Stampede to Western Alaska!
20 02 2009
Who needs a road to Nome? With all the politicos who are suddenly interested in the Y-K Delta, how about a road to Nunam Iqua? Or a road to Emmonak? Think of the air travel it will save!
Governor Sarah Palin
Palin and her date, celebrity evangelical Franklin Graham, son of Rev. Billy Graham took his private jet to the village of Russian Mission this morning. In what we’ll call the “Runner Up Flight”, Lieutenant Governor Sean Parnell accompanied local wannabee national celebrity evangelical Jerry Prevo of the Anchorage Baptist Temple in a King Air plane that followed.
Before they flew off, Kyle Hopkins at the Anchorage Daily News asked some questions and reported Palin’s answers on the Politics Blog. When he asked if Palin thought that the villages would be able to sustain their current populations in 10-15 years, she replied:
Some of these areas … they may need to see some change in leadership within the community, also. For the leaders whom are looked to for guidance with the young people, that these leaders show them where opportunities are also. So they can, as I just mentioned, seize opportunities for jobs, at the same time being able to be such a strong part of their communities still. It is possible.
Would anyone like some fresh ground pepper on that word salad? (grinding) Just tell me when to stop. The point in all of Palin’s verbal gymnastics and Johnny-come-lately photo ops with an evangelical on each arm is this: none of this is Palin’s fault, the state’s fault, the government’s fault or due to the fact that the Rural Advisor position sat vacant for months after its last occupant left in frustration that she wasn’t able to schedule a meeting with the governor in the ten months she held that positioin.
Here’s the whole thing.
New Rural Advisor Jon Moller - That’s right, after almost four months of Sarah Palin’s Rural Advisor bearing a striking resemblance to an empty chair, the positioin is finally filled. Public outcry and shame score another point. Jon Moller is the lucky winner, and he is also out in the villages today, visiting Emmonak and Nunam Iqua among others. Or that was the plan anyway, we think. Sounds like his visit may have not been adequately announced in the communities themselves. We wait to hear back on what transpired.
Senator Mark Begich
That’s right. While Sarah Palin was trying to “shore up the base”, another powerful Alaskan politician was at work. Without fanfare, without a pair of evangelical celebrity preachers flanking him, Senator Mark Begich traveled to Bethel and video conferenced with several other villages, including the village of Emmonak. Who was on his arm? The very un-glamorous Bureau of Indian Affairs Regional Director for Alaska, Niles Cesar. This release touts the efforts of both Senators in bringing relief to the area.
Traveling to Bethel with U.S. Sen. Mark Begich today, Bureau of Indian Affair’s (BIA) regional director for Alaska, Niles Cesar, announced the BIA will provide emergency financial assistance to help residents in Emmonak struggling with the price of fuel.
At a video conference arranged with several villages through the Yukon Kuskokwim Health Corporation, Cesar told participants that the BIA has agreed to waive eligibility rules so more people in Emmonak can receive assistance of up to $1,000.
“I am extremely pleased that the BIA has answered Senator Lisa Murkowski and my request for assistance to help these residents get through the winter,” Sen. Begich said. ‘This is not a long-term solution, but it’s a step in the right direction. I am hopeful the State of Alaska will step in and help solve this for the future.”
Sen. Begich arranged the meeting in Bethel today and asked BIA officials to go with him. Cesar said the assistance may range from $400 to $1,000 depending on a person’s income. He didn’t know how many people would eventually receive the extra help, but said the average person will receive around $500.
Cesar also said his office is requesting the wavier be made available to 56 villages in Western Alaska and to 11 villages in the Northwest Arctic. Sen. Begich endorsed the request to expand the waiver to help more villages.
Representative Jay Ramras, who had previously been critical of Palin’s lack of interest in this particular issue, and had organized a large food drive issued a press release thanking all the “entities” that had been involved in getting food to the villages. Thursday he said, ““I applaud her for following in the footsteps of what Alaskans and nonprofits and churches have already been doing over the last four to six weeks,” he said Thursday.
A letter from Ramras’ office states:
Representative Ramras and his staff truly believe all your work over the past 4 weeks has contributed greatly to the trip the Governor is making to the western villages today.
I have to say, he nailed that one. The probability that Palin would spontaneously decide that something needed to be done, without having been shamed into action by bloggers, independent media, the Native community, the Anchorage Daily News and other mainstream newspapers, Jay Ramras, Bob Poe, CNN, Mark Begich, Lisa Murkowski, talk radio, and countless others is slim at best.
Nick Tucker -
The Emmonak resident who brought attention to the crisis via an open letter in the Bristol Bay Times, must be marvelling at what that one letter has done. How does he feel about the state’s response to date?
Tucker said the state response has been slow and inadequate.
“We got three more months (of winter left), so I don’t know what to say,” he said. “Like I said earlier, the state hasn’t been visible enough in doing something.”
February 21st, 2009 at 3:54 PM
Good work AKM and Mudpuppies coming up with ideas for survival in the Bush with a little help from Gov.t for infrastructure (too bad GINO will probably turn down stimulus money, and even if she takes it will use for her oil and gas buddies). I remember back in the earliest of posts in January, several people said that the Villagers had ideas about how to protect them from these disasters in the future. Maybe AKM can consolidate them, along with the ideas above, and send to Jay Ramras or that Moller guy. I agree that we need to help NOW and also plan for the future in a way that doesn’t demand the Villagers give up their way of life and emulate white people. In addition, I too am a Christian skeptic, and I resent SP’s characterization that all the assistance came from Christians. I was not aware that Franklin’s organization is under review by BBB; I definitely want to look into that. WRT the shoe boxes, when my daughter was involved in Girl Scouts, we often filled shoe boxes for the Red Cross to give to children left homeless by various disasters. It’s a good cause.
February 21st, 2009 at 4:06 PM
Hobojohn (21:55:24) : A King Air can only transport 3,000lbs of cargo.
Maybe even half of that, with passengers and full fuel. Samaritan’s Purse owns 7 high-end aircraft and has reserved tail numbers for an additional 5. Graham also owns a non-profit aviation business in Soldotna that owns 13 various aircraft and generated just short of 1 million dollars tax-exempt money in “contributions”.
So go ahead, put those aircraft into noble service; it’s their function. It’s what they’re supposed to be DOING as a tax-exempt charitable organization.
I have no problem with faith-based organizations lending a hand, and no problem with government leveraging all resources to address hard issues; churches have historically chipped in, in times of hardship. Good.
I celebrate and embrace personal spirituality and hope that all our politicians and leadership have some kind of spiritual grounding and clear value system.
The Gov/Lt. Gov absolutely should participate in charitable community service in their _own_ churches as a function of their personal lives.
But that’s not what this is. This is a direct and deliberate insertion of religion into state business strategy, and a state endorsement.
It’s very clear that this simply isn’t an appropriate formal State of Alaska response to a regional economic crisis.
Ironically, Graham’s personal wealth comes from 31 million dollars in grants from the U.S. federal government ($9,029,441 last year), and 260 million in “contributions” last year, with a 3 million net gain.
Tax-free money that comes from the taxes that you and I pay, and a large part from working-class Americans digging deep to donate in church and evangelical functions. Read that number again – 260 million –
In 2008, the State of Alaska was one of just 4 states to receive $500,000 in appropriations to support religious groups through Bush’s Faith-Based Programs Initiative. “Thanks, but no thanks”?
The state office that operates this on a $700,000+ budget was cut by legislative action, but put back in after Parnell objected. What exactly do they do in that office that costs Alaska government more than $700,000 a year? That doesn’t sound “fiscally conservative” to me, nor does it “reduce government”, which is Palin’s platform.
February 21st, 2009 at 5:22 PM
I am going to play devil’s advocate for a bit and just ask commenters to think of ideas regarding long term solutions for job creation and income streams for the citizens residing in these poverty stricken areas of our state.
Is there any kind of exchange program that could be worked out with other ethnic groups, individuals or groups from other countries who’d be interested in learning what rural Alaska life is like….seminars conducted by whoever is bilingual with first or second language English along with elders bilingual or with translation…obviously during a more ideal season of the year….”tourist season”
….conduct tours of the environment…have someone work up a PowerPoint or a video of some daily-life and some of the unique ethnic lifestyle?
I’m not thinking so much of craftwork or that kind of thing. Some things that a tourist can buy in the Alaska Panhandle cities are dubious as to origin (China?), so “trinkets” probably wouldn’t bring the dollars worth the time spent on them.
Perhaps something that’d bring folks to western Alaska the way they flock to Blake Island in Puget Sound to immerse themselves for a day in Northwest Coastal First American (OK, their term “Native American”) hybridized/marketable culture (in fact, some exhibits probably are “borrowed” from Tlingit-Haida).
An “experience”?
Hard for me to know if this is feasible, because I’ve only traveled to the Panhandle, not up into the Big Country.
February 21st, 2009 at 5:30 PM
Basically, I guess what I suggested is a variant of BodieP (09:36:26)’s excellent detailed comment above.
February 21st, 2009 at 5:47 PM
I’m curious….what kind of tv coverage did this get in Alaska? Was it covered extensively?
February 21st, 2009 at 7:13 PM
To all of you here who are interested in long term solutions to rural Alaska’s issues , please visit us at anonymousbloggers. We have the start of various ideas on board.
The voices of what folks in Western Alaska want for themselves must be amplified dramatically to be heard over the din in this state- that is another chore which needs attending. Folks in the bush have well-informed , well-thought out plans which get lost in the wind off urban Alaska.
@Redwood- Humboldt is a LOT like Alaska…
February 21st, 2009 at 7:18 PM
Enjay in Eastern Montana..
Do love your Governor and so glad he is on solo for Energy and Natural Resources conference!!
Such a sorry show in Western Alaska by SP and Graham!
February 21st, 2009 at 7:58 PM
Repost!
My, my, what condescending white trash talk that SP spews. Unbelievable. She went there to scold and insult them then? These plane loads of food, why must they come with conditions?
Not to be a stick in the mud, but, Ripley in CT AND Hobojohn bring up a point…the King Air 90’s cargo weight=3,100lbs. The 100’s is 4,708lbs… 2 planes… what’s going on. What about Alaska’s military cargo plane —on call from the Guv’ner I may add…what’s with the god squad’s plane being utilized? Pfffffft. Poppycock poseur she is. Also, cost of a King Air=$3M. yep. Three Million dollars people!
Why is it that the first nations people need to do what white people do constantly? If it wasn’t placing them in residential schools, banning them from speaking their language to placing them on reservations….always accompanied by some ‘christian’ trying to convert them. What year is this anyways? Why is the ‘church’ involved with politics. Oh, it’s SP, I see, nuff said.
SP fails to acknowledge that these communities are hard pressed by dwindling herds and salmon, preventing them from exchanging their work for money to purchase fuel — whose price has risen, due to a lack of shipment because of an early freeze up…
SP has a sloped forehead the way she preaches that everyone from these communities ought to work on the north slope. Are they hiring? I doubt it. Where is the housing to accommodate 500 [say] new hires on this north slope? What absolute BS!
Thanks for the white wash, SP. now piss off.
Canuck for Choice — yep Ignatieff — I’d prefer Gerrard Kennedy — the food bank organizer, not someone who was away from the country 3 decades! I’d watch that Ignatieff, but over Harper? Please. He’s mr. oil sands pollution!
tigerwine — loved the Chief Peter Three Stars story, mainly because my name is Peter and I play on a hockey team called PPL Stars, made up mostly of Asian descent Canadians and some Sri Lankan descent and some white boys — lol, too funny. I’d like that moniker…
Yesss, Candy Night, Sarah Palin is a racist. Period.
February 21st, 2009 at 9:44 PM
Wow
I am really impressed by Sarah Palin.
She flies in a shiny plane.
Stays for an hour or two. Drools over Billy’s son
Goes back to the capitol. Err Wallisa
Looks like Billy G and his offspring can at least afford
aviation fuel. Didn’t notice anything about them actually bringing
any foodstuffs on the shiny plane which
really should have been a nobrainer.
February 22nd, 2009 at 7:04 AM
So, then, Sarah thinks since the government isn’t the answer to helping citizens-in-need then concerned groups need to be working together in a way to help said needy people which would in essence require an entity such as … Community Organizers? Grind a little pepper on that word salad for me wouldja, please?
February 22nd, 2009 at 8:20 AM
Khione (16:06:00) :
Ironically, Graham’s personal wealth comes from 31 million dollars in grants from the U.S. federal government ($9,029,441 last year), and 260 million in “contributions” last year, with a 3 million net gain.
Tax-free money that comes from the taxes that you and I pay, and a large part from working-class Americans digging deep to donate in church and evangelical functions. Read that number again – 260 million -
In 2008, the State of Alaska was one of just 4 states to receive $500,000 in appropriations to support religious groups through Bush’s Faith-Based Programs Initiative. “Thanks, but no thanks”?
The state office that operates this on a $700,000+ budget was cut by legislative action, but put back in after Parnell objected. What exactly do they do in that office that costs Alaska government more than $700,000 a year? That doesn’t sound “fiscally conservative” to me, nor does it “reduce government”, which is Palin’s platform.
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VERY GOOD POINT Kihoni!!
And, if I remember correctly Palin’s “first” PAC spokesperson has something to do with Bush’s “Faith-Based Program Initiative”.
I’ll see if I can find that info……by the way, just how many different spokespeople do politicians have for their Pacs?
again, if I am remembering correctly, Meg Stapleton is now the 3rd to say she’s the Palin Pac spokesperson. I’m finding all these interconnections rather interesting but also very hard to keep straight and hard to get the big picture.
February 22nd, 2009 at 9:02 AM
okay, found it. The day Palin’s Pac went up, Pam Pryor, did the talking saying she was the Pacs volunteer spokesperson.
http://www.adn.com/palin/story/669707.html
“The Web site went live Tuesday, said Pam Pryor, who worked as a liaison between the McCain-Palin presidential campaign and the Republican National Committee. Now, Pryor is serving as a volunteer spokeswoman for the new PAC.”
“”She came onto the national scene, and there’s still a great deal of appetite in the political world to have her be a part of that,” Pryor said. “Her family and Alaska come first. After that, if there’s extra time, I think she still wants to be involved and will look at the PAC as a way to fuel that to kind of fuel that political activity.”
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And she has some very powerful Republican connections AND was part of bringing “faith based funding” into our government. There is a lot of info collected on the Mudflats forum under “Sarah setting up for 2012″ thread.
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this is her bio from “Enough is Enough”
Pam Pryor
“Pam Pryor has more than 25 years in pubic relations and public affairs. She currently serves as vice president of government relations for We Care America – a non-profit formed around the faith and community-based initiative. In that capacity, she unites faith and community groups with government through the faith and community-based initiative in grant writing and introductions to government agencies and Congress. She has hosted the state directors of the faith and community-based office three times as well as does training for the Compassion Capitol Fund grant that We Care America received.
Ms. Pryor began her career as a college instructor at Point Loma College in San Diego and then Bethany Nazarene College in Oklahoma City. Her media background includes being a TV news reporter and anchor in Oklahoma and host of her own radio talk show. After moving to DC, she worked with an association and did some consulting for various clients in the early 90’s. In 1995, she joined the staff of Congressman J.C. Watts from Oklahoma and served as his press secretary and then as his chief of staff for both his personal office and his leadership post – the House Republican Conference. In 2001, she was named one of the 100 most powerful women in Washington by Washingtonian Magazine.”
February 22nd, 2009 at 10:00 AM
In regards to the Green House Suggestion
It is actually quite cheap to contruct your own.
My aunt did this and in the dead of winter it was 90 degrees in there
2×4’s (I think) with large sheets of durable plastic staple gunned to it
Leave a little of the plastic under the bottom piece of 2×4 (to keep it from getting “wet”) and the little flap left you put those gray cinderblocks all around (to keep it from falling down/blowing away)
Im sure there is a little more structure to it.. such as on the inside to keep it upright and all.. but it doesnt have to be one of those fancy solar paneled green houses
May aunt even left a little flap open so her outdoor cat could sneak in and keep warm
February 22nd, 2009 at 10:52 AM
Had intended to do more research directly before mentioning this, but this is
relevant now, and I will continue as well.
GROWING POWER is a sustainable urban greenhouse>fish farm>community supported agriculture>composting
project, started in Milwaukee by Will Allen, with various other sites being developed.
He just won a MacArthur genius grant for this work. THey have training sessions,
interns, etc. Basically this one man had a vision that he manifested.
While we may think Wisconsin winters are rough, obviously the Yukon Delta is
different, but there would be much that would be applicable. One of the
many aspects is the good jobs it provides. And I think the fish farm aspect does
help with the heat issue. And you have lots more sunlight most of the year.
February 22nd, 2009 at 11:13 AM
I don’t remember where I read this today, but there seems to be a poll out there (USNews?) asking people who they would rather have babysit their kids: Michelle Obama, Sarah Plalin, Hillary Clinton or Nancy Pelosi…
SARAH PALIN is winning by 13% so far – way ahead of Michelle!
WTF???
February 22nd, 2009 at 12:50 PM
@ InterestedPerson….I am speechless, I repect everyone has a right to their own opinion, and maybe I am not reading your post correctly? The last thing we want anywhere near our State and Federal waters in Alaska, are fish farms. Fish Farms “DO NOT PROVIDE JOBS”! Maybe a handful of jobs, they are far more damaging then they are worth. Please understand that Alaskan’s will fight till our last breath to keep fish farms our of our State and Federal waters. It’s an Alaska thing, we are very proud of our Wild Fisheries and we will do everything in our power to keep them wild. If you need sites to go to, to become more informed on how destructive these farms are, I will be happy to provide you with that information.
Once again, no disrespect here, BUT our Wild Fisheries are vital to every coastal communities well being.
February 22nd, 2009 at 4:13 PM
“I agree with Big Stick and others who see how Palin has insulted the tribal elders. The subtext of her painful words is clear: Native people should leave their tribal lands and their tribal ways and take a job in the whiteman’s economy, live a whiteman’s way of life and leave the area to others (whitemen) who will make better use of it, (e.g. oil exploration, commercial fishing, etc.) And, of course, everyone should see that this idea is approved by government and religion. Of all of the things she has said or done, this is by far the most despicable.”
The big thing is “whitemans way” takes cash money, cash economy. That’s what is missing in the villages and that’s what needs to be rectified if these villagers are ever going to be able to function in the way that urban and suburban areas do. Cash economy supplemented by subsistence food gathering. Industry is never going to happen in the rural areas due to increased costs. Cottage industries finance some families and fishing and trapping others. When any of these rural industries collapses it becomes more difficult for families in the bush to live like families on the road system. It’s a very delicate balance out there and one bad fishing season can kill a village.
February 23rd, 2009 at 8:39 PM
@wanna know why the lies 12:50:44
Hope this is not too late for you to notice….My description was not clear enough,
but related to the Greenhouse aspect of the thread. What I thought might be a useful
project to look at, not to just replicate is, as Growing POwer describes it,
uses “aquaculture as the symbiotice culture of aquatic animals in a recirculating system”.
They use perch and talilpia to fertilize the crops grown in the water. It is a complete
cycle producing vegetables. The fish in tanks are also sold. But it is not a fish farm.
The main point is the greenhouse production of vegetables and plants. I dont think it would be anything like a fish farm.
I certainly will look at the site about the wild fishing.