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March 19, 2024

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No Time for Tuckerman -

Thursday, August 3, 2023

The Quitter Returns! -

Monday, March 21, 2022

Putting the goober in gubernatorial -

Friday, January 28, 2022

Gov is definitely NOT scared of the recall. Definitely.

  OH, LOOK! No worries about changing the name of this newsletter any time soon, because they just can’t get over the fact that he’s tall. A new pro-Dunleavy group has sprouted up like a mushroom in the night. “Stand Tall With Mike” has just registered itself with the Alaska Public Offices Commission as a political group whose mission is to “oppose signature collection effort to recall Governor Dunleavy.” You know – the signature collection effort that the governor is completely not worried about and was totally not the reason for the ouster of his former chief of staff, Tuckerman…

Pebble Mine is Really Sorry (They Got Caught)

These past few weeks have been bad ones for the Pebble Partnership and its attorneys. Here’s the statement issued last week by Pebble Limited Partnership, the Pebble Mines Corp. and Jermain, Dunnagan & Owens, their law firm, the defendants, and the Renewable Resources Coalition, the plaintiffs, in a long-running lawsuit. RELATED: AK Beat: Billionaire mining investor says Pebble “will not be built” The “Renewable Resources Coalition and Pebble Limited Partnership have today announced a settlement of their litigation pending in Los Angeles. In that litigation, Renewable Resources Coalition alleged that Pebble had unlawfully purchased its confidential records and information from…

Senate Fundraising Report

We all know that the Citizens United ruling means an unprecedented amount of cash will be flowing from the coffers of well-funded special interest groups into our eyes and ears via political advertising this year. But those well-honed messages don’t always coincide with a candidate’s actual level of support from constituents, or the voting and donating public. Worthy of note is an article in today’s Anchorage Daily News that talks about the actual campaigns and their fundraising ability so far. Those examined are the competitive Alaska State Senate races which will determine the makeup of that body for the next…

Oyster Roundup Deluxe Election Smorgasbord!

This is really more like a bag of Halloween goodies than an oyster platter. Enjoy! Quote of the Week: “Please, I’m begging you. Go vote for this guy. He’s awesome!” ~Bob Lester of the Bob & Mark Show on KWHL about State Senate candidate Ron Devon. Party’s Over! Remember the breathless complaint that was filed against Senator Hollis French, and Putting Alaskans First? The Party Planner was all in a tizzy because they used the same APOC savvy bookkeeper, and the same production company to do their commercials. Ergo, they must be in cahoots and illegally coordinating the two campaigns,…

BREAKING: Bell Sued By Longtime Employee

  BREAKING West Anchorage State Senate Candidate Bob Bell (R), who is running against incumbent Hollis French (D), is being sued by a former employee of his engineering firm F.R. Bell & Associates, Inc.  Edward Biggs of Wasilla is seeking restitution for discrimination and retaliation in violation of the Alaska Workers’ Compansation Act; interference with his rights under the Family Medical Leave Act; disability discrimination; breach of contract, destruction of evidence, and wrongful retaliatory discharge. Bell was recently fined by the Alaska Public Offices Commission (APOC) for campaign disclosure violations relating to F.R. Bell and Associates. The campaign revelations also…

The Revenge of the Party Planner

11 days until the election, and the hilarious drama is flying. The mayor’s (errr) “Party Planner” has been a busy bee this campaign season. She’s been seen at the event coordinating the merger of church and state that gloated about data mining Alaskans’ private information, she showed up clad in classy faux leopard with “too crazy even for the Republicans” Judy Eledge as her date for a candidate forum, staffed Cathy Giessel at the Running debate, and now this… Petulantly clicking on her 7 inch heels, she stomped up to Senator Hollis French at a recent candidate forum, stuck out…

Bell’s Firm Got $1 Million+ from BP

Well, well, well. Ask not for whom Mr. Bell shills – he shills for BP. We practically needed the jaws of life to pry the truth out of candidate Bob Bell, but it has finally been liberated from the mangled wreck of his financial “disclosure” forms. If you remember from the other day, Mr. Bell decided first that he didn’t want to tell us who gave his engineering firm money. Then APOC told him he had to not only disclose who, but how much. Then he disclosed who, but NOT how much. Apparently it became more uncomfortable for Mr. Bell…

Minnery Misrepresents One Anchorage Fundraising

by Mel Green (Originally posted at Bent Alaska) Nearly 1,100 Alaskans — about 75% of contributors — have so far donated to One Anchorage, a March 7 press release announced. But it didn’t take long for anti-LGBT leader Jim Minnery to claim that “Outside Gay Rights Funds Bankroll Prop. 5 Supporters,” completely ignoring One Anchorage’s numerous in-state contributors. Minnery, president of the antigay/antitrans Alaska Family Council and chair of its associated 501(c)(4) advocacy organization Alaska Family Action, is also chair of the anti-Proposition 5 group “Protect Your Rights — Vote No on 5.”  Proposition 5, the Anchorage Equal Rights Initiative,…

APOC Taking Public Testimony on Proposed Regulations Today! *UPDATE*

You may remember that earlier in the month, Alaska Public Offices Commission (APOC) held several days of workshops so that people could better understand the proposed changes being made to their regulations. The workshops went quite well (I attended them all by teleconference) and I was very pleased not only that APOC had them but that there also seemed to be so many participants. You now have the opportunity, Alaska, to weigh in on those changes. APOC is holding their regular meeting this week and tomorrow will be dedicated to these sections of regulations: 1) Lobbying and lobbyist, 2) Legislative…

Vitamin Democracy: APOC wants YOU!

The Alaska Public Offices Commission (APOC) is in the process of updating the regulations covering the three areas within its purview: Campaign disclosure, Regulation of lobbying, and Legislative and Public Official financial disclosure.  Usually, this process is done by making the changes public on the APOC website and then through a series of formal meetings where they take public testimony. It can be a very intimidating process generally only used by those subject to the regulations (public officials, aides, candidates and campaign workers) as well as geeky, watchdog types (ahem). Here’s the good news! APOC listened to the requests of many…