealed that before Mora-Lopez became an Anchorage cop in 2005, he was a bus driver for Anchorage People Mover from 1999-2005. The word is that he had a good work record there, too.

Local Reaction: Because Mora-Lopez had an exemplary record of service as a cop, having earned a Lifesaver Award for successfully giving CPR to a person who was not breathing and had no pulse in May of 2010, and was about to receive a Chief’s Letter of Recognition for rescuing a man off of the mud flats who was thought to have a broken leg, some have advocated handling Mora-Lopez with kid gloves. Alaska Voices columnist Kevin Clarkson, normally a hard-line conservative, tries to cover for this guy, saying "we find one responsible and hard-working illegal, one who through hard work over many years earned both a position of responsibility and the respect that goes along with it as an Anchorage Police Officer, and we prepare to toss him in jail and/or across the border back to Mexico". Not only does Clarkson fail to acknowledge that Mora-Lopez also stole someone else's identity to break into our country, but he complains how hard it was for his Colombian-born wife to legally immigrate into this country. He should be insulted by the fact that Mora-Lopez successfully bypassed all the rigamarole that his wife had to go through to come here legally.

But the original ADN story published April 23rd attracted 917 comments, and most of the people are outraged. However, many are more outraged at APD than they are at Mora-Lopez, which is misguided. APD didn't invite the guy to come into this country. It doesn't matter how well-behaved Mora-Lopez was, he broke into our country and he stole someone else's identity to stay here. When APD learned of the problem, they took immediate action. Many people are merely using this as an excuse to indulge in cop-bashing. Place the responsibility where it rightfully belongs -- on Mora-Lopez's shoulders.

Ron Paul Officially Announces Exploratory Committee For 2012 Presidential Campaign, But Will He Go The Distance?

2011-04-26T13:39:00.000-08:00

As advertised, Congressman Ron Paul has taken the first finite step towards a full-blown presidential candidacy by launching an exploratory committee on April 26th, 2011. He joins Tim Pawlenty and Mitt Romney as the only prominent Republican hopefuls to have taken this step (although former Louisiana Gov. Buddy Roemer, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum and former Godfather's Pizza CEO Herman Cain have done likewise), and so he can now be considered a candidate. The next question: Will he actually go the distance this time and stay in the race up until the convention, or will he just casually drift out of the race as he did in 2008 to the disappointment of many of his supporters?

National campaign website:

http://www.ronpaul2012.com/

A skeleton organization already exists in Alaska:

http://www.facebook.com/RP2012AK

Ron Paul primarily introduced his Iowa leadership team today, although when asked how this campaign will differ from his 2008 run, Paul said "One reason why most people expect it to be different is because the country is quite different. ... Millions of people are more concerned about the things I talked about four years ago. ... The expectation is that it will be a much more significant campaign if it comes to a campaign announcement." He expects to make a formal candidacy declaration decision by mid-May.

He's discussing his plans and platform in greater detail on various media venues. On CNN's "In The Arena", he's already told Eliot Spitzer that he wants to allow young people to opt out of such entitlements as Medicare, while protecting those 50 or older who want to remain within it. Ron Paul considers Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid to be technically unconstitutional. Paul also said that his fellow Republicans' reluctance to get into the presidential race may have more to do with President Obama's strengths than his weaknesses. They may believe that Obama is stronger than most of the polls show.

The New York Sun reports that Ron Paul was tempted to stay out of the presidential race, but fears of a "slow-motion default" propelled him into the chase. Paul was referring to the collapse of the dollar and the threat of wider inflation and the damage inflicted upon ordinary Americans, who are suddenly facing soaring gasoline prices and grocery bills and an erosion of their savings and the value of their homes. But more than talk about how a vote against raising the debt ceiling would lead to a default, Ron Paul was referring to the collapse in the value of the dollar to below a 1,500th of an ounce of gold.

Ron Paul also brushed aside a question about whether he might consider enlisting his son, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), as his running mate. While unprecedented, it would not be banned by the Constitution, which merely states that presidential candidates be 35 years old and a natural born citizen, and from a different state as the vice presidential candidate. Whether he should accept his son as a running mate is another question altogether, and requires further contemplation before discussion. Another son of Ron Paul, Dr. Robert Paul, is contemplating a run for the U.S. Senate from Texas.

So who of the current crop of Republican hopefuls would make the best running mate for Ron Paul. Not Mitt Romney; he's too corporate. Mike Huckabee? Fuggedaboutit; Paul needs a running mate, not a pastor or a right-wing version of Obama. Newt Gingrich? He's a bought-and-paid-for insider, part of the problem. That would leave Sarah Palin. Paul does support Palin's broad point about energy policy, which focused on maximizing production from domestic sources. But Ron Paul and Sarah Palin diverge on the Middle East, particularly on Israel. While Palin seems on her way to becoming another cheerleader for Israel, Ron Paul has always sought a balanced policy in the Middle East to provide the Palestinians a greater incentive to constructively negotiate with Israel. Ron Paul also questions paying so much tribute to Israel under the guise of "foreign aid".

In April, former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura expressed an interest in becoming Ron Paul's running mate, but only if Paul ran as an independent. Being that Ron Paul is running as a Republican, Ventura's speculation now becomes redundant. Ventura actually expressed some half-assed sensible ideas in the several books he wrote, but has become a cartoon character who traffics in conspiracy theories.

Analysis: One of the reasons I've been leaning towards Mitt Romney is because Ron Paul was not in the race. However, while Mitt Romney has flip-flopped in the past, Ron Paul has remained rock-solid in his publicly-expressed convictions. The Ron Paul you see today will be the same Ron Paul you see tomorrow, and next month, and next year. Consequently, while Mitt Romney looks more presidential, Ron Paul is better for the country.

But Ron Paul has got to commit to stay in the race all the way to the Republican national convention if he wants my support. None of this fading away nonsense weeks beforehand. I didn't like voting for a second-rate Republican in 2008, and I won't tolerate a second-rate Republican in 2012. Either Paul gets in ALL THE WAY, or else he should stay out. We've seen too many quitters in politics recently -- we can't afford another quitter.

"Fed Up With The Fed" Rally To Be Held In Fairbanks On April 27th In Support Of Jim Wilde; Don Young And Lisa Murkowski To Attend

2011-04-25T11:06:00.000-08:00

A group called Sportsmen for Fish & Wildlife is sponsoring a "Fed Up With The Fed" rally in Fairbanks, Alaska on April 27th, 2011. The event will be held from 4:00 - 8:00 P.M. at the Pioneer Park Civic Center. Congressman Don Young and Senator Lisa Murkowski plan to attend. According to the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, for a suggested donation of $10 or $20, attendees can guess how much money the National Park Service spent on the Wilde case. The five guesses closest to the amount, which has yet to be revealed, will win prizes. The top prize is a free picnic lunch and scenic tour at “Gestapo Point,” the spot where Wilde was arrested and handcuffed by gun- and Taser-wielding rangers. Other prizes include a Taser (second); a pair of handcuffs (third); a box of shotgun shells (fourth) and a replica Gestapo badge (fifth).

The primary objective of the rally is to mobilize public support for a political counter-offensive against unprecedented Federal overreach in fish & game, the National Park Service, mining, DEC, and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. A secondary objective is to raise money to help pay the legal fees of Jim Wilde, who was harassed, physically abused, and arrested by National Park Service Rangers on the Yukon River last fall.

The story of Jim Wilde is a particularly egregious account of Federal overkill and abuse. On September 16th 2011, about 50 miles upstream of Circle on the Yukon River, rangers approached Wilde and demanded to conduct a boat safety check. Knowing such checks were unsafe while in the middle of a fast-flowing river, Wilde refused to allow it in midstream, and instead piloted his boat to the riverbank where the safety check could be conducted more safely. However, the power-hungry rangers interpreted this as defiance and trained shotguns on Wilde, his wife Hannelore, 72, and their friend 65-year-old Fred Schenk, as Wilde was headed to shore. Just after he set anchor, the rangers threw the 70-year-old to the ground and roughed him up, subsequently arresting him. During his four days in a Fairbanks jail, Wilde was denied access to medication necessary to control high blood pressure. Wilde pleaded not guilty to four misdemeanors: interfering with agency function, violating a lawful order, disorderly conduct and operating an unregistered boat.

Upon learning of this incident, Senator Lisa Murkowski was outraged and, in a letter to National Park Service director Jonathon Jarvis, asked for an explanation about why Jim Wilde was stopped and arrested, to include a full review of the sequence of events. In addition, Gov. Sean Parnell intervened in court on Wilde's behalf and also petitioned the U.S. Department of the Interior to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Wilde's trial began on Tuesday April 5th. The two park rangers involved, Joe Dallemolle and Ben Grodjesk, gave testimony on April 6th. On Thursday April 7th, Wilde himself testified, saying that he was not trying to flee from the rangers, but was merely looking for a safe place to park his boat because shutting it down in the middle of the Yukon River, as the rangers instructed him to do, was dangerous. The outcome has yet to be determined because attorneys for both sides have two weeks to file written arguments from the last day of the trial and another week after that to file responses to those arguments. A verdict from federal magistrate Scott Oravec isn’t expected until the second week of May.

Democracy Or Plutocracy? AFL-CIO Reports Average CEO Compensation Jumped 23 Percent In 2010

2011-04-24T00:30:00.000-08:00

ABC News reports that the chief executive officers (CEOs) of the largest U.S. companies received average pay of $11.4 million in 2010, up 23 percent in one year, according to a searchable list compiled by the the AFL-CIO during the week of April 20th, 2011. At the top of the list is the CEO of Viacom Inc., Philippe Dauman, who received more than $84.5 million, according to the AFL-CIO's Executive Pay Watch website. The top five highest paid CEOs on the list were:

(1). Viacom, Philippe Dauman, $84.5 million

(2). Occidental Petroleum, Ray Irani, $76.1 million

(3). Oracle, Lawrence Ellison, $70.1 million

(4). McKesson, John Hammergren, $54.6 million

(5). DirecTV, Michael White, $32.9 million

The full list of the 100 highest-paid CEOs is available HERE. The CEO pay estimate is based on 299 companies in the S&P 500 Index whose executive compensation is available for 2010. The 299 CEOs received a combined total of $3.4 billion in 2010, enough to pay median wages for 102,325 ordinary workers. The median wage for all occupations was $33,190 in 2009, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Why is this a problem? CEO pay is often standardized upon the basis of peer group analysis rather than initialized against a company’s own internal pay structure. Defenders of this practice claim that the companies must offer "premium" packages to capture the "best" talent, and this syndrome is now permeating the public sector as well. Don't forget that the Alaska State Officers Compensation Commission wanted to give Gov. Sean Parnell a windfall 40 percent pay hike of 40 percent from $125,000 to $175,000 per year until sanity prevailed and they settled for a more modest 16 percent raise to $145,000. But this leads to a ratcheting-up effect in which CEO pay continues to rise to keep up with what other companies are paying their CEOs. Excessive CEO-to-worker pay disparities can also hurt employee morale and productivity.

It is difficult to find a precise CEO-to-worker pay ratio figure, because those who provide such figures use different definitions and parameters to compute them. The New York Times puts forth a figure of 343-to-1. However, in an article entitled "The State of Working America", the Financial Times, considered to be reliable and representative, provided the following chart, which shows the relationship between CEO pay and worker pay over a period of time:

The darker line represents average CEO compensation, while the lighter line denotes median CEO compensation; the median figure is considered more stable and representative. Financial Times also defines average CEO pay as including all of the components of direct compensation: salaries, bonuses, incentive awards, stock options exercised, and stock granted, based on a survey of 350 large publicly-owned industrial and service firms. Based on the chart above, the 343-to-1 figure cited earlier seems to be misleading.

One commenter to the New York Times story suggests that "if we can't fix the issue by improving corporate governance rules, then perhaps this is one area in which the SEC might step in and set firm limits on pay based on objective criteria". However, that would constitute de facto wage controls, which are socialistic and would inhibit initiative. A better way would be to abandon efforts to rescind the infamous Bush tax cuts in which 90 percent of the cuts went to the richest 10 percent of Americans. Progressive and fair taxation of the rich is the best way to go; while most of the rich earned their prosperity through education and hard work, no one becomes rich without luck; namely, being at the right place at the right time, or meeting the right mentor at the right time. With a $14 trillion national debt, it's not asking too much for the rich to show a little financial gratitude for that luck.

Illegal Alien Caught Red-Handed Working For Anchorage Police Department; Officer Rafael Espinoza Was Really Rafael Mora-Lopez

2011-04-22T16:09:00.001-08:00

Update August 25th: The latest available information on this case is now published HERE.

Update April 26th: Anchorage Police Chief Mark Mew releases more information on how Mora-Lopez was caught; updated post HERE.

The Anchorage Daily News is reporting that an illegal Mexican national has been caught red-handed working for the Anchorage Police Department. Patrolman Rafael Espinoza, a member of the Anchorage Police Department since May 2005, was really Rafael Mora-Lopez, a Mexican national working in the United States illegally. KTVA Channel 11 news video embedded below:

Espinoza stole another person's identity. The identity swap was discovered when Espinoza applied for a U.S. passport in January 2011 and officials from the State Department found that the Rafael Espinoza identity he was using was actually someone else in the Lower 48. By all accounts, Officer Espinoza had a clean record -- and so did the real Espinoza, who is a U.S. citizen.

Officer Espinoza was arrested on Thursday April 21st and was arraigned before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. KTUU Channel 2 reports that he's being charged with one count of False Application of Passport, a federal crime carrying a 10-year maximum sentence, but other charges are possible. According to Alaska Dispatch, he pleaded not guilty and will be released on $50,000 bond. He'll also be subject to home confinement and electronic monitoring.

Police Chief Mark Mew said that since the real Rafael Espinoza has a “squeaky-clean” record, any background check for Mora-Lopez under the assumed name would have showed that clean background. He also said a fingerprint check would not have discovered anything unless Mora-Lopez had been fingerprinted as a criminal or for other employment opportunities and background checks. Mew added that Mora-Lopez’s polygraph test, which law enforcement officers take prior to employment, would be examined, if possible. He concluded by saying it is a "career-ending matter". Mora-Lopez has already turned in a letter of resignation; he's lived in Anchorage since the mid-1980s and has a wife and child.

Dittman Poll Shows 61 Percent Of 400 Alaska Respondents Have An Unfavorable Opinion Of Sarah Palin

2011-04-21T16:52:00.000-08:00

A statewide Alaska poll of 400 people conducted by Dittman Research from March 3-17, 2011 shows that 61 percent of respondents have an unfavorable opinion of Sarah Palin. This is quite similar to Public Policy Polling's December survey which showed a statewide unfavorable rating of 58 percent. Most notably, 39 percent of all Dittman respondents have a Very Unfavorable opinion of her. A total of 36 percent have a favorable opinion of Palin, and only 13 percent rate her as Very Favorable. The latter indicates the possible erosion of her hard-core base. ADN's Alaska Politics blog discusses the poll HERE and HERE, and Alaska Dispatch also weighs in.

Read the raw poll data HERE.

The poll also measured the popularity of Alaska's Congressional delegation, and showed that Lisa Murkowski's approval rating is 71 percent, Don Young's approval rating at 63 percent, and Sen. Mark Begich's approval rating at 57 percent. For some reason, Dittman also asked about opinions concerning former Senate candidate Joe Miller, although he's not currently seeking or occupying elective office. Perhaps it's because Miller has spoken of a possible run against Congressman Don Young in 2012, which would be a mistake. Miller is the newly hired chairman for the Nevada-based Western Representation Political Action Committee, a Tea Party-oriented PAC with a mission to elect constitutional conservatives.

The poll was independent, for public interest only, and was not sponsored by any candidate or group.

But while the poll provides a representative snapshot of statewide Alaska opinion, the failure of Dave Dittman to stratify the results by political party makes it a useless tool to gauge the probable outcome of the Republican Presidential caucus to be held here in 2012. Sarah Palin retains considerable popularity among Alaska Republicans, as evidenced by the 60 percent favorable rating shown by Public Policy Polling, so that assuming that the major declared Republican Presidential candidates by that time would be Palin, Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, Newt Gingrich, Tim Pawlenty, and Ron Paul, Palin would probably beat all of them except Romney.

Alaskans4Palin has some reservations about the Dittman poll. First, they question the relevancy of including Joe Miller in the poll. Second, they question the failure of Dittman to stratify the results by party. On the other hand, A4P claims the Dittman poll is not an Alaskan poll although across the bottom of the raw data sheet, the phrase "Statewide public-at-large" clearly appears, and they also characterize The Alaska Standard as a "liberal" website when it is clearly conservative.

Nevertheless, this poll alone should not deter Sarah Palin from launching a presidential try if she so desires. She retains strong pockets of popularity throughout the country, most recently and notably in Oklahoma City.

"Stand By Schaeffer Cox" Support Website Set Up On Behalf Of Incarcerated Alaska Militia Leader Schaeffer Cox

2011-04-20T14:36:00.000-08:00

Supporters of imprisoned Alaska militia leader Schaeffer Cox have organized a support website to publicize his cause and to solicit donations. Alaska Dispatch first reported this development, but provided a link that returns a 404 error. The website is StandBySchaefferCox, and here is a working link:

http://standbyschaeffer.com/

The website both promotes Cox's views and solicits help for his defense. As of this post, out of $40,000 solicited, $1,735 has been raised; the $40,000 represents the second and third payments to be made to Cox's attorney. His family estimates they'll be paying $7,000 to retain legal counsel for Cox beginning in July 2011. His federal trial, originally scheduled for May 23rd, 2010, has been pushed forward to February 6th, 2012, while the Alaska Court System database indicates that his state trial on state charges is still scheduled for May 30th, 2011. While no official cost estimate has been provided by Cox's family, multiplying $7,000 times eight months, then adding in the money initially spent indicates that the total cost of Schaeffer Cox's defense will exceed $100,000.

Those wanting to contribute to Cox's defense can donate online via the ChipIn widget on the site, or send a donation by snail mail to the following address:

Schaeffer and Marti Cox
1618 Scenic Loop
Fairbanks, AK 99709

Cox is currently incarcerated in solitary confinement at the Fairbanks Correctional Center. He is allowed to receive letters, newspapers, paperback books, and photos. The mailing address:

Francis Schaeffer Cox
Fairbanks Correctional Center
1931 Eagan Avenue
Fairbanks, AK 99701

Those unfamiliar with the criminal complaints against Schaeffer and his cohorts can review them here and here. Here's a breakdown of the federal and state charges against Cox (read the charges against the others HERE):

-- Schaeffer Cox State Charges (4FA-11-00796CR): Two counts Conspiracy to Commit Murder in the First Degree, two counts Conspiracy to Commit Kidnapping, nine counts Misconduct Involving Weapons in the Third Degree.

-- Schaeffer Cox Federal Charges:
---- One count Conspiracy to Possess Unregistered Silencers and Destructive Devices
---- One count Possession of Unregistered Destructive Devices
---- One count Possession of Unregistered Silencer
---- One count Possession of an Unregistered Machine Gun
---- One count Possession of Machine Gun
---- One count Making of a Silencer

Former Libertarian Presidential Candidate Michael Badnarik Expresses Support For Alaska Militia Leader Schaeffer Cox

2011-04-20T14:33:00.000-08:00

Note: This post recovered from original Alaska Pride blog and cross-posted here in case Blogger decides not to unlock the original Alaska Pride blog.

Michael Badnarik was the Libertarian Party's Presidential candidate back in 2004. This was back in the days when the party actually selected real libertarians as standard bearers, before they gave their hearts to the notorious political whore Bob Barr in 2008. Badnarik currently operates the ConstitutionPreservation.org website.

Badnarik has weighed in on the Schaeffer Cox case, and is clearly supportive of Cox. In this post entitled "Schaeffer Cox arrested in Alaska", Badnarik basically concludes that the whole case is a crock. He first met Cox in St. Charles, Illinois in November 2009 during what was called the Continental Congress 2009, out of which sprang forth the Articles of Freedom – a 65-page document that outlines many of the government’s most egregious violations of the Constitution. Badnarik was impressed by Cox's clean-cut, intelligent, and articulate persona, as well as Cox's obvious passion for the Constitution. Badnarik believes that Schaeffer Cox and his four cohorts were arrested primarily because they wanted to challenge the government's authority. He writes, "[they] do not like Schaeffer Cox questioning their presumed authority, so they have indicted him for crimes that sound horrendous to the average person, and they will no doubt purjure themselves, and create artificial evidence of these crimes to make an example of Schaeffer in the media".

There's already evidence that some of the media are deliberately excising Cox's statements out of context to present him in the most unfavorable light. For example, the media commonly publishes the following quote from Cox: "There's a lot of people out there that would just as soon come and kill you in the night then come and argue with you in court by day". However, in response to this Fairbanks Daily News-Miner story, Buick-Mackane wrote the full quote on Saturday, Mar 12 at 01:08 PM, which reads "There's a lot of people out there that would just as soon come and kill you in the night then come and argue with you in court by day, and that is just as bad and wrong as pretended governments or governments that are acting outside of the law or in contradiction of the universal principles of right and wrong...". Note that in the FULL quote, Schaeffer Cox clearly condemns gratuitous and non-defensive violence.

The Southern Poverty Law Center also weighs in on the case, attempting to smear Cox by mentioning him in the same context as former National Alliance member Kevin Harpham, a White nationalist who's been arrested for deploying a backpack bomb in Spokane on the day of their MLK parade. Cox is not known to have any White nationalist or racialist sympathies, yet the SPLC is always willing to portray dissident Whites as "white supremacists" in order to keep their donation spigot cranked wide open.

For those who might be tempted to dismiss Michael Badnarik's assessment out of hand simply because he's a libertarian, remember that he was also their presidential candidate in 2004. This means he has some experience in coalition-building, an important attribute within the libertarian community simply because it's been said that getting libertarians to work successfully together is a lot like "herding cats".

Alaska Veterans Museum Opens In Leased Facility In Anchorage; Permanent Home To Cost An Estimated $6.5 Million

2011-04-17T22:21:00.000-08:00

Alaska is no longer the only state in the union without a museum dedicated specifically to military veterans. The Alaska Veterans Museum held its grand opening in Anchorage on April 17th, 2011. The museum is located at 333 W 4th Avenue, Suite 227 in Anchorage, on the corner of 4th and D Streets, and can be reached by phone at (907) 727-8986. The website address:

http://alaskaveterans.com/

Operating hours during summer (until September 30th) are 10 AM to 9 PM seven days per week. Admission for non-members: $5 for adults; $3 for children, under 2 is free. Membership information available HERE; one does not need to be a veteran to become a member. KTUU news video embedded below:

KTVA Channel 11 also provided coverage:

The museum, 10 years in the making, is the brainchild of Col. Suellyn Wright Novak, USAF Ret., who served from 1971-2003. But she emphasizes that she was only one of many behind the museum; the nonprofit organization behind the museum currently has 135 members and is run by a nine-member board. The group secured a $50,000 grant from the legislature as well as $3,000 from the Alaska Community Foundation. The current location will not be the museum's permanent home; the plan is to build a permanent facility at a cost currently estimated at $6.5 million.

The museum will educate the public on Alaska's wars and fighting forces and provide a "healing place" for veterans where younger servicemen and women can see what older generations experienced. It will feature exhibits and displays from all five military branches plus the U.S. Merchant Marine and Alaska Territorial Guard. Exhibits will include uniforms, weapons and field equipment. Veterans will tell their own stories in the form of oral histories to be played on video monitors at the museum. 120 stories have already been documented; more are on the way. There are an estimated 77,000 veterans in Alaska.

Anchorage Daily News Reporter Julia O'Malley Debunks Trig Palin Conspiracy Theories Once And For All

2011-04-14T21:00:00.000-08:00

The rash of loony Trig Palin conspiracy theories has been spiked once and for all by a reporter who covered her during the time. And this reporter is no political friend of Sarah Palin.

In a column entitled "Make. It. Stop", Anchorage Daily News reporter Julia O'Malley has debunked the theories suggesting that Sarah Palin is not the mother of Trig, and that somehow it was really Bristol Palin or someone else. O'Malley decided she'd had enough after reading a Gawker post entitled "Did Sarah Palin Carry Out the Biggest Hoax in American Political History?". She all but calls Northern Kentucky University professor Bradford Scharlott a liar, noting that while his paper contains lots of innuendo and some widely-circulated photoshopped pictures, conspicuous by their absence are any actual facts.

This is what O'Malley reports:

The journalists, including me, who covered Palin at the time believed she was pregnant because she was pregnant. Even before the announcement, she seemed to be putting on weight. She wore baggy jackets and scarves. Before the announcement, she acted nervous when photographers tried to take her picture. Later on, her face filled out. Her fingers swelled. She had a noticeable belly. And it wasn't made out of foam.

{snip}

Palin also ran all the time at the gym in Juneau. People I know saw her on the treadmill sweating in workout clothes. She had a belly. I repeat: she had a real pregnant belly. Are you going to tell me she was wearing a prosthetic abdomen on the treadmill? After the birth, we interviewed her doctor who talked about it. Why would the doctor lie for her? That's right. She wouldn't.

There's also a reason why the hospital didn't publish a birth announcement: Birth announcements are OPTIONAL. Scharlott failed to mention that in his screed, entitled “Palin, the Press, and the Fake Pregnancy Rumor”.

So who would know more about the situation, a local reporter who covered Sarah Palin during the period, or some egghead professor thousands of miles away who never laid eyes upon her? My money is on Julia O'Malley. I commend her for setting her political biases aside and setting the world straight on this issue.

Mitt Romney Launches Exploratory Committee For Presidency Run; Romney Won Alaska Republican Caucus In 2008

2011-04-11T19:46:00.000-08:00

On April 11th, 2011, Mitt Romney crossed the threshold from being a mere presidential "hopeful" to a candidate when he announced he is forming an exploratory committee for a 2012 presidential run. This is considered the first serious campaign step. Tim Pawlenty is the only other Republican candidate to follow suit.

Mitt Romney released a video explaining his actions. He is convinced that America has been put on a dangerous course by Washington politicians, and it's become even worse during the past two years, But with able leadership, America can be put back on a course to greatness, and it's best days are still ahead. You can read the full written text of his video announcement HERE, or watch the video below, which was shot at the University of New Hampshire:

http://youtu.be/tAcxwfkAdDY

Voice Of Deseret noticed the ratio of likes to dislikes on the video. Feedback now indicates 387 likes and 263 dislikes so far. I also don't normally see so many dislikes appended to this type of video.

Alaska has been friendly to Mitt Romney in the past. In the 2008 Alaska Republican Caucus, Romney more than doubled runner-up Mike Huckabee, garnering 43.7 percent to 21.9 percent for the Huckster. Ron Paul nosed out John McCain for third, but this was long before McCain picked Sarah Palin to be his running mate. Then-Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell endorsed Romney. Romney's Mormonism wasn't a factor then and isn't expected to be a factor in 2012.

What will add to the interest in 2012 is if Sarah Palin decides to become a candidate. If this happens, Romney and Palin will dominate the Alaska Republican caucus -- and Romney could possible beat Palin, although not by much. In August 2010, Public Policy Polling polled Alaskans, and found the Mitt Romney led with 20 percent, while Palin and Huckabee tied for second with 17 percent. There is no reason to believe anything has changed too much since then.

The Alaska Oil Tax Debate: ACES Provided State With Increased Revenue And Created Jobs, But Inhibits New Exploration

2011-04-11T11:43:00.000-08:00

Alaska's current oil tax scheme known as Alaska's Clear and Equitable Share (ACES), the brainchild of former Governor Sarah Palin, has been the focus of a complex and robust debate not only within the Alaska State Legislature, but also between other influential Alaskans. The central premise of ACES was progressive taxation; when oil prices were low, the producers would pay a smaller percentage in taxes. But when prices are high, the state gets a larger share of the profits. This presupposed continued oil price variations. However, because oil prices have become and remain high, the higher tax rate has become the norm. Consequently, the producers now claim that the higher tax rate inhibits new exploration and development.

After analyzing the different points of view and the justification provided, the most logical conclusion is that while ACES fulfilled the measure of its creation, it has become partially superseded by market conditions and needs to be adjusted to promote more balance between the producers and the state of Alaska. ACES has provided increased revenue to the state and even an increase in jobs, but new exploration and development is almost at an all-time low. ACES needs to be adjusted to provide more of an incentive for development.

This means that either the progressivity threshold itself must be raised, the percentage of the state's take lowered, or a combination of both. While Sarah Palin's ACES was well-intentioned and well-conceived, fulfilling the initial measure of its creation, it clearly must be adjusted to better reflect existing financial reality and to provide a stronger incentive for new exploration and development

Recent media stories best defining the contrasting positions:

-- "Review the facts of ACES taxing effects", Anchorage Daily News, April 6th 2011. Rick Pollock, vice president for global projects at Lynden International, is a critic of ACES and provides a point-by-point rebuttal of Senator Hollis French's position on ACES.

-- "We need to encourage more oil production", Anchorage Daily News, April 9th 2011. Former Governor Tony Knowles is a critic of ACES, believing that it inhibits new exploration and development. He advocates tough, fair negotiations; an attitude of mutual respect guided by "trust but verify;" commitments by Alaska to implement a tax system that provides balanced returns and fair incentives to both new and legacy fields, and by industry to substantial new investments using Alaska workers and businesses.

-- "Parnell's PR on oil taxes doesn't reflect the actual facts", Anchorage Daily News, April 9th 2011. Rep. Les Gara, a supporter of ACES, criticizes Gov. Sean Parnell's tax reform proposals, claiming that it would roll back the state's share of oil revenue by nearly $8 billion over the next five years without sufficient promise of a future return. Gara also notes that Alaska already offers the producers credits and deductions that pay more than 60 percent of their capital costs.

-- "With mineral interests, Alaskans come first", Anchorage Daily News, April 9th 2011. Hard-line progressive pundit Shannyn Moore is a supporter of ACES, and basically regurgitates the "owner-state" argument. She introduces an element of class warfare into the discussion, bitching about the compensation package given to ConocoPhillips President Jim Mulva. The latter is not germane to this discussion, since we have no control over Mulva's compensation. What makes her point of view of interest is that although Shannyn Moore has been one of the most vitriolic and unprincipled critics of Sarah Palin, she expresses support for ACES, which was crafted by Palin.

-- "Stem the Decline, Grow Alaska". Governor Sean Parnell's assessment of the problem. He supports HB110 and SB49 as solutions.

Facts:

-- Development drilling on the North Slope is flat despite soaring oil prices. In virtually every other oil region worldwide, drilling activity is booming. Only one exploratory well has been drilled on the Slope in each of the last two winters.

-- Although under ACES, the North Slope had a record 12,900 jobs in 2009 and still had 12,800 jobs in 2010, the bulk of the jobs (and investment) has been directed towards infrastructure maintenance and repair rather than new exploration and development. In addition, hundreds of layoffs in the oil industry have been documented by recent state House Finance testimony by oil field contractors and suppliers.

-- Although the producers complain about a lack of tax incentives for new development and production, Conoco recently bragged to investors that they earn "strong cash margins" in Alaska. British Petroleum and Conoco Phillips have each reported more than $7.5 billion in Alaska profits since 2007. Yet Conoco has testified that over $2 billion in investments have been deferred because of ACES. The producers have not effectively explained this dichotomy in layman's terms.

-- Tony Knowles points out that investment in exploration by an oil company is competitively based upon the total business environment -- including costs of exploration, development and production as well as local, state and federal taxes. Note that an oil company's overall profits on hand from all of its investments are a secondary consideration. With so many oil-producing environments offering more producer-favorable tax schemes, this creates a buyer's market for the producers. This means the producers will direct the lion's share of their investment to where the market conditions are more favorable. If our oil tax scheme is making us less competitive, then we need to adjust it to provide the producers with more incentive here.

-- Shannyn Moore and other supporters of ACES like to rhapsodize about how Alaska is an "owner state". All well and good, but how much will we benefit from owning an empty Trans-Alaska Pipeline? About as much good as owning a motor vehicle with no gas -- it becomes a curiosity rather than an asset. In contrast, Tony Knowles points out that the pipeline today is only about 30 percent full and declining at 6 percent a year. With only one exploration well scheduled for 2011, and an average of 11 years required to move a discovery to first production, perpetuation of this problem will cause the pipeline to eventually run effectively "dry", meaning that not enough volume will be available for it to transport oil.

Proposed Solutions: Gov. Sean Parnell's proposals are written into Alaska HB110 and SB49. His three objectives: Encourage production in tougher-to-reach oil fields that haven’t been tapped, encourage more drilling in larger, legacy fields where big oil companies are less inclined to pursue smaller-scale projects, and to significantly soften a surcharge levied in greater degrees as oil prices rise, which is the “progressive” factor. Gov. Parnell acknowledged that Alaska’s basic tax matches taxes charged in other states and countries, but said the big problem is the oversized bite government Alaska takes at high oil prices. Parnell provides a much more detailed assessment HERE.

Bingo! Parnell gets it!

American Tax Dollars Being Used To Retrofit Mexican Trucks With Catalytic Converters To Ease Air Pollution In Nogales, Arizona

2011-04-11T00:04:00.000-08:00

According to the Arizona Republic, there is an air pollution problem down in the twin cities of Nogales, Arizona and Nogales, Mexico. The problems is serious enough that the region fails to meet limits for coarse-dust pollution set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. One of the primary sources of pollution is Mexican trucks which do not meet EPA standards; other sources of dust pollution include industrial activity, trash fires and traffic on hundreds of miles of unpaved roads.

So you're probably thinking at this point "Why don't they just ban the trucks from crossing into the United States until they are retrofitted for compliance?" Sorry, they can't do that. State and federal agencies claim they lack the authority to require vehicles manufactured and bought in Mexico to comply with U.S. emissions rules, even though the trucks cross into this country. Most of the trucks are not long-haul, but short-haul, shuttling goods back and forth across the border.

So they're spending American tax dollars to fix a Mexican problem. Using federal grant money, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality offered to pay Mexican truck owners to replace old mufflers with new catalytic converters. Arizona DEQ installed the new converters on 55 Mexican trucks in 2010, and will retrofit about the same number by the middle of 2011. Since each retrofit costs an average of $1,600, this means Arizona DEQ spent a total of $88,000 in Federal tax dollars retrofitting Mexican trucks in 2010. Governor Jan Brewer first introduced the program in February 2009.

Meanwhile, our national debt is over $14 trillion and growing.

The obvious solution would be for Congress to pass legislation empowering the EPA and other applicable agencies to ban Mexican vehicles from entering the United States unless they meet federal EPA emission standards. There's no reason we should be paying Mexican truckers to retrofit their trucks to meet Arizona's standards. Would Mexico pay an American trucker to meet Mexican standards? Fat chance.

America cannot afford to finance the entire world on its back.

Public reaction, as expressed in the comments to the Republic story, is universally unfavorable. Some typical comments:

Bob8930 Apr-10 @ 11:14 PM:
This is another example of our patronizing approach to dealing with Mexico. If we dealt with them on an equal footing, we would simply inform the Mexican government of our rules (and they of there's) and mutually expect that trucks entering each other's country would abide by the rules of the host country.

bronco6004 Apr-10 @ 11:32 PM:
We are paying for their trucks emissions controls? Why not let the Mexican government pay for it, not us! Another route to go is not let them cross the border if they don't comply with our regulations. Another route is for the truckers to pay for their own. Another route is to CLOSE THE BORDER! Seems the US government just can't GIVE ENOUGH to the border crossers. Free food, free taxes, free housing, free healthcare, free utilities, jobs, free education, and now we have to give them free vehicle emissions control. Wonder what the Mexican government would do if I crossed the border illegally? Would I get all those freebies and help with my truck too? Of course not--I would be put in jail with tortillas and dirty water to drink. Would my government fight to get me out? Of course not---I broke a Mexican law---its different for the illegals that come here. Go to Mexico once and see what happens if you go illegally! They don't want to learn English, they don't want to pay taxes, they don't want to obey the laws, they don't want to come legally, they just want to do what they want to and the taxpayers have to pay for it and shut up and deal with it.

thegovwillsaveushaha Apr-10 @ 11:20 PM:
What a crock!!!! I have three vehicles and have to have them checked at my expense and if they don't pass then I'll have to pay to have them fixed. I have an RV that last year I drove less than 50 miles, but this year I had to take it in and have it checked. And when I drive it (when I can afford the gas) I don't cruse around Maricopa or Pima country....heck I drive out of town as quickly as possible to get to cooler areas. So Mexican fruits and veggies (and what ever else is in the trucks) are brought into the US to compete with our products, in trucks that look like crap (get behind one and look at the tires), driven by someone that we hope can handle the truck. And then to top it off we are paying for their vehicles to be brought into EPA spec......such a deal. Are we stupid or what. Get sold out by big business taking jobs out of the country, using loopholes to pay no taxes, then taxed to educate the illigals kids and section 8 housing and food stamps. Then our truck drivers being screwed out of their jobs. Add to the billions in aid we give to the world, the security we pay to protect everyone but our own country, pay for the drones in Washington, D.C. to sit with their fingers up their butts and can't even get out a budget........and on and on and on. STUPID..STUPID, STUPID. We should at least get kissed after all of this, because we surely are getting screwed by every country in the world. Maybe we should march and demand our country back!!!

Should Anchorage Municipal Elections Be Moved From April To November? Local Issues Could Get Swallowed Up In State And Federal Issues

2011-04-10T12:48:00.000-08:00

The numbers are in from the Anchorage 2011 Municipal Election, and they show that once again, turnout was sparse. Officials have calculated a 21.1 percent turnout rate of Anchorage's 197,420 registered voters. That means that only 41,662 of the 290,000+ residents of Anchorage decided six Assembly races, two School Board races, and 11 ballot propositions putting $107 million on the line. While 21.1 percent is deplorable, it's actually an improvement over the 18 percent rate in 2010.

As a result, some community members have renewed calls to move the municipal elections from April to November. The latest person to issue the call is Anchorage Daily Planet editor Paul Jenkins. In an Anchorage Daily News column entitled "Move city elections to November to boost voter turnout", Jenkins maintains that the current system has contributed to "lousy participation, low public interest and a political system dominated by unions and special interest groups that flourish in the vacuum caused by voter disinterest". Jenkins not only recommends moving the city elections to November, but also a return to a runoff system between the top two finishers of all Assembly and School Board races when no one receives 50 percent of more of the vote. Jenkins believes moving the city elections to November would boost turnout.

Well duh, no kidding. But the increased turnout would be attributable much more to the federal and state candidates on the ballot rather than municipal candidates. There's no guarantee that voters would be more educated on municipal issues than at present. There's also a risk that important municipal issues could get swallowed up in the blitz of publicity accompanying the "sexier" state and federal issues. Holding municipal elections in April ensures EXCLUSIVE focus on municipal issues.

Surprisingly, Paul Jenkins did not disclose a financial benefit which would result. If municipal elections were moved to November, that's one less time per year that we would have to deploy and pay election workers. In a typical year when seats are contested at all levels of government, election workers are recruited and deployed in Anchorage on three separate occasions: During the April municipal elections, during the August primary elections, and during the November general elections. If a mayoral runoff is required, the number of elections increases to four. Moving the municipal elections to November would cut that total by one.

Regarding Paul Jenkins' advocacy of runoffs, this problem could be resolved without the expense of a separate runoff election by instituting Instant Runoff Voting. While I don't advocate it for mayoral, legislative, gubernatorial, or presidential races, the Assembly and School Board races would be a good test bed for this innovation.

Despite some of the benefits of moving municipal elections to November, I still believe it's important for us to have EXCLUSIVE focus on municipal issues without distraction from state and federal issues. Consequently, we should keep holding municipal elections in April; if people don't want to vote, that's their problem. Other Alaskan communities hold their local elections at odd times with no problem; Fairbanks has been holding municipal and borough elections in October for years. And as far as saving money, if we're too cheap to hold an extra election to ensure exclusive focus on municipal issues, perhaps we don't deserve the right to vote.

Northern Kentucky University Professor Brad Scharlott Resurrects False Rumor About Trig Palin's Birth, Accuses Bill McAllister Of Cover-Up

2011-04-10T01:05:00.000-08:00

Here's another reason why tenure needs to be abolished for all college professors and, for that matter, schoolteachers as well. Brad Scharlott, an associate professor of journalism at Northern Kentucky University, has resurrected false rumors about Trig Palin not being the son of Sarah Palin and has accused former Palin spokesman Bill McAllister of spiking the story when he was working for KTUU Channel 2 in Anchorage. Furthermore, Dr. Scharlott hints that Sarah Palin may have hired McAllister away from KTUU in the first place to co-opt him. McAllister recently returned to journalism, accepting a job as reporter for KTVA Channel 11.

In his 29-page paper entitled “Palin, the Press, and the Fake Pregnancy Rumor”, Dr. Scharlott (yes, the idiot actually has a PhD) explores how the press handled the rumor that Trig Palin may not actually be the son of Sarah Palin, asserting that there was enough evidence of a pregnancy hoax to warrant asking more questions. While Dr. Scharlott has submitted his research for publication and intends to present it at an academic event, it has not yet been formally accepted.

The article in The Northerner quotes some responses from Bill McAllister, in which he justifiably unloaded on Scharlott by e-mail (the full text of the e-mail is reproduced HERE). “If we ever meet, I’ll slap you. In a different era, I’d challenge you to a duel,” McAllister wrote. He also referred to Scharlott as a “scoundrel” and “despicable.” McAllister also said that after he was hired by Palin, he denied the charges on behalf of Palin because he was her spokesman, not because he had any role in a pregnancy hoax. He said the only part he played during Palin’s pregnancy was that of a reporter. McAllister goes into more detail in a separate Alaska Dispatch story (which was in response to a follow-up Dispatch op-ed by Scharlott):

Let’s review the facts. On the 6 p.m. broadcast of Channel 2 News on March 5, 2008, I announced to Alaskans that the governor revealed she was in the seventh month of pregnancy. The governor shared this information with me and two other reporters just under 30 minutes before the newscast.

When the birth of Trig was announced on Friday, April 18, 2008, I was in Anchorage -- not at the valley hospital -- sitting in at an Alaska Press Club panel discussion on the presidential race, with, among others, syndicated columnist Leonard Pitts Jr. There was no conversation -- at least that I was a part of that weekend -- that included any speculation that the child was not really the governor’s.

The following Monday, when Gov. Palin returned to work, I interviewed her in her Anchorage office about, among other things, the fact that she was only the second sitting governor in U.S. history to give birth.

And that is the extent to which, as a news reporter, I had any significant involvement with the story of Gov. Palin’s pregnancy and delivery.

Distressed that Bill McAllister would have the audacity to stand up and defend himself against a self-proclaimed academic icon, Dr. Scharlott then assumes the role of the injured party and said McAllister should have responded to the research in a different way. “If I were him, I would have tried to have been cool and calm and try to explain away in a cool and calm way what ever seemed to indicate that he was part of the hoax,” Scharlott said. “He was wildly swinging out trying to make me look bad any way he could, but he didn’t really think through what he was doing really well, or he doesn’t really understand what universities are about.”

So it's O.K. for an academic to load up his fist with a rock and deliberately defame and smear the character of a former reporter, but the former reporter is not allowed to respond in kind? I don't think so. These academics have been pampered and primped for far too long; they've assumed an aura of inerrancy. Science has become a religion in our country; academia a church. And Bill McAllister just took a big, healthy dump in Dr. Scharlott's "church".

The onus is not on Sarah Palin to prove that Trig is her baby; instead, the burden is upon those who challenge that notion to post their proof. All they offer is a bunch of slippery-slope assumptions. The fact is, Sarah Palin is a healthy woman who had an uneventful pregnancy. Sarah Palin does not play the role of a victim. Sarah Palin is not a feminist, yet she has become a powerful woman. And the Left simply cannot handle that.

Brad Scharlott is not highly-rated as a professor. On Rate My Professors, he's downgraded on clarity and considered mediocre in Overall Quality. The trend is deteriorating; his last three ratings show "poor quality". Considered by some to be overbearing, loud, and annoying.

Joe McGinniss, who spied on the Palins from next door to their home in Wasilla for several months, had little of substance to add, but says he will address the issue in his forthcoming book.

Center For Immigration Studies Report Reveals Immigrants More Likely To Use Welfare Programs Than Native-Born American Citizens

2011-04-09T20:50:00.000-08:00

Still believe the hype that immigrants are more of a benefit than a burden to the United States? Not so fast. A report released by the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) indicates that immigrant families are more likely to use welfare programs than native-born Americans. Read the full report HERE; the Council of Conservative Citizens points out that they've been telling us this for over 20 years.

A total of eight welfare programs were considered by the CIS in their study, including SSI (Supplemental Security Income for low income elderly and disabled), TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families), WIC (Women, Infants, and Children food program), free/reduced-price school meals, food stamps (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), Medicaid (health insurance for those with low incomes), public housing, and rent subsidies.

The CIS found that in 2009, 57 percent of households headed by an immigrant (legal and/or illegal) with children (under 18) used at least one of the above-named welfare programs, compared to 39 percent for native households with children. When CIS attempted to determine a breakdown between illegal and legal immigrants, they found that, according to their best estimate, 52 percent of households with children headed by legal immigrants used at least one welfare program in 2009, compared to 71 percent for illegal immigrant households with children. Illegal immigrants generally receive benefits on behalf of their U.S.-born children.

The CIS also found a regional disparity in the countries of origin for immigrants. Latin American immigrants are more likely to jump on the welfare gravy train than immigrants from other areas. Households with children with the highest welfare use rates are those headed by immigrants from the Dominican Republic (82 percent), Mexico and Guatemala (75 percent), and Ecuador (70 percent). Those with the lowest use rates are from the United Kingdom (7 percent), India (19 percent), Canada (23 percent), and Korea (25 percent). It should be noted that because of closer proximity to the United States, Latin American immigrants are more likely to bring whole families with them than immigrants from Asia, who most frequently pick one family member to immigrate and become established before sending the remainder; this might also contribute to the disparity.

The CIS acknowledges that the majority of immigrants are willing to work; 95 percent of immigrant households with children had at least one worker in 2009. But their low education levels mean that more than half of these working immigrant households with children still accessed the welfare system during 2009. Of households headed by an immigrant who has not graduated high school, 80 percent access the welfare system, compared to 25 percent for those headed by an immigrant who has at least a bachelor’s degree. But the CIS failed to mention that mass immigration has either stagnated or driven down wages paid for the types of jobs they do; the combined effect of low education and wage depression can drive them into the welfare system.

Those who believe that mass immigration benefits the United States and who advocate amnesty for illegal immigrants claim that most new legal immigrants are barred from using some welfare for the first five years. However, this claim is overblown because of several factors:

-- Many immigrants have already been in the United States for longer than five years

-- The ban only applies to some programs.

-- Some states provide welfare to new immigrants with their own money

-- By becoming citizens immigrants become eligible for all welfare programs

-- The U.S.-born children of immigrants (including those born to illegal immigrants) are automatically awarded American citizenship and are therefore eligible for all welfare programs at birth.

The overall cost to the American taxpayer is hardly nominal. If immigrants have high welfare use rates, it could indicate that they are creating a net fiscal burden for the country. Welfare programs comprise a significant share of federal, and even state, expenditures. Total costs for the programs examined in the CIS study were $517 billion in fiscal year 2008. Moreover, most of those who receive welfare tend to pay little or no income tax.

Start cutting your own grass and cleaning your own toilets again, America.

Once Again, Liberals Show Their Intolerance In The Case Of Alaska Judicial Council Nominee Don Haase

2011-04-08T22:08:00.000-08:00

In March 2009, then-Governor Sarah Palin nominated Judge Morgan Christen to the Alaska Supreme Court despite the fact that Judge Christen had served on the board of Planned Parenthood during the 1990s. Thus a conservative governor was willing to consider a pro-choice Supreme Court nominee because she thought Christen was the better of the two nominees placed before her.

Did the liberals respond in kind when the name of Don Haase, a pro-life activist with Eagle Forum Alaska, came up before the Alaska State Senate Judiciary Committee? Absolutely not. Governor Sean Parnell had nominated Haase, from Valdez, for a seat on the Alaska Judicial Council, which oversees the nomination of judicial candidates in Alaska. Haase had submitted an application of his own volition; it's the second time in two years he sought a Judicial Council seat. The council vets applicants for district, superior and appellate courts, including the Alaska Supreme Court, and submits at least two names for each vacancy for the governor to choose from. However, Haase had previously expressed support for Michigan's efforts at criminalizing adultery, and re-affirmed that position during testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, although he conceded it should not be a felony. This was too much for State Senator Joe Paskvan (D-Fairbanks), who claimed that Haase's views on premarital and extramarital sex are views that directly infringe upon and challenge the constitutional right of privacy in Alaska.

So despite the fact that Haase also told the Committee that he wouldn't hold judicial candidates to his personal social values, which also include opposition to abortion, on Friday April 1st, 2011, the Committee unanimously rejected Haase's nomination, although Senator Bill Wielechowski (D-Anchorage) put up a smoke screen by claiming that Haase's accession to the Council would leave Southeast Alaska unrepresented. There is no formal requirement for regional balance.

Despite the Committee's rejection of Haase, Gov. Parnell showed a spine and stood behind him, although he doesn't agree that adultery should be criminalized. Parnell said Haase shouldn't be judged on his beliefs, but on whether Haase can set aside his personal views and fairly decide who is qualified to be a judge in Alaska. Nevertheless, on Thursday April 7th, Don Haase submitted a letter to Gov. Parnell asking that his name be withdrawn from consideration for the Judicial Council. Haase explained that he was wrongfully painted as an "extremist" and did not want to bring disrespect to the board. Parnell spokeswoman Sharon Leighow said the administration would submit another nominee for consideration.

This illustrates one of the many differences between conservatives and liberals. While conservatives are willing to step outside their comfort zone and pick people based upon merit even if their past politics aren't exactly an ideal match, liberals don't believe in forgiveness for political sins. If you have a past record of pro-life activism, pro-White activism, or even in some cases, too much pro-gun activism (which helped torpedo the nomination of Wayne Anthony Ross as attorney general, the liberals will throw you under the bus. The Senate Judiciary Committee gave itself a black eye for rejecting Don Haase solely because of his politics.

Liveblogging The Anchorage 2011 Municipal Election; Adam Trombley May Have Upset Mike Gutierrez In East Anchorage

2011-04-05T21:11:00.000-08:00

Update April 15th: All remaining ballots have been counted; the final vote is posted HERE. Pat Higgins defeated Bob Griffin in the School Board Seat C race.

The results of the Anchorage 2011 Municipal Election are now beginning to filter in. The primary portal page is HERE, but there are three separate sub-pages, as well as some third party sources:

-- Assembly & School Board Seats
-- Bonds & Propositions
-- Service Areas (LRSA's) (of interest to those who do not live within the boundaries of the Anchorage Road and Drainage Service Area)
-- Anchorage Daily News
-- KTUU election results page

Fifth and Final Update 11:10 P.M:
-- The following incumbents have been re-elected to the Assembly: Patrick Flynn, Bill Starr, Harriet Drummond, Chris Birch, and Elvi Gray-Jackson.
-- Gretchen Guess has been elected to Seat D of the school board. The race for Seat C between Pat Higgins and Bob Griffin is still too close to call and may require the count of absentee ballots to resolve; Higgins leads by less than 200 votes.
-- Adam Trombley can be said to have defeated Mike Gutierrez in the East Anchorage Assembly race; he has a 252-vote lead with 24 of 25 precincts counted. But a glut of absentee votes in favor of Gutierrez could change the outcome. Initial reaction: Trombley said he's "cautiously optimistic" that he won, while Gutierrez acknowledged that Trombley conducted himself well. Gutierrez also said he may have been hurt by negative ads from an anti-union special interest group. Absentee ballots will be counted on April 15th.
-- Propositions 1, 2, and 5 have gone down to defeat. Proposition 10 is leading but is too close to call. The remainder have passed.

Fourth Update 10:15 P.M: We can now project victories for Harriet Drummond and Chris Birch; both have large leads with only a few precincts remaining to be counted. With 106 of 121 precincts counted, Gretchen Guess leads Treg Taylor by 9 points; we can project victory for her. Pat Higgins has now lengthened his lead to 2.3 percentage points over Bob Griffin. In East Anchorage, Adam Trombley's lead over Mike Gutierrez drops to 1.8 percentage points with 22 of 25 precincts counted; he could pull it off. If it becomes closer, we may have to wait on absentee ballots to decide this race.

Props 1, 2, and 5 are clearly headed for defeat; while Prop 10 is Yes so far, it's close.

Third Update 9:50 P.M: We can now project victory for Elvi Gray-Jackson in Midtown; she leads Dave Bronson by 16 percentage points with 23 of 30 precincts counted. Chris Birch is close to a projected victory in South Anchorage, but not enough precincts have been counted. Harriet Drummond and Gretchen Guess still leading in their races. Pat Higgins leading Bob Griffin by less than 2 points. The big story: Adam Trombley may be on the verge of pulling off an upset in East Anchorage; he leads Mike Gutierrez by 1.5 percentage points despite Paul Bauer's 9.3 percent.

Props 1, 2, and 5 are still losing; Props 1 and 2 are likely to fail. Prop 10 has now slipped into the Yes camp, but by a narrow margin.

Second Update 9:20 P.M: Both Patrick Flynn and Bill Starr have 70 percent of the vote with half the precincts counted; we can project victory for them. Chris Birch and Elvi Gray-Jackson are pulling away in their respective races. Gretchen Guess and Harriet Drummond have discernable leads. Tossup races are Pat Higgins vs. Bob Griffin and Mike Gutierrez vs. Adam Trombley; in the latter, Paul Bauer still at around 10 percent. If Gutierrez beats Trombley by less than 5 percent, it will be blamed on Bauer.

First Update 9:00 P.M: The Anchorage Daily News has the first returns:

-- Assembly: Bill Starr cruising to victory in Eagle River, Patrick Flynn walloping his two opponents Downtown, Chris Birch leading Mike Kenny handily in South Anchorage, Elvi Gray-Jackson by 17 points over Dave Bronson in Midtown, and Harriet Drummond by 10 points over Liz Vazquez in West Anchorage. Mike Gutierrez is leading Adam Trombley in East Anchorage by less than 5 percentage points, but the other conservative, Paul Bauer, has about 10 percent of the vote.

-- School Board: Pat Higgins has a narrow lead over Bob Griffin and Gretchen Guess has a larger lead over Treg Taylor.

-- Propositions: 1, 2, 5, and 10 are losing; the rest are winning. Look for Prop 1 (Service High) to be defeated.

APOC Complaint Filed Against East Anchorage Assembly Candidate Adam Trombley By Deborah Bauer, Wife Of Opponent Paul Bauer

2011-04-04T19:50:00.000-08:00

So far it appears the entire local media is sleeping through this story. I have learned that East Anchorage Assembly candidate Adam Trombley has been the recipient of a complaint filed against him with the Alaska Public Offices Commission (APOC). Dated March 31st, 2011, the complaint, filed by Deborah Bauer, who is the wife of one of Trombley's opponents, Paul Bauer, accuses Trombley of violation of AS 39.50, Public Official Financial Disclosure.

Read the 70-page complaint HERE. While much of the complaint consists of supporting documents and other exhibits, the narrative begins on page 13. Deborah Bauer believes that Adam Trombley has misrepresented his employment on his Financial Disclosure Statement. The specifics of her complaint are put forth on pages 14-15, beginning with the words "My complaint":

Adam Trombley signed a Financial Disclosure Statement in 2009 that states he has no interest in a business yet his campaign material states he was a co-owner of a business 2005-2010.

Adam Trombley signed a Financial Disclosure Statement in 2010 that states he has interest in two businesses and his campaign manager states that his varied work experience he was a co-owner of a business and most recently a former business owner.

All reports from the State of Alaska do not show Adam Trombley being linked to any business license, professional or corporation (Exhibit #19 page 1 and 2). All businesses that Adam Trombley listed in his 2010 Financial Disclosure Statement are owned by other members of his family, not Adam Trombley, yet he claims on his Disclosures he is the OWNER.

Why are there discrepancies with his Financial Disclosure Statement, his campaign material, on line web site informational resources and the State of Alaska records?

Adam Trombley having signed two annual statements on his Financial Disclosures that he certified under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and the information in the disclosure statement is, to the best of his knowledge, true, correct, and complete...the information presented to the public is inconsistent to all resources of information. (Exhibit #2 page 12 and Exhibit #20 page 12).

I am asking for a through investigation be conducted by the Alaska Public Offices Commission into this matter and corrective action be taken as per AS 39.50.060 Penalty for Willful Violation of Disclosure Requirements.

Deborah Bauer's signature appears at the bottom of the narrative.

The distribution letter on the first page of the complaint package indicates APOC notified Adam Trombley of the complaint on April 1st. There has been no response posted on either Trombley's official campaign website or his Facebook page. Paul Bauer actually first surfaced this on his campaign website on April 1st. Bauer also claims on Twitter that Gov. Sean Parnell on robocall says city candidate Trombley is a business owner while under investigation by APOC for possible perjury.

The initial temptation is to dismiss this as sour grapes, not only because the complainant is the wife of one of Trombley's opponents, but because there is bad blood between Paul Bauer and much of the local Republican nomenklatura. Mayor Dan Sullivan promised to back Bauer this year in exchange for standing down in 2010, and instead Sullivan decided to back Trombley. Paul Bauer believes Dan Sullivan went back on his word.

However, an examination of candidate surveys indicates there may be other reasons for concern about Adam Trombley. Specifically, does Trombley have the depth to serve effectively on the Assembly? Trombley seems like a personable man who possesses considerable superficial knowledge, but how far does it extend? Part 1 of the Anchorage Daily News' East Anchorage Assembly candidate Q & A reveals the potential problem:

Question 3: Do you support lowering property taxes by starting a sales tax?

Trombley: That is a decision the voters of Anchorage should decide.

The question called for a Yes or No answer. That means either the words Yes or No should appear in the answer. Trombley does not answer either Yes or No. This is unacceptable; after running in two successive campaigns, Adam Trombley has to have an opinion about the subject. In contrast, both Paul Bauer and Mike Gutierrez answer the question fully, and Bauer goes into some depth. Here's another one:

Question 6: Anchorage has four branch libraries. Other similar U.S. communities have an average of nine, says the city librarian. Do we have enough branches?

Trombley: I need to research this issue more to see the cost and benefit and if we have the revenue -- if the conclusion is more branches.

Excuse me, but after two successive campaigns, he should already have an opinion about this, too, considering that the Muldoon Branch of the library lies within his district. Both Bauer and Gutierrez give better answers. But even if the APOC complaint proves to be little more than sour grapes, these answers raise legitimate questions as to whether or not Adam Trombley has the necessary depth of knowledge to serve effectively on the Assembly.

Tough choice for East Anchorage voters who don't want Gutierrez -- do you gamble with the future potential of Adam Trombley, or go with the proven experience of Paul Bauer?

Alaska Pride Recommendations For Ballot Propositions In The Anchorage 2011 Municipal Election

2011-04-04T12:26:00.000-08:00

While Blogger still has the original version of this blog trapped in its spam filter, I've chosen to deploy this replacement blog rather than waste time venting about Blogger. After all, their service is free, and mistakes can happen.

On April 5th, 2011, Anchorage voters will go to the polls. Normally, only 20 percent of us do so. This is not acceptable; at no time in history has it been easier to vote than it is in Anchorage. We do everything but deliver the polling station to your door; it's our tax dollars and our future on the line. Please take the time to vote on April 5th.

To assist in voting decisions, here are the links to candidate and ballot proposition information for your reference:

-- Anchorage 2011 Municipal Election Candidate Information
-- Anchorage Ballot Propositions
-- KTUU Channel 2 Anchorage candidate profiles (this is well done)
-- Municipality of Anchorage Official Election Notice

Offsetting Factors: The total value of the revenue bond package is $107 million, which would result in a total property tax increase of $19.50 per $100,000 assessed value if all GO bonds are passed. That means if your home is worth $300,000, your property tax bill goes up by $58.50 per year. But here are offsetting factors to consider:

-- State debt reimbursement brings our share of the total down to $71 million.
-- The Anchorage School District has retired $190 million in previous bonds between April 2008, the last successful bond election, and April 2011.
-- The Municipality of Anchorage is scheduled to retire $26.1 million worth of existing General Obligation (GO) bonds in 2011, which equates to almost 72 percent of the proposed 2011 GO bond amount of $36.2 million.

Not sure what Assembly District, Fire Service District, or Road Service District you live in? Click HERE to view a sample ballot that you'll be presented with at your polling station (a 9.1 mb file, may take up to four minutes to load). General voter information also available HERE.

Now here are my recommendations, starting with the ballot propositions (after the jump):

-- Proposition 1, Service High: Vote YES. While the Anchorage School District has made a reasonably good case for it, the tipping point is state debt reimbursement of 60 percent.

-- Proposition 2, ASD Capital Improvements, Life Extensions, Design Projects: Vote NO. Even with state debt reimbursement, we still should not be bonding this type of maintenance. A NO vote will send a message to ASD that they need to re-think this concept.

-- Proposition 3, ASD Career, Technical, and Voc-Ed Facility Upgrades: Vote YES. This will seriously improve ASD's vocational training capabilities. The future natural gas pipeline will be built by engineers and roustabouts, not by lawyers and gender studies professors. We need more blue-collar workers.

-- Proposition 4, Road and Storm Drainage Bonds: Vote YES. Road maintenance and upgrades are always a necessity. Some storm drains in town still overflow after a heavy rain.

-- Proposition 5, Parks and Recreation Capital Improvements: Vote your conscience on this one. I customarily vote No on Parks and Recreation bonds as a protest against too much "flowers and lights". What we really need is a bond that better links the in-town bicycle trail system (and NO, that does NOT mean the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail).

-- Proposition 6, Public Safety and Transit Capital Improvements: Vote YES. The low cost of the bond plus the provision to upgrade ambulances justifies a Yes vote.

-- Proposition 7, Fire Protection Bonds: Vote YES; I normally find fire protection bonds self-justifying.

-- Proposition 8, Police Facility Bonds: Vote YES; the low cost of the bond justifies it. Don't judge APD by Anthony Rollins.

-- Proposition 9, Charter Amendment to Authorize Property Tax Exemption for Widows/Widowers of Disabled Veterans under the age of 60: Vote NO; while the disabled veteran would deserve it, the widow does not deserve it.

-- Proposition 10, Transfer Downtown Parking Enforcement to Private Agency: Vote YES; using sworn cops to write parking tickets downtown is wasteful, and the previous abuses have been specifically banned in this proposition. The private agency would only write parking tickets and NO OTHER violations this time.

-- Proposition 11, Advisory Proposition on Carding All Alcohol Buyer in Package Stores (this is merely an Advisory proposition and would NOT actually implement it): Vote NO. Despite former Alaska State Rep. Harry Crawford's heartfelt plea for a Yes vote, I recommend a No vote primarily to send a message. We're already carded to buy tobacco, get onto planes and into Federal buildings and state courthouses. People are prodded and groped by TSA at airports. If you're tired of being asked to prove your validity at so many places and for so many reasons, send a message by voting No on this proposition.

181st Annual LDS General Conference Takes Place In Salt Lake City; Mormon Membership Count Up To 14,131,467

2011-04-03T21:48:00.000-08:00

On April 2-3, 2011, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints held its 181st Annual General Conference in Salt Lake City. An estimated 100,000 Mormons were present; 20,000 in the Conference Center and the remainder scattered at various overflow venues near Temple Square. Millions more tuned in worldwide; in Alaska, the conference was televised via GCI Cable and various satellite networks.

The highlights included the announcement of three new temples to be constructed in Fort Collins, Colorado, Winnipeg, Manitoba, and Meridian, Idaho. In addition, the LDS Church disclosed that its membership had reached 14,131,467 as of December 31st, 2010. Although individual state membership totals have not been updated, at last count there was 31,268 Mormons in Alaska. The LDS Church also reported on their humanitarian aid distribution, noting that they have distributed over 70 tons of supplies, including food, water, blankets, bedding, hygiene items, clothing and fuel, and that over 40,000 hours of service have been donated by more than 4,000 volunteers. LDS leaders also urged members to organize and perform an annual Day Of Service in their communities.

Media stories and links to LDS archives:

-- "LDS conference opens with focus on temples, humanitarian work" (Day 1), KSL Channel 5
-- "LDS leaders emphasize service, families, temple work" (Day 2), KSL Channel 5
-- "Pres. Monson urges young men to get married", Salt Lake Tribune
-- "LDS leaders cheer the church’s welfare programs", Salt Lake Tribune
-- Official audio and video archives (transcripts available by mid-week)
-- LDS Church News stories on all speeches

Two separate KSTU Channel 13 news videos embedded (after the jump):

KSTU Channel 13 video - Day 1:

KSTU Channel 13 video - Day 2:

Here are three conference speeches I found worthy of special attention:

-- President Boyd K. Packer, President of the Quorum of the Twelve: On Saturday afternoon, explained why the Church has such a long name and reiterated the Church's commitment to the traditional definition of marriage.

-- President Thomas S. Monson: On Saturday evening, explained that the moral compass of the masses has gradually shifted to an almost-anything-goes position. Noted that where once the Church's and society's standards were mostly compatible, now there is a wide chasm between us, and it's growing ever wider, citing the entertainment industry as a primary offender. Suggested that those men who delay marriage are not fully honoring their Priesthood. Urges people to focus less on finding the right person and more upon being the right person.

-- Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, Quorum of the Twelve: On Sunday afternoon, explained that the Church has a responsibility to be an "ensign to the nations", and must communicate some unpleasant truths. But to those who complain that the leaders are always telling them "they're never doing enough", Elder Holland had a reassuring message. He acknowledged that the majority of those in the Church are worthy, but the Church is under a solemn charge to issue warning calls to those who aren't worthy, wherever they may be in the world. Thus the majority who are worthy deserve praise and should instead focus on a different topic describing an area where one is lacking.

Got $107 Million To Spend? Here Are The Anchorage 2011 Municipal Election Ballot Propositions

2011-04-02T01:25:00.000-08:00

Note: This post recovered from original Alaska Pride blog and cross-posted here in case Blogger decides not to unlock the original Alaska Pride blog.

Anchorage will hold its annual municipal election on Tuesday April 5th, 2011. Six Assembly seats and two School Board seats will be up for grabs, as well as a number of Limited Road Service Area (LRSA) seats. While Assembly members represent designated geographical districts, all school board seats are city-wide. The MOA Election Page provides all necessary information about the upcoming election, to include how to register to vote and what assembly district you live in. A list of Assembly and School Board candidates are provided in a separate post.

In addition, a total of eleven ballot propositions will be presented; eight of them general obligation bonds which, if all are passed, add up to around $107 million. All have been formally enumerated, and source documentation already exists and the links highlighted below. Bear in mind that while the MOA and ASD are asking us to take on additional obligations, ASD will have retired $190 million in previous bonds between April 2008, the last successful bond election, and April 2011. And Anchorage Tomorrow discloses that the Municipality is scheduled to retire $26.1 million worth of existing General Obligation (GO) bonds in 2011, which equates to almost 72 percent of the proposed 2011 GO bond amount of $36.2 million. This also offsets any increase incurred by the passage of the 2011 bonds.

A discussion of the propositions presented on KAKM's "Running" is embedded below, approximately 15 minutes:

A complete description of each proposition is also available on the Official Election Notice. Here is the initial list of propositions (after the jump); read my recommendations in this separate post:

NOTE: If the eight G.O. Bonds below all pass, and you live within the designated service areas, and debt reimbursement for the three school bonds is applied, your total property tax increase will be $19.50 per $100,000 assessed value. That means if your home is worth $300,000, your property tax bill goes up by $58.50 per year.

-- PROPOSITION 1 - SERVICE HIGH SCHOOL RENEWAL GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS. Reference AO 2011-7. $37,132,000 of General Obligation Bonds to pay for a portion of the costs of additions to and renewals of Service High School and other educational capital improvements. The Project currently qualifies for a state grant of $21,000,000 based on $9,132,000 of the issuance and also 60% State debt reimbursement on $28,000,000 of the issuance (subject to annual legislative appropriation). Explanation of projects HERE. Annual property tax increase as follows:

---- With State Reimbursement: Annual increase in property taxes would be $5.19 per $100,000 assessed value to retire the bonds.
---- Without State reimbursement: Annual increase in taxes of approximately $9.47 per $100,000 assessed value to retire the bonds.

Service High senior Tessa Bay states her case in favor of Prop 1 HERE.

-- PROPOSITION 2 - EDUCATIONAL CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS AND FACILITY BUILDING LIFE EXTENSION AND DESIGN PROJECT BONDS. Reference AO 2011-8(S). $16,865,000 of General Obligation Bonds to pay for educational facility building life extension and design projects and other educational capital improvements within Anchorage. This includes design projects for the future renovation of Girdwood K-8 and Airport Heights, Gladys Wood and Inlet View Elementary Schools, as well as the design of career, technical and vocational education improvements for the West/Romig campus. The Projects currently qualify for 70% State debt reimbursement on $11,765,000 of the issuance and 60% State debt reimbursement on $5,100,000 of the issuance (subject to annual legislative appropriation). Annual property tax increase as follows:

---- With State Reimbursement: Annual increase in property taxes would be $1.52 per $100,000 assessed value to retire the bonds.
---- Without State Reimbursement: Annual increase in property taxes of $4.30 per $100,000 assessed value to retire the bonds.

-- PROPOSITION 3 - CAREER, TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL FACILITY EDUCATION UPGRADES PROJECT BONDS. Reference AO 2011-9(S). $17,000,000 of General Obligation Bonds to pay costs of upgrades at career, technical and vocational facilities at seven high schools, five middle schools and the King Career Center. The Projects currently qualify for 60% State debt reimbursement (subject to annual legislative appropriation). Annual property tax increase as follows:

---- With State Reimbursement: Annual increase in property taxes would be $1.30 per $100,000 assessed value to retire the bonds.
---- Without State Reimbursement: Annual increase in property taxes of $4.34 per $100,000 assessed value to retire the bonds.

-- PROPOSITION 4 - ANCHORAGE ROADS AND DRAINAGE SERVICE AREA ROAD AND STORM DRAINAGE BONDS. Reference AO 2011-10. $30,850,000 of General Obligation Bonds for the purpose of providing roads and storm drainage capital acquisition, construction, renovation, upgrades and related capital improvements. The proposed capital improvements would be located within the Anchorage Roads and Drainage Service Area (ARDSA); only those who live within the boundaries of the ARDSA will see an increase in property taxes, although all voters in Anchorage will get to vote on this. Short list of proposed projects HERE. An annual increase in property tax of $10.00 per $100,000 assessed value will be levied upon ARDSA residents to retire the bonds.

-- PROPOSITION 5 - ANCHORAGE BOWL PARKS AND RECREATION SERVICE AREA CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT BONDS. Reference AO 2011-11. $3,000,000 of General Obligation Bonds to improve parks and trails, upgrade and improve football stadium concession and neighborhood parks and family recreation areas and recreation facilities, including the South Anchorage Sports Complex in the Anchorage Bowl Parks and Recreation Service Area (ABPRSA) and related capital improvements. An annual increase in property tax of $0.88 per $100,000 assessed value will be levied upon ABPRSA residents to retire the proposed bonds; no increase will be levied upon residents of Chugiak, Eagle River, Girdwood, and other areas outside the Service Area, although they will also get to vote on this.

-- PROPOSITION 6 - AREAWIDE PUBLIC SAFETY AND TRANSIT CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT BONDS. Reference AO 2011-12. $941,000 of General Obligation Bonds for the purpose of providing public safety and transit upgrades, replace ambulances, support vehicles, bus stop improvements, transit fleet expansions and replacement and technology upgrades and related capital improvements within Anchorage. Short list of proposed projects HERE. An annual increase in property tax of $0.24 per $100,000 assessed value will be levied to retire the proposed bonds.

-- PROPOSITION 7 - ANCHORAGE FIRE SERVICE AREA FIRE PROTECTION BONDS. Reference AO 2011-13. $1,150,000 of General Obligation Bonds for the purpose of acquiring a replacement ladder truck and undertaking other related capital improvements within the Anchorage Fire Service Area (AFSA). An annual increase in property tax of $0.31 will be levied upon all AFSA residents to retire the bonds; no increase will be levied on residents outside the AFSA, although they will also get to vote on this.

-- PROPOSITION 8 - ANCHORAGE METROPOLITAN POLICE SERVICE AREA FACILITIES BONDS. Reference AO 2011-14(S). $250,000 of General Obligation Bonds for the purpose of providing improvements to public safety facilities and related police protection capital improvements in the Anchorage Metropolitan Police Service Area. An annual increase in property tax of approximately $0.06 will be levied to retire the proposed bonds.

-- PROPOSITION 9 - AN ORDINANCE AMENDING AMC SECTION 12.15.015; AND SUBMITTING TO THE QUALIFIED VOTERS OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF ANCHORAGE A BALLOT PROPOSITION AUTHORIZING THE MUNICIPALITY OF ANCHORAGE TO GRANT A DISABLED VETERAN REAL PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTION TO AN ELIGIBLE WIDOW OR WIDOWER UNDER AGE 60, RETROACTIVE TO JANUARY 1, 2011. Reference AO 2011-16.

-- PROPOSITION 10 - SHALL ANCHORAGE MUNICIPAL CHARTER ARTICLE XXI, MUNICIPAL VEHICLE CODE ENFORCEMENT STANDARDS, BE AMENDED TO AUTHORIZE A LIMITED DELEGATION OF DOWNTOWN PARKING VIOLATION ENFORCEMENT TO A MUNICIPAL AUTHORITY OR MUNICIPAL AGENCY ONLY FOR THE DOWNTOWN AREA BOUNDED BY SHIP CREEK ON THE NORTH, GAMBELL STREET ON THE EAST, 10TH AVENUE ON THE SOUTH, AND M STREET ON THE WEST? In short, a Yes vote will authorize the Municipality to transfer parking enforcement in this area from the Anchorage Police Department to an unspecified private parking authority. The private parking authority will not be allowed to cite anything other than parking violations. See the Official Election Notice for more details.

-- PROPOSITION 11 - AN ORDINANCE OF THE ANCHORAGE MUNICIPAL ASSEMBLY SUBMITTING TO THE QUALIFIED VOTERS OF THE MUNICIPALITY AT THE REGULAR MUNICIPAL ELECTION ON APRIL 5, 2011, AN ADVISORY BALLOT PROPOSITION ON WHETHER THE MUNICIPALITY OF ANCHORAGE SHOULD REQUIRE MANDATORY PHOTO IDENTIFICATION FOR SALE OF ALCOHOL BY PACKAGE LIQUOR STORES. Reference AO 2011-18. This is an advisory vote only; it merely advises the Anchorage Assembly of the voters’ preference on mandatory photo identification when alcoholic beverages are purchased at a package liquor store, but no enabling legislation is enacted. Passage constitutes no guarantee that the Assembly will act upon the results.

---- Assemblyman Patrick Flynn discusses this proposition HERE.
---- Anchorage Press Feb. 3 story about this issue HERE.
---- Former Alaska State Rep. Harry Crawford expresses support for this measure HERE.

Did You Know It Can Cost Over $20,000 To Sell Hot Dogs On A Street Corner In Downtown Anchorage, Alaska?

2011-04-01T18:06:00.000-08:00

Bet some of you are wondering how those vendors who sell hot dogs and other delicacies on street corners in downtown Anchorage got their spots. KTUU Channel 2 has published an interesting story providing some background.

They focus on Eugenia Buitrago, the owner of Tia’s Gourmet Sausages, who won the right to sell her wares on the corner of E Street and Fourth Avenue. But the bidding was spirited, and she had to shell out $21,050. But she says it's worth it, not only because it's exposed to the sun, a real asset during Anchorage's long summer days, but also because there's a glut of souvenir stores nearby, and it's adjacent to Peratrovich Park. Gobs of spendthrift tourists who work up an appetite. One person gave it an Excellent rating. Here's a video from 2008 showing Tia in action:

Watch more Anchorage videos at tripfilms.com

However, not all sites are equally attractive -- or lucrative. On the opposite end of the scale, Christopher Sis, who is returning for a second season selling Smitty’s poutine (gravy-covered fries popular in Canada), won the right to sell at the corner of G Street and 5th Avenue, near the Performing Arts Center, for just $929.29. Obviously, the artsy-fartsy crowd are a bunch of cheapskates, and the Performing Arts Center is not exactly a consistent tourist magnet.

Is it worth it? While Eugenia Buitrago won't disclose her numbers, Fred Kaltenbach, who heads the Municipality of Anchorage’s Purchasing Department, which runs the bidding process for food vendor permit sites, says some vendors have reported making up to $150,000 per summer out there. And that's only from April through September -- after deductions for expenses, a savvy vendor can walk away with $50,000 for six months work. But she works hard when she's on the clock -- that's 12 hours per day, seven days per week for the six-month period.

Is Alaska State Rep. Carl Gatto Ahead Of His Time? March In Favor Of Sharia In England Conducted March 25th In London

2011-04-01T00:58:00.000-08:00

Alaska State Rep. Carl Gatto (R-Palmer) continues to take criticism over his bill, HB88, to prevent the establishment of foreign legal systems such as Sharia in this country. Several Muslim representatives testified at the House Judiciary Committee hearings on March 30th, 2011 that they had no such intent.

But is this really so? No one thought there'd be a demand for Sharia in the United Kingdom. Yet so many Muslims have emigrated to Britain that some are now demonstrating in favor of establishment of Sharia in Britain. The New American notes that Muslim protesters, some of them women clad in black burqas, marched in London on March 25th, 2011 to demand Sharia law for the United Kingdom. The apparent leader of the marchers, who shut down Oxford Street in London, rants for the three or so minutes the video lasts. His frightening message is what awaits the West if Muslims continue to exercise their political power in Europe. “Sharia is coming to Libya and Egypt and the U.K.,” he warns. “However much you may dislike … [garbled] will one day be governed by the Sharia.” “Sharia for U.K.,” the speaker shouts twice, a chant the crowd repeats.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rq4el7gyPas

While the Muslim representatives who testified before the committee state that they do not promote the adoption of Sharia in the United States, it should also be noted that the Qur'an (Koran) does permit Muslims to dissemble under certain limited circumstances. There are two forms of lying to non-believers that are permitted under certain circumstances, taqiyya and kitman. These circumstances are typically those that advance the cause Islam - in some cases by gaining the trust of non-believers in order to draw out their vulnerability and defeat them. Most Islamic theologians advocate this as a defensive measure only when Muslims are in actual societal danger; however, some advocates are Islamic supremacists or Islamofascists who want to forcibly impose Islamic law upon non-Muslims.

Naturally, the Southern Poverty Law Center had to take a whack at Pam Geller. In this post, they accuse Geller of wanting to curtail freedom of speech for al-Jazeera, but take no issue with the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) call for the Alaska House Judiciary Committee to censor Geller by not allowing her to testify. The SPLC clearly favors Muslims, illegal immigrants, and the political left over everyone else. A visit to Richard Keefe's blog will provide much more information on SPLC chicanery.

Islamic Center Of Alaska Opposes Rep. Carl Gatto's HB88 "Sharia" Bill; Pamela Gellar Testifies In Support

2011-03-30T22:56:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday March 30th, 2011, Alaska State Rep. Carl Gatto and the House Judiciary Committee held public hearings on HB88, one of which purposes is to stop the implementation of Sharia law in Alaska, and getting the lion's share of attention was testimony by conservative blogger Pamela Gellar, who heads up Stop Islamization of America. Read the full text of HB88 HERE.

Rep. Lindsay Holmes (D-Anchorage), who also serves on the committee, opposes the bill. She said multi-national corporations frequently litigate in several countries, and that if a state were to require that certain court cases be held within its borders, it could drive companies elsewhere. The Alaska Department of Law echoed Holmes’ concern about business relations, and said that it has not found any scenarios in which the bill would have a useful application to Alaska law.

But first, an Alaskan group weighed in. The Islamic Community Center of Alaska sent Rep. Gatto an e-mail saying 4,000 to 6,000 Muslims live peacefully in Alaska and asking him to please do not ignite hate and misunderstanding. Another Muslim from Anchorage, Lamin Jobarteh, said Muslims follow U.S. law, and noted that the Muslim community has harmonious relations with others in Alaska.

But it was Pamela Geller's testimony that attracted the most attention. First, Geller gives us the lineup of those who gave testimony. First, ACLU lawyer Jeffrey Mittman testified against the bill. Next, Robert Spencer spoke in favor of the bill, citing the lack of human rights for non-Muslims living in Muslim countries. Then Nonie Darwish, a former Muslim, gave powerful testimony as a woman living under Sharia. She was followed by Sam Obeidi of the Islamic Center of Alaska, Anchorage, who claimed that sharia was nothing to fear, and disputed Darwish's contentions. Janet Levy then provided the Jewish perspective, explaining how Jewish law and Catholic Canon law function in the U.S. in deference to secular law, compared to supremacist Islamic sharia which becomes the law in many Muslim countries. The Alaska Catholic Conference expressed some concern that passage of HB88 would impact decisions made by the bishops and or their canon lawyers on matters important within the church.

Geller then followed with her own powerful testimony; she provides a transcript of her testimony HERE. Geller characterized HB88 as seeking to prevent foreign laws from undermining fundamental constitutional liberties. But most importantly, she cited Sharia influence on our laws and business practices currently taking place in the United States. Here are the key excerpts:

We have seen sharia law in New Jersey. Back in July 2010, a Muslim husband raped his wife, and the judge determined that no sexual assault occurred because Islam forbids wives to refuse sex on demand from their husbands. Luckily, the appellate court overturned this decision, and a Sharia ruling by an American court was not allowed to stand—this time. But there have been over a hundred cases of Sharia jurisprudence in the US, and Jeffery Mittman of the ACLU has testified that “all have been overturned by a higher courts, therefore there is no problem since the American constitutional system worked.” Of course, this begs the question of why should this have happened in the first place. Secondly, it is simply not true that all cases have been overturned. In fact, there are cases in CAL and MD in which trial courts were overturned by appellate courts, the latter of which turned the blind eye to the threat from shariah.

There are also ongoing initiatives to compel businesses to adopt Sharia norms. In March 2007, Target stores in Minneapolis shifted Muslim cashiers who refused to check out pork products to other jobs in the stores. The J. B. Swift meat packing plant in Greeley, Colorado in September 2008 fired Muslim workers who turned violent and walked off their jobs when denied special break periods to end the Ramadan fast at the appointed time. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, however, sided with the Muslim workers and forced Swift to reinstate them. Ultimately, Swift added footbaths and bidets to its plant for the Muslim workers. Cab drivers in the Minneapolis airport several years ago tried to stipulate that they wouldn’t carry passengers who had alcohol with them – passengers had to conform to Sharia law or not get a cab.

Pamela Geller pays a high price for her activism and patriotism. Even before testimony took place, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) attempted to pressure the House Judiciary Committee into pulling Geller from the lineup because of her so-called "anti-Muslim rhetoric". Didn't work - Gatto has a spine. A so-called "Reverend" Jim Fuller has called her a "Holocaust denier, a white supremacist, and defender of neo-Nazis". When the Southern Poverty Law Center designated her group a "hate group", Geller characterized it as a badge of honor, and further exposed SPLC profligacy and perfidy in this post. Pamela Geller takes a licking, and keeps on ticking.

Alaska State Rep. Carl Gatto Introduces HB88 To Prevent Implementation Of Islamic Sharia Or Other Foreign Law In Alaska

2011-03-30T21:38:00.000-08:00

Note: This post recovered from original Alaska Pride blog and cross-posted here in case Blogger decides not to unlock the original Alaska Pride blog.

Alaska State Representative Carl Gatto (R-Palmer) has introduced a bill in the legislature which is being interpreted by Muslim extremists as "anti-Islamic". The bill, designated HB88, would prevent the implementation of any foreign laws within the state of Alaska. Although the text of the bill does not mention either Islam or Sharia, Rep. Gatto refers to Sharia as an example in his sponsor statement. Read this Wikipedia article if you're not familiar with Sharia.

In short, the bill, which is based upon model legislation published by Public Policy Alliance, would prevent an Alaskan's constitutional rights to be impeded in any way by the application of foreign law. A court, arbitrator, mediator, administrative agency, or enforcement agency could not apply a foreign law if application of the foreign law would violate an individual's right guaranteed by the Constitution of the State of Alaska or the United States Constitution. Rep. Gatto defines "foreign law" as a law, rule, or legal code or system established and used or applied in a jurisdiction outside of the United States and the territories of the United States. Read the full text of HB88 HERE.

It is in his sponsor statement that Rep. Gatto mentions "Sharia". Gatto writes, in part:

One example of an offending transnational law is sharia - authoritative Islamic law that is applied as the law of the land in many countries around the world. Sharia is patently offensive to U.S. and Alaska constitutional law because it criminalizes apostasy (violation of Free Exercise of Religion) and blasphemy against Islam, Mohammed, and sharia itself (violation of Free Speech). Sharia also violates principles of due process and equal protection by discriminating against non-Muslims and women.

Countries that apply sharia as the law of the land include Saudi Arabia, Iran, Sudan, and Somalia. Many Muslim countries apply sharia as the law of the land in specific legal areas such as family law and inheritance. Examples of these countries and political regimes include Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nigeria, parts of Indonesia, Gaza, Jordan, and Yemen. In addition, just about all Muslim countries have a de jure or de facto sharia supremacy clause which effectively does not allow any "secular" law to violate sharia's fundamental principles of Islamic supremacy. Countries of this type include such "moderate" countries such as Egypt, Jordan, Afghanistan, and even Iraq.

But even though neither Islam nor Sharia are mentioned in the bill, merely exemplifying Sharia in the sponsor statement was enough to set off the Council of American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), which issued a hysterical statment entitled "CAIR: ALASKA LAWMAKER SMEARS AMERICAN MUSLIMS - Anti-Sharia bill sponsor claims Middle Easterners 'occupy' neighborhoods, 'establish their own laws'". CAIR National Legislative Director Corey Saylor wrote "The level of anti-Muslim fear-mongering coming primarily from some elements within the Republican party is really getting out of hand. If passed, this bill and others like it across the nation would result in government-sanctioned discrimination against a minority faith. Moderates in the Republican Party must stand up and return the GOP to the anti-discrimination principles of Abraham Lincoln."

Other states known to have introduced or are contemplating anti-Sharia legislation include Alabama, Tennessee, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Florida, and South Dakota.

The fact is that while Islam in the United States is neither separatist nor supremacist for the most part, except in isolated places like Dearborn, MI where they've become numerous, the same cannot be said elsewhere in the world. In the Middle East, where Islam is overwhelmingly predominant, it is clearly supremacist, frequently levying barbaric punishments such as amputation, stoning, and clitoral circumcision in some of the more fundamentalist countries like Saudi Arabia. Christians, if permitted to practice at all, tend to be third-class citizens, behind even Jews in the social and political pecking order. The Middle East is one of two major areas in the world where no official indigenous presence of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is permitted (the other is China), although LDS foreigners in the host countries may be permitted to assemble and worship privately. Furthermore, the so-called "orchestrated revolutions" taking place in Middle Eastern countries are suspiciously viewed by some as a precursor to the possible resurrection of the ancient Muslim regional caliphate; this development could place Israel in mortal danger.

In Europe, where Muslims aren't predominant, Islam has acquired a separatist character. Many Muslims transform their neighborhoods into no-go areas for other people and even the cops. The Act For America website claims this is becoming a widespread practice. The people who chimped out and repeatedly rioted in France, burning hundreds of cars, are predominantly Muslim. In the United Kingdom, some public schools force all students to eat halal meat regardless of religion; while there's nothing dangerous about halal meat, it does impose an Islamic practice upon non-Muslims.

The most noticeable Islamic presence in Alaska is in Anchorage; the first mosque, or masjid in Alaska is currently under construction. There was no initial reaction from the Muslim community in Anchorage to this bill, but that's likely to change.

Consolidated List Of All Charges Against Francis "Schaeffer" Cox And His Five Cohorts From March 22nd, 2011

2011-03-30T19:19:00.001-08:00

Note: This post was recovered from the original Alaska Pride blog and cross-posted here while the original blog was locked. The original blog has since been restored, but this post is being kept up to date for now.

The State of Alaska finally secured indictments from a grand jury against Francis "Schaeffer" Cox and his five cohorts, and the list of charges has grown, requiring a complete new list to be posted so that those interested can follow the case. The sixth person added is Rachel Barney, charged with one count of Hindering Prosecution in the First Degree. Page 12 of the charging document shows that one of the witnesses appearing before the grand jury was identified as a confidential source, designated as AST0-11-1.

The complete indictment is outlined in this 14-page charging document. There are a grand total of 22 counts. Some counts involve as many as five of the defendants, while others involve as few as two. The state court set bail for $2 million for the five defendants except for Rachel Barney, who's not in custody and will next appear in court on April 5th. However, even if they could make state bail, they would not be released except for Michael Anderson, because the other four have been denied federal bail by U.S. Magistrate Scott Oravec. Federal trial date for all defendants is now set for February 6th, 2012, while the state trial date is now set for April 16th, 2012.

The updated state charges are spelled out below (after the jump). Click on the highlighted name to access the Alaska Court System database record on the individual:

-- Schaeffer Cox (4FA-11-00796CR): Two counts Conspiracy to Commit Murder in the First Degree, two counts Conspiracy to Commit Kidnapping, nine counts Misconduct Involving Weapons in the Third Degree.

-- Lonnie Vernon (4FA-11-00797CR): Five counts Conspiracy to Commit Murder in the First Degree, two counts Conspiracy to Commit Kidnapping, three counts Misconduct Involving Weapons in the Third Degree, one count Hindering Prosecution in the First Degree.

-- Karen Vernon (4FA-11-00798CR): Five counts Conspiracy to Commit Murder in the First Degree, two counts Conspiracy to Commit Kidnapping, three counts Misconduct Involving Weapons in the Third Degree, one count Hindering Prosecution in the First Degree.

-- Coleman Barney (4FA-11-00799CR): Two counts Conspiracy to Commit Murder in the First Degree, two counts Conspiracy to Commit Kidnapping, six counts Misconduct Involving Weapons in the Third Degree, one count Hindering Prosecution in the First Degree.

-- Michael Orion Anderson (4FA-11-00815CR): Two counts Conspiracy to Commit Murder, and one count Conspiracy to Commit Kidnapping. The single count of Tampering with Evidence was dismissed on July 22nd, 2011.

-- Rachel Barney (4FA-11-00896CR): One count Hindering Prosecution in the First Degree

On March 17th, 2011, Federal prosecutors announced a slew of Federal charges against four of the defendants, listed on two separate charging documents HERE and HERE. Note that on both charging documents, not all charges apply to all defendants; read through each count to find out which ones apply to which defendants:

-- Lonnie Vernon:
---- One count Threatening Murder of Family Member of United States Judge
---- One count Threatening Murder of United States Judge
---- One count Conspiracy to Murder Federal Officials
---- One count Conspiracy to Possess Unregistered Firearm and Destructive Device
---- One count Possession of Silencer
---- One count Possession of Unregistered Machine Gun
---- One count Possession of Machine Gun
---- One count Silenced Firearm Used In Furtherance of a Crime of Violence
---- One count Conspiracy to Possess Unregistered Silencers and Destructive Devices

-- Karen Vernon:
---- One count Threatening Murder of Family Member of United States Judge.
---- One count Threatening Murder of United States Judge.
---- One count Conspiracy to Murder Federal Officials
---- One count Conspiracy to Possess Unregistered Firearm and Destructive Device

-- Schaeffer Cox:
---- One count Conspiracy to Possess Unregistered Silencers and Destructive Devices
---- One count Possession of Unregistered Destructive Devices
---- One count Possession of Unregistered Silencer
---- One count Possession of an Unregistered Machine Gun
---- One count Possession of Machine Gun
---- One count Making of a Silencer

-- Coleman Barney:
---- One count Conspiracy to Possess Unregistered Silencers and Destructive Devices
---- One count Possession of Unregistered Destructive Devices

Neither Michael Anderson nor Rachel Barney were indicted by the Federal Grand Jury; they face no Federal charges.

Anchorage Church Visits Blogger Chris Thompson Rates Churches In Anchorage, Alaska

2011-03-28T22:28:00.001-08:00

The most current version is published on the primary Alaska Pride blog. The backup version posted here has been taken down.

Anchorage 2011 Municipal Election Candidate Information

2011-03-27T23:37:00.000-08:00

Note: This is a partial restoration of the information on the main blog.

Anchorage, Alaska will hold its annual municipal election on Tuesday April 5th, 2011. Six Assembly seats and two School Board seats will be up for grabs for three-year terms each. While Assembly members represent designated geographical districts, all school board seats are city-wide. The MOA Election Page provides all necessary information about the upcoming election, to include how to register to vote and what assembly district you live in. Eight ballot propositions are also up for grabs; they are presented HERE.

Candidates are listed in two places; on the MOA Candidates Page, and in the APOC database. The latter provides information on candidate fund-raising and campaign contributions. APOC maintains records on these candidates in two locations:
-- Interim reporting database HERE (to see the whole list of candidates, type 2011 Anchorage in the Candidate For box, then click Search).
-- Permanent reporting database HERE. Fewer candidates on this list, but much easier to use.

Candidate Links:

Section 1, Seat B - Downtown
(1). Patrick Flynn (incumbent, seeking second term)
------ Official campaign website HERE
------ Personal blog HERE
------ KTUU candidate profile HERE
------ Awarded AEA (teachers union) endorsement
(2). Ron Alleva
------ Official campaign website HERE
------ KTUU candidate profile HERE
------ Opposed the proposal to turn the Red Roof Inn into a homeless shelter for inebriates (see his comment)
(3). Albert Swank
------ Official campaign website HERE
------ KTUU candidate profile HERE
------ Wanted to install cyclotron in his home; Assembly shot him down in 2005

Section 2, Seat C - Chugiak/Eagle River
(1). Bill Starr (incumbent, seeking third term)
------ Official campaign webpage HERE
------ KTUU candidate profile HERE
------ Endorsed by Mayor Dan Sullivan
(2). Douglas Urquidi
------ Official campaign website HERE
------ KTUU candidate profile HERE
(3). Robert Lupo
------ KTUU candidate profile HERE
------ Holdover ADN Mayoral Candidate Profile from 2009 HERE (click on Lupo's face -- he's the one wearing the headband -- and his Q&A will come up)

Section 3, Seat E - West Anchorage
(1). Harriet Drummond (incumbent, seeking second term)
------ Official campaign website HERE
------ Facebook page HERE
------ KTUU candidate profile HERE
------ Awarded AEA (teachers union) endorsement
(2). Elizabeth Vazquez
------ Official campaign website HERE
------ Facebook page HERE
------ KTUU candidate profile HERE
------ Endorsed by Mayor Dan Sullivan
(3). Peter Olsen
------ Official campaign website HERE
------ Facebook page HERE
------ KTUU candidate profile HERE
(4). Kendra Taber
------ KTUU candidate profile HERE

Section 4, Seat G - Midtown
(1). Elvi Gray-Jackson (incumbent, seeking second term)
------ Official campaign website HERE
------ Facebook page HERE
------ KTUU candidate profile HERE
------ Awarded AEA (teachers union) endorsement
(2). David W. Bronson
------ Official campaign website HERE
------ KTUU candidate profile HERE
------ Endorsed by Alaska Right To Life
------ Posts on The Alaska Standard accessible HERE.
------ Endorsed by Mayor Dan Sullivan
(3). Billy Ray Powers
------ Official campaign website HERE
------ KTUU candidate profile HERE
------ Holdover ADN Mayoral Candidate Profile from 2009 HERE (mouse over the second row, then click on his picture when the legend appears)

Section 5, Seat I - East Anchorage
(1). Mike Gutierrez (incumbent, seeking second term)
------ Official campaign website HERE.
------ Facebook page HERE.
------ KTUU candidate profile HERE
------ Awarded AEA (teachers union) endorsement
(2). Adam Trombley
------ Official campaign website HERE.
------ Facebook page HERE.
------ KTUU candidate profile HERE
------ Endorsed by Alaska Right To Life
------ Holdover ADN Candidate Profile from 2010 HERE.
------ Anchorage Tea Party endorsement HERE.
------ Conservative Patriot Group's endorsement HERE.
------ Endorsed by Mayor Dan Sullivan
(3). Paul Bauer
------ Official campaign website HERE
------ KTUU candidate profile HERE

Section 6, Seat K - South Anchorage
(1). Chris Birch (incumbent, seeking third term)
------ Official campaign website HERE.
------ KTUU candidate profile HERE
------ Endorsed by Mayor Dan Sullivan
(2). Mike Kenny
------ Official campaign website HERE.
------ KTUU candidate profile HERE
------ Awarded AEA (teachers union) endorsement

School Board, Seat C
(1). Patrick Higgins (incumbent, seeking second term)
------ Official campaign website HERE
------ Official Anchorage School Board bio HERE.
------ KTUU candidate profile HERE
------ Awarded AEA (teachers union) endorsement
(2). Bob Griffin
------ Official campaign website HERE
------ KTUU candidate profile HERE
------ Posts on The Alaska Standard accessible HERE.
------ Holdover ADN Candidate Profile from 2010 HERE.
(3). Dustin Darden (switched from the Seat D race): Photo HERE

School Board, Seat D
(1). Gretchen Guess (former state legislator)
------ Official campaign website HERE
------ Facebook page HERE
------ KTUU candidate profile HERE
------ Awarded AEA (teachers union) endorsement
(2). Roman Romanovski
------ KTUU candidate profile HERE
------ Facebook page reference to him HERE.
(3). David Nees
------ KTUU candidate profile HERE
------ Facebook page HERE
------ Holdover ADN Candidate Profile from 2010 HERE
------ Holdover response to AEA 2010 Candidate Survey HERE
(4). Treg Taylor
------ Official campaign website HERE (under construction)
------ Facebook page HERE
------ KTUU candidate profile HERE

Repost Of Alaska 2010 Census Data; Alaska's Population Grew By 13 Percent Since 2000 To 710,231

2011-03-27T23:30:00.000-08:00

On March 15th, 2011, the U.S. Census Bureau released official population statistics from the 2010 census for the state of Alaska. They show that Alaska grew by 13 percent during the past decade to its present population of 710,231, which is still not enough for us to qualify for a second U.S. House District. The fastest-growing county equivalent was the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, increasing by 50 percent to 88,995. Anchorage continues steady growth, increasing by 12.1 percent to a population of 291,826. And Fairbanks, which was officially only the third largest city in Alaska in 2000, snuck past Juneau to become the state's second largest city at 31,535.

Racially, non-Hispanic Whites continue to dominate the state, with 64.1 percent of the total, while Alaska Natives are second, with 14.4 percent. Hispanics checked in third at 5.5 percent, just nosing out Asians who were at 5.3 percent. The most explosive percentage growth was registered by Pacific Islanders, who increased their population by 123.9 percent during the decade; multiracials experience the second highest growth rate at 51.9 percent, just nosing out Asians at 51.8 percent.

Perhaps the most important task growing out of this census is legislative redistricting. The Redistricting Board has 30 days, beginning from Tuesday March 15th, to come up with a draft redistricting plan, and 60 days to present a final plan. With the bulk of the population increase concentrated in Anchorage, Mat-Su, Fairbanks and the Kenai Peninsula, the new numbers will most likely require a reduction in districts in Southeast and rural Alaska and an increase in districts on the road system. A preliminary analysis already shows five House districts losing at least 17 percent of their population from 2002-2010, and at least one rural district may be abolished altogether. Find out more about the board's efforts HERE. Alaska Dispatch has published an in-depth article describing the redistricting process.

Preliminary census information also indicates that based upon estimates between 2002 and 2007, the number of American Indian and Alaska Native-owned businesses increased by 17.7 percent while total number of US businesses increased 17.9 percent during the same time frame. Receipts generated by all surveyed Native-owned businesses in 2007, totaling $34.4 billion, represented a 28-percent increase from 2002.

The Census Bureau issued the primary release in the form of a cumbersome zipped file that requires an unzip utility. I was unable to get the Windows 7 built-in unzipper to give me readable data; all I got were a bunch of 1's and 0's. However, there is a series of five custom tables available HERE. The tables are in Excel XLS format, but can be read using any Excel-compatible spreadsheet. The five tables provide basic population information for each county equivalent, the 20 largest cities, and racially-stratified information. The Alaska Department of Labor has also created a portal which provides population figures on all Alaska communities. I've posted the most pertinent results after the jump.

Table 1 provides basic population statistics:

County Equivalents: Defined as organized entities such as municipalities, boroughs, combined city-boroughs, and unorganized entities such as census areas:

-- Anchorage Municipality: 291,826
-- Fairbanks North Star Borough: 97,581
-- Matanuska-Susitna Borough: 88,995
-- Kenai Peninsula Borough: 55,400
-- Juneau City and Borough: 31,275
-- Bethel Census Area: 17,013
-- Kodiak Island Borough: 13,592
-- Ketchikan Gateway Borough: 13,477
-- Valdez-Cordova Census Area: 9,636
-- Nome Census Area: 9,492
-- North Slope Borough: 9,430
-- Sitka City and Borough: 8,881
-- Northwest Arctic Borough: 7,523
-- Wade Hampton Census Area: 7,459
-- Southeast Fairbanks Census Area: 7,029
-- Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area: 5,588
-- Aleutians West Census Area: 5,561
-- Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area: 5,559
-- Dillingham Census Area: 4,847
-- Petersburg Census Area: 3,815

Incorporated Areas (Cities): Limited to cities of 500 or more in population.

-- Anchorage: 291,826
-- Fairbanks: 31,535
-- Juneau: 31,275
-- Sitka: 8,881
-- Ketchikan: 8,050
-- Wasilla: 7,831
-- Kenai: 7,100
-- Kodiak: 6,130
-- Bethel: 6,080
-- Palmer: 5,937
-- Homer: 5,003
-- Unalaska: 4,376
-- Barrow: 4,212
-- Soldotna: 4,163
-- Valdez: 3,976
-- Nome: 3,598
-- Kotzebue: 3,201
-- Petersburg: 2,948
-- Seward: 2,693
-- Wrangell: 2,369
-- Dillingham: 2,329
-- Cordova: 2,239
-- North Pole: 2,117
-- Houston: 1,912
-- Craig: 1,201
-- Hooper Bay: 1,093
-- Akutan: 1,027
-- Sand Point: 976
-- Delta Junction: 958
-- Selawik: 829
-- Togiak: 817
-- Mountain Village: 813
-- Emmonak: 762
-- Hoonah: 760
-- Klawock: 755
-- Gambell: 681
-- Alakanuk: 677
-- Point Hope: 674
-- Noorvik: 668
-- Toksook Bay: 590
-- Fort Yukon: 583
-- Kotlik: 577
-- Pilot Station: 568
-- Shishmaref: 563
-- Kake: 557
-- Stebbins: 556
-- Wainwright: 556
-- New Stuyahok: 510
-- St. Mary's: 507
-- Aniak: 501

Census-Designated Places (CDP): Communities which are organized but not formally incorporated. This list limited to the more significant CDPs:

-- Meadow Lakes CDP: 7,570
-- Knik/Fairview CDP: 14,923
-- Tanaina CDP: 8,197
-- Talkeetna CDP: 876
-- Willow CDP: 2,102
-- Big Lake CDP: 3,350
-- Gateway CDP: 5,552
-- Fishhook CDP: 4,679
-- Sutton/Alpine CDP: 1,447
-- Butte CDP: 3,246
-- Nikiski CDP: 4,493
-- Sterling CDP: 5,617
-- College CDP: 12,964
-- Ester CDP: 2,422
-- Yakutat CDP: 662
-- Skagway CDP: 920
-- Haines CDP: 1,713
-- Prudhoe Bay CDP: 2,174

Table 2 provides separate racial breakdowns, first without Hispanics, and then with Hispanics:

Total population: 710,231
-- White: 473,576 (66.7 percent)
-- Black or African-American: 23,263 (3.3 percent)
-- American Indian and/or Alaska Native: 104,871 (14.8 percent)
-- Asian: 38,135 (5.4 percent)
-- Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander: 7,409 (1.0 percent)
-- Some Other Race: 11,102 (1.6 percent)
-- Two or More Races: 51,875 (7.3 percent)

Now the same graph is presented again, after all those identifying as Hispanic are culled out of all the races and presented in a standalone mode (the Anchorage Daily News erroneously reported the number of Whites from Table 2 from 2000 instead of 2010, but the numbers below are straight from the table; whatever numbers the state finally uses will be the ones I use):

Total population: 710,231
-- Hispanic or Latino (of any race): 39,249 (5.5 percent)
-- White: 455,320 (64.1 percent)
-- Black or African American: 21,949 (3.1 percent)
-- American Indian and/or Alaska Native: 102,556 (14.4 percent)
-- Asian: 37,459 (5.3 percent)
-- Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander: 7,219 (1.0 percent)
-- Some Other Race: 1,111 (0.2 percent)
-- Two or More Races: 45,368 (6.4 percent)

Table 3 is similar to Table 2. However, it shows data for the six “race alone or in combination”categories. The concept “race alone or in combination” includes people who reported only a single race (e.g., Asian) and people who reported that race in combination with one or more of the other major race groups (i.e., white, black or African-American, American Indian and Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, and some other race). The concept “race alone or in combination,” represents the maximum number of people who reported as that major race group, either alone or in combination with another race(s). The sum of the six individual "race alone or in combination" categories may add to more than the total population because people who reported more than one race were tallied in each race category. Table 3 is confusing and it is better to use Table 2 for precise racial reporting.

For people who reported two or more races, Table 4 shows the population in each of the 15 combinations of two races (for example, the number of people who reported being both white and black or African-American).

Table 5 shows the population in the major race categories and of Hispanic or Latino origin for Alaska's most populous county equivalents and incorporated places.

Alaska Pride Blog Erroneously Caught In Blogger's Spam Filter, Have Requested A Review

2011-03-27T22:59:00.000-08:00

The primary Alaska Pride blog has been caught in Blogger's spam filter. Blogger notified me that they've disabled access to it because they detected what they called "unusual activity". I've requested a review and expect an answer within the next couple of days. Ive just received the following message from Blogger confirming receipt of my request for review:

"We received your unlock request on March 28, 2011. On behalf of the robots, we apologize for locking your non-spam blog. Please be patient while we take a look at your blog and verify that it is not spam".

Update March 29th around 2:00 P.M. Alaska time: I posted the following message on the Blogger Help Forum:

I first discovered my Alaska Pride blog flagged and locked as a suspected spam blog on March 27th, 2011 around 10:00 P.M. Alaska time. The blog url:

http://alaskapride.blogspot.com

I immediately submitted a request for review. Shortly thereafter, I received an e-mail from Blogger acknowledging receipt.

On March 29th around 1:25 P.M. Alaska time, I followed up by submitting an appeal on the spreadsheet. It acknowledged receipt.

Thus, my Alaska Pride blog has been inaccessible for over 36 hours now. This blog has been in existence since February 2006, it's never been previously flagged, and I have not changed my posting style. The most recent new widget I added was about a month ago. To the best of my knowledge, I have not violated the ToS. If this was caused by a bad widget or a bad post, I would appreciate the opportunity to get back my blog and remove the offending issue.

Thanks for your attention to this matter.

Google recently decided to crack down on what they call "link farms". This means Blogger updated their algorithms to better detect blogs which might be link farms. Unfortunately, legitimate blogs which have many links in their posts can get falsely flagged. Several of my recent posts about the Anchorage 2011 Municipal Election had numerous links. This may have gotten Alaska Pride flagged.

My apologies to those who were depending on this blog for information on the upcoming Anchorage Municipal election. Using the Google search function of the cache, I may be able to restore some of the election-related posts here.