Courtesy of Raw Story:
Kathleen Tonn, the former Republican candidate, carried a briefcase stuffed with props and wore a wool hat and flannel sweatshirt Tuesday night to the meeting of the Anchorage assembly, which is considering an LGBT rights ordinance, reported the Joe My God blog.
“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. You like my trumpet? It’s a sound heard around the world,” Tonn said, before pulling a Bible from her briefcase.
The assembly chairman asked Tonn to state and spell her name, which she elaborately did, ending the display with a bit of free association.
“Tonn as in a ton of sin, a ton of judgment,” she said, as the chairman asked where she lived. “Hillside, where the sun was most of the summer. A ton of ‘nucular’ destruction.”
“Since one of my brethren introduced the King James Bible, since I represent the Lord Jesus Christ the great I am, I’m going to add to your public document and your public record from the public document of the great I am,” Tonn told baffled officials.
“Starting with, oh my — a tampon,” she said, pulling a feminine hygiene product from between the pages of her Bible. “Reminds me that little girls in pubescence get periods — female girls.”
Man I have GOT to start attending these assembly meetings again.
Now perhaps a few of you might remember Kathleen Tonn from her appearance in the Alaska Club sauna where she stood fully clothed speaking in tongues.
Boy that religion really brings out the mental health in a person, doesn't it?
(Video courtesy of the Alaska Commons.)
Showing posts with label Assembly. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Assembly. Show all posts
Thursday, September 17, 2015
Monday, April 20, 2015
Conservative Anchorage mayoral candidate Amy Demboski calls public park access plan "big government garbage." WTF?
Okay the project that crazy eyes was losing her shit about back in 2014 was a simple plan to secure access points to Chugach state park, which already exist but are unsecured.
Here is more from Alaska Dispatch:
The overall goal is to secure and maintain access to the park for existing and future park users. The plan is a step toward this goal by identifying potential access points, basically locations where users can already access the park but where the access is not secured or formally designated. The identification of such sites is a requirement of the Municipal Land Use Ordinance (Title 21) specifically to guide future planning and zoning decisions.
And that is what Demboski so eloquently refers to as "big government garbage."
God I cannot believe this is one of the two candidates in the run off election that will choose the next mayor to lead my city.
Here is more from Alaska Dispatch:
The overall goal is to secure and maintain access to the park for existing and future park users. The plan is a step toward this goal by identifying potential access points, basically locations where users can already access the park but where the access is not secured or formally designated. The identification of such sites is a requirement of the Municipal Land Use Ordinance (Title 21) specifically to guide future planning and zoning decisions.
And that is what Demboski so eloquently refers to as "big government garbage."
God I cannot believe this is one of the two candidates in the run off election that will choose the next mayor to lead my city.
Thursday, December 18, 2014
Bill to ban marijuana sales in Anchorage fails. As well it should.
An ordinance that would have banned commercial marijuana in Anchorage failed after four hours of public testimony and debate in Assembly chambers Tuesday night.
The Assembly voted 9-2 just after 10 p.m. to kill the measure. Only members Amy Demboski and Paul Honeman supported the measure.
Demboski introduced the proposal last month, hoping the city would take a “wait and see approach" as state lawmakers craft marijuana regulations.
Yeah this lady just made the shit list of a whole lot of pot smokers in this town.
Fortunately for her they are all way too mellowed out to do anything aggressive, but they are totally thinking mean thoughts at her.
Keeping legal marijuana sales out of Anchorage, while they were taking place in other parts of the state, would have left us out of the potential windfall that the legalization will likely bring.
And THAT will definitely get people more than a little riled up.
Instead of wasting time trying to put on the brakes the Assembly and other legislative bodies should be focused on implementing policies that will see this new opportunity implemented as seamlessly as possible.
Besides I want to try one of these new cannabis suckers.
Tuesday, April 05, 2011
Okay Anchorage, you have but ONE extremely important task today, GO VOTE!!!
There are a number of bonds to vote on and two school board seats, which you can read about here (By the way Service High School REALLY needs that 37 million dollar upgrade.), but the main battle lines are drawn over Mayor Sullivan's attempt to oust three of the Anchorage Assembly members that refuse to let him fake a financial crisis so he can use it to cut city services. (I know, how dare they?)
They are Harriet Drummond, (My fiery Assemblywoman) Elvi Grey-Jackson, and Mike Gutierrez. These three have held the line against Sullivan's careless fiscal policies and called him out on his lies repeatedly, and he wants to get them out of his way.
Personally I really like that they are in his way. It makes me feel much better about my city and our future.
Now the opponents that Sullivan has hand picked to challenge these three are simply lapdogs and sycophants that will jump through whatever hoop he holds up, in exchange for a little tummy rub, or promises of working for him when he attains the office that he REALLY covets, which is Mark Begich's Senate seat. (Yes Danny-boy we know all about your secret backroom deals and shenanigans.)
In fact THAT is really the driving force behind Sullivan's attempts to paint himself as a fiscal conservative willing to take on the unions and kiss the ass of big business, rather than a bumbling moron using his father's famous name to get himself elected to a cushy, and influential, political position.
You can learn more about these candidates, and Sullivan's agenda, by visiting Mudflats, Alaska Commons, and Bent Alaska.
However for me the choice of who to vote for when it comes to the Anchorage Assembly could not be any more simple. If this fraudulent, morally bankrupt, sorry excuse for a public servant is FOR somebody, than in all good conscience I have no choice but to be against them.
In other words, would you accept a political endorsement from THIS GUY?
Nope! Not me either!
As for the candidates for School Board, I admit I have no been paying as close attention as I should but I really hear good things about Pat Higgins, and here is a pretty sweet ad that my friend Dennis Zaki made for him.
Look the bottom line is. get out and vote. Your neighbors, your children, and your community are counting on you.
Namaste my friends.
They are Harriet Drummond, (My fiery Assemblywoman) Elvi Grey-Jackson, and Mike Gutierrez. These three have held the line against Sullivan's careless fiscal policies and called him out on his lies repeatedly, and he wants to get them out of his way.
Personally I really like that they are in his way. It makes me feel much better about my city and our future.
Now the opponents that Sullivan has hand picked to challenge these three are simply lapdogs and sycophants that will jump through whatever hoop he holds up, in exchange for a little tummy rub, or promises of working for him when he attains the office that he REALLY covets, which is Mark Begich's Senate seat. (Yes Danny-boy we know all about your secret backroom deals and shenanigans.)
In fact THAT is really the driving force behind Sullivan's attempts to paint himself as a fiscal conservative willing to take on the unions and kiss the ass of big business, rather than a bumbling moron using his father's famous name to get himself elected to a cushy, and influential, political position.
You can learn more about these candidates, and Sullivan's agenda, by visiting Mudflats, Alaska Commons, and Bent Alaska.
However for me the choice of who to vote for when it comes to the Anchorage Assembly could not be any more simple. If this fraudulent, morally bankrupt, sorry excuse for a public servant is FOR somebody, than in all good conscience I have no choice but to be against them.
In other words, would you accept a political endorsement from THIS GUY?
Nope! Not me either!
As for the candidates for School Board, I admit I have no been paying as close attention as I should but I really hear good things about Pat Higgins, and here is a pretty sweet ad that my friend Dennis Zaki made for him.
Look the bottom line is. get out and vote. Your neighbors, your children, and your community are counting on you.
Namaste my friends.
Monday, March 07, 2011
This is a very important post for my LGBT friends in Anchorage, Alaska. However everybody is welcome to read it and make comments.
I don't usually have guest bloggers but my friend Mel Green asked me to put this post up in order to reach out to the LGBT community here in town and hopefully persuade them to participate in a very important new poll.
That’s what Anchorage Mayor Dan Sullivan stated on August 17, 2009 when he vetoed Anchorage Ordinance 2009-64, the Anchorage equal rights ordinance, which had been passed the previous week by a vote of 7 to 4 by the Anchorage Assembly.
AO 64 briefly added sexual orientation and gender identity to the list of personal characteristics in Title 5, Anchorage’s equal rights code, which prohibits discrimination based on those characteristics in employment, housing, financial practices, education, and practices of the Municipality of Anchorage. Its passage on August 11, 2009, followed a protracted period of public testimony at the Anchorage Assembly, with accompanying sign-waving and letter-writing both by ordinance supporters and those who opposed equal rights.
We know there is discrimination in the Municipality of Anchorage against LGBT people. Indeed, we presented quantifiable evidence from two previous studies on sexual orientation and sexual orientation bias in Alaska and Anchorage. But those studies were conducted in the 1980s, and Mayor Sullivan chose to ignore both them and the firsthand testimony of more recent incidents of antigay/antitrans discrimination that Anchorage residents testified to before the Assembly.
Many of us know a friend or a loved one who has experienced discrimination. In the absence of legal protections, LGBT people — especially transgender individuals — are vulnerable to unfair treatment. We know those stories are out there. We just need to document them.
That’s why we need your help.
If you are an LGBT person who lives, works, or spends time in Anchorage — or if you’ve lived/worked/spent time in Anchorage in the past — please complete the Anchorage LGBT Discrimination Survey.
It takes about 10 minutes to complete the survey. All survey responses are completely confidential, and survey administration has been designed to ensure the privacy of all respondents.
We need your help whether or not you have personally experienced discrimination.
To make sure that there is only one person per survey, and to ensure that only members of the LGBT community participate, a valid PIN number is required for your survey to be counted. But it’s simple. Just:
1. Contact the Project Manager, Shelby Carpenter, at scarpenter@akclu.org or at 907.263.2006 to get a PIN.
2. Go to http://alaskacommunity.org/ to complete the survey.
3. Paper surveys are also available upon request.
The Community Survey Task Force has extended survey data collection to March 31, 2011 in order to give more people time to respond. Please pass the word along to other LGBT folks who live, work, or spend time in Anchorage, Eagle River, Chugiak, Peters Creek, Eklutna, Girdwood.
Thank you for your help with this important study!
P.S. This is Gryphen. For any of you unfamiliar with what happened back in the summer of 2009, or as we refer to it "The Summer of Hate," my daughter and I made a video of what was taking place outside of the Loussac Library while the Anchorage Assembly was meeting and listening to testimony.
My review shows that there is clearly a lack of quantifiable evidence necessitating this ordinance.
That’s what Anchorage Mayor Dan Sullivan stated on August 17, 2009 when he vetoed Anchorage Ordinance 2009-64, the Anchorage equal rights ordinance, which had been passed the previous week by a vote of 7 to 4 by the Anchorage Assembly.
AO 64 briefly added sexual orientation and gender identity to the list of personal characteristics in Title 5, Anchorage’s equal rights code, which prohibits discrimination based on those characteristics in employment, housing, financial practices, education, and practices of the Municipality of Anchorage. Its passage on August 11, 2009, followed a protracted period of public testimony at the Anchorage Assembly, with accompanying sign-waving and letter-writing both by ordinance supporters and those who opposed equal rights.
We know there is discrimination in the Municipality of Anchorage against LGBT people. Indeed, we presented quantifiable evidence from two previous studies on sexual orientation and sexual orientation bias in Alaska and Anchorage. But those studies were conducted in the 1980s, and Mayor Sullivan chose to ignore both them and the firsthand testimony of more recent incidents of antigay/antitrans discrimination that Anchorage residents testified to before the Assembly.
Many of us know a friend or a loved one who has experienced discrimination. In the absence of legal protections, LGBT people — especially transgender individuals — are vulnerable to unfair treatment. We know those stories are out there. We just need to document them.
That’s why we need your help.
If you are an LGBT person who lives, works, or spends time in Anchorage — or if you’ve lived/worked/spent time in Anchorage in the past — please complete the Anchorage LGBT Discrimination Survey.
It takes about 10 minutes to complete the survey. All survey responses are completely confidential, and survey administration has been designed to ensure the privacy of all respondents.
We need your help whether or not you have personally experienced discrimination.
To make sure that there is only one person per survey, and to ensure that only members of the LGBT community participate, a valid PIN number is required for your survey to be counted. But it’s simple. Just:
1. Contact the Project Manager, Shelby Carpenter, at scarpenter@akclu.org or at 907.263.2006 to get a PIN.
2. Go to http://alaskacommunity.org/ to complete the survey.
3. Paper surveys are also available upon request.
The Community Survey Task Force has extended survey data collection to March 31, 2011 in order to give more people time to respond. Please pass the word along to other LGBT folks who live, work, or spend time in Anchorage, Eagle River, Chugiak, Peters Creek, Eklutna, Girdwood.
Thank you for your help with this important study!
P.S. This is Gryphen. For any of you unfamiliar with what happened back in the summer of 2009, or as we refer to it "The Summer of Hate," my daughter and I made a video of what was taking place outside of the Loussac Library while the Anchorage Assembly was meeting and listening to testimony.
Wednesday, April 07, 2010
Results of last night's Anchorage Municipal Elections.
ASSEMBLY - SECTION 2 - SEAT A
OSSIANDER, Debbie 3126 68.66% (Ossiander seems to hang despite how poorly she does her job. Sad.)
BROWN, Joelle 568 12.48%
ROBERTS, Josh 823 18.08%
Write-in Votes 36 0.79%
ASSEMBLY - SECTION 3 - SEAT D
HALL, Ernie 4012 58.36%
CLAMAN, Matt 2 558 37.21% (Losing Claman is a little shocking. I wonder if his stint as interim mayor hurt his reelection bid?)
SIGLER, Bill 278 4.04%
Write-in Votes 26 0.38%
ASSEMBLY - SECTION 4 - SEAT
TRAINI, Dick 2805 48.65% (A moderate with a long history of working well with both sides is far better than having another rubber stamp for the mayor on the assembly)
WHITTAKER, Joshua A. 363 6.30%
CLARY, Andy 2557 44.35% (The aforementioned rubber stamp.)
Write-in Votes 41 0.71%
ASSEMBLY - SECTION 5 - SEAT H
TROMBLEY, Adam 2704 44.11% (Thank you Anchorage for not electing this guy. There may be hope for us yet.)
PURCELL, Thomas 240 3.92%
HONEMAN, Paul 3177 51.83% (Another moderate voice.)
Write-in Votes 9 0.15%
ASSEMBLY - SECTION 6- SEAT J
JOHNSTON, Jennifer 4875 63.95%
BOOHER, Keli 2665 34.96%
Write-in Votes 83 1.09%
SCHOOL BOARD - SEAT A
O'MALLEY, Tommy 7891 26.75%
NEES, David 2285 7.75%
LABELLE, James 7085 24.02%
SMITH, Don 11942 40.48% (Screwed the pooch with this choice Anchorage.)
Write-in Votes 296 1.00%
SCHOOL BOARD - SEAT B
WILSON, Ted 2185 7.44%
MACKIE, Jeannie 15764 53.66% (Of the choices available this was by far the best.)
GRIFFIN, Bob 11133 37.90%
Write-in Votes 296 1.01%
The most I can say about this election is that it could have gone better for the progressives in town, but oh baby could it ever have gone worse! I believe that considering the possibilities for disaster that we did not do too bad.
OSSIANDER, Debbie 3126 68.66% (Ossiander seems to hang despite how poorly she does her job. Sad.)
BROWN, Joelle 568 12.48%
ROBERTS, Josh 823 18.08%
Write-in Votes 36 0.79%
ASSEMBLY - SECTION 3 - SEAT D
HALL, Ernie 4012 58.36%
CLAMAN, Matt 2 558 37.21% (Losing Claman is a little shocking. I wonder if his stint as interim mayor hurt his reelection bid?)
SIGLER, Bill 278 4.04%
Write-in Votes 26 0.38%
ASSEMBLY - SECTION 4 - SEAT
TRAINI, Dick 2805 48.65% (A moderate with a long history of working well with both sides is far better than having another rubber stamp for the mayor on the assembly)
WHITTAKER, Joshua A. 363 6.30%
CLARY, Andy 2557 44.35% (The aforementioned rubber stamp.)
Write-in Votes 41 0.71%
ASSEMBLY - SECTION 5 - SEAT H
TROMBLEY, Adam 2704 44.11% (Thank you Anchorage for not electing this guy. There may be hope for us yet.)
PURCELL, Thomas 240 3.92%
HONEMAN, Paul 3177 51.83% (Another moderate voice.)
Write-in Votes 9 0.15%
ASSEMBLY - SECTION 6- SEAT J
JOHNSTON, Jennifer 4875 63.95%
BOOHER, Keli 2665 34.96%
Write-in Votes 83 1.09%
SCHOOL BOARD - SEAT A
O'MALLEY, Tommy 7891 26.75%
NEES, David 2285 7.75%
LABELLE, James 7085 24.02%
SMITH, Don 11942 40.48% (Screwed the pooch with this choice Anchorage.)
Write-in Votes 296 1.00%
SCHOOL BOARD - SEAT B
WILSON, Ted 2185 7.44%
MACKIE, Jeannie 15764 53.66% (Of the choices available this was by far the best.)
GRIFFIN, Bob 11133 37.90%
Write-in Votes 296 1.01%
The most I can say about this election is that it could have gone better for the progressives in town, but oh baby could it ever have gone worse! I believe that considering the possibilities for disaster that we did not do too bad.
Friday, April 02, 2010
Dan Sullivan devotee and offspring of Anchorage Baptist Temple hypocrite vs Anchorage Assembly veteran. Gee that's a tough choice.
My friend John Arronno has the skinny over at the Alaska Commons.
Make no mistake, just because Clary now attends Changepoint church instead of the Anchorage Baptist Temple (Yeah, like that is a big difference!) he is still part of Jerry Prevo's movement to take over Alaska politics and to make sure that "God's law" takes precedence over "man's law".
You an read more about this guy over at Bent Alaska.
Make no mistake, just because Clary now attends Changepoint church instead of the Anchorage Baptist Temple (Yeah, like that is a big difference!) he is still part of Jerry Prevo's movement to take over Alaska politics and to make sure that "God's law" takes precedence over "man's law".
You an read more about this guy over at Bent Alaska.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Sullygate heats up as Anchorage Assembly member Matt Claman adds his own resolution to the one presented by Harriet Drummond.
About damn time if you ask me.
Just look at this little prick to our left.
Would you trust this guy to even sell you a used car? Hell no!
He is exactly the kind of guy who gives politicians a bad name. And the same hands that he is using to grope these poor young women are the ones he now uses to count his ill gotten gains. (Here I picture Sullivan laying on a pile of money yelling "Mine, its' all mine!" That is MY visualization, of course you are welcome to come up with your own.)
However the city also has heroes, and right now our main superhero is Assembly member Harriet Drummond, who was the ONLY person on the Anchorage Assembly to recognize that there was a serious problem with the original resolution that was introduced on February 16th.
On this issue, at least when it comes to the Assembly, Harriet Drummond is clearly Batman. And she immediately reached into her utility belt and produced her own resolution challenging the validity of the Mayor's payout. Of course where would Batman be without a sidekick. So now we can add Matt "Robin" Claman's resolution to Harriet's. (Are there OTHER heroes on the Assembly who have not donned their colorful costumes and decided to join the team? I don't know, but I certainly hope so. I visualize a kind of Justice League of Anchorage!)
Those are the heroes we have identified in the Assembly thus far, as for superheroes in the community well you can find that person by clicking right here.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
How they did it! The complete Sullygate timeline from 1982 to 2010.
My good friend, and researcher extraordinaire, Mel Green has put together a comprehensive (I am not sure "comprehensive" is a strong enough word to be honest) timeline for just how the 2010 Anchorage Assembly was bamboozled into cutting a check for $193,000 to Mayor Dan Sullivan, for a fake life insurance policy on his father.
This is an expansive post and you will be forgiven for not getting through it in one sitting. But I assure you that once you do, you will know FAR more about the convoluted history of this once in a lifetime, completely illegal, city of Anchorage funded "insurance policy" then did the Assembly members who voted to cut the check.
You will also see the inner workings of a fairly dysfunctional city government, and how each administration failed to fully understand the shell game being played on them by the friends and supporters of the Sullivan family.
This is an expansive post and you will be forgiven for not getting through it in one sitting. But I assure you that once you do, you will know FAR more about the convoluted history of this once in a lifetime, completely illegal, city of Anchorage funded "insurance policy" then did the Assembly members who voted to cut the check.
You will also see the inner workings of a fairly dysfunctional city government, and how each administration failed to fully understand the shell game being played on them by the friends and supporters of the Sullivan family.
Tuesday, March 09, 2010
Assembly member Harriet Drummond just sent the posse after Dan "the desperado" Sullivan to retrieve the money he stole from our city's treasury.
This is Resolution AR No. 2010-91, which Harriet Drummond, this liberal bloggers favorite Anchorage Assembly member, just submitted for consideratin on March 23.
ANCHORAGE, ALASKA
AR NO. 2010–91
A RESOLUTION OF THE ANCHORAGE MUNICIPAL ASSEMBLY TO AUTHORIZE ENGAGING THE SERVICES OF INDEPENDENT LEGAL COUNSEL TO REVIEW AND REPORT TO THE ASSEMBLY ON THE LEGAL AND CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS, IF ANY, AND THE AUTHORITY OF THE ASSEMBLY, IF ANY, REGARDING PAYMENT OF $193,000 IN MUNICIPAL FUNDS TO THE GEORGE M. SULLIVAN IRREVOCABLE LIFE INSURANCE TRUST, AND PROVIDING FOR AN APPROPRIATION.
WHEREAS, pursuant to Assembly Memorandum No. AM 76-2010, the Assembly was requested by and on behalf of the Mayor to appropriate One Hundred Ninety Three Thousand Dollars ($193,000.00) from the Areawide General Fund (Fund 101) for disbursement to the George M. Sullivan Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust; and
WHEREAS, Assembly Memorandum No. AM 76-2010 declared that disbursement would be made under a life insurance contract; and
WHEREAS, Assembly Memorandum No. AM 76-2010 did not disclose that the George M. Sullivan Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust was administered by the Mayor in his private capacity as the son of George M. Sullivan and Trustee of the life insurance trust; and
WHEREAS, Assembly Memorandum No. AM 76-2010 did not disclose that no life insurance policy was in place and no written life insurance contract existed; and
WHEREAS, AR 2010-33 was passed and approved by the Assembly, on February 16, 2010, authorizing disbursement subject to receipt of proper documentation from the George M. Sullivan Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust; and
WHEREAS, the full circumstances purporting to legally obligate the Municipality to make a payout of $193,000.00 in public funds are more complicated than provided in the summary under AM 76-2010; and
WHEREAS, the payout of $193,000.00 in public funds for life insurance without a life insurance policy in place has raised many concerns in the mind of the public and one or more Assembly Members, including these questions:
• What is the legal basis for asserting the existence of a life insurance policy or contract?
• What is the legal basis for asserting a contractual obligation in the absence of a written contract?
• What is the legal authority of the Salary and Emoluments Commission to authorize an employee benefit after employment has terminated?
• Were the legal requirements, procedures and process under Charter Section 5.08 (c) properly followed?
• What, if any, is the extent of a municipal obligation to make payment of $193,000 in life insurance without a life insurance policy?
• What is the current Assembly’s authority to approve or disapprove a life insurance payment in the absence of a life insurance policy?
• Is this disbursement recognized in the FY 2010 General Government Operating Budget?
• What process should be used under the Ethics Code to ensure that an elected public official does not sit on both sides of a municipal transaction?
• Under what public purpose are public funds being disbursed as life insurance? and
WHEREAS, the current Mayor is also actively serving as Trustee of the George M. Sullivan Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust, creating a situation in which he serves on both sides of a significant financial transaction involving public funds; and
WHEREAS, as Mayor, the incumbent is required to represent and act in the Municipality’s best interests; and
WHEREAS, as Trustee of the George M. Sullivan Life Insurance Trust, the Trustee has a fiduciary duty to the Trust to represent and act in the best interests of the Trust and its beneficiaries;
NOW, THEREFORE, the Anchorage Assembly resolves:
1. Because the events surrounding the creation and administration of a special benefit for the Honorable George M. Sullivan occurred after he was no longer in office and over the course of several mayoral successions without a full and public review before the Assembly, the Assembly authorizes an independent legal review to include the following:
• The authority of the Salary and Emoluments Commission, after the mayor or other elected official has left elected office, to authorize a special life insurance benefit;
• Whether a special life insurance benefit was legally effectuated for George M. Sullivan, when, and by whom or under what actions;
• The legal obligations and risks to the Municipality concerning the special life insurance benefit (prior to payment);
• The authority of the Mayor to request an appropriation when the Mayor also currently serves as Trustee of the George M. Sullivan Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust, without disclosure of the potential for conflict of interest;
• The public purpose under which disbursement of public funds is allowed as life insurance proceeds, without a fair market life insurance policy or premium payments.
• The authority of the Anchorage Assembly to approve an appropriation of public funds for this purpose.
2. The services of independent legal counsel shall be selected by the Internal Auditor, the Municipal Clerk and Assembly Counsel under a small procurement contract not to exceed [$5,000 – $10,000], and an appropriation of [$ 10,000] for this purpose is approved.
3. Until the Assembly is assured by independent legal counsel that payment of $193,000.00 in public funds is legally appropriate, the Mayor, in his private capacity as Trustee for the George M. Sullivan Irrevocable Trust, is respectfully requested to return any funds disbursed under AR 2010-33 to a special account to be held by the Municipality.
PASSED AND APPROVED by the Anchorage Assembly this ______day of ____________, 2010.
______________________________
Chair
ATTEST:
____________________________
Municipal Clerk
Damn! It is about time SOMEBODY took Sullivan to task for emptying the city's cash reserves while cutting services to its citizens!
If you are late to the party and a little confused by this resolution just go here, here, and here and you will soon know why Anchorage residents are so angry.
By the way, is it too early to draft Harriet Drummons to run for mayor of Anchorage? State Senator? How about Lisa's job?
(H/T to my friend, and fellow Alaskan blogger Phil Munger)
ANCHORAGE, ALASKA
AR NO. 2010–91
A RESOLUTION OF THE ANCHORAGE MUNICIPAL ASSEMBLY TO AUTHORIZE ENGAGING THE SERVICES OF INDEPENDENT LEGAL COUNSEL TO REVIEW AND REPORT TO THE ASSEMBLY ON THE LEGAL AND CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS, IF ANY, AND THE AUTHORITY OF THE ASSEMBLY, IF ANY, REGARDING PAYMENT OF $193,000 IN MUNICIPAL FUNDS TO THE GEORGE M. SULLIVAN IRREVOCABLE LIFE INSURANCE TRUST, AND PROVIDING FOR AN APPROPRIATION.
WHEREAS, pursuant to Assembly Memorandum No. AM 76-2010, the Assembly was requested by and on behalf of the Mayor to appropriate One Hundred Ninety Three Thousand Dollars ($193,000.00) from the Areawide General Fund (Fund 101) for disbursement to the George M. Sullivan Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust; and
WHEREAS, Assembly Memorandum No. AM 76-2010 declared that disbursement would be made under a life insurance contract; and
WHEREAS, Assembly Memorandum No. AM 76-2010 did not disclose that the George M. Sullivan Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust was administered by the Mayor in his private capacity as the son of George M. Sullivan and Trustee of the life insurance trust; and
WHEREAS, Assembly Memorandum No. AM 76-2010 did not disclose that no life insurance policy was in place and no written life insurance contract existed; and
WHEREAS, AR 2010-33 was passed and approved by the Assembly, on February 16, 2010, authorizing disbursement subject to receipt of proper documentation from the George M. Sullivan Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust; and
WHEREAS, the full circumstances purporting to legally obligate the Municipality to make a payout of $193,000.00 in public funds are more complicated than provided in the summary under AM 76-2010; and
WHEREAS, the payout of $193,000.00 in public funds for life insurance without a life insurance policy in place has raised many concerns in the mind of the public and one or more Assembly Members, including these questions:
• What is the legal basis for asserting the existence of a life insurance policy or contract?
• What is the legal basis for asserting a contractual obligation in the absence of a written contract?
• What is the legal authority of the Salary and Emoluments Commission to authorize an employee benefit after employment has terminated?
• Were the legal requirements, procedures and process under Charter Section 5.08 (c) properly followed?
• What, if any, is the extent of a municipal obligation to make payment of $193,000 in life insurance without a life insurance policy?
• What is the current Assembly’s authority to approve or disapprove a life insurance payment in the absence of a life insurance policy?
• Is this disbursement recognized in the FY 2010 General Government Operating Budget?
• What process should be used under the Ethics Code to ensure that an elected public official does not sit on both sides of a municipal transaction?
• Under what public purpose are public funds being disbursed as life insurance? and
WHEREAS, the current Mayor is also actively serving as Trustee of the George M. Sullivan Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust, creating a situation in which he serves on both sides of a significant financial transaction involving public funds; and
WHEREAS, as Mayor, the incumbent is required to represent and act in the Municipality’s best interests; and
WHEREAS, as Trustee of the George M. Sullivan Life Insurance Trust, the Trustee has a fiduciary duty to the Trust to represent and act in the best interests of the Trust and its beneficiaries;
NOW, THEREFORE, the Anchorage Assembly resolves:
1. Because the events surrounding the creation and administration of a special benefit for the Honorable George M. Sullivan occurred after he was no longer in office and over the course of several mayoral successions without a full and public review before the Assembly, the Assembly authorizes an independent legal review to include the following:
• The authority of the Salary and Emoluments Commission, after the mayor or other elected official has left elected office, to authorize a special life insurance benefit;
• Whether a special life insurance benefit was legally effectuated for George M. Sullivan, when, and by whom or under what actions;
• The legal obligations and risks to the Municipality concerning the special life insurance benefit (prior to payment);
• The authority of the Mayor to request an appropriation when the Mayor also currently serves as Trustee of the George M. Sullivan Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust, without disclosure of the potential for conflict of interest;
• The public purpose under which disbursement of public funds is allowed as life insurance proceeds, without a fair market life insurance policy or premium payments.
• The authority of the Anchorage Assembly to approve an appropriation of public funds for this purpose.
2. The services of independent legal counsel shall be selected by the Internal Auditor, the Municipal Clerk and Assembly Counsel under a small procurement contract not to exceed [$5,000 – $10,000], and an appropriation of [$ 10,000] for this purpose is approved.
3. Until the Assembly is assured by independent legal counsel that payment of $193,000.00 in public funds is legally appropriate, the Mayor, in his private capacity as Trustee for the George M. Sullivan Irrevocable Trust, is respectfully requested to return any funds disbursed under AR 2010-33 to a special account to be held by the Municipality.
PASSED AND APPROVED by the Anchorage Assembly this ______day of ____________, 2010.
______________________________
Chair
ATTEST:
____________________________
Municipal Clerk
Damn! It is about time SOMEBODY took Sullivan to task for emptying the city's cash reserves while cutting services to its citizens!
If you are late to the party and a little confused by this resolution just go here, here, and here and you will soon know why Anchorage residents are so angry.
By the way, is it too early to draft Harriet Drummons to run for mayor of Anchorage? State Senator? How about Lisa's job?
(H/T to my friend, and fellow Alaskan blogger Phil Munger)
Monday, March 08, 2010
E-mail to the Anchorage Assembly regarding Dan Sullivan's $193,000 payout.
Somebody sent this to my e-mail account and I thought it deserved to be seen by everyone in the hopes that it inspires other Anchorage residents to follow suit.
To :
Assemblyman Patrick Flynn, Assemblyman Bill Starr, Assemblywoman Debbie Ossiander, Assemblyman Matt Claman, Assemblyman Dan Coffey, Assemblywoman Elvi Gray-Jackson, Assemblywoman Sheila Selkregg, Assemblyman Mike Gutierrez, Assemblyman Chris Birch, Assemblywoman Jennifer Johnston
We are told that the Municipality of Anchorage’s revenues are so tight that the rescue program of the Anchorage Fire Department has been reduced or eliminated. The reduced municipal revenues have resulted in positions not being filled as they become vacant. Other public employees may have to be laid off from work.
Despite these hard financial times, the Assembly approved a $193,000 payment requested by the Municipal Attorney and Mayor Sullivan. The $193,000 is to be paid the George M. Sullivan Trust. When asked about the beneficiaries, Suzanne McVicker, will not disclose the information, stating that the information is "confidential."
For us, these circumstances raise some questions we would ask you, as an assembly member, to answer.
1. What authority gives the Salaries and Emoluments Commission, the Assembly, or Mayor, the power to agree to pay any person after their employment ends $193,000, that is not part of a previously agreed upon pension plan?
2. What legal consideration did the Municipality of Anchorage receive after January 10th, 1982 for a contract obligation to pay $193,000 to the George M. Sullivan Trust. ?
3. When did you first learn about the agreement to extend former Mayor George Sullivan’s life insurance?
4. Did anyone see an original agreement or contract and accompanying documents?
5. Do you know when the insurance company informed the city it would not cover former Mayor George Sullivan as an insured in the employee group insurance plan?
6. Who paid the premiums from 1982 to the present? Is there a record of payments made?
7. Into which city account were these premiums paid? Out of which city account was the payment disbursed?
8. Who authorized the city to collect the insurance premium in 2002?
9. If this was a binding, legal agreement, why did the payment require a vote by the Assembly?
10.Since no insurance policy had been issued, and no employment contract provision required the $193,000 payment, what makes AR No. 2010-33 not the grant of a special privilege prohibited by Article 1, Section 15 of the Alaska Constitution?
11. How is AR No. 2010-33 an appropriation of public money for a public purpose as required by Article IX, Section 6 of the Alaska Constitution?
12. Do you think that Municipal Attorney gave you sufficient and accurate information to make an informed decision?
13. Explain your affirmative vote, please.
I don't believe too many people could fault Anchorage resident for asking the questions contained in this e-mail.
You know I think I will send a similar e-mail myself, and if any of you Anchorage residents are so inclined you can find their e-mail addresses here.
To :
Assemblyman Patrick Flynn, Assemblyman Bill Starr, Assemblywoman Debbie Ossiander, Assemblyman Matt Claman, Assemblyman Dan Coffey, Assemblywoman Elvi Gray-Jackson, Assemblywoman Sheila Selkregg, Assemblyman Mike Gutierrez, Assemblyman Chris Birch, Assemblywoman Jennifer Johnston
We are told that the Municipality of Anchorage’s revenues are so tight that the rescue program of the Anchorage Fire Department has been reduced or eliminated. The reduced municipal revenues have resulted in positions not being filled as they become vacant. Other public employees may have to be laid off from work.
Despite these hard financial times, the Assembly approved a $193,000 payment requested by the Municipal Attorney and Mayor Sullivan. The $193,000 is to be paid the George M. Sullivan Trust. When asked about the beneficiaries, Suzanne McVicker, will not disclose the information, stating that the information is "confidential."
For us, these circumstances raise some questions we would ask you, as an assembly member, to answer.
1. What authority gives the Salaries and Emoluments Commission, the Assembly, or Mayor, the power to agree to pay any person after their employment ends $193,000, that is not part of a previously agreed upon pension plan?
2. What legal consideration did the Municipality of Anchorage receive after January 10th, 1982 for a contract obligation to pay $193,000 to the George M. Sullivan Trust. ?
3. When did you first learn about the agreement to extend former Mayor George Sullivan’s life insurance?
4. Did anyone see an original agreement or contract and accompanying documents?
5. Do you know when the insurance company informed the city it would not cover former Mayor George Sullivan as an insured in the employee group insurance plan?
6. Who paid the premiums from 1982 to the present? Is there a record of payments made?
7. Into which city account were these premiums paid? Out of which city account was the payment disbursed?
8. Who authorized the city to collect the insurance premium in 2002?
9. If this was a binding, legal agreement, why did the payment require a vote by the Assembly?
10.Since no insurance policy had been issued, and no employment contract provision required the $193,000 payment, what makes AR No. 2010-33 not the grant of a special privilege prohibited by Article 1, Section 15 of the Alaska Constitution?
11. How is AR No. 2010-33 an appropriation of public money for a public purpose as required by Article IX, Section 6 of the Alaska Constitution?
12. Do you think that Municipal Attorney gave you sufficient and accurate information to make an informed decision?
13. Explain your affirmative vote, please.
I don't believe too many people could fault Anchorage resident for asking the questions contained in this e-mail.
You know I think I will send a similar e-mail myself, and if any of you Anchorage residents are so inclined you can find their e-mail addresses here.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Moore Up North for January 30, 2010.
In the first segment we have Anchorage Assemblyman, Mike Gutierrez, who discusses fellow assemblyman, and Mayor Sullivan's lap dog, Bill Starr's incredibly partisan attacks on Senator Mark Begich.
Part One
In this next segment Shannyn welcomes Tom Brennan, author / columnist at the Anchorage Daily Planet, Bob Poe, a candidate for Governor of Alaska, and Steve Heimel, veteran Alaskan broadcaster.
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four
Part Five
I am becoming more and more (or is that Moore and Moore) impressed with this show each week.
We have NOTHING else like this in Alaska, and it clearly fills a need. Shannyn is becoming ever more comfortable in her role as the "hostess with the mostess", and the panel she picks are always very well informed and interesting.
My only bitch with the show is the production value, but everybody knows that it is not the best and they are hoping to improve it.
Part One
In this next segment Shannyn welcomes Tom Brennan, author / columnist at the Anchorage Daily Planet, Bob Poe, a candidate for Governor of Alaska, and Steve Heimel, veteran Alaskan broadcaster.
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four
Part Five
I am becoming more and more (or is that Moore and Moore) impressed with this show each week.
We have NOTHING else like this in Alaska, and it clearly fills a need. Shannyn is becoming ever more comfortable in her role as the "hostess with the mostess", and the panel she picks are always very well informed and interesting.
My only bitch with the show is the production value, but everybody knows that it is not the best and they are hoping to improve it.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Chair of the Anchorage Assembly, Debbie Ossiander, receives her holiday lump of coal in the form of a dismissal from her leadership duties. Buh-bye!
After months of battles over the budget between conservative and liberal members, Assembly Chair Debbie Ossiander was voted out of her leadership role in a surprise move.
The move was very much a surprise. Even some on the Assembly say they didn't know about the move to kick out Ossiander as the Assembly leader until it happened at the end of the meeting.
Ossiander has voted with the conservative minority on many crucial budget votes.
The six liberal-leaning members say removing her as Assembly Chair better reflects the Assembly's overall vision.
Assembly member Matt Claman, who brought the motion to reorganize, said it's typically expected for the majority on the assembly to elect a chair that reflects its views. "The period of time in which Ms. Ossiander was chair is best viewed more as an anomaly," Claman said.
This is LONG overdue, in my opinion. LONG overdue!
Debbie Ossiander has played the spoiler repeatedly. Consistently siding with the minority, and our morally crippled mayor, time and time again in direct opposition to the will of the majority now in power.
Perhaps the worst example of her incompetence and lack of ethics was during the summer when she allowed people bussed in from the Valley to argue against an equal rights ordinance that would have protected the LGBT community from discrimination in Anchorage. Ossiander, against all logic, allowed people who DID NOT EVEN LIVE HERE, to tie up the Assembly for 20 weeks as they waved their bibles in the air and talked about how the homosexuals were going to corrupt their children and force the city to have unisex bathrooms. (Complete bullshit!)
In case you missed that episode, my daughter and I made this little video of the madness that engulfed our city during that time.
Did you see the hate? Well so did we. For months we were subjected to that kind of uneducated, simple minded rhetoric, from people who DID NOT EVEN LIVE IN ANCHORAGE!
And that was directly because Debbie Ossiander allowed them to participate. Which slowed the process down to a crawl.
And then, after all of that, the ordinance passed! However Ossiander, doing the bidding of Jerry Prevo and his minions, had slowed the testimoney to go on long enough for the new mayor, Dan "slimeball" Sullivan, to be sworn in and he, of course, immediately vetoed the ordinance.
And that is how Jerry Prevo, Dan Sullivan, and their trained monkey Debbie Ossiander continue to allow the people of Anchorage to be oppressed despite the will of the majority.
I have a number of friends in the LGBT community, and I can honestly tell you that they are still suffering PTSD from the unfiltered hate they were subjected to during that horrible summer of 2009, and THAT is directly the fault of, the now dethroned, Debbie Ossiander.
So my only question is, what in the hell took so long?
You can read my friend, and fellow PTSD sufferer, Shannyn Moore's take on this reorganization here. And AKMuckraker has much to say about it right here as well.
The move was very much a surprise. Even some on the Assembly say they didn't know about the move to kick out Ossiander as the Assembly leader until it happened at the end of the meeting.
Ossiander has voted with the conservative minority on many crucial budget votes.
The six liberal-leaning members say removing her as Assembly Chair better reflects the Assembly's overall vision.
Assembly member Matt Claman, who brought the motion to reorganize, said it's typically expected for the majority on the assembly to elect a chair that reflects its views. "The period of time in which Ms. Ossiander was chair is best viewed more as an anomaly," Claman said.
This is LONG overdue, in my opinion. LONG overdue!
Debbie Ossiander has played the spoiler repeatedly. Consistently siding with the minority, and our morally crippled mayor, time and time again in direct opposition to the will of the majority now in power.
Perhaps the worst example of her incompetence and lack of ethics was during the summer when she allowed people bussed in from the Valley to argue against an equal rights ordinance that would have protected the LGBT community from discrimination in Anchorage. Ossiander, against all logic, allowed people who DID NOT EVEN LIVE HERE, to tie up the Assembly for 20 weeks as they waved their bibles in the air and talked about how the homosexuals were going to corrupt their children and force the city to have unisex bathrooms. (Complete bullshit!)
In case you missed that episode, my daughter and I made this little video of the madness that engulfed our city during that time.
Did you see the hate? Well so did we. For months we were subjected to that kind of uneducated, simple minded rhetoric, from people who DID NOT EVEN LIVE IN ANCHORAGE!
And that was directly because Debbie Ossiander allowed them to participate. Which slowed the process down to a crawl.
And then, after all of that, the ordinance passed! However Ossiander, doing the bidding of Jerry Prevo and his minions, had slowed the testimoney to go on long enough for the new mayor, Dan "slimeball" Sullivan, to be sworn in and he, of course, immediately vetoed the ordinance.
And that is how Jerry Prevo, Dan Sullivan, and their trained monkey Debbie Ossiander continue to allow the people of Anchorage to be oppressed despite the will of the majority.
I have a number of friends in the LGBT community, and I can honestly tell you that they are still suffering PTSD from the unfiltered hate they were subjected to during that horrible summer of 2009, and THAT is directly the fault of, the now dethroned, Debbie Ossiander.
So my only question is, what in the hell took so long?
You can read my friend, and fellow PTSD sufferer, Shannyn Moore's take on this reorganization here. And AKMuckraker has much to say about it right here as well.
Thursday, December 03, 2009
Anchorage Mayor Dan Sullivan allows his grudge against Mark Begich to distract him from the job for which he was elected.
Count Mayor Dan Sullivan among those who think there's more investigating to be done into the process used last year to approve four big labor contracts and this year's city budget.
Questions about whether former Mayor Mark Begich provided enough information to the Anchorage Assembly about city revenues and investment shortfalls started surfacing soon after Begich left office to become a U.S. senator. Acting Mayor Matt Claman announced the city faced a $17 million budget deficit only a few days later.
Claman and other Assembly members Tuesday voted to simply accept Municipal Attorney Dennis Wheeler's review of the situation. Claman and an Assembly majority said they think it's time to move on with other city business.
On Wednesday, Sullivan said it may be a good idea to revisit Wheeler's findings. An Assembly work session on Wheeler's report is scheduled for Jan. 8.
"There still seems to be some questions about things that he stated in his report versus things that former administration officials said, and I don't see that there is a problem in ... reconciling those things," Sullivan said at a weekly news conference. "Leaving things inconclusive, I'm not sure serves the public interest."
What is it with Alaskan Republicans? First we had Don Young blaming the Obama administration for the dismal economy (Apparently in Don's eyes everything was fine with George Bush in the White House), then we had Sarah Palin write an ENTIRE BOOK blaming everybody from Alaska bloggers, to Katie Couric for her political downfall, and now we have Dan "I don't need a chin to be mayor" Sullivan desperately trying to smear the name of Senator Mark Begich instead of dealing with the problems facing our city.
Okay we get it, you don't like Mark Begich. Maybe you can tap that out in Morse code on the ass of the next young blond you fondle.
(Yeah you know that picture is NEVER going to get old for me.)
Look according to the Wheeler report, even finding that Begich had dropped the ball when it came to informing the Assembly of a potential shortfall, will not make a bit of difference in solving the problems facing the city right now.
This from the Wheeler Report. "There is no basis under principles of contract law that would justify the rescission of the 2008 IBEW or the APDEA CBAs approved by the Assembly. Rescission is not available on the basis of unilateral mistake or error on the Assembly’s part."
In other words the union contracts in question are a done deal, and successfully sticking Begich with some of the blame will not make one bit of difference going forward, except that Danny-boy can then say "Ha, ha, I told you so!"
And now while the city's problems continue to fester, Sullivan insists upon wasting the Assembly's time and resources to pursue this witch hunt, rather than to utilize their abilities to help solve the issues at hand.
What Sullivan so conveniently fails to mention is that, then mayor, Mark Begich inherited a 33 million dollar shortfall in 2003 from the Weurch administration, but instead of throwing himself on the floor, and kicking and screaming about it, he fixed it.
Isn't THAT what Sullivan was elected to do? Fix the problems of the city? I mean if we just wanted somebody to go around pointing fingers, and shirking their responsibility, we may as well have just kept Sarah back here in Alaska. After all that is her specialty.
Update: There is a post over at Mudflats that helps to explain exactly how superfluous and politically motivated this entire thing has become.
Questions about whether former Mayor Mark Begich provided enough information to the Anchorage Assembly about city revenues and investment shortfalls started surfacing soon after Begich left office to become a U.S. senator. Acting Mayor Matt Claman announced the city faced a $17 million budget deficit only a few days later.
Claman and other Assembly members Tuesday voted to simply accept Municipal Attorney Dennis Wheeler's review of the situation. Claman and an Assembly majority said they think it's time to move on with other city business.
On Wednesday, Sullivan said it may be a good idea to revisit Wheeler's findings. An Assembly work session on Wheeler's report is scheduled for Jan. 8.
"There still seems to be some questions about things that he stated in his report versus things that former administration officials said, and I don't see that there is a problem in ... reconciling those things," Sullivan said at a weekly news conference. "Leaving things inconclusive, I'm not sure serves the public interest."
What is it with Alaskan Republicans? First we had Don Young blaming the Obama administration for the dismal economy (Apparently in Don's eyes everything was fine with George Bush in the White House), then we had Sarah Palin write an ENTIRE BOOK blaming everybody from Alaska bloggers, to Katie Couric for her political downfall, and now we have Dan "I don't need a chin to be mayor" Sullivan desperately trying to smear the name of Senator Mark Begich instead of dealing with the problems facing our city.
Okay we get it, you don't like Mark Begich. Maybe you can tap that out in Morse code on the ass of the next young blond you fondle.
(Yeah you know that picture is NEVER going to get old for me.)Look according to the Wheeler report, even finding that Begich had dropped the ball when it came to informing the Assembly of a potential shortfall, will not make a bit of difference in solving the problems facing the city right now.
This from the Wheeler Report. "There is no basis under principles of contract law that would justify the rescission of the 2008 IBEW or the APDEA CBAs approved by the Assembly. Rescission is not available on the basis of unilateral mistake or error on the Assembly’s part."
In other words the union contracts in question are a done deal, and successfully sticking Begich with some of the blame will not make one bit of difference going forward, except that Danny-boy can then say "Ha, ha, I told you so!"
And now while the city's problems continue to fester, Sullivan insists upon wasting the Assembly's time and resources to pursue this witch hunt, rather than to utilize their abilities to help solve the issues at hand.
What Sullivan so conveniently fails to mention is that, then mayor, Mark Begich inherited a 33 million dollar shortfall in 2003 from the Weurch administration, but instead of throwing himself on the floor, and kicking and screaming about it, he fixed it.
Isn't THAT what Sullivan was elected to do? Fix the problems of the city? I mean if we just wanted somebody to go around pointing fingers, and shirking their responsibility, we may as well have just kept Sarah back here in Alaska. After all that is her specialty.
Update: There is a post over at Mudflats that helps to explain exactly how superfluous and politically motivated this entire thing has become.
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
Charges of "Communism" and "McCarthyism" are tossed around Anchorage Assembly. Who says Alaska politics are not entertaining if Sarah is not involved?
Sheila Selkregg offered several amendments to the plan, one under the heading of "Social Equity."
It's safe to say that's something Assemblyman Bill Starr does not agree with.
"This Selkregg manifesto now speaks to words such as social equity," Starr said.
"It speaks to several platforms that are solidly entrenched in the communist planks. One of them is sort of leveling of ... moving toward a classless society," Starr said afterwards.
"If you think that makes me a communist, I think that what I'll have to say to you, is that you sound a lot like a McCarthy person, I mean for goodness sakes," Selkregg responded.
"I was really surprised to be called names, and I guess I was called a communist," Selkregg said later.
She says her amendments weren't related to communism at all.
"When we make our decisions, there's a sense of fairness and we don't make decisions that result in poor people or middle class people paying a lot to the benefit of people who are very wealthy," she said.
But Starr says the comparisons to the "communist manifesto" are valid.
"I do (stand by what I said). I think it's a fair analogy. I think the role of government is what we're analyzing at this point and where we move into the social program needs, how we provide that social equity, that's not our job," Starr said.
Well it looks like Anchorage has its own little Teabagger party in control of Anchorage.
Let's see if I understand this correctly. If you disagree with Dr. Franken-mayor Dan Sullivan, and his toady Bill "just call me Igor" Starr you are a "communist". Well that should make for a fair and open discussion of the ideas now shouldn't it?
It's safe to say that's something Assemblyman Bill Starr does not agree with.
"This Selkregg manifesto now speaks to words such as social equity," Starr said.
"It speaks to several platforms that are solidly entrenched in the communist planks. One of them is sort of leveling of ... moving toward a classless society," Starr said afterwards.
"If you think that makes me a communist, I think that what I'll have to say to you, is that you sound a lot like a McCarthy person, I mean for goodness sakes," Selkregg responded.
"I was really surprised to be called names, and I guess I was called a communist," Selkregg said later.
She says her amendments weren't related to communism at all.
"When we make our decisions, there's a sense of fairness and we don't make decisions that result in poor people or middle class people paying a lot to the benefit of people who are very wealthy," she said.
But Starr says the comparisons to the "communist manifesto" are valid.
"I do (stand by what I said). I think it's a fair analogy. I think the role of government is what we're analyzing at this point and where we move into the social program needs, how we provide that social equity, that's not our job," Starr said.
Well it looks like Anchorage has its own little Teabagger party in control of Anchorage.
Let's see if I understand this correctly. If you disagree with Dr. Franken-mayor Dan Sullivan, and his toady Bill "just call me Igor" Starr you are a "communist". Well that should make for a fair and open discussion of the ideas now shouldn't it?
Monday, August 17, 2009
Mayor Sullivan vetoes anti-discrimination ordinance. Jerry Prevo rubs his hands together in glee.
"My review shows that there is clearly a lack of quantifiable evidence necessitating this ordinance," the mayor said. "My review also shows that the vast majority of those who communicated their position on the ordinance are in opposition."
What Sullivan fails to note is that most of that opposition came from OUTSIDE of Anchorage.
So now we know that Sullivan is clearly Jerry Prevo's butt-monkey. Raise your hand if you are surprised by that. Yeah I did not thiink so.
(I need to give a hat tip to my friend Phil Munger over at Progressive Alaska who first reported that Sullivan was going to veto this ordinance.)
What Sullivan fails to note is that most of that opposition came from OUTSIDE of Anchorage.
So now we know that Sullivan is clearly Jerry Prevo's butt-monkey. Raise your hand if you are surprised by that. Yeah I did not thiink so.
(I need to give a hat tip to my friend Phil Munger over at Progressive Alaska who first reported that Sullivan was going to veto this ordinance.)
Friday, August 07, 2009
Don't be fooled, this is just a delaying tactic.
An Anchorage Assembly member wants his colleagues to create a task force that would spend at least a year investigating questions surrounding a controversial proposal to ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
If the idea is approved, Assemblyman Dan Coffey's resolution would have Assembly Chairwoman Debbie Ossiander appoint the nine-member citizens' task force within 30 days. Ossiander would pick three on her own and choose the remaining six from a pool of nominees suggested by other Assembly members.
The task force would have up to 60 days to come up with a plan for proceeding, and then another 12 to 18 months to study the degree to which discrimination against gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered individuals exists in Anchorage, as well as what consequences a law protecting their rights might have on the rights of others.
"It gives everybody a forum, a place to go, not in public necessarily, and talk about their concerns on all sides of the issue," Coffey said. "And hopefully, maybe, what that leads us to is a mutual understanding and some sort of (middle ground).
"Some sort of, 'Well, if we do it this way, that's OK with me. I don't like it all but I'll live with this because it's better than that.' That sort of thing."
If the Assembly chooses to take Coffey's advice, action would be postponed indefinitely on three versions of the original sexual orientation ordinance and on a separate proposal by Assemblyman Matt Claman to address the discrimination issue in two charter amendments on next spring's city election ballot. All are up for action Tuesday.
On the face of it this might seem a reasonable method of gathering more evidence and moving forward with a plan to address discrimination against the LGBT community. But it is not.
Anybody who sat through even a handful of the testimonies that came from those who have been victimized for their sexuality in this city certainly do not need further evidence that discrimination is alive and well in Anchorage, Alaska.
What Coffey seems to be trying to do is to provide the appearance that the assembly is working on this issue while waiting for the furor to die down. Once the public has moved on to other concerns the assembly may or may not release their findings.
The vote should take place now. There is no reason, after multiple assembly meetings dedicated to hearing testimony, that this issue should be put off any longer.
I have a feeling that Mayor Sullivan will veto the ordinance anyhow, which will force the assembly to put it on the ballot for a vote by the citizens of Anchorage.
At least that way the red shirt brigade from the Valley will not be able to bully through their agenda.
If the idea is approved, Assemblyman Dan Coffey's resolution would have Assembly Chairwoman Debbie Ossiander appoint the nine-member citizens' task force within 30 days. Ossiander would pick three on her own and choose the remaining six from a pool of nominees suggested by other Assembly members.
The task force would have up to 60 days to come up with a plan for proceeding, and then another 12 to 18 months to study the degree to which discrimination against gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered individuals exists in Anchorage, as well as what consequences a law protecting their rights might have on the rights of others.
"It gives everybody a forum, a place to go, not in public necessarily, and talk about their concerns on all sides of the issue," Coffey said. "And hopefully, maybe, what that leads us to is a mutual understanding and some sort of (middle ground).
"Some sort of, 'Well, if we do it this way, that's OK with me. I don't like it all but I'll live with this because it's better than that.' That sort of thing."
If the Assembly chooses to take Coffey's advice, action would be postponed indefinitely on three versions of the original sexual orientation ordinance and on a separate proposal by Assemblyman Matt Claman to address the discrimination issue in two charter amendments on next spring's city election ballot. All are up for action Tuesday.
On the face of it this might seem a reasonable method of gathering more evidence and moving forward with a plan to address discrimination against the LGBT community. But it is not.
Anybody who sat through even a handful of the testimonies that came from those who have been victimized for their sexuality in this city certainly do not need further evidence that discrimination is alive and well in Anchorage, Alaska.
What Coffey seems to be trying to do is to provide the appearance that the assembly is working on this issue while waiting for the furor to die down. Once the public has moved on to other concerns the assembly may or may not release their findings.
The vote should take place now. There is no reason, after multiple assembly meetings dedicated to hearing testimony, that this issue should be put off any longer.
I have a feeling that Mayor Sullivan will veto the ordinance anyhow, which will force the assembly to put it on the ballot for a vote by the citizens of Anchorage.
At least that way the red shirt brigade from the Valley will not be able to bully through their agenda.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Anchorage Assembly co-chair Harriet Drummond brings delightful Top Ten list to my attention on Facebook.
1) Being gay is not natural. Real Americans always reject unnatural things like eyeglasses, polyester, and air conditioning.
2) Gay marriage will encourage people to be gay, in the same way that hanging around tall people will make you tall.
3) Legalizing gay marriage will open the door to all kinds of crazy behavior. People may even wish to marry their pets because a dog has legal standing and can sign a marriage contract.
4) Straight marriage has been around a long time and hasn't changed at all; women are still property, blacks still can't marry whites, and divorce is still illegal.
5) Straight marriage will be less meaningful if gay marriage were allowed; the sanctity of Brittany Spears' 55-hour just-for-fun marriage would be destroyed.
6) Straight marriages are valid because they produce children. Gay couples, infertile couples, and old people shouldn't be allowed to marry because our orphanages aren't full yet, and the world needs more children.
7) Obviously gay parents will raise gay children, since straight parents only raise straight children.
8) Gay marriage is not supported by religion. In a theocracy like ours, the values of one religion are imposed on the entire country. That's why we have only one religion in America.
9) Children can never succeed without a male and a female role model at home. That's why we as a society expressly forbid single parents to raise children.
10) Gay marriage will change the foundation of society; we could never adapt to new social norms. Just like we haven't adapted to cars, the service-sector economy, or longer life spans
Harriet Drummond and I are Facebook friends and she posted this wonderful Top Ten list for all of her pals to enjoy. (I don't think she was the original author, but I am giving her credit because she is the one that brought it to MY attention.)
Anyhow I thought I would share it with you, my pals, right here on this blog. Enjoy my friends.
2) Gay marriage will encourage people to be gay, in the same way that hanging around tall people will make you tall.
3) Legalizing gay marriage will open the door to all kinds of crazy behavior. People may even wish to marry their pets because a dog has legal standing and can sign a marriage contract.
4) Straight marriage has been around a long time and hasn't changed at all; women are still property, blacks still can't marry whites, and divorce is still illegal.
5) Straight marriage will be less meaningful if gay marriage were allowed; the sanctity of Brittany Spears' 55-hour just-for-fun marriage would be destroyed.
6) Straight marriages are valid because they produce children. Gay couples, infertile couples, and old people shouldn't be allowed to marry because our orphanages aren't full yet, and the world needs more children.
7) Obviously gay parents will raise gay children, since straight parents only raise straight children.
8) Gay marriage is not supported by religion. In a theocracy like ours, the values of one religion are imposed on the entire country. That's why we have only one religion in America.
9) Children can never succeed without a male and a female role model at home. That's why we as a society expressly forbid single parents to raise children.
10) Gay marriage will change the foundation of society; we could never adapt to new social norms. Just like we haven't adapted to cars, the service-sector economy, or longer life spans
Harriet Drummond and I are Facebook friends and she posted this wonderful Top Ten list for all of her pals to enjoy. (I don't think she was the original author, but I am giving her credit because she is the one that brought it to MY attention.)
Anyhow I thought I would share it with you, my pals, right here on this blog. Enjoy my friends.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
My daughter makes videos!
This is video that my daughter captured on Tuesday outside of the Assembly meeting that was discussing the so called "gay ordinance".
I did not attend last night's meeting so that we could work on this and get it up this morning.
So the question that has been bothering me since the FIRST Assembly meeting concerning this ordinance on June 9th, is WHY did all of these people come to Anchorage from the Valley to argue against an ordinance that does not have anything to do with them? And why did Debbie Ossiander, the Assembly Chair, allow them to testify and prolong this debate for THREE days?
I apologize for not including my discussion with Jerry Prevo, who seems to be the ringleader of this ocean of red adorned people, but the noise in the lobby was so loud you could not hear much of what we talked about.
His point in a nutshell is that he does not feel that the gays are being discriminated against and that their lifestyle is "perverted" and should not be given "special" rights. You know, the same rights that he and his cult of followers currently enjoy.
My daughter worked hard on this so let us know what you thought of it. I am sorry for the quality but I had to use YouTube to embed it on Blogger.
I did not attend last night's meeting so that we could work on this and get it up this morning.
So the question that has been bothering me since the FIRST Assembly meeting concerning this ordinance on June 9th, is WHY did all of these people come to Anchorage from the Valley to argue against an ordinance that does not have anything to do with them? And why did Debbie Ossiander, the Assembly Chair, allow them to testify and prolong this debate for THREE days?
I apologize for not including my discussion with Jerry Prevo, who seems to be the ringleader of this ocean of red adorned people, but the noise in the lobby was so loud you could not hear much of what we talked about.
His point in a nutshell is that he does not feel that the gays are being discriminated against and that their lifestyle is "perverted" and should not be given "special" rights. You know, the same rights that he and his cult of followers currently enjoy.
My daughter worked hard on this so let us know what you thought of it. I am sorry for the quality but I had to use YouTube to embed it on Blogger.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Last night at the Assembly meeting was emotionally draining and yet quite uplifting. Is that even possible?
My daughter and I arrived at the Loussac Library around 4:30.
Once again the parking lot was packed and the red shirt brigade was out in full force.
Unbeknown to me at the time, Jerry "I hate the gays! I just hate them!" Prevo had sent out this delightful little e-mail to his cult members.
Dear ABT Email Family,
FOR THE SAKE OF OUR CHILDREN, GRANDCHILDREN, RELIGIOUS FREEDOM, CHURCHES, CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS, WE MUST STOP THIS NEW ORDINANCE IN ANCHORAGE.HOMOSEXUALITY IS NOT AN ACCEPTABLE MORAL LIFESTYLE.IT IS DISEASED AND DEVIANT.HOMOSEXUALS ARE TRYING TO FORCE US TO APPROVE THEIR LIFESTYLE INSTEAD OF JUST ACCEPTING THEM. HOMOSEXUALS ARE NOT BEING DEPRIVED OF JOBS, PLACES TO LIVE OR LOANS. THEY HOLD HIGH POLITICAL OFFICES, WELL-PAYING CORPORATE POSITIONS, AND ARE, AS A WHOLE, IN A HIGHER INCOME BRACKET.
The liberals on the Anchorage Assembly are trying to pass an ordinance to give “special rights” to gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and of all things transgender perverts. Last week we surprised them with an overwhelming number of people there in opposition, but they do not believe we can sustain these numbers. They feel like we are a bunch of wimps when it comes to fighting for what is right. To make it even harder, they have scheduled, in addition to the Tuesday night meeting, as to make it even harder, they have scheduled, in addition to the Tuesday night meeting, a special Wednesday night meeting. I am calling off our regular church service Wednesday so we can overwhelm them again on Wednesday night. This is how important this issue is to defeat.Below is some general information and BE SURE TO WEAR SOMETHING RED. (blue is their color) – Pastor Prevo
General Information: The public testimony concerning the proposed homosexual ordinance continues Tuesday and Wednesday nights. We need everyone to attend the Assembly meeting at the Lousacc Library. We need to fill up the Assembly Chambers with people wearing red shirts showing their opposition to the proposed ordinance. If you can arrive by 3 p.m., take a seat in the Assembly Chamber Hall. Bring something to eat or drink and a good book to read. Arriving early is important but coming when you can and being present, even outside, is just as important. We need to show the Assembly Members the voters of Anchorage will not tolerate this scourge. (I received this courtesy of Shannyn Moore.)
So as you can imagine they were there in large numbers and itching for a fight.
I was actually able to interview Prevo, and my daughter captured it on video, so hopefully I will have that up of all of you later today or early tomorrow.
We also captured many conversations and confrontations on video and will put those up as soon as my daughter can edit them together.
This time I sat with my blogger buddies Shannyn Moore and AKM during the often emotional testimony, which always makes these things much easier to take. AKM kept sharing posts on her Blackberry from the liveblogging that was taking place at Mudflats and that helped to lighten the mood a little.
I am not going to go into what happened during the testimony with this post, because like I said I have video and it will be much easier with a visual aide.
I will share that afterward we all went to the wonderful Villa Nova restaurant again, where we all ate too much, laughed just the right amount, and left with our spirits much higher than when we had arrived.
Stay tuned for more.
Once again the parking lot was packed and the red shirt brigade was out in full force.
Unbeknown to me at the time, Jerry "I hate the gays! I just hate them!" Prevo had sent out this delightful little e-mail to his cult members.
Dear ABT Email Family,
FOR THE SAKE OF OUR CHILDREN, GRANDCHILDREN, RELIGIOUS FREEDOM, CHURCHES, CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS, WE MUST STOP THIS NEW ORDINANCE IN ANCHORAGE.HOMOSEXUALITY IS NOT AN ACCEPTABLE MORAL LIFESTYLE.IT IS DISEASED AND DEVIANT.HOMOSEXUALS ARE TRYING TO FORCE US TO APPROVE THEIR LIFESTYLE INSTEAD OF JUST ACCEPTING THEM. HOMOSEXUALS ARE NOT BEING DEPRIVED OF JOBS, PLACES TO LIVE OR LOANS. THEY HOLD HIGH POLITICAL OFFICES, WELL-PAYING CORPORATE POSITIONS, AND ARE, AS A WHOLE, IN A HIGHER INCOME BRACKET.
The liberals on the Anchorage Assembly are trying to pass an ordinance to give “special rights” to gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and of all things transgender perverts. Last week we surprised them with an overwhelming number of people there in opposition, but they do not believe we can sustain these numbers. They feel like we are a bunch of wimps when it comes to fighting for what is right. To make it even harder, they have scheduled, in addition to the Tuesday night meeting, as to make it even harder, they have scheduled, in addition to the Tuesday night meeting, a special Wednesday night meeting. I am calling off our regular church service Wednesday so we can overwhelm them again on Wednesday night. This is how important this issue is to defeat.Below is some general information and BE SURE TO WEAR SOMETHING RED. (blue is their color) – Pastor Prevo
General Information: The public testimony concerning the proposed homosexual ordinance continues Tuesday and Wednesday nights. We need everyone to attend the Assembly meeting at the Lousacc Library. We need to fill up the Assembly Chambers with people wearing red shirts showing their opposition to the proposed ordinance. If you can arrive by 3 p.m., take a seat in the Assembly Chamber Hall. Bring something to eat or drink and a good book to read. Arriving early is important but coming when you can and being present, even outside, is just as important. We need to show the Assembly Members the voters of Anchorage will not tolerate this scourge. (I received this courtesy of Shannyn Moore.)
So as you can imagine they were there in large numbers and itching for a fight.
I was actually able to interview Prevo, and my daughter captured it on video, so hopefully I will have that up of all of you later today or early tomorrow.
We also captured many conversations and confrontations on video and will put those up as soon as my daughter can edit them together.
This time I sat with my blogger buddies Shannyn Moore and AKM during the often emotional testimony, which always makes these things much easier to take. AKM kept sharing posts on her Blackberry from the liveblogging that was taking place at Mudflats and that helped to lighten the mood a little.
I am not going to go into what happened during the testimony with this post, because like I said I have video and it will be much easier with a visual aide.
I will share that afterward we all went to the wonderful Villa Nova restaurant again, where we all ate too much, laughed just the right amount, and left with our spirits much higher than when we had arrived.
Stay tuned for more.
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