Open Thread – Boys & Girls Club
Assembly members Elvi Gray-Jackson (center back row) and Paul Honeman (second from right) greet volunteers and attendees of the Anchorage Boys & Girls Club. Many of those in attendance at last Tuesday’s Assembly meeting gave passionate, convincing and sincere testimony in support of keeping the 7% of their budget that Mayor Dan Sullivan has cut in his 2011 municipal budget. If you know the importance of the Boys & Girls Club in helping single parents, and giving kids some place safe and productive to go after school, tell your Assembly members to keep the money. An email sent to wwmas@muni.org…
Anchorage Assembly Meeting 2011 Budget – What are People Saying? (Live blogging)
I’m here at the Assembly Chambers as public testimony is being taken on the Anchorage municipal budget. (See previous post) I’ll try to hit the highlights for those of you who couldn’t make it. There is a long line of people waiting to testify and the room is packed to standing room only. Guy in weird hat and American flag scarf thinks the mayor is doing a great job. Thinks the Assembly should buy their own lunch. Quoting from a book “citizens are a milk cow ready to give buckets of money… absurd taxes, bla bla bla.” 18th Century, Declaration…
Time to Storm the Castle! Sullivan's Budget
OK, boys and girls. The election is (almost) over and now it’s time to redirect our focus just a tad. It’s kind of like when the dishwasher overflows, and the dog is barking to get in, and someone drops a glass… Then when you finally get it all sorted out, you look over in the pantry and you see the five year old elbow deep in a bag of chocolate chips, with scared eyes and melted goo all over his face. He thinks because you haven’t had time to pay attention during all the chaos, that he could just keep…
Pop, Ooze, Dung, and the Alaska Personnel Board.
Lots of good stuff floating around the internets. Here’s a little smorgasbord of tasty treats you may have missed. POP! Gubernatorial candidate Bob Poe wrote an excellent compass piece for the Anchorage Daily News that begins like this: I support equal rights for all people. And I support banning discrimination in Anchorage due solely to someone’s sexual orientation. I support a comprehensive equal rights ordinance because it’s the right thing to do, period. Sh. sh. shhh. Listen. Do you hear those faint little noises, like Pop Rocks? Remember all those people in red shirts who testified at the Anchorage Assembly…
1 – 2 – 3 … Jump! Entering the Blogosphere.
At Netroots Nation, I attended a lot of panel discussions because I thought they’d be valuable for me, and for Mudflats. But there was one that I looked at and thought… I’m going to this one for YOU. So many of you donated to make the trip possible, and voted for my scholarship, this was my way of saying thank you with some tangible information that will help you make change where you are, whether you’re in Alaska or not. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to start a local blog? Do you have a blog already…
Ordinance 64 – Live Blogging, Round V
Yes, boys and girls… it’s time for Red Shirt Theatre, Act V. The Non-Discrimination Ordinance public testimony continues. The link for live streaming the Anchorage Assembly Meeting is HERE. Use this thread to live blog the meeting if you feel so inclined. Public testimony will be given regarding Ordinance 64, which extends Anchorage’s non-discrimination policy to include the words “sexual orientation.” The red shirt brigade are an organized crowd from several local area evangelical churches. This will be the second round of public testimony in front of new Mayor Dan Sullivan. Recent polling suggests that the ordinance has very good…
A Retired Pastor’s Thoughts on Red Shirts and Blue Shirts
Tonight at the Assembly Chambers in the Loussac Library is the next bout of public testimony about the now infamous Ordinance 64, which would add the term “sexual orientation” to the current non-discrimination policy for housing, employment, public facilities and education. The meeting runs from 5-11pm, with details HERE. Link to streaming and live blogging will be available on The Mudflats. This guest blog is from a Mudflats reader who is a retired pastor with a doctor of ministry (D. Min) degree. He is a long time Anchorage area resident who wanted to share his thoughts. ****************************** I went over…
Farewell Allan Tesche
Just got the sad news that former Anchorage Assemblyman Allan Tesche has passed away after heart surgery. He was 60 years old. Condolences to his wife Pam, and the rest of his family and numerous friends. A controversial figure at times, Tesche was an unabashed, brilliant, outspoken, in-your-face progressive who sat on the Assembly from 1999-2007. Tesche had a gift for writing, and his blog , The Tesche Report, was a must-read for anyone wanting to keep up with the antics of the Assembly. He always seemed to aggravate the right people, especially mayor Dan Sullivan. At every Assembly…
Anchorage’s Non-Discrimination Ordinance – New Developments
Today, new developments arise in the matter of controversial Assembly ordinance #64. The ordinance would add the words “sexual orientation” to the city’s non-discrimination law. Those two little words have drawn battle lines, and made Assembly meetings look like a weird hybrid of football game, church revival and street fair. Walking into the Loussac Library feels like the moment when you hold your nose, take a deep breath and jump in the pool, not knowing quite how cold it’s going to be. The brain chemicals are pumping, and the emotions eminating from reds and blues alike make the air thick,…
Anchorage Public Testimony on Non-Discrimination Ordinance – Chapter III.
Today, Anchorage’s Non-Discrimination Ordinance is being discussed for the third time in the Assembly Chambers. If you’re not up to speed, I’ve recently written several posts on the subject. If you are in Anchorage, please come to show support for the ordinance. Even if you don’t testify, your presence can be felt, and it’s an eye-opening experience to witness the goings on first hand. You can stream the Assembly meeting live HERE. Use this thread to live blog the event. This is the one where Jerry Prevo of the Anchorage Baptist Temple has canceled the Wednesday night service so members…