Comments on: Turn Over the Trees and No One Gets Hurt.

By: All I Saw

All I Saw — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 20:47:44 +0000

“Those Senators are getting a simple message of “give the land back to the Natives” and don’t know anything about this sort of CORRUPTION that is the reality of Sealaska.”

Those Senators know exactly who is benefiting from any of their legislation – they aren’t innocently advocating for the betterment of Native People’s – they are delivering the goods ordered by their campaign donors.

Both Native and white crooks make this possible. It is simply a lie that any legislation that occurs in D.C. was and is always intended to benefit the Native population of Alaska as a whole.

There is a reason the likes of Chenega have partnered with Blackwater – the people who get rich on these arrangements could care less about Alaska or its Native peoples.

What Ted Stevens, Bolivian Cocaine and Halliburton have in Common

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2007/06/19/halliburton/index.html

… the answer = an Alaska Native Corporation, only the Native shareholders don’t even have the same rights as a shareholder of ANY other company in the United States.

By: Hannah

Hannah — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 17:44:29 +0000

#9 sauerkraut: good post.

I’m a member of Sierra Club and just sent them an email about this.

By: yukonbushgrma

yukonbushgrma — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 11:24:46 +0000

@28 Judi:
“Just wondering..now that corp have been deemed people and thus protected under our constitution.,..can he, and others, openly represent the corps interests – as one of the “people” from his district?”
———–
Yeah, I was wondering the same ….

Soooo coincidental that it came so close to the SCOTUS ruling. Are they testing the waters, seeing just how far they will be able to go? —— ??? (“OK, the supremes have given us the go-ahead, so now we have to pick up that ball and see how far we can run it ………” ??????)

By: doyhof

doyhof — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 07:18:09 +0000

“I don’t want to speak for the good people of Craig, but I would imagine that the residents like their island, and they are justifiably concerned about what will happen if it’s clear cut. Let’s face it, there are plenty of ugly places without trees in the world but there is almost no old growth forest left. Prince of Wales Island is pretty special. Clear cutting kind of ruins that.”

It would be my hunch that the good people of Craig are more concerned about Sealaska taking timber from federal land that would make it unavailable for competitive bidding from local loggers as well a processing in the local mill in Klawock. Sealaska would likely bring in its own crews and then export the wood without value added milling. POW island has already been extensively clearcut. Just sayin’

By: PQ

PQ — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 05:57:53 +0000

I hope his constituents decide this sounds like reason for a recall and/or maybe another FBI investigation into corruption in Alaska politics.

By: mlaiuppa

mlaiuppa — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 05:32:43 +0000

(told you so)

By: sockeye

sockeye — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 04:19:06 +0000

Great article. This is CORRUPTION pure and simple. It makes you wonder what Sealaska is doing behind closed doors if this is what they are doing in open public forums!
If anyone else is outraged, please write letters to the editor… especially in papers in the states of members of the Senate Natural Resources Committee. All those members are being told by Sealaska that their corporation is Alaskan natives who know better than anyone how to live sustainably within the Forest. The reality is that the CEO and people in charge of the logging are White and don’t care about long-term forest health….they just want to clear-cut it. Those Senators are getting a simple message of “give the land back to the Natives” and don’t know anything about this sort of CORRUPTION that is the reality of Sealaska.

By: Moose Pucky

Moose Pucky — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 00:49:56 +0000

Ah yes, if only there were better choices out there.

Kookesh is a little too pally with R-Rep. Bill Thomas.

Both wielding their power through pork to cronies and a bit out of touch with the people of their districts.

By: All I Saw

All I Saw — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 23:24:43 +0000

“I am instantly negative about the project because of the secrecy, threats, and tactics used to foist it off on us. It might be a perfectly good project…..too bad!!” – Marilyn

Yep, yep and yep.

What has happened is that there are too many middlemen involved and they think that their “relationship contribution” to any project has value above and beyond what any contractor, laborer or vendor does.

With all the kickbacks and bribes to people that have never owned a pair of work boots or picked up a hammer – there is very little left for the people that do the real work.

I would argue that anyone would be hard pressed to find a single publicly funded construction project in the State of Alaska that didn’t involve bribes, kickbacks or quid pro quo’s by public officials or pompous executives.

Sadly, being kind of a youngster (although lifelong Alaskan) I’m told that there is nothing new to this story. This is the 1970′s all over again when the TransAlaska Pipeline was being built. Alaska is a “rush” economy, whether it be gold, oil, timber or minerals mining. Its time we grew up and started looking to each other – regardless of political ideology – to create a mature and sustainable economy. Otherwise all the smart folks will leave – if they haven’t already.

By: sauerkraut

sauerkraut — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 22:59:49 +0000

There is hope, bubbles. There is always hope. And then there are those republican politicians who go so far over the line that they end up getting b&tch slapped back into the unemployment line.