Payday for Mayor/Trustee Hybrid Dan Sullivan.
~Mayor Dan Sullivan
So, back in 1982 there lived a recently former mayor in a city in Alaska. His name was George Sullivan and the city was Anchorage. And as the mayor of a city, he had a life insurance policy.
And those at the time liked George Sullivan so much that they thought they’d insure him forever… that this life insurance policy would go on until the end of his life.
Fast forward 20 years.
(swooooosh)
Now fix your hair.
…in 2002, Deputy Employee Relations director Karen Moore was baffled when Dan Sullivan, who was on the Assembly at the time, came to the city to make that year’s premium payment, according to e-mails from the time. She asked the city’s insurance carrier about a policy for Sullivan. The company didn’t know about it either. The premiums paid by Sullivan and his family had been deposited into a city account, not given to Aetna.
Top officials in the administration of George Wuerch, who was mayor in 2002, spent months trying to figure out the history of the deal and what to do about it, according to the e-mails, released to the Daily News this week.
The city’s life insurance carrier, Aetna, told the city in 2002 that it had no policy on Sullivan and wouldn’t cover him anyway because its agreement was only for active city employees, according to the e-mails. Aetna made clear it wasn’t liable for Sullivan, who was 78 years old by that time. The insurance company’s legal department recommended the city just return the premiums to the Sullivan family.
Dan Sullivan must have been bummed, seeing as how it looked like the big payday might not happen. The mayor at the time, conservative one-term wonder George Wuerch listened to the recommendations from the insurance company’s legal department who said to simply pay back the premium to the family and call it a day. Then he listened to the city’s finance director who also said to simply pay back the premium to the family and call it a day. Then Wuerch decided that the city just simply had no option but to provide the coverage anyway. And the city attorney at the time decided that Anchorage would become an insurance company, and then Assemblyman Dan Sullivan must have smiled and he continued making the payments knowing that some day the city would have to cough up the money.
So Assemblyman Dan Sullivan continued to pay $556 every year to the city. An actual policy with an insurance company would have run more than $11,000 per year in premiums back in 1982, according to the city’s benefits manager at the time.
Fast forward to last week’s Assembly meeting.
George Sullivan is no longer with us, and it’s time for the Municipality of Anchorage to pay up in the amount of $193,000 to the trustee. Who is the trustee? And who gets to sign the check that distributes that big wad of cash to members of the Sullivan family? Why, look! It’s Dan Sullivan again. You remember him… the Assemblyman who was in the middle of the whole situation in 2002. Well now, he’s the Mayor.
Asked last week about the trust, Sullivan said “it was kind of news to me until a year or so ago when I realized that I was named as trustee for the life insurance trust and that there were payments that needed to be made on an annual basis.”
Well, that’s strange. Mayor Dan Sullivan is, in fact, the same person as former Assemblyman Dan Sullivan who brought the annual payment to the city that set off the alarm bells that resulted in the city becoming an insurance company. He didn’t realize he’d been making payments all those years? How very very convenient odd.
When this little contradiction was pointed out to the Mayor, the furious backpedaling began.
Sullivan said what he meant was that he hadn’t realized that “somewhere along the line it changed from being an insurance product to a contract.”
OK, let’s review this for a moment.
What he said before he realized the ADN knew he made the payment:
“it was kind of news to me until a year or so ago when I realized that I was named as trustee for the life insurance trust and that there were payments that needed to be made on an annual basis.“
What he “meant” after he found out the ADN knew he made the payment:
he hadn’t realized that “somewhere along the line it changed from being an insurance product to a contract.”
Ahh… Now we get it. I bet Mayor Dan has a bridge to nowhere he’d like to sell us too.
“But,” you ask, (because you’ve been paying attention) “isn’t this the same Mayor Dan Sullivan who just cut $150,000 from the Fire Department, and has reduced bus service and police, and library hours, and the arts? And isn’t that the same Dan Sullivan who is spending tens of thousands to help sue the government over beluga whales, and $50,000 more to do a “forensic audit” of city finances to make sure the previous Mayor wasn’t playing fast and loose with our money?” Yes, it is. And no, the irony of that last point isn’t lost on me.
Oh, and yes. It’s the same Mayor who took $12,000 to pay himself for being the “Mayor elect” before he took office, even though we had someone else who was already the Mayor.
And now, it looks like Mayor/Trustee Dan Sullivan will get to sign a check from the city to himself and his family for $193,000 that will come from the city’s general fund.
Hooray for fiscal conservatism and Dan Sullivan, the Mayor/Trustee Hybrid of the City/Insurance Company Hybrid Anchorage, Alaska.
The lone voice of reason from the Assembly on this one was Harriet Drummond.
“If there were enough (Assembly members) who realized this was stupidity and voted no, then Anchorage’s taxpayers would still have $200,000 in the bank,” Drummond said later. “And the Sullivan estate could have gotten the $20,000 in premiums back. Maybe that was the appropriate thing to do. But it was certainly not appropriate for the city to be acting as an insurance company, which it is not.”
Kudos to Drummond for some common sense skepticism, and to Sean Cockerham from the ADN for some great digging on this issue.
I still can not fathom that this low life grifter also, too was paid before he was mayor. How is that possible and is there no recourse to pursaue to get that back?
Please expalin that to me. It just fuzzes me all up….
Another successful graduate of the Sarah Palin School of Ethics.
I think he’s a member of the Palin family.
It is simply unbelievable. You just can’t make stuff like this up!
I have nothing nice to say about Mayor Sullivan.
But, it should be noted that these grifters don’t get away with the loot without a LOT of help.
Hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid invoices (for legitimate services and goods provided) that the Municipality owes are just round-filed by this Mayor et al.
Do politicians up there who go to the Grifter Academy actually attend classes or can they do it on-line?
I haven’t had a chance to read the ADN article but did they track George Wuerch down and find out why he chose to go against the advice of the insurance company and his own finance director? Who was the city attorney and what if any connection does he have now or ever had with Fingers Sullivan? I wonder if Wuerch went against the advice maybe after he got a visit from ole Danny boy? I wonder what was promised?
Well at least they’re not wasting that money on things like fire trucks, police, or anti-abuse programs. Dan must be feeling so smug and proud.
Man, Alaska has got to be the most corrupt place ever. SO glad now we didn’t move there when we had a chance. UGH.
Well at least they’re not wasting that money on things like fire trucks, police, or anti-abuse programs. Dan must be feeling so smug and proud.
Man, Alaska has got to be the most corrupt place ever. SO glad now we didn’t move there when we had a chance. UGH.
Wow. Incredible. The comments on the Sullivan insurance story at Anchorage Daily News have been cooking like crazy all morning — most comments highly critical of Dan Sullivan… & now all of a sudden they’ve completely disappeared.
Maybe just a glitch, & then they’ll come back?… will see.
I wonder if ADN got a call from the Mayor’s office, eh?
Wow. It is things like this that make me wonder why we as a people can’t hold the city accountable for this type of thing. Are our hands tied? How can we demand an investigation? I’m just flummoxed.
Okay comments at ADN just reappeared. Better take screenshots fast before they disappear again.
Mel green–the comments seemed to be there when I just looked at it again.
Does not appear to be legal to me… someone ought to take this to court and see if the original agreement was valid – as in, could the City legally enter into that type of agreement? If not, then they ought to see how much was paid in and return it, with the appropriate level of interest, to Sullivan.
Funny thing about certain conservatives mouth a great dislike of government until they can reap a windfall from it. Then they are all for it. Or, at least until they get the moolah, after which point they again become rabidly anti-government.
In any case, this has the smell of road apples.
So does anyone know how Danny boy’s pub is doing downtown? Does it need a quick influx of money, maybe?
Ya know. I was looking at the picture of the Mayor and thinking that AKM had purposefully chosen one that made him look kinda of hinky, what with the beady eyes and all. But then I realized that he always looks like that, plus he does that talking out of the side of his mouth thing that Dick Cheney does.
Didn’t the TRUSTEE have to file papers to petition the Assembly to vote on whether to pay or not?
This seriously smells of racketeering. Someone should send the matter to an FBI agent outside of the State of Alaska because your local FBI office does nothing at all.
Doesn’t he look just like Kevin Spacey from ‘American Beauty’ in that photo
Dan Sullivan reminds me of all those anti-gay politicians that attack the gays with legislation…and then get outed for being gay THEMSELVES.
Sullivan is doing the same thing. He attacks Mark Begich for alleged corruption…and then cuts fire dept. essential services following his Christmas Eve pink slip bonanza all the while refusing to fully fund the city with the extra $10 million dollars in city coffers…AND THEN POCKETS A COOL $200,000!!! NICE.
Can you say PROJECTION???
It really doesn’t make sense. If the city thought the mayor so important. they would make the city the beneficiary, not his son. But of course, that importance ends when he is no longer mayor to the city.
It is a little ghoulish that Dan wants his follow citizen’s to pay him for his father’s death. Who knew Alaska has blue blooded dynasties.
When is the next mayoral election? You’ve got to get this thief out of office. Also, too, any council members that support him.
An honorable man, a conservative who cared about his city would refuse the pay out, take a refund of the “premiums” plus interest and capitalize on looking…um…honorable.
@ Wolf Pack
I didn’t know, but now it’s pretty obvious.
This guy is a more accomplished grifter than Sarah Palin. He needs to be Governor……. NOT!
Wow.
Sounds like he’s practicing at being Governor.
Is Mayor Dan going to move to Wasilla soon?
I hope the voters bet a virulent case of “Tea Bagger Flu” and vote all the bums out. Except Harriet Drummond.
I’d like to see a press conference where the Not-So-Honorable Mayor Sullivan explains why it is more important to pay off a probably not legal policy on his dad- check to Sullivan signed by Sullivan- instead of rescue equipment, buses, library, police…
The mind boggles. As they say down under, I’m gobsmacked. Paula (#s 8 & 9), I, too, was considering a move to AK way back when. So glad I stayed in New York. Perhaps I’ll see some of you in chat later on. To all, health and peace.
I emailed Shannyn and have been listening online. AKM is on now talking about it. My suggestion to Shannyn….
” Ask Brad from The Brad Blog for his Opinion “. He’s the Legal Expert on Legal matters. ME… not so much.
I think someone will have to Sue Sullivan over this though.
He has caught ” The Palin Effect “… it’s a disease… and it’s contagious.
Sullivan has a fiduciary duty as the trustee. He also has a fiduciary duty as our Mayor. Given the obvious conflict of interest, he ought to have resigned from one of those positions. Good thing our Municipal Board of Ethics is independent.
just WOW !!
I normally don’t judge people by their appearance but Dan Sullivan has the look of a man who he sells dvds and electronic equipment out of the back of his car.
Recall this thief. Sullivan is making the republican voters of Anchorage look like ignorant Americans.
I wonder whether the ex-mayor Sullivan paid taxes on the income he made from a policy valued at $11,532 and paid $556? Insurance is not taxable, but extra value is. If the estate has to pay back taxes, it should eat up most of the $193,000.
It is also very clear where Dan Sullivan inherited his grifter nature, seems ex-mayor Sullivan collected 11 months of sick leave after leaving office, entitled? I suppose, ethical, moral or conservative? I think not.
About THAT pic of Dan as well…..
If it had some little numbers… Cellmate # such and such…
wouldn’t that be the exact picture that would accompany it..?
Just mess up his hair a little and he could become another Nick Nolte.
I have been waiting for them to find a way to blame it on Mark Begich. This story is truly so hard to believe I though it was April 1st.
Is that a mug shot? It looks like one.
whoa, apparently I was channeling honestyinGov.
seriously, had he been just arrested when this was taken? what for?
#
32
honestyinGov Says:
March 4th, 2010 at 3:12 PM
About THAT pic of Dan as well…..
If it had some little numbers… Cellmate # such and such…
wouldn’t that be the exact picture that would accompany it..?
Just mess up his hair a little and he could become another Nick Nolte.
*****************************************************************************#
35
mo Says:
March 4th, 2010 at 3:38 PM
whoa, apparently I was channeling honestyinGov.
seriously, had he been just arrested when this was taken? what for?
*************************************************************************
o.k. this is just plain scary. I am channeling Honesty and Mo at the same exact time. Dang we are good pups. also i woke this morning and thought about Muppet2 and she popped in for a second.
Actually, you all may be channeling me! That’s precisely why I use that one. It’s my wishful thinking mug shot. AKM
What a nice little windfall.
Just doesn’t pass the “smell test” -
very fishy !!!
In New York State they want Governor David Patterson to resign. H*ll, Sarah had more ethics violations on a daily basis than Patterson’s sum total violations! Maybe he can take the Sarah Palin course on ethics to save his job!!!!
Just when you thought the Corrupt Bastards Club was defunct Dan Sullivan comes along and proves you wrong.
Can you imagine what he’d be saying if it was his predecessor or had done that? Why, he’d be calling for an investigation.
I hope the FBI reads the ADN and is still requiring honest services from public officials. It’s clear Dan Sullivan set a trap for the public purse in 2002 or earlier. He knew there was no insurance policy, and turned $500 a year into nearly $200,000.
Maybe Starr and Coffee will investigate. No, I forgot, Sullivan is a republican, so his corruption will be tolerated by those hypocrites.
Socialized Life Insurance, on one individual, at one man’s discretion? This can’t stand up. sauerkraut — I think you’re on the right track. This type of contract simply can’t be within the authorized scope of a municipal charter. Step one would seem to be obtaining a copy of the contract for a “forensic audit.”
This is no joke, right? Egads Alaska…you have some serious problems. I am so sorry. It must be the months of darkness.
AK don’t blame anyoneelse but yourselves for electing crooked officials. When are you people going to start paying attention to what your local officials are doing? Shame on you for allowing something like this to happen. It’s not like your state doesn’t have any experience in electing crooked officials in your state. Start getting invovled. Your officials are only as good as you hold their feet to the fire.
Insult to injury—the Mayor just reiterated on local radio that his Dad “literally gave his heart to the City of Anchorage”.
Good on Harriet! Shame on the rest.
I hate to say this but I am beginning to think the idea of replacing our elected officials every single election is beginning to make more sense to me. I certainly hope the Alaska media picks up this story big time.
WOW.
I should get such a return on my money!
The first thing that comes to mind is this is the most ridiculous thing I’ve seen for quite a while.
The second thing is that it might involve some immorality or possibly worse ( but the powers that be need to investigate this and then decide), it sure seems like wearing too many hats conflict of interest.
The third thing is that the state probably has laws governing how expenditures are approved. Since this took period over a number of years (not a transaction completed in one budget year) there are probably special rules covering how government bodies can make agreement for payments (in either direction) and how all this is accounted for (funds are accumulating to pay off an obligation in the future).
Some things like state statutes, and also GAAP, oh and if they have sold bonds, was this liability disclosed on the bond documents? ( Checking bond documents can lead to finding things- and finding that things are missing .) Lenders insist that things like this (future obligations of the gov. body) are disclosed in bond documents, and frown upon missing disclosures.
It sounds like some paperwork is missing, and that will probably not be a defense in explaining what has been done. (Otherwise why the surprise in 2002?)
IF there are other business dealings between the multi hatted mayor and the assembly members that approved this payment then that may need to be discussed also too.
So if in circumstance like this generally speaking,IF there is anything legally wrong with what has been done , the payment likely triggers the criminal act (if there is one) and the statute of limitations starts to run when the payment is actually made.
It did seem like there was some confusion in what Sullivan was saying- and that what he was saying seemed to depend on what he thought the other person knew about the subject. This seems to indicate further scrutiny of this is needed.
As they (politicians) like to say- government waste is bad, and so on.
So the city gave the former Mayor life insurance because he probably wouldn’t have been able to get it because of his pre-existing heart condition. Hmmm. Interesting. And I wonder where he got his health insurance from.
The important issue is that it WASN’T life insurance. Proceeds from life insurance would be exempt from federal income tax. As it is, the beneficiary will have to pay tax and it seems like there are several ways the IRS could look at it– as almost a capital gains kind of return on a small investment, or as a contract (but for PAST services?)– whatever the IRS decides, it won’t give the proceeds the nice exempt status of a life insurance disbursement.
Is this a valid and legal contract? I don’t see how the city had anything to gain, at any time. It looks more like the Sullivan’s are simply thieves.
Also, too. Is the city registered with the state and federal government as a qualified life insurance company. I’m sure this act runs afoul of State & Federal Insurance Providers Laws.
And Danny boy is running the city and cant even look after his own butt or hire someone competent enough to do it. Sorry pal no excuse for that one. You just earned top grifter class. Will your repug friends overlook that laps of judgement? Hey with a mugshot like that you could work the door at your own establishment. Cha noow whadi mean.
Wow, this guy should be recalled or run out of town. WTF? AKM I hope you and the rest of your progressive friends up there can make it so!
#48 Interesting comment. Based on the fact that they intended this to have a payout just like a life Ins. policy, it would seem that the tax payers would have to pay the tax.
Buc buc buc buc buckAAAHHH! Oh, I do so looove the sound of chickens coming home to roost. Come on Mayor Dan, you’ve got a few more than that, don’tcha?
Call ‘em home bloggers and journos and citizens of Anchorage.
We Mudpups should go slam the comments at ADN. Time for a dog pile on this dirty dawg!
Wolfpack at 6:58 PM said
“Also, too. Is the city registered with the state and federal government as a qualified life insurance company. I’m sure this act runs afoul of State & Federal Insurance Providers Laws.”
There you go!
And if they are not registered like that check under CASINO!
My cousin Vinnie gives payouts like that on his numbers racket!
Its like All In The Family with Vinnie, HEY – ITS LIKE THAT WITH THE SULLIVANS TOO, ALL IN THE FAMILY!
Also too check under Grift, Cicero ILL, and like inspector Clouseau you have to ask the right questions so you don’t get bitten ( Assembly people of Anchorage- I’m talking to you.)
Inspector Clouseau asks the wrong question-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXn2QVipK2o
What are the prospects of recalling this mayor? Who/what does he really represent? I would be happy to work on this project.
Please keep up the terrific work that you do. N
Just when I thought I couldn’t be surprised any more …
The audacity of Dan Sullivan is jaw dropping.
I hope his house catches fire when what’s left of the fire department is out on another call.
Anchorage deserves better.
It bothers me that a few posts were somewhat negitive towards George
Sullivan. Its apparent that these folks have no idea of the history of Alaska’s
early days. George was a very honorable man who did much for his City and State. The annual leave is part of one’s salary, the employer is required
to pay that off on termination. The reason why he had so much was his
dedication to the City. I cannot address the insurance policy as I have no direct knowledge of it except to say that George was a very respected person
and its possible that the assembly wanted to show their appreciation to him.
Thank you.
So when exactly did the city become insurance underwriters?
hello ,welcome to a two-bit town I have only lived hear my whole life . there is no contract .danny boy makes up a story and we hand him 193k.
“Based on the fact that they intended this to have a payout just like a life Ins. policy, it would seem that the tax payers would have to pay the tax.”
Oh, no. Intent doesn’t impress the IRS very much, unless they can prove that you intended to get around the law somehow. And the beneficiary is always going to be liable for any tax due. Regardless, the city knew before he died that they weren’t insuring him, just giving him a $193k gift. I can’t believe they put money in an account and let it sit there. Why not try to do an annuity or at least let the people who paid into that account–the taxpayers– get some interest from the money before it was eventually paid off? How did this account escape being noticed in budget negotiations over the years?
Wow. The actual fault here lies with the Assembly in 1982, when they did the equivalent of defining pi = 3 by resolution. That is, they resolved to continue the elder Sullivan’s life insurance forever, at his active-employee-group-rate premium, but they didn’t bother to actually implement any life insurance.
I have no idea if the city charter even permits the Assembly to extend special perks to individual elected officials after they have left office, but since the majority seemed to think it was a good idea, one correct way to proceed would have been to actually buy Sullivan a life insurance policy, at a premium of $11,532 per year, and then allocate $10,976 a year in the city budget to defray the difference between the actual premium and the $556 George was used to paying.
Now, this could run into the problem that cities are not usually permitted to allocate irrevocable budget items, even by contract, beyond a few years into the future, so another correct solution would have been to consult an actuary, and deposit a properly estimated lump sum into a long-term interest bearing account (and in 1982, CD rates were pretty high). At a quick guess, about $50,000 in the account would have compounded into the range of $193,000 by now. Of course, then they would have had to actually appropriate $50,000.
What they did instead was option Z, which was apparently to assume that the Assembly resolution would magically cause Sullivan’s expired group policy to morph into an individual policy at the same premium. In reality, they just decided to leave the thing as a time bomb for future taxpayers. It’s no wonder that the 1982-era pols interviewed by the ADN have trouble remembering the details.
I think there is possibly a legal case for the city to have said “Sorry, but the 1982 Assembly screwed up, and may well have violated the law, by making that promise; here’s your money back with interest”. On the other hand, that could lead to a lawsuit (no matter who the beneficiary was), which would be expensive, and of uncertain outcome.
Despite the fact that the current Sullivan seems to be a cheeseball, it would seem kind of dishonorable for the city to renege on the promise it made to the evidently-revered elder Sullivan, just because the city screwed up.
How would you feel if the beneficiary were someone else — say, a charity? Or, perhaps, WWMD? What would Mark Begich have done about this if George had died three years ago?
It’s an interesting ethical problem, complicated by the fact that the trustee of the beneficiary trust is the current mayor and a putz.
sleazy…..
Although I would rather not take this song in vain, the situation calls out for it, so here goes:
Oh Danny boy, the bucks, the bucks are calling
From the Glen Alps, and down the steep Hillside
Respect is gone, and now the public’s crying:
‘Tis you, ’tis you must go and we must chide.
Don’t come ye back when summer’s in the meadow
Or when the valley’s hushed and white with snow
Cause we’ll be here in sunshine or in shadow
Waiting for the funds, the funds you owe.
And if you think, when laid-off folks are trying
To make ends meet and support their families,
That you should take that money and be lying
About the scam you pulled and go scot-free.
And you shall hear, tho’ soft may be the whispering
That all your dreams of office yet to be
Will carry deep the burden of hypocrisy
Since we will not forget the tale of this trustee.
We will not forget the tale of this trustee.
Oh, please for a microphone at the next Assembly meeting….
Hmmm, I thought the “Conservative” position is that government shouldn’t be in the insurance business. Oh, silly me. That only applies to those of us poor schmucks who can’t get covered elsewhere.
“The City” should not honor an illegal deal made by crooks back in 1982. Let Dan sue the city, if he wants. He should be sued for collecting money as a Mayor when he wasn’t even the Mayor.
If Danny boy really cares for his city he would give it back to help out for the city his daddy o cheated its citizens out of. Shame on the officials that allowed it to happen. They should all be recalled.
Please go read Mel @ Henkimaa for the most detailed, organized and researched (as ususal) low-down on this farce.
“Sullygate: If there’s a contractual agreement, Mayor Sullivan, show us the contract”
http://www.henkimaa.com/2010/03/05/sullygate/
I can’t believe that the people are going to let this stand. How wrong is that? Excellent post, but I am waiting for a follow up letting me know that this turd isn’t going to get away with this. Hell, I am in Florida, so I know shitty politics and this is definitely shitty.
Re the suggestion that former Mayor Wuerch be tracked down and interviewed, he should not be hard to find, failed Governor Murkowski appointed failed Mayor Wuerch to the sinecure of overseeing burning up the hundreds of millions Don Young earmarked for the Knick Arm Bridge, the building of which is not a priority for the community. Murky set up a project office, and appointed Wuerch to head it.
Don’t expect a straight answer out of him, he isn’t capable of it.
Seagull Junker Palin from 7:32 AM
That link really makes it clear what happened with this money-call the cops.
“Sullygate: If there’s a contractual agreement, Mayor Sullivan, show us the contract”
Official minutes reveal the following exchange:
Sully: “I’m telling you we had a deal”
Assembly :”He’s telling us he had a deal”
Sully: ” I heard you say that he said we have a deal”
Assembly: “We heard you say that I heard you say that he said we have a deal”
Sully: So since we have a deal- money please.
Assembly: ‘kay we gotta do the right thing so here you go. Whew we almost made a big mistake getting sued by the mayor and the city attorney for not handing over the money. Drinks and dinner Sully? – Your turn to buy!
Alaska’s public offices (elected and non) operate out of one – not very big – revolving door.
I’ve lived here all my life and I’ve always noticed the snooty folks and didn’t think much of it (hey, I like nice homes, cars and clothes too… who doesn’t?). But it seems we went from statehood in 1959 to the pipeline and now gas just to end up with a ruling class.
I have little to no faith in the future of Alaska’s economy right now. But, Parnell fields phone calls from people about drug testing public aid recipients? WTF? Then there’s the additional $300,000,000 or so to “support natural gas pipeline plans” on top of the $500,000,000 we forked over to TransCanada. Hey! Just pretend you are really important and influential then shake ‘em down! They won’t have any choice because their JOBS will depend on it.
What irritates me the most is that they aren’t the best and brightest Alaska has to offer – just the cheapest. Which is, of course is how Big Oil (from Texas, Louisiana and Oklahoma) like it, cheap. What scares the shit out of me is that they seem openly incompetent. They seem utterly unable to accomplish what should have been accomplished with all the money that’s supposedly passed through Alaska these past decades.
We have some of the worst rates of social problems from violence to substance abuse and a complete lack of accessibility to the world class education you’d think all this oil would buy.
You know, I’m Irish like Mr. Sullivan and proud of it, but the reality is most of us wouldn’t be here but for the dole back in the homeland. Except he isn’t begging it from the local parish priest, he’s extorting it out of a weak city Assembly.