Friday afternoon, the offices of the AFL-CIO in Anchorage were hopping. Look at the sinister faces of all those “union thugs.” That’s one thing I’ve never understood. How can any Alaskan, in a state with the second-highest union density in the country, think of unions as “thuggery.” Union men and women are your neighbors, your [...]

By Shannyn Moore I should have a disclaimer on this column. I am the daughter of two retired educators. Their story is simple, but serendipitous. Two college graduates from depressed communities in the South had an opportunity to come to Alaska as teachers — for one year. It has now been well over 40. As [...]

  By Linda Kellen Biegel Here at The Mudflats we did a post not long ago about an incident discussed during an Anchorage School Board Meeting. It seems that Bob Griffin, a twice-failed candidate for the school board, was pulled over by the police. Here is the explanation in the words of School Superintendent Carol [...]

In a previous post on the “Anti-Public Education Agenda”, we discussed how corporations and right-wing radicals were driving the “school choice” and education reform movements nationally and statewide. However, no one has played politics in this arena quite the way that Mayor Dan Sullivan has here in Anchorage: – Since the early days of his [...]

…And Hardly Anybody Knows It Many of us have heard the stories: new Republican Governors and Tea Party majorities in state legislatures across the country have been targeting public employees and their salaries, pensions, health benefits, etc… Along with this, there has been a major push at another budget-cut target — public school systems. Public [...]

Well, it seems like the only thing that got raptured yesterday was the internet service at Mudflats Central. It gave me a day off the grid, but it also meant that the Pre-Apocalyptic newsletter that I was going to post from our friend Rep. Les Gara is now a little past its apocalyptic prime… But [...]

By Patrick DePula Madison, WI. The sky was gray, the temperature below 50, and the wind brisk.  Perfect Wisconsin protesting weather.  Nearly 20,000 people came out to the capitol last Saturday to protest the Walker Administrations’ war on the middle class.   You’d never know that the Wisconsin Uprising continues if you get your news from [...]

by Patrick DePula It’s been a cold spring here in Madison.  Just about every rally I’ve been a part of, it seems to have been freezing, snowing and/or raining.  Surprisingly, the weather looked promising for the May Day, or International Workers Day, rally that would begin with speakers in Brittingham Park, involve a March to the [...]

Tuesday night yielded mixed results for both the Anchorage Assembly and School District. Assembly: It Could Have Been Worse Although the final verdict isn’t yet in on one progressive incumbent, and a pile of absentees are still outstanding, things aren’t looking great for Mike Gutierrez. With a 252 vote deficit to overcome, Gutierrez can in [...]

I’m putting up an early open thread because the returns will start coming in from the Anchorage race about 8:30 pm Alaska time (12:30 am East Coast). Reason #1 to Vote: Mayor Sullivan and his minions. There is some developing election gossip/news involving the Mayor… Former campaign manager for Diane Benson and new Alaskan, Caleb [...]

Madison, Winsonsin - It’s a community called Rotundaville. It boasts a medical clinic/dispensary manned by capable folks who know first aid, a food preparation/pantry area, a communal charging station for electronics, its own Facebook page, and even a family respite center. It’s a village unto its own that functions 24 hours per day, under the [...]

~In summer of 2009, proponents of the expanded equal rights ordinance stand in front of those wearing red in opposition. Remember in 2009 when mayor Dan Sullivan vetoed the Assembly’s vote to include sexual orientation and gender identity in Anchorage’s non-discrimination policy for employment, housing, education, and use of public facilities? Many of us do. We [...]

It was a little before Mudflats’ time as a blog, but Anchorage residents may remember the best piece of political theater since… OK, it was the best ever.  It all had to do with a conversation between Assembly members Dan Coffey, and Bill Starr when we all got to eavesdrop on – how shall I [...]

~Linda Kellen Biegel testifies at the School Board meeting Thanks to all who showed up last night at the special meeting of the Anchorage School Board. The room was packed, and the public testimony was moving, and heartfelt, and practical. We put our money where our priorities are, and nobody wants to live in a [...]

My now-13-year-old daughter expressed a great deal of angst this past summer over attending middle school in a different school zone. She can be somewhat shy so my husband and I were a little concerned. As it turns out, my daughter is excelling in seventh grade! She has been on the honor roll both quarters, [...]