The Mudflats

Tiptoeing Through the Muck of Alaskan Politics

Archive for the ‘Pebble Mine’

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Oyster Roundup – “Freedom,” “Shame,” and Crimes of the Sea

~Thick and fast they came at last, and more, and more, and more! Here are five on the half shell. Links in the titles. Slurp! Doing Time for Fishy Crimes Arne Fuglvog, the corrupt fisheries aide of Lisa Murkowski will be serving jail time for fish crimes. He called his transgressions a “grand misjudgment.” Yes. [...]
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Open Thread – Yirqa Kuik (Occupy the River)

This from Diane McEachern who posed for the original “Occupy the Tundra” photo. ******************************************** Yup’ik Elder Esther Green and I went out on the river at her request. She instructed me to post this photo of her “Occupying the River.” She also would like to include the sloughs, streams, brooks, and ocean. She wanted to [...]
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State of Alaska Sues Lake & Peninsula Borough Over No Pebble Vote

Those darned uppity citizens. The Pebble Partnership already sued them once to keep an initiative off the local ballot. It didn’t work.  The Save Our Salmon initiative on the Lake & Peninsula Borough ballot was recently passed by local residents near Bristol Bay. It will give the Borough and its residents the right to decide [...]
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Alaska’s Business Report Card – F is for Fabulous, and A is for Asshat

Senator Bill Wielechowski and Rep. Les Gara held a press conference yesterday talking about how corporations attempt to wield their power over the Alaska legislature through the use of the Alaska Business “Report Card.” Let’s listen to what this is all about from Rep. Les Gara. Now, think about corporations for a moment. I have [...]
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“Occupy the Tundra” Lady on The Shannyn Moore Show Today!

Many of you know Diane McEachern as the “Occupy the Tundra Lady.” She’s the one who posted a picture of herself attending a solo vigil (plus a few dogs) out near Bethel in rural Western Alaska. The picture rapidly went viral, and Diane has used her 15 minutes of fame to draw attention to an [...]

Working Hard Representing… Who?

‘Tis the season for political fundraisers. Invitations come via email, and Facebook, and robocall, and some still even come the old fashioned way and arrive in the mailbox. Each invitation tries to sound a little exciting, a little different, a little “stand out from the crowd.” Well, this is one that definitely stood out. We’ve [...]
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Bristol Bay Votes to “Save Our Salmon” from the Threat of Pebble Mine

  Voters in the Lake and Peninsula Borough near Bristol Bay have had their say. After being blanketed with pro-Pebble mine propaganda telling residents that if the initiative passed it would jeopardize future projects like roads and airports and docks, the majority of the residents remain unconvinced. The Pebble Partnership has stated repeatedly that if [...]
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Alaskans – For the Win!

  Alaskans are busting their buttons this week. I couldn’t let these wonderful accomplishments pass without a little hat tip to the folks that made their fellow Alaskans proud as peacocks. Brian Schmidt An Australian-based astrophysicist, Brian Schmidt, who won the Nobel Prize for Physics is a product of the Anchorage School District, having graduated [...]
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Occupy Anchorage!

This afternoon in Anchorage, several hundred people gathered in solidarity with the Occupy Wall Street protesters. A crowd this size was a fantastic turnout for an event that was promoted largely on Facebook and by word of mouth. The weather cooperated beautifully. It was a gorgeous sunny autumn day in the 50s, and spirits were [...]
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Mudflix – Bristol Bay and the Threat of Pebble Mine

Seven minutes and 23 seconds. This is one of the best short videos I have seen on the proposed Pebble Mine. It’s a fantastic tool for those who are not familiar with the issue, and even though I am, I found it riveting. Interviews with local residents at the end are wonderful, and moving. The [...]
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Oyster Roundup – Rats, Scented Candles, Pebble Mine and more…

~Thick and fast they came at last, and more, and more, and more… A half-dozen slurpable stories for your consumption. All titles are links. Eat up!  Westboro Baptist Church to Picket Jobs Funeral Yes, apparently the most hateful, vicious, mean-spirited group of “religious” wingnuts, who made famous the “God Hates Fags” slogan, will be picketing [...]
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Pebble Mine and the Foreign Fox in Alaska’s Legal Hen House

By Shannyn Moore We take the 49th star on our nation’s flag for granted. That was a hard fight, and statehood wasn’t won on the first pass or even the second. The tipping point and fuel came in large part from the “We-don’t-like-being-bossed-around-by-outsiders” attitude of Alaskans. It’s a bit ironic when we look at ourselves [...]

Oyster Roundup – Doritos, Cocktails, a Bitter Pill and more…

~Thick and fast they came at last, and more, and more, and more! Google for Pebble? It doesn’t seem possible that a company which has always been known for its progressive leanings, and whose slogan was “don’t be evil” could be supporting a project like The Pebble Mine. The first hint should have been the [...]
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Actor’s Disappointing Role: Pebble Shill

By Shannyn Moore As much time as we spend watching movies, it’s easy to believe that actors take jobs because they identify with some part of a film. The wool was ripped from my eyes this week. I’ve watched actor Wes Studi in films for years — “Geronimo,” “Dances with Wolves” and “Avatar,” to name [...]
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The Koch Brothers Invade Alaska: Nation, Guard Your Salmon

I was checking out the #nopebble hashtag on Twitter the other day, to see what links or comments had come in addressing what would be the continent’s largest open pit copper and gold mine situated at the headwaters of the world’s largest red salmon fishery in Bristol Bay, Alaska. It doesn’t take a fisheries expert [...]