Bedtime in Alaska – Odds and Ends
22 02 2009Divestment from Sudan
The leaders of the Alaska Permanent Fund have reversed their position and now support selling the fund’s stock holdings in companies that do business in Sudan. At a meeting this week in Juneau, the board of the state’s $28 billion oil-wealth savings account endorsed legislation offered by Gov. Sarah Palin calling for the stock sale. The Palin administration bill is one of at least three pertaining to fund investments in Sudan out of concern for the genocide occurring in that country’s Darfur region. [From a Press Release issued by Rep. Les Gara]
Murkowski and Begich…
They’re like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (you decide which is which), or a Black & White cookie, or Peanut Butter and Jelly, lichen and fungus…. oh, heck. There’s just no proper metaphor for a Republican and a Democrat getting along and trying to do their best for their state and their nation. Here’s Richard Mauer’s wrap-up of the two Senators’ doings during their week at home in the Anchorage Daily News.
In back-to-back press conferences in Anchorage, Mark Begich and Lisa Murkowski proclaimed their allegiances to the moderate wings of their respective parties and vowed to put governance ahead of partisanship.
The partisan flare-up in Congress over the $787 billion economic stimulus bill doesn’t necessarily foreshadow a new wave of ferocious inter-party bickering in Washington, Alaska’s two senators said Friday. [snip]
Murkowski, a Republican who has begun rising into the minority leadership ranks in the Senate, flatly rejected the idea voiced by some in her party that the failure of the Obama presidency would help them regain the White House and Congress.
“I need President Obama to succeed. This country needs him to succeed, because if he fails, the economic recession that we are in now gets worse,” Murkowski said. “If I were to go to work every morning with the thought in mind that what we need to do is tear down the other guys to build us up, I wouldn’t want this job.”
(clap clap clap)
Begich Budget Woes
Senator Mark Begich is under some criticism for Mayor Mark Begich’s management of the city of Anchorage’s budget. Here’s what he had to say to KTUU about the $17 million shortfall the city is facing.
“When you look at the overall budget it’s less than 4 percent of the budget,” he said. “It’s a very manageable amount, so I feel very good that we left the city in good financial condition.”
Begich blames the economy for the city’s troubles and says other communities are facing much tougher times.
“There are many cities across this country that have been under enormous pressure,” he said. “Anchorage has not felt that. We have some pressures, but not — I mean 4 percent of the budget compared to some cities that are 10, 20, 30, 40 percent of their budget. Four percent is a manageable amount.”
In response, Assembly member Jennifer Johnston said:
“It’s not managing. He was not he was not doing his job. His job at that point was running for office, so whatever he was doing — if you want to say finesse, or if there was not accountability, you can say that, I can’t say that — it was more … he was not on the job.”
Three unsolicited thoughts fluttered through my head. 1) Jennifer Johnston can speak! I’ve sat through umpteen Assembly meetings and I don’t think I ever heard her utter a word. 2) And now that we know what she has to say…doesn’t that quote sound an awful lot like someone else we all know? 3) Speaking of that someone else, Palin pretty much got a pass for leaving Wasilla, a town of 7500 people over $22 million in debt after her term as mayor. And yet, Mark Begich is getting raked over the coals for $17 million in a city of over 260,000. Seems like “fiscal conservative” critics want it both ways.
February 22nd, 2009 at 12:57 AM
btw Lisa was apparently waiting on info from her accountant and was able to confirm for Politico that no, she has never had to pay back taxes. She also defended Mark Begich’s tax glitch, saying it wasn’t a big deal. She gets an elephant stamp for that.
‘nite AKM if you’re still up.
February 22nd, 2009 at 1:26 AM
on budget woes – levy $1000 dollar fines on :
- cigarette butt tossers
- litter bugs in general
- people who spit on the sidewalk
- pet owners that don’t clean up after Spot
- motorists that make your car shake with their amped up car stereo
February 22nd, 2009 at 3:02 AM
I take it Jennifer Johnston is a Republican ?
Typical then – turn a blind eye to what one of their own (SP) did, but slam the Democrat for something much less egregious.
Perhaps someone can purchase a calculator for Ms. Johnston, or let her borrow one and then show her how to use it.
Anchorage’s deficit works out to $65.38 per resident
Wasilla’s deficit works out to $2,933.33 per resident
February 22nd, 2009 at 3:47 AM
Jennifer Johnston has selective amnesia. It’s a Republican thing.
February 22nd, 2009 at 3:55 AM
Gov. Sarah Palin calling for the stock sale…..Can she now see Sudan from Alaska?
February 22nd, 2009 at 4:03 AM
Megan MccIan on Palin:
On whether Sarah Palin appeals more to a younger generation:
“I think no matter who, in the next four years, becomes the prominent up and coming person — Bobby Jindal, Gov. Huntsman — there are lots of names being thrown around right now — I think whoever gets to the point of becoming the prominent figure in the Republican party has to have a message that’s simple that goes out. Hope and change was something that really stuck with my generation. It’s something that’s on bumper stickers and t-shirts. And it’s something that was easy for people to understand. What the Republican party is not doing right now is having a message that can equally touch that point. Sarah Palin — I hope she can, at some point, I just — I think time will tell.”
On whether she’ll support Sarah Palin if she becomes the Republican nominee:
“I would support whomever the Republican candidate is in the next election.”
February 22nd, 2009 at 4:24 AM
“I don’t have any party buying me clothes”…….Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer on “no show ” Gov. Palin. ………..more on Huffpo this am.
February 22nd, 2009 at 4:26 AM
Looks like someone is stepping on Palins toes
http://www.adn.com/news/politics/story/698296.html
It was because of Rouse that Obama was the only presidential candidate to speak about Alaska’s natural gas pipeline before the primaries began, said former Gov. Tony Knowles, a Democrat, who got help from Rouse during his unsuccessful 2004 campaign for the U.S. Senate.
February 22nd, 2009 at 4:52 AM
Not only did Palin leave Wasilla 22 million in debt, she,
Built a hockey rink that still doesnt pay for itself on land that the city has had to pay for at least twice because of the eniment domain lawsuit she lost for illegally seizing the land in the first place.
February 22nd, 2009 at 5:09 AM
Alaskan – Sarah and Todd Palin got a new house built with the same material that is at the rink. Both got built at the same time. At Mayor Palin’s direction , obtaining a building permit was suspended. What a swinging ass deal. WTF x 10 !!!
February 22nd, 2009 at 5:34 AM
Murkowski, Saturday last, gave the Republican response to Obama’s message. Ummm, I did listen to it. Didn’t she give the Republican’s “official” talking points on that? Like she was against it, like it was going to ruin the county, like he was evil personified?
What has happened that all of that changed? Hmmm, perhaps the fact money will be coming to the states, and she doesn’t want to be like the FIVE governors who aren’t accepting some of the money for some of the programs.
February 22nd, 2009 at 5:39 AM
What does GINO have on these people that makes them come to her defense on the indefensible?
February 22nd, 2009 at 5:41 AM
Almost to the person , the 5 Gov.s that are quibbling , are positioning for a 2012 run for POTUS. So predictable……..
February 22nd, 2009 at 5:43 AM
Lance – I truly believe Todd’s nasty little friends in AIP are real good at dirt gathering.
February 22nd, 2009 at 5:55 AM
I don’t like deficits, but to put things in perspective, the projected shortfall in NYC’s 59 billion budget is about 4 billion for the next few years, despite our mayor – Bloomberg- who is a ‘financial wizard.’
That shortfall is over 6 percent.
February 22nd, 2009 at 6:11 AM
austintxNo Gravatar (05:43:53) :
Lance – I truly believe Todd’s nasty little friends in AIP are real good at dirt gathering.
——
That’s scary. Somebody needs to ‘out’ them.
February 22nd, 2009 at 6:43 AM
NY Dem (03:02:16) :
Re: Wasilla deficit. I think it is debt, not a shortfall. If I recall correctly, our favorite ‘fiscal conservative’ got the people of Wasilla to go along with debt financing of the sports building. Probably a bond.
In the end there is a shortfall, but the difference is in one case there is debt on the books- an unbalanced budget – unpaid bills, in the other case, there is a loan or obligation of some sort.
The implication is that not predicting how the city’s future income will match expenses, is poor management, while entering into a large debt with eyes wide open, is better.
It will be interesting to see how Alaska’s budget looks after this turn in the economy.
Just say’in.
February 22nd, 2009 at 6:58 AM
Sarah/Todd got a house out of the rink deal.Somehow , I don’t think the people of Wasilla signed on for that.
February 22nd, 2009 at 7:44 AM
Sarah/Todd got a house out of the rink deal.Somehow , I don’t think the people of Wasilla signed on for that.
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Shouldn’t the house be open to the public then, just like the ice rink ?
February 22nd, 2009 at 7:50 AM
When Mayor SP got rid of the permitting it wasn’t just for her property, but for all building. I imagine the Dud had some very grateful “contractor buddies”.
February 22nd, 2009 at 9:08 AM
NY Dem – When the I.R.S. seizes it and then puts it up for auction , I’m sure there will be a “Open House” viewing for the public.
February 22nd, 2009 at 9:41 AM
Please correct me if I’m wrong , but doesn’t getting permits for building structures accomplish at least a couple of things. Like generating income for the local govt. entities and very importantly making sure said structure is up to code. If the rink was not properly permitted and a “Certificate of Occupancy” was not issued , I do not see how the liability insurer issued a policy. God forbid something bad happen – but the city of Wasilla will be more than the original 20 mil. in the hole when a lawsuit happens.
February 22nd, 2009 at 10:53 AM
I wonder if Jennifer Johnston is a distant relation to some other Johnstons who’ve had dealings recently with The Palin Dynasty…
February 22nd, 2009 at 2:49 PM
I remember when Lisa debated Tony Knowles for the Senate seat a few years ago.
Tony says, “I’ll work for Alaska.”
Lisa says, “You don’t understand the Senate. You have to be partisan and in the majority to get things done.”
Well, Lisa, now what?