Blinded Me with Science: Begich Town Hall Videos
Alaska Senator Mark Begich discussed issues ranging from guns, to veterans benefits. to the 800-pound gorilla in the room – Pebble Mine – in a town hall May 1st. Out of the 50 or so attending the open Q&A with the Senator, roughly half of them were wearing either a “No Pebble” button or sticker. Attendees of the town hall were not pleased with Sen. Begich’s “let’s wait for the science to come in” responses to Pebble Mine concerns. Sen. Begich also discussed plans to help veterans work through the problems at the Veterans Administration, and saving a local landmark from…
UPDATE: Begich & Murkowski Down in Polling – Begich Office Responds
UPDATE: A Sen. Begich Office spokesperson got back to TheMudflats with this statement on the PPP polling: “Leading up to the Senate vote, the vast majority of Alaskans who contacted our office were asking Senator Begich to protect Alaskans’ 2nd amendment rights. Hearing their concerns and staying consistent with his long-held position, Senator Begich told Alaskans from the start that while there are things we can do to keep our communities safe, the Manchin-Toomey proposal was not the best approach.” [Below was posted earlier Monday the 29th] While no Alaskan polling firm has come out with data on the effect…
Repealing SB21 – The Fight Begins
Alaska Founding Father Vic Fischer, former Anchorage Assemblywoman Jane Angvik and Jack Roderick, author of the oil history book “Crude Dreams,” appeared in the shadow of the building that holds the Lt. Governor’s office – the Robert Atwood Building to call for the repeal of the controversial Senat Bill 21. The countdown for the referendum has already started. Over 30,000 signatures (10% of the votes cast in 2012) are needed within 90 days after the bill left the Senate, which was last Sunday, the 14th. Vic Fischer called the bill unconstitutional, and said that the founders looked to statehood, “to get…
UPDATE: Bloomberg’s Cash Goes after Mark Begich – Doesn’t Sway AK Senators
UPDATE: Alaskan Senators Mark Begich (D) and Lisa Murkowski (R) both voted no on the Manchin-Toomey Amendment. Senator Begich was one of only 5 Democratic Senators to vote against the amendment – 4 Republicans voted for it. Quoting TPM: The Republicans who voted for the bill were Sens. Pat Toomey (PA), Mark Kirk (IL), Susan Collins (ME) and John McCain (AZ). Democrats who voted against it were Sens. Heidi Heitkamp (ND), Max Baucus (MT), Mark Begich (AK) and Mark Pryor (AR) — the latter three are up for reelection in 2014. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) changed his vote to no…
UPDATED: Massive Landslide at Bingham Mine – Is this what Pebble will bring?
UPDATE: Quoted from Dow Jones 4/16/2013 RIO Tinto has asked employees to take vacation or unpaid leave after a massive landslide at its Bingham Canyon mine in Utah’s Salt Lake Valley, one of the world’s largest copper producing mines. Rio Tinto’s Kennecott Utah Copper unit said it has asked for workers to volunteer to take leave because the operation isn’t running at full capacity. “The slip has destroyed the main access decline into the pit, so a new decline will need to be constructed before mining can resume. We have no guidance from Rio on how long this will take, but…
OT: Drastic Measures
Mudflats Central just had a foot of fresh snow. And now, the national weather service said another storm is on the way and we can expect another foot at least. This is April. And yes, I know this always happens. But the groundhog promised an early spring this year. Oh, great. And now we have to live with it. Shoveling, plowing, sliding, trudging… It has to stop. We’ve had enough. Steps need to be taken.
Bringing in the Vote – Boxes of Democracy
Last night while everyone was grabbing drinks at Election Central – Anchorage’s hard-working poll workers were finishing their 16-hour long day. Carts piled with boxes, voting machines and ballots were dragged into City Hall to be processed. The City Hall parking lot was packed, so much so that some of the workers had to pay for parking in neighboring lots (one charging $15). Water bottles and chocolates were handed out by volunteers and election officials who were waiting in a line that spiraled throughout the bottom floor of City Hall.
Zach’s Election Central Photos
It was a smaller Election Central than usual on the second floor of the Dena’ina Center but by the end of the night it was packed. It was a night of blow outs with several candidates running unopposed and at least one seat changing hands. The Nick Moe write in campaign was surprisingly successful and at last word was under 100 votes from the incumbent Ernie Hall. I guess it’s not an election in Alaska without at least one recount.
Beast It: A Film for Climate Science
By Paige Brown Tales of a little wonder of a film for climate science are popping up everywhere, from today’s feature story at Louisiana State University, to a recent Guardian blog post, to a Smithsonian story on the film’s stunning visual art. “Beasts of the Southern Wild,” a 2012 film directed by Benh Zeitlin and based on a play written by Lucy Alibar, is a film about loss, courage, climate changes and human perseverance in southern Louisiana. The fictional island in the film, the “Isle de Charles Doucet,” was inspired by real communities in Louisiana’s Terrebonne Parish such the rapidly…
Palin Fiddles While Alaska Burns
Former half-term governor Sarah Palin marches ever-onward toward becoming the Don Rickles of the conservative right. It’s a lofty goal with plenty of competition. Alaskans will remember that even back when Palin was governor, she was never happier than when she was mocking and deriding the Republican establishment. In her home town of Wasilla, it was then Senate President Lyda Green. Later she graduated to throwing tomatoes at Governor Frank Murkowski. Several of those tomatoes were direct hits, resulting in her ascension to the Governor’s Mansion. She was also the presence behind the scenes of an attempted but failed Republican…