The Mudflats

Part of the annual Fur Rendezvous festival every year is an event called Can-struction.  Different companies in town build interesting things out of cans, and people come and vote for the one they like best.  A vote consists of bringing your own can(s) of food and putting them in a large bucket beside the entry you think is best.  I took some pictures of these delightful can creations last week and thought I’d share.

My personal favorite was this lovely boot, because of course it made me think of the Mudflats avatar, a shiny pair of yellow rubber boots.  And it also made me laugh because the boot that this can sculpture is supposed to represent is the kind of boot that the avatar was originally going to be.  I, like every other person in the state, have a pair of these Xtra tuff rubber boots.  They’re good for standing in streams and stomping through wet brush, and walking in the mud, and picking berries in the rain and a variety of activities.  When I first started Mudflats and I was thinking of an avatar, I decided I’d put on my Xtra tuffs and go down to the inlet and get a picture of the boots standing in the mud.  But until I have time, I thought to myself, I’ll find a picture of boots to use as a temporary fix.  I found the yellow ones and liked them.  They weren’t Alaskan, but they’d do in a pinch.

Well, then you-know-who got that VP nod, and “having time” suddenly seemed like an old-fashioned and amusing concept.  And then someone commented that they liked the yellow boots, and I said that I was actually thinking about changing them because nobody in Alaska wears yellow Wellies, they all wear old beat up Xtra tuffs.  And that’s when I really found out how much everyone loved the yellow boots.  Comments and emails poured in, and the yellow boots stayed.

But, back to the cans.  I smiled when I saw the boot, squishing through those bags of macaroni.  So I took a couple of pictures.  And then I took a picture of the sign describing the boot and the fine people who created it.  And only a moment ago, did I realize what company had sponsored this boot.  CH2M Hill.  And who is CH2M Hill you ask?

CH2M Hill is the company that ate VECO, the oil field services company that was the home of corrupt bastard King Bill Allen and corrupt bastard prince Rick Smith.  Wow.  It seemed rather fitting that this boot, which reminded me of “tiptoeing through the muck of Alaskan politics” came from the company that took over VECO.  Not to disparage the fine individuals who designed and created this lovely icon.   And, I am pleased to learn that CH2M Hill seems to be more than several notches above the company they absorbed, having actually won an award for being one of the most ethical companies of 2009.  Go figure! It may be the first case of corporate whiplash.  It just struck me funny – a former corrupt bastard Xtra tuff.

And as the sign proudly proclaims – “CH2M Hill is proud to be part of Alaska’s unique past and is eager to walk “stride for stride” in continuing to build Alaska’s bright future.”

“Unique past.”  Gotta love it.

I’m still stickin’ with the Wellies.

1.5 Million Astro-Turf Seeds for Alaska

by Shannyn Moore

On May 15, 2008, the federal government put polar bears on the endangered species list. I figured if George W. Bush said they’re endangered, there were probably 11 of them left and we should put them in zoos. It took exactly one week for half-governor Palin to respond with a threat to sue.

www.visionsofthewild.com

At the time, the ADN reported:

She and other Alaska elected officials fear a listing will cripple oil and gas development in prime polar bear habitat off the state’s northern and northwestern coasts.

Palin argued there is not enough evidence to support a listing. Polar bears are well-managed and their population has dramatically increased over 30 years as a result of conservation, she said.

Climate models that predict continued loss of sea ice, the main habitat of polar bears, during summers are unreliable, Palin said.

Good Lord, I thought we had moved on.

This week the Legislative Council allocated $1.5 million for a conference and public relations campaign to sully the Endangered Species Act. Six members of this council are appointed by Senate President Gary Stevens (R) and six by Speaker of the House, John Harris (R).

It was reported in the ADN:

The effort was conceived as a national public relations campaign aimed at creating a “grass-roots” call for limits on the Endangered Species Act. The Legislative Council has solicited bids from public relations firms willing to organize a conference in Anchorage on the act, with the findings to be used in the public relations effort.

“Grass-Roots”?!   More like astroturfing!

Eddie Grasser, a legislative staffer for the Outdoor Heritage Caucus which is chaired by John Harris (R) and Charlie Huggins (R), organized the quest for public relations solicitation.  A quick Google of Mr. Grasser shows he packs quite an agenda.

Mr. Grasser is the President of the Hunter Heritage Foundation. A 501(c)3 organization “formed to promote conservation of Alaska’s fish, wildlife and wild places…” Their website offers no membership or donation button. No data base came up with any verification of a 501(c)3 status-it was only listed on their site. They do list their corporate sponsors, though: Alaska Chapter Safari Club International, Alaska Friends of NRA, Northern Dynasty/Pebble Project, British Petroleum, Conoco Phillips, Agrium, Tesoro , Anadarko Petroleum, Shell Oil, Alyeska Pipeline Company, Alaska Tanker Company, and the City of Wasilla, to name a few.

Mr. Grasser has one up on Obama. He’s the President twice! Not just of the Hunter Heritage Foundation, but he is also the President of the Outdoor Heritage Foundation of Alaska. Another 501(c)3 that has a remarkably similar mission statement about fish, wildlife, etc. The last event listed was in 2007 and was the launch of the website. Their business license is active. They have no site link to join their organization or donate to their cause. Mr. Grasser has his home listed as the address for the organization. They too have a list of sponsors: The Alaska Outdoor Council, Safari Club International-Alaska Chapter, Alaska Friends of the NRA, SCI Kenai Chapter, British Petroleum, Conoco Phillips, Pebble Partnership/Northern Dynasty, The NRA, PacWest, Shell Oil, Pioneer Natural Resources, Clay Cartridge Company, ACS, Udelhoven Oilfield Services, Anadarko Petroleum, Tesoro Alaska…you get the idea.

I’m curious if PacWest has an interest in the $1.5 million dollar job. They sponsor Mr. Grasser’s organization and have offices around the country. In February 2007, Pac/West announced that former U.S. House Resources Committee Chairman Richard Pombo was joining the firm as a “senior partner.” Previous Pac/West campaigns had backed Pombo’s “attempts to rework the Endangered Species Act and open the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve to oil drilling.” Rolling Stone magazine listed Pombo at number seven in their article The Ten Worst Congressman. “No member of Congress has worked harder to savage America’s natural resources than Pombo.”

Grasser has been in his position as the “Outdoor Heritage Caucus” staffer since June of 2006. Soon after, the ballot initiative process had begun to ban aerial wolf hunting. I wrote about this extensively in September of 2008. Prior to that, the half-governor allocated over $400,00 of state funds to “educate” Alaskans on the benefits of shooting wolves and bears from planes. Not to be outdone, Lt. Governor Sean Parnell, who was in charge of the state Division of Elections, ensured the ballot language would be as confusing as possible-A YES vote on aerial wolf hunting would ban the practice. A NO vote would maintain the status quo! The aerial wolf hunting ballot proposition was defeated in the August election.

The Safari Club Press release RE: Prop 2 2008 – SCI’s Alaska Chapter president, Eddie Grasser added, “The misinformation spread by the proponents of this ballot initiative was amazing, but not surprising considering these individuals are not Alaskans and do not understand Alaska’s wildlife and ecology. Many organizations rallied together to ensure that Alaskan wildlife management remained the prerogative of the state Department of Fish and Game – not out-of-state extremist groups.”

Wow. That meme is just wrong. There are many “Real Alaskans” who worked hard on the ballot initiative and voted for it. Mr. Grasser seems to consider anyone not agreeing with his ideology to be part of “out-of-state extremist groups”.

While running the NRA booth at the Alaska State Fair in 2008, Time Magazine caught up with him for a story they were writing about VP candidate Sarah Palin:

Across the row from the State Fair livestock pavilion — with its champion pigs, giant cabbage and 900-lb. pumpkins — Eddie Grasser mans an NRA booth. Palin is a lifetime NRA member — a demographic that has not been particularly high on John McCain — and Grasser couldn’t be more excited about the governor he calls Sarah. Like Grasser, everyone here seems to be on a first name basis with their politicians. “It’s just one of those things about Alaska politics,” says Grasser.

What Time should have followed up with: Then why didn’t you support her when she ran for Lieutenant Governor?

From Mother Jones – And the day before the Republican primary, in an August 26, 2002 email to Eddie Grasser, a leader of the Alaska Outdoor Council, a lobby for hunters and firearms owners, Palin expressed her disappointment at not receiving the AOC endorsement. She pointed out that she was a “lifetime member of the NRA” and a recipient of its “Defender of the 2nd Amendment Award.” In the email–which promoted her campaign positions–she objected to the process used by the AOC in endorsing one of her opponents in the Republican primary contest: “The AOC stated the endorsement was based on candidates’ answers to the AOC’s ‘extensive questionnaire’…but in reality there was no questionnaire sent to Lt. Gov. candidates.” She asked if she could “use the AOC’s email address book to remind our members of my positions.” And she encouraged Grasser to visit her campaign website. This email–also sent via her official Wasilla city account–was addressed to over 300 people in addition to Grasser.

Grasser was Beverly Masek’s chief of staff. Masek pled guilty to conspiracy, and awaits sentencing.

In 1988, he was listed as an occasional lobbyist and Vice President of the Alaska Professional Hunters Association. The article, written by Craig Medred, points out the conflict of interest Grasser found himself in when he would host, guide and list as an “assistant guide” the Alaska Fish and Wildlife Protection officer Sgt. Robert Boutang.

Eddie Grasser is not an elected official. He’s a back-door lobbyist. Not many “Grasser-roots” here, but a whole crop of astro-turf.

Please contact the legislators on the committee listed above. Their address links are provided. Alaska has a hard enough time growing grass without the astro-turfing effects of corporate back-door lobbyists.

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More on these developments at TPM Muckraker HERE

Hooray! Our fair city has maintained the highest possible bond rating! Woo-hoo! Yeah, baby!  Hip hip….. Hey, what’s the matter over there? (We look quizzically at the sad, sad star). Turn that frown upside down Mr. Star!  This is great!  It means we all have to pay less money for things than we would if the city had a lower bond rating.

Well, despite his best efforts to sabotage the city’s bond rating, Assemblyman Bill Starr will just have to be happy with a good grade.  He did his best.  With an impressive show of melodrama and a breathless trip to the FBI to turn our city in, he tried his best to tank that AA rating.  He tried to convey to the powers that be that our super-great bond rating was based on fraud.  Mikunda Cottreell, the fine, upstanding company who did that audit (and is one of only two firms in the city who are even capable of doing this type of audit) must not be very pleased with Mr. Starr. .

“Standard & Poors’ affirming the Municipality’s AA bond rating is just further proof of the professionalism and integrity of the information provided by the Begich Administration,” Hasquet said in a statement. “You can rest assured if Standard & Poor’s was concerned about the bond rating, they would make it known in short order.”

Assemblyman Bill Starr recently contacted the FBI asking them to investigate the claims of Begich administration wrongdoing. He did not return request for comment.

But Hasquet hopes this will quiet him and other critics.

“Hopefully, Mr. Starr and his cohorts will stop trying to make headlines and start focusing on the real issues facing the city,” she said.

Mayor Sullivan says this is not about what has happened in the past but about where we are now.

The entire editorial staff at Mudflats (me) says, “Whatever.”  The Sullivan administration, Mr. Sad Starr and their cohorts have been doing nothing but whining and grousing about the previous administration since they took office.  Mr. Sullivan thinks the Senator’s chair looks a lot more comfy than the Mayor’s chair and apparently believes the “piss and moan” strategy is the best way to get there.

So what was the last bond rating when Mayor Begich was still in office?  Care to hazard a guess?   Yes.  That would be the same excellent AA bond rating we just got.

In other words, (according to the current administration) we got a good ratingduring the second term of the Begich administration, and we got the same good rating in the first year of the Sullivan administration, and the sky is falling and it’s all Mark Begich’s fault even though we don’t look to the past but only live in the present, both of which look good.

Grab the hand rail if you feel dizzy.

And as soon as you recover your balance, grab your wallet.  Because next thing on the administration’s “to do” list is to have a “forensic audit” done.  “But, didn’t we just have an audit done,” you ask?  Why, yes we did.  “And didn’t the results of that audit lead to our super-fantastic AA bond rating?”  Why, yes they did.  “And aren’t audits expensive?”  Why yes, as a matte of fact they are.

So what gives?   What you’re witnessing is a waste of time and money which will pay for negative advertising against Mark Begich and for Dan Suliivan.  It’s the price of a witch hunt, and we get to pay for it.

DENIED.

Pete Kott, hoping for a repeat of the Senator Ted Stevens corruption trial, was flatly denied today by Judge John Sedwick. 

Kott claimed that the prosecution in his corruption trial had withheld evidence that might have proved him innocent. 

Bill Allen, former CEO of oil services company VECO, who liked to buy politicians for fun and profit was the main witness against Kott.  He flew out of state Tuesday to start serving his 3-year sentence in a California federal prison.  Allen’s testimony backed up the copious amount of audio and videotaped evidence obtained by the FBI and used against Kott during the trial.  Bill Allen, former best buddy of Ted Stevens, in addition to subverting democracy, and  roaming the desert southwest with a US senator drinking wine to lose weight,  apparently has another hobby. 

In his order, Sedwick wrote that Allen’s testimony played an important role in the prosecution. Many of the withheld materials related to an Anchorage police investigation into allegations that Allen was sexually exploiting minors, the judge wrote. Kott contends he should have had access to that information, which he could have used to discredit Allen’s testimony.

No, it wasn’t stamp collecting.  Allen supposedly had a penchant for young teenage girls who would accept illegal drugs in exchange for sex wtih aged oil service company CEOs.  Bleck.

But as abhorrent as this behavior is, it doesn’t change the fact that former House Speaker Pete Kott got ‘kott red handed’ by the FBI, tried, and convicted of conspiracy, extortion and bribery, and sent away to the grey bar hotel.  And no amount of heinous lechery by an equally corrupt old man changes the facts. 

Kott, still appalled that Judge Sedwick actually believed his lyin’ eyes, is appealing the decision to the Ninth Circuit Court.  And he gets to stay a free man until they make their decision.  Kott has been enjoying his little vacation from jail since June.