The spirit was more festive on Thanksgiving, where thousands of free turkey dinners were distributed to hungry protesters and anyone who wanted one. The People’s Library was back in business after thousands of books were thrown into dumpsters by police last week.

One man who was hired as a private security guard to keep protesters from reestablishing their tent camp in Zuccotti Park after the eviction, was sympathetic to the protesters.

“I didn’t know anything about them and I’ve learned a lot. I’m also poor,” the guard, who asked not to be identified, said. “In some ways, thanks to them I got my job here, too.”

[All photos below by Zach Roberts.  See if you can "Spot the Mudflatter" in the yellow boots!]

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 high. The crowd was full of families with kids, and dogs, young adults, and seniors. There was a great contingent from the Native community as well.

Anyone who wanted to could sign up to speak, but the main event was former Mayor of Sitka and Senatorial Candidate Scott McAdams. He was as eloquent as always, and had the crowd cheering. Others spoke about issues such as corporations, ethics, campaign finance reform, Wall Street corruption, corporate greed, Alaska Native interests, resource development, and the current strike against the Anchorage Hilton and the Anchorage Sheraton for the mistreatment of workers.

There were tables set up to make signs, people registering others to vote, petitions for the One Anchorage campaign for LGBT rights, information on the proposed Pebble Mine and Chuitna coal, and I’m reasonably sure we were the only “Occupy” rally that had free wild salmon on the menu.

Everyone had particular issues that were near and dear to them, but all agreed that the people need to take back the power that is rightfully theirs, and that corporate overreach and corruption is killing the America we know and love.

The following videos show some of the arrests that happened Wednesday night in the Wall Street area.

A quick email from Zach said:

People need to see this stuff…  They threw me in front of a moving police car – sprayed another photographer in the face with pepper spray. An AP photographer got a baton in the stomach… The first video is right after a protestor tried to make a leap over the barricades in front of Wall Street.

 

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 the funeral of Steve Jobs. Why? Because he “served self, not God” and “encouraged his neighbors to sin.” How do we know they will be doing this? (Wait for it) Because they tweeted it from an iPhone. Yes, really.

No worries about Westboro appreciating this delicious irony. According to them, Jobs is in Hell, but God “created the iPhone for that purpose.” So, yes… logically that would make Jobs the instrument of God’s will, or arguably God himself. Let the banging of the heads commence.

No Dirty Gold Needs Your Vote!

Earthworks’ No Dirty Gold Campaign has been nominated for a BENNY Award from the Business Ethics Network for their work cleaning up gold jewelry retailers and pushing to transform gold mining! Dozens of jewelers, including Tiffany, Costco, Fred Meyer and Target have pledged not to buy gold from certain particularly toxic mines, including the proposed Pebble Mine in Western Alaska. Mudflatters have turned out before urging retailers to abstain from Pebble gold, and thanking those who recognized that Alaska’s real gold isn’t metal. When jewelers like Tiffany realize that some gold shouldn’t be mined, it’s really saying something. You can go say thank you to Earthworks for this incredible campaign by clicking the link in the headline. You’ll be taken to the page where No Dirty Gold is about half way down. You can skip the next question and still have your results count.

If you are known by your enemies, here’s another reason to cast that vote. No Dirty Gold is one of the specific campaigns targeted by the Koch Brothers funded “Competetive Enterprise Institute” (Resourceful Earth), global warming deniers who promote the most extreme toxic development projects, including Pebble Mine. We wrote about them HERE. Go get ‘em!

Occupy America

The movement known as Occupy Wall Street is spreading. Young people, seniors, labor unions and other groups are turning out to rail against corporate influence and the abuses of big banks on our democracy. For years now baby boomers have been lamenting, “If this were the sixties, we’d be taking to the streets!” and now we are.

The indomitable Robert Greenwald of Brave New Films has created a great inspirational video, and the link above will take you to a current schedule of events happening in cities around the country. Already, there are thousands of protesters in New York City and hundreds more in Los Angeles, Boston, Washington DC, Seattle, Miami and elsewhere. Anchorage even got into the act yesterday with protesters turning out in Town Square Park.

Share the video and link widely!

The Pirate Ship Lives Another Day.  The Rats? Not so much…

For those of you curious about the fate of the illegal pirate fishing vessel that was taken by the Coast Guard, it won’t be blown to smithereens as many had hoped. An exterminator in Unalaska has been hired to get rid of the malevolent rodents ASAP. The ship will be located three miles off the coast, presumably farther than rats can swim.

He’ll try rat traps first, the sticky and snapping kind. If that doesn’t work, he’ll try poison. To make sure they’re gone, he’ll lay out scented candles. Rats love to gnaw on those.

If all goes well, it may take up to a week to kill them all, said Sara Francis, a Coast Guard spokeswoman.

Results of Pebble Mine Vote Expected in Mid-October

Although the deadline for mailing ballots on the Save Our Salmon initiative in the Lake & Peninsula District was Tuesday, the results of the vote are not expected until the canvassing board meets on October 17. The initiative is aimed at giving local residents control over stopping the controversial Pebble Mine project from happening. The mine proposed by the Pebble Limited Partnership, and supported by Alaska Governor Sean Parnell would jeopardize lucrative commercial, subsistence and sport fisheries, hunting, the ecosystem of Bristol Bay, and a way of life enjoyed by Native and other rural Alaskans for generations.

The Save Our Salmon initiative appears to be widely supported by residents, but an intense propaganda campaign from supporters of the mine which spread false information regarding the scope of the initiative may have had an effect. The total number of registered voters in the district is only 1,192. Last year, turnout in the municipal election was 384.

Stay tuned.

Greed is the Enemy

Ever get the feeling you’ve been cheated?  On the surface, there’s not much to be happy about in Wisconsin right now.  So what have those crafty corporatists been up to during the last few days? (photos at end of post) The republican majority called an Extraordinary Session in order to pass a reprehensible budget with as little interference as possible. This budget is so one sided, it may as well be a Teahadist fantasy come to life. The budget puts in motion a plan to award $2.3 billion in tax breaks for corporations over the next decade, strips $834 million from already cash-strapped public schools, expands the school voucher program that does nothing more than lay the groundwork for Education, Inc, cuts $250 million from the  UW System, and $71 million will evaporate from the Wisconsin technical college system. All of these cuts are necessary, says Governor Walker, because the state is broke. But it isn’t so broke that he’s willing to spend up to $2 Billion as a giveback to the Road Builders. To add insult to injury, the GOP snuck into the budget yet another special gift to private industry; James Rowan of The Political Environment Blogreports that:

…as the Joint Committee on Finance wound down towards the three-day Memorial Day weekend, it voted to add to Scott Walker’s proposed budget a fresh giveaway to the road-builders: a requirement that all 72 Wisconsin Counties hire private contractors for any job over $100,000.  And the measure bars counties and other municipalities from performing such work for another unit of government – – so a village can’t contract with a County to get an intersection rebuilt, for example, if the cost exceeds $100,000. All this work is to be privatized – – even though the Wisconsin Department of Transportation has said and documented that private contracting for road-building costs the public more money. These items are in the Omnibus Transportation Motion, sections 18-20, which was sprung as motion #352 before Joint Finance Friday around noon, and was sponsored by the co-chairs, Republicans Robin Vos and Alberta Darling.

There is no question that republicans are endeavoring to make the rich wealthier while ensuring that workers get less of an education and remain subservient to monied interests. Make no mistake; this is not a class war, this is a full-on putsch orchestrated by groups and individuals such as ALEC, The Koch Brothers, Americans For Prosperity, corporate-backed think tanks, large banks and others to destroy democratic institutions in order to facilitate the creation of a permanent majority.

On Tuesday, the Wisconsin Supreme Court, in record time,  conveniently overturned Judge Marayann Sumi’s decision that voided the GOP’s attempt to remove collective bargaining rights for thousands of public employees.  It is now clear that the open meetings law is pointless and the conservative majority on Wisconsin’s high court is more interested in pandering to right wing idealogues than exercising the rule of law. Justice David Prosser, the conservative incumbent who nearly lost to little known challenger JoAnn Kloppenberg, should be especially ashamed. It wasn’t long ago that he desperately tried to characterize himself as independent. Everyone knew it was a sham, and his actions just serve to prove it. On her conservative colleagues, Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson had this to say: “The majority justices make their own findings of fact, mischaracterize the parties’ arguments, misinterpret statutes, minimize (if not eliminate) Wisconsin constitutional guarantees, and misstate case law, appearing to silently overrule case law dating back to at least 1891″. How convenient that Assembly GOP Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald threatened to put the collective bargaining measure back into the budget if the Supreme Court didn’t act on the original measure by Tuesday.  In Fitzwalkerstan, the Judicial Branch now serves the Legislative branch as evidenced by an e-mail obtained by WKOW- TV that suggests republican lawmakers knew the court would act ahead of the budget sessions.

Republicans Gone Wild – Encouraged shill candidates to run as democrats in order to force primaries.

The Republican party fielded Republican candidates to run as Democrats in all six of the recall primaries, with the purpose of giving their incumbents an extra four weeks before facing general elections. The state’s recall law would require general elections July 12 unless there is more than one candidate in either party, in which case the election would be a primary, with the final general election held Aug. 9.  By engaging is such shenanigans, the self-described party of “ecomonic responsibility”  will fleece taxpayers to the tune of more than $465,000 by running fraudulent candidates and forcing primaries. This figure comes from election clerks in the recall districts. So much for concern about the mostly manufactured budget crisis.

Here’s a list of the fake democrats who should be ashamed of themselves:

Senate District 2 Incumbent: Sen. Rob Cowles (R-Allouez). Challengers: Democrat Nancy Nusbaum of De Pere, fake Democrat Otto Junkermann of Green Bay.

Senate District 8 Incumbent: Sen. Alberta Darling (R-River Hills). Challengers: Rep. Sandy Pasch (D-River Hills), fake Democrat Gladys Huber of Mequon.

Senate District 10 Incumbent: Sen. Sheila Harsdorf (R-River Falls). Challengers: Democrat Shelly Moore of River Falls,fake Democrat Isaac Weix of Menomonie.

Senate District 14 Incumbent: Sen. Luther Olsen (R-Ripon). Challengers: Rep. Fred Clark (D-Baraboo), fake Democrat Rol Church of Wautoma.

Senate District 18 Incumbent: Sen. Randy Hopper (R-Fond du Lac). Challengers: Democrat Jessica King of Oshkosh,fake Democrat John D. Buckstaff of Oshkosh.

Senate District 32 Incumbent: Sen. Dan Kapanke (R-La Crosse). Challengers: Rep. Jennifer Shilling (D-La Crosse),fake Democrat James D. Smith of La Crosse.

This is further proof that these people will stop at nothing to hold on to power while making  a mockery of the electoral process.

Tuesday’s Mass Rally on the Capitol Square.

Once again thousands of citizens massed in Madison to protest the corporate republican-backed horrendous budget and the war on working families. As expected, the calls for fairness and pleas for compassion went unheeded. Just before the rally started at 5pm, the Wisconsin Supreme Court announced that it had reversed Dane County Circuit Court Judge Maryann Sumi’s decision that voided the original measure.  Instead of an overwhelming sense of defeat, protestors and activists were outraged and immediately looked toward the upcoming recall elections as the next battle.

Marty Biel, Executive Director of AFSCME referred to the capitol as a “marble whorehouse” and announced to republican legislators that “we’re going to be spending our summer in your neighborhoods”.

Marty Biel, Executive Director of AFSCME Council 24.

Video of Reverend Willie Briscoe’s speech

Introduced by Mahlon Mitchell, Phil Nuenfeldt, Wisconsin State AFL-CIO President speaks.

Ellen Carlson speaks about budget impacts on education

Kim Hoffman, middle school teacher and 17 year veteran of the Wisconsin Army National Guard

Francisca Miras, member of Youth Empowered in the Struggle of Voces de la Frontera.

Mahlon Mitchell, President of Firefighters Union and Jackie Pokorney, SEIU member

We’re not going anywhere. We will fight, we will recall, we will keep the Wisconsin Idea alive until we successfully return a measure of sanity to the legislature, and ultimately, the governor’s mansion. The immoral actions of the republican majority will not be forgotten. What they’ve created is a new generation of activists, and ultimately a new national progressive movement. On Thursday, thousands of labor activists rallied at the NJ State Capitol to protest my home state’s bid to severely restrict collective bargaining rights. Just more evidence that this is a nationwide effort to destroy unions and advance a radical right wing agenda. Say goodbye to women’s reproductive rights, strong public schools, and critical social safety nets- unless we continue to organize and fight.

Photos from the Wisconsin rally on Tuesday.

Firefighters and supporters at the rally.

Phil Nuenfeldt, WI State President, AFL-CIO

Mary Bell, President of the Wisconsin Education Association Council

Ellen Carlson and son speaking about education cuts.

Kim Hoffman, middle school teacher and army veteran

Mahlon Mitchell, President, Wisconsin Professional Firefighters

Rev. Willie Briscoe

Francisca Miras, Voces de la Fronterra

Marty Biel, Exec. Director of AFSCME council 24

Mahlon Mitchell, President of Wisconsin Professional Firefighters.

And finally…the inspiration for the article title:

Pat mAcdonald of PurgAtory Hill performs at the Wisconsin Capitol Rally, May 14th.

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 the mainstream media. The rally opened with music by PurgAtory Hill, an intense and otherworldly Sturgeon Bay duo consisting of grammy-nominated Pat mAcdonald, and his partner MelanieJane. Pat dedicated the song “Reset” to resetting Wisconsin government. Essentially, PurgAtory Hill has taken delta blues, amped it up to 11, added some serious low end rumble and injected some bad-ass rock and roll to create a sound that manages to be both working-class and anti-class. As the band played, the crowd continued to grow in size. At the end of their 45 minute set, Pat encouraged the drum circle folks to give him a beat, which resulted in a spontaneous jam that included the massed crowd singing “re-call Wal-ker”.  Shortly after their set, MelanieJane confessed “I’ve never really been part of a rally like this. When I saw the union members marching in from all sides, I started to tear up a little”. Video Here.

Former Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz addresses the crowd to rousing applause.

Former mayor Dave Cieslewicz opened the program with a joke; “Hi I’m Dave,  I used to be Mayor of Madison, but when I was, they never let me speak. So today I arranged it so I could.” he went on to describe how we’ve created a true, national progressive movement that won’t stop at simply fighting for union rights.  “First, we’re going to recall those republican senators.  Then we’re going to recall Walker and take our state back”. Thousands roared in agreement.

Sen Jon Erpenbach (D- Middleton) addresses the protestors.

State Senator Jon Erpenbach (D- Middleton) took the stage next, accompanied by his son. He encouraged those attending the rally to focus on helping the democrats running in the recall elections. “This is the last time I want to see you in Madison,” he said to the massed protestors. “You can go vacation in Minocqua and help out Jim Holperin, or La Crosse, which is beautiful right now, and help out Jen Shilling.”

Ben Manski, former National Green Party Co-Chair and Liberty Tree Foundation Executive Director

Up next is Ben Mansksi, former national co-chair of the green party and assembly candidate. He stated that Walker’s budget was designed in back rooms by lobbyists and special interest groups in order to “tax the poor and feed the rich”.  He encouraged continued resistance and then led the protestors in a passionate chant; “We reject your budget!”

Mahlon Mitchell, President of the Professional Firefighters of Wisconsin.

Several other speakers addressed the protestors including Mary Bell, the President of the Wisconsin Education Association Council. “We are still here, and we are waiting to be heard”. Bell said,  ”They thought you would give up. That you’d go home and watch Dancing with the Stars and you’d forget about the largest power-grab in the history of the state of Wisconsin! Well, that didn’t happen”. Bell added,  ”They thought you’d forget about cuts to seniors, to poor children and to schools in this state. Well that didn’t happen either.”

A creative take on what makes up Gov. Walker's Budget.

Rallying at the Capitol.

The UAW Arrives.

Firefighters coming through with bagpipes.

Look at those "thugs". Right.

Our needs are identical with labor’s needs — decent wages, fair working conditions, livable housing, old age security, health and welfare measures, conditions in which families can grow, have education for their children and respect in the community. –Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Doctor King did not die in a board room of a corporation with CEOs. He did not die in a corridor of a capitol, or in an oval office, or in a governor’s office. He died in Memphis, Tennessee, where he was rallying with sanitation workers for their collective bargaining rights. –John Nichols

On this particular anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King’s assassination, it bears remembering what our slain civil rights leader was doing on his last day among us. It bears remembering not as an academic exercise, but because he gave his last full measure in a struggle that could be pulled from today’s headlines out of Wisconsin. And Michigan. And New Jersey. And Ohio. And yes, Alaska.

Dr. King was in Memphis to stand with sanitation workers struggling for their collective bargaining rights. He, like certain Mudpups in the Midwest, made it his business to get into the street and pick a side. So the date for today’s We Are One rallies (see location info at bottom of post) was well chosen. Americans are picking a side, and it ain’t with the Koch Brothers.

Wisconsin native son and Washington Correspondent for The Nation John Nichols addressed the American Federation of Teachers, the national affiliate of Alaska’s public employees, this Friday and connected the dots eloquently. It wasn’t just a good speech, but an important and necessary one. Since it won’t be covered by traditional media, The Mudflats is providing it to you in its entirety via the clips below.

I can relate to the Wisconsinites Nichols so passionately describes in his speech, but I can’t relate to someone who inherits 12 million bucks and complains about having to pay an estate tax on it. I can’t relate to the concept of a corporation raking in $5.1 billion in domestic profits and not only paying no taxes on it, but weaseling a refund out of us. All so some Citizens United subsidized tool under a state capitol dome can plead poverty and point at you, and your fancy “gasoline” and “groceries,” for breaking the bank.

I’m not sure why the corporate decimation of our country’s middle class isn’t “class warfare,” but our having the nerve to notice it is. I’m not sure how we became a country wherein the unregulated, rapacious greed of unsecured bundled derivatives, credit default swaps, and other sketchy Wall Street speculation came to be pinned on nurses and teachers. It must be their audacity to want high-falutin’ things like decent health care and a good education for their children. It can’t possibly be a bunch of Goldman Sachs guys playing a high-stakes game of musical chairs, knowing that when the music stops, the rest of us would get stuck holding the bad paper while they collect the bonuses.

As the saying goes, don’t let the bastards get you down. There are things you can do immediately, and they’re not that difficult. One is to attend one of today’s We Are One rallies. Another, if you live in Alaska or Wisconsin, is to make it a point to vote tomorrow. You know who’s on the ballot. You know why it matters. And you know what to do.

(Mudflatters outside Alaska can find their nearest “We Are One” rally location here.)

Get Thee To A Rally!

Anchorage: Loussac Library (36th & Denali)
Mat-Su: Wasilla Lake Parking Lot (Parks Hwy. & Crusey St.)
Juneau: State Capitol Building
Ketchikan: Corners of Tongass Ave. & Jefferson St.
Fairbanks: Pioneer Park
Soldotna: Parker Park (W. Park Street between Binkley & Fireweed)

All Alaska rallies begin at 4:30pm.

“In 30 minutes, 18 state senators undid 50 years of civil rights in Wisconsin,” Democratic Sen. Mark Miller said in a statement. “Their disrespect for the people of Wisconsin and their rights is an outrage that will never be forgotten.”

MADISON, WI. Thousands of angry citizens stormed the Wisconsin State Capitol this evening when the Republican Senate, after removing fiscal items from the original bill, passed legislation that will strip public unions of most of their collective bargaining rights and require employees to pay 8% more toward their health insurance and and a greater share of their pensions.    Earlier today State Senator  and majority leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau), appeared on Fox news admitting that the end game had always been to marginalize labor unions in order to defeat Obama in 2012.  Hey Scott, since when is it the job of the state senate to help a presidential candidate win?  And just last week Scott Walker was adamantly explaining that collective bargaining was a fiscal issue. But suddenly it isn’t, or it was…

Hundreds of cars circled the capitol honking their horns in support while the crowd grew seemingly by the minute.  Teamsters in their trucks were handing out American Flags, and obviously had some sort of train whistle installed in one of their vehicles.  Gone was the relatively easy going attitude of the crowd that had become a hallmark over the last several weeks. It had been replaced by anger, outrage and utter disbelief.

While walking around the Capitol, I ran into an old friend who told me that GOP senators were now holed up in the Inn on the Park across the square.  So we walked over there, and sure enough the camera around my neck caught their attention when we walked into the bar.  We tweeted and facebooked the info and within minutes, protesting firefighters showed up who were quite angry. Ultimately, the republicans fled from the bar to their rooms.

Heading back to the capitol we noticed the doors were wide open allowing easy entry to the building.  As we are making our way to the rotunda it becomes obvious that there are no police in sight. We reach the press office where I’m able to obtain today’s pass. It is clear that this is one of the biggest crowds to occupy the building yet.  There are constant reminders over  the PA system that “the capitol is closed, please leave”. No one is paying the messages any mind.  It is now clear that all the police have retreated to the second and third floors.  One semi-official estimate is that there are 8,000 people gathered under the dome, while thousands more march outside.  The crowd is a mix of teachers, union members, college students, and every day folks who have finally had it.

At about 10:30 pm, I enter the press office and find Tim Donovan, spokesperson for the Department of Administration and Capitol Police giving an impromptu press conference. Mr. Donovan states that “there will be a large number, a significantly larger amount, of law enforcement at the capitol.”  Another reporter asks if he was informed ahead of time about the surprise vote. He answers “yes, I was told at about 5-ish and we tried to have more law enforcement on hand, obviously not enough”. Finally, I ask “Have you been in touch with the National Guard today?” Mr. Donovan responds with “Yes, the National Guard provides emergency law enforcement assistance, and in that capacity, yes, we have had discussions with them, but as far as being on alert goes, that’s a question for the governor”.   He then exits.

Back in the rotunda, things are getting louder, drums are beating, and the police are trying to deny access to the second floor.  Loud chants of “Let us up” reverberate through the building, and people start handing supplies up to the folks on the stairs behind the police officers.  At one point the crowd learns that stairs on the other side of the building are unguarded, and there is a rush up them, to the second floor.  It appears as if some of the occupiers are now digging in for the night.

Folks, that’s what happened this evening.  The crowd peacefully took control of the Wisconsin State Capitol by overwhelming the police.  This seems to be without recent precedent in American politics.  The vote will now go to the assembly tomorrow(today) at 11:00 am.  There’s much talk about a general strike and plenty of rumors taking on lives of their own.

It is clear that this ideological war against the middle class is just beginning.  Ground zero is Wisconsin, and this fight is coming to a town near you.

I’ll have more updates tomorrow, but for now, good night.

Patrick DePula
For the Mudflats
pdepula(at)gmail(dot)com
3:30am Central.

UPDATE:
10:00 am (Central Time) Madison Chief of Police Noble Wray and Rev. Jesse Jackson refused entry into the capitol. Some press being refused as well. No one allowed near protesters inside. Channel 3 News and WSJ pushed back down hallway away from protesters. Wisconsin Uber Alles.

10:26   State Troopers are removing people systematically from the Assembly chamber area, backing the press away

10:29  Rep. Joe Parisi – D, said he was denied entry and that Capitol is closed to everyone. 8 reporters waiting outside.  People being dragged from assembly antechamber.  Singing we shall overcome and chanting that this is shameful.

10:53 – 1000 high school students and walk out… march to the capitol from East High School

Crowd is getting larger and angrier outside entrance.  Media entrance is mobbed.

http://cdnmo.coveritlive.com/media/image/201103/phpwtW9MF184326_1818004684404_1068721939_32121727_2052901_n.jpg

Riot gear is finally on police.

10:57 – Drilling windows shut at the capitol

http://twitpic.com/486avg

11:23AM

GO MAYOR DAVE! Mayor of Madison Dave Cieslewicz leading wildcat strike of public workers, marching with them to Capitol now.

12:47PM
Rep. Parisi introduces Jesse Jackson. Standing ovation from dems. Casual applause from republicans: GOP ironically object to him leading a prayer. God, Inc is their thing, of course. Not that benevolent dude.

For updates from the ground in Madison, follow Patrick DePula on Facebook, or follow @Mudflats on Twitter.

Those Alaskans prone to a more cynical outlook might say that the Alaska summer is already over, based on the rain we’ve been experiencing most of the last two weeks.  However, I choose to believe that the rain is merely an opportunity to enjoy indoor events…or in the very least, an opportunity to use those expensive-to-rent canopies!

Saturday, after our family spent the morning and early afternoon at the Scottish Highland Games, I skipped over to the home of Patrick and Patti Higgins (Pat is on  the Anchorage School Board while Patti is the Chairwoman of the Democratic Party).  I joined a number of prominent Anchorage names (including Assemblywoman Harriet Drummond, pictured above) at a fundraiser for the Democratic Candidate for US Senate, Sitka Mayor Scott McAdams.  In keeping with their pattern of excellent fundraiser cuisine, they were serving fried turkey.

I went because I wanted to meet Candidate McAdams.  I’ve been wanting to meet Scott for awhile because I’ve heard so much about him.  True to those descriptions, I found him to be an energetic, enthusiastic and forward-thinking candidate…someone I could get excited about as a member of Alaska’s Congressional Team.

…and the turkey SERIOUSLY ROCKED as well!

To donate to Scott McAdams for US Senate, GO HERE!

Sunday morning we were greeted with an attack from our leaky roof.  However, we stuck a bowl under it and braved the rain to attend the Union Solidarity Picnic at Anchorage’s Downtown Parkstrip.

The event was emceed by the lovely feather-covered Shannyn Moore and the almost-equally lovely AFLCIO President Vince Beltrami.  At many events it would be an exagerration to claim that “everyone who was anyone was there”–it was no exagerration here:

The entertainment was provided by my dear friends and the band at my wedding, The Aquanets.  The candidates were there–Hollis French and Ethan Berkowitz who are running for Governor.

The Democratic candidates for the Congressional Delegations races were also there–Scott McAdams (Senate) and Harry Crawford (running against Don Young for House) pictured below:

Harry is pictured with Legislator Lindsey Holmes below:

Campaign managers (below, for Diane Benson) as well as assistants, bloggers and politicos all came together discussing campaigns, strategies and a dose of gossip:

And fun was had by all.

One important issue brought up at this event were the rejection of the Hospitality Union and unfair labor practices conducted by the Sheraton and Hilton hotels in Anchorage.  Representatives for the workers spoke:

And they passed around a petition, encouraging a boycott of the two hotels.  I happily signed it and so did my husband:

For more information on the issue, GO HERE.

DONATIONS:

to Harry Crawford for Alaska Congressman At Large, GO HERE.

to Scott McAdams for US Senate, GO HERE.

 to Hollis French for Governor, GO HERE.

to Ethan Berkowitz for Governor, GO HERE.

to Diane Benson for Lt. Governor, GO HERE.

Yesterday, Alaska’s governor Sean Parnell vetoed money approved by the Alaska State Legislature that would go to desperately needed health care for Alaska’s children and pregnant women through the Denali KidCare program (SCHIP).  Today Alaska’s faith communities came together in prayer and compassion for those children and families in need.

They tried to keep this prayer service non-political, as the health care of children and pregnant women should not be a partisan issue.  In that spirit, I’m keeping commentary out of this post, and letting this event speak for itself.  The gathering took place outside the Atwood Building which houses the governor’s downtown Anchorage office.

AFACT (Anchorage Faith and Action Congregations Together) Prayer Service for Denali Kid Care

Pastor Lisa Smith led the service beginning with an Opening Prayer

Eternal God, we praise you for giving us life in communion with you and in community with each other. We acknowledge our failures to adequately care for every member of the human family, especially our children, and to ensure that all receive the health care they need.  Forgive us for keeping still and silent, while children suffer for lack of health care.

Strengthen us in determination and resolve to insure the health of uninsured children in Alaska, so that all may have the health care they need.  While we work together, sustain and uphold those who, in the meantime, suffer without care.  Guide doctors, nurses and all health care providers in the healing arts.

For the blessings of life, we give you thanks.  For the comfort and healing you provide, we give you thanks. For your call to care and serve as we are able, we give you thanks.  Amen.

Litany of Lament: (with responses from Jeremiah 8:18-9:1)

Children without health insurance are less likely to see a doctor when they need to, so they have worse health outcomes than children with health care coverage.

My joy is gone, grief is upon me, my heart is sick.

As children soon return to school, too many lack the eye glasses, hearing aids, and health check-ups they need.

Listen, the cry of my poor people from far and wide is in the land.

Without adequate and appropriate health care, children are less able to achieve and reach their full potential. The reading scored of uninsured children double after they receive the health care and coverage they need.

The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.

Children of the poor are more than five times as likely to be uninsured than children of the wealthy.

For the hurt of my poor people I am hurt, I mourn, and dismay has taken hold of me.

Seven percent of Alaska’s children were uninsured between 2005 and 2007.

Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then has the health of my poor people not been restored?

Some political leaders say we cannot afford health coverage for our children. Yet since 1998 the inflation-adjusted price of crude oil has greatly increased while we cut many of Alaska’s children from Denali KidCare coverage.

O that my head were a spring of water, and my eyes a fountain of tears, so that I might weep day and night for the slain of my poor people!

Now, the Alaska Legislature has increased Denali KidCare eligibility levels to 200% of the federal poverty level. We pray that this bill would find support from Governor Parnell.  Let us move from weeping to providing balm, health care, hope, and healing for our children.

A Call to Care

Who needs care?  Alaska’s uninsured children need care.  Alaska’s uninsured workers and their families need care. Children, women and men who live sicker and die younger because they do not have health insurance need care.  Families for whom a serious illness or injury could impoverish them need care.

Why do faith communities proclaim a call to care?  Because faith communities have a long tradition of caring for people who suffer in mind, body and spirit, today we proclaim the call to care for Alaska’s uninsured children.

Because faith communities have founded hospitals, prayed for the sick, visited the hospitalized, blessed the dying and comforted the bereaved, today we proclaim the call to care for Alaska’s uninsured children.

Because faith communities have led the way in seeking just and compassionate public health care policies, today we proclaim the call to care for Alaska’s uninsured children.

Because our faith traditions hold the conviction that life is God’s gift to be cherished and that God’s people are called to care for one another, to provide healing and prevent suffering, today we proclaim the call to care for Alaska’s uninsured children.

How shall we respond?  By reflecting on the texts and teachings of our faith that guide our understanding of and response to the health care needs of the uninsured, we will respond in faith.

By learning more about the plight of the uninsured and potential solutions, through study and discussion, we will respond with concern.

By reaching out to help people living without health coverage, through volunteer opportunities, we will respond with care.

Bu focusing attention on the plight of Alaska’s uninsured children and by promoting respectful discussion to seek and implement solutions, we will respond with justice.

Closing Prayer:

Creator God, Source of life, you made us in your image.  Each child shows your creative handiwork, bears the reflection of your face and breathes the breath of your spirit.  Open our eyes to see each child as a unique and precious gift from you – a sacred trust.

Compassionate God, Source of love, you claim us as your children and love us as a faithful parent.  Open our hearts to care for each child even as you care for us; to feel each child’s hurt as our own, to respond to each child’s need with nurture, to live up to each child’s trust with protection, and to ensure they receive the care they need.

Righteous God, Source of justice, you set before us a vision in which all people have what they need.  Turn us again to rightfully care for the widow and orphan, the sojourner and stranger, the poor and hungry, the vulnerable and oppressed.

Open our mouths to speak up for our children who suffer and die for lack of care.  Instill in us your passion for justice so that we champion every person, especially every child, so all can live as you intend and enjoy the goodness of your creation.

In your Holy Name we pray.  Amen.