Midtown Anchorage Assembly Race Heats Up
The midtown Anchorage Assembly race is one of the more interesting races that will be decided on April 6. Veteran Assembly member, quirky libertarian Dick Traini (whom the opposition is attempting to paint as “librul”) will be vying to reclaim his seat.
Mercifully, Dan Coffey who is sitting in it now is termed out. A new and decaffeinated Assembly is something I am very much looking forward to. What on Earth will Mayor Sullivan do without Mr. Coffey out in front batting away the pucks heading for his sweaty forehead? He better get a helmet.
Traini’s challenger? Andy Clary, son of Anchorage Baptist Temple Glen Clary is throwing his hat in the ring. His latest mailer puts Mr. Traini’s photoshopped head on the bodies of King George, Napoleon on a horse, the bust of Julius Caesar and some sort of leotard-clad union superhero. Underneath these bizarre iconic images are the words…and I quote (including quotation marks and all caps):
“PLEASE BEWARE OF SPECIAL INTEREST POLITICIANS WHO MAY HAVE A LITTLE TOO HIGH OPINION OF THEMSELVES…”
Ookay… I have now put this mailer on my bulletin board because it amuses me.
John Aronno of The Alaska Commons has shared his take on Clary’s candidacy.
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From The Alaska Commons:
On the issues, his website touts that he believes we should “lower taxes by leveraging free market principles.”
How do we do this? He believes that we should “bring managed competition to government”, “eliminate sole source contracting wherever possible”, and “allow the private sector to compete for municipal work”.
In other words, Government should pay him for making sure that government doesn’t control anything, and we should shift to a society that prefers finding a private sector option to replace everything that government does. Because the private sector has done such a good job of proving their allegiance to we the people, and not Me the Profit.
He also wants to “lead the municipality into the 21st Century using technology.” And how will he do this? He wants to “cut cost and increase efficiency by helping IT transition away from legacy systems for HR/Finance/Property Appraisals.”
What does that mean? Well, “Legacy Systems” is basically a term for old technology. It doesn’t necessarily determine that the old technology needs to be replaced, it just means that there is newer stuff out there. So, one interpretation of this could mean that he wants to spend a lot of money up front to renew our technology resources. I’m on board for that. But why resort to such ambiguous, cryptic language that I have to Wiki to gain a broad understanding of? Oh, that’s right, because it sounds a lot like “Obama-care”.
Next, he wants to “allow police and fire to be more effective through improved technology in the field.”
Great. But if you approve of Sullivan’s approach to reducing emergency services, I don’t understand how fancying up the computers in a vacant office helps anyone in an emergency.
And finally, Clary wishes to “Automate manual procedures,” easily winning him the award for most ambiguous rhetoric.
Andy Clary is a likable guy, and someone with crossover values, given his opponent, Dick Traini, who is about as likable as spring’s “break up,” or Michael Steele, or Paul Kendall. It honestly reminds me a bit of the Scott Brown election: elect the opposite of your values because you’re more pissed off at the person that claims to represent you. Traini hasn’t worked hard for this, and even I am in the camp where, either way, I won’t be happy. No one ends up represented well. Kudos, Midtown.
But, while Traini seems to be running for a chance to end IM testing in Alaska, and somehow believes that that is a legitimate platform that will rally support from Joe Anchorage (and I say this at risk, because I’ll likely be a student of his at UAA in the future), and has run an unambitious campaign that has sought only to make sure his sign is up in reasonable proximity to every one of Clary’s along Lake Otis, and doesn’t bother to reach out to voters, go door to door, etc., I wonder if Clary really offers a positive alternative.
He doesn’t. And here’s my reasoning, whether it’s too little too late or not.
#1 : Equality.
The two on the ironic far right are Andy Clary and Adam Trombley. We can call them Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Taller. Notice their hands not raised. This was the reaction to an email question about AO-64, the subject of last summer’s debate over whether Anchorage accepts our LGBT as citizens of the municipality, protected as equal under the law.
So, that’s a two-fer on the “no” side.
#2: Is Clary In Sullivan’s Pocket?
I guess this goes back to the equality issue and veto of Ordinance 64, but it also should extend to the extensive budget cuts to the arts, the cut backs on our emergency services, and the most vetoes in the history of our municipality. It’s one thing to support someone, it’s another thing to be entirely unable to find a disagreement. This was a shameful answer.
For more, check out the full article at The Alaska Commons.
AKM, I thought you were supposed to be slowing down. I can’t keep up with your posts. I recognize the tall one however!
I feel for all you wonderful Anchorage folks.
Is that Debbie Ossiander with her hand raised?
I believe that is South Anchorage Assembly candidate Keli Booher. It doesn’t appear that Ms. Ossiander attended. But knowing her, she probably had a long diatribe about how horrible she felt about that. Really, truly… and how she ANGuished over it, and struggled and it kept her awake at night staring at the ceiling, and how she weighed it out and thought about it from every angle, but ultimately decided she had no choice but to make the wrong decision about attendance. But that’s just a guess… AKM
Lol to your response to John. Goodnight from Ireland.
this school wants money- so they are going to hire your x-gov. Aren’t there ways to raise money for these folks so they don’t have to jump in mud to get help.
http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/04/02/1560719/csu-stanislaus-foundation-hopes.html
Would Clarey get a big hug from Bernadette? He’s closer to her age– is he tender at the age of 32? How does he interact with Republi-Hotties who that off their cocktail dresses and put their brains before their breasts I mean beauties?
Hmmmm.
Ossiander was indeed in attendance, off in the corner, and actually sought clarification to the question, asking which version of AO-64 I was talking about. I specified that the final version could be used, and she kept her hand down. It was a nice way to attempt to placate the college crowd that had moments before given Joelle Brown a standing ovation to her reaction to the questions, stating: “What decade is this, again?”
I just saw Eddie Burke on the news making his first TV statement about his running for LT Gov. He said “I am the underdog”. He is more like the A-hole of the dog. I say let’s all encourage the guy to run for president now and save us years of hearing his racist, homophobic opinions. (seeing what Palin is considering)
Why are we continuing to push this faux connection between andy and ABT/prevo?
Prevo is not andy’s pastor and ABT is not andy’s church.
So why do people keep bringing up this non-connection?
Well known name, and answers the inevitable question – “Any relation?” AKM
I reported Traini’s son for locking his child out in the cold one night – she was outside screaming obscenities – a 12 year-old screaming obscenities – and fear: “Daddy, let me in!!” It was very, very cold that night.
So I called 911.
Traini used city resources to retaliate against me.
Although it was found I was doing nothing illegal, immoral or unethical, it was disconcerting. The investigator looked at his notes and told me who initiated it: Assemblyman Dick Traini.
Traini is immoral and unethical. He has raised his children to believe they don’t have to follow social obligations and rules.
I wholeheartedly believe Traini is not fit for any position affecting community.
Please *please* do not vote for him.
Here’s my post on it — Why I picked Dick Traini over Andy Clary, & you should too (Anchorage Assembly Midtown Seat F).
(I voted absentee Tuesday before last.)
Bretta: Thanks for telling your story. Unfortunately, this is one of those “lesser of two evils” questions. As frakkin representative democracy keeps on providing to us. Voting for Clary would give Sully more power — & that’d be even worse.
Eric Croft, supposedly progressive democrat, appearing in a TV commercial for Ernie Hall, endorsing Hall over Matt Claman for West Anchorage Assembly seat?
Ernie Hall has some good qualities. If he wasn’t running against Matt, I’d support him. Except that Sullivan supports him and Ernie hasn’t rejected that support. That would cost him my vote.
Dick Trani did some good stuff when he was on the Assembly before. As a person, he may be no good, but he will help the city be a little more progressive than if his opponent wins. Ultimately, Dick will go with whatever way the wind blows, but he runs the meetings well and he supports spending money on city services.