Time’s a wasting
to report on last week’s Assembly meeting and get you up to speed on a series
of meetings that are headed our way possibly like a dark storm cloud. So, hang on, take notes and weigh in, cuz here
we go on the next roller coaster ride.
For your
attendance score card; it was a full table at the horse shoe at the Feb 7th Assembly meeting
except for Mr. Halter who was excused for a big sled dog race. Assemblyman Arvin was in his standard mode of
participation, attending via teleconference. We can’t recall what Mr. Arvin looks like
other than a big speaker in the corner of the room.
SCHOOL BONDS ARE ROLLIN OUT…
The School District
report, delivered by Dr. Paramo contained the good news that the state has pre-approved
projects for approximately $169 million dollars worth of bonds as part of the
$215 million voters supported last fall.
It appears the School District and Borough are communicating well so far
on this big buffet of projects that will allow the bonds to be sold and line up
a couple of years of work on the long list of projects. Bond projects can be
found at the district website.
TAXPAYER EXPLOITATION AGAIN & WHO
NEEDS ETHICS
The start of the Assembly
meeting brought forward discussion on the upcoming Borough Ethic’s code set for
a special meeting this Thursday/Feb 16th
at 4pm. The original scheduled time
was at 6pm. However, Assemblyman Colver
who is still seeking some support for his “Colverization” (our new word for your dictionary) of the current, albeit “the
bad road & taxpayer exploitation act” subdivision code would like to be
able to attend the Local Service Area Advisory board the same evening to obtain
their support for his “Colverization” of the subdivision code. Reportedly and
for good reason members of this board are none too happy about proposed changes
in our current subdivision code proposed by Mr. Colver. Changes that your
citizen lobbyist has referred to here as the “Bad
road and taxpayer exploitation act”. An ordinance change that could bring
serial waivers (no, not cereal wafers) back to their road service areas, expand
Borough land sales to properties with no road access etc. and in our opinion
create not only more headaches but possible serious financial ramifications to
the service areas they represent and in the end taxpayers (you know you and me). The ceremonial Mayor would like to attend this
meeting as well and probably defend his desire to allow road service areas to
opt out of being a road service area at all.
Assemblyman Arvin (cue visualization of speaker box in the corner)
chimed in that during the now scheduled
4pm Feb 16th special ethics meeting he was planning to request the body
“consider the value in creating a board or committee to give feedback” on
ethics. Isn’t that what the Ethics Board is for? After two years of work, the Ethics Board delivered
a rewrite to the Assembly in January 2011, along with mountains of testimony
during the Board’s public hearings. That
is hardly a lack of “feedback.” We would
suggest that perhaps another punt to give it the opportunity to get it right
with a model code is what is needed. The
state is examining parts of its own ethics code this session and has bills in
the Senate and House on the move. The importance of taking this opportunity to
craft a strong independent ethics code cannot be understated. We will just have
to see what the man in the speaker box has in mind for “creating feedback” and
the agreed upon process by the Assembly to do so.
CEREMONIAL MAYOR STRIKES AGAIN
The changes to
code for the Aviation Board that allows the Mayor to be “flexible” with
appointments ironically just flew as
if on its own wings through this Assembly meeting with a vote of 6-1 in favor
of the ceremonial Mayor’s ordinance. The
long term consequences of loading the board with political appointments are
such a disservice to the Borough we hardly know where to start. There were
absolutely no good arguments for making this change other than the one that
wasn’t voiced when it was approved. The change in code allowed the two
applicants brought forth by the ceremonial Mayor that weren’t qualified at the
start of the meeting according to the current code to now by magic be perfect
with the new “flexibility” the Mayor enjoys with this board now. That’s right
they were confirmed at the same meeting as the changes were made. Blinding
coincidence huh? Cue your furrowed brow.
BONUS POINTS
As another Assembly
meeting bonus for the Mayor and empire builders sitting alongside him, the
ordinance brought forth to change who can cancel calendared joint meetings of
the Assembly and School Board ended up in the ceremonial Mayor’s favor again
with a little help from his deputy Mayor Mr. Arvin. All the language that had
been brought forward to clarify that the Mayor could only act to cancel in case of emergency or lack of quorums
was cancelled out itself with new language added allowing the ceremonial Mayor
or School Board President the power to cancel meetings pretty much on a
whim. That apparently is how 6 of the 7 Assembly members interpret how
democracy works to just hand the gavel to one guy. Preferably their guy.
Need more or has
your acid reflux kicked in enough for this report?
THE FUTURE; BE THERE
There is plenty
to weigh in on coming up. Including the special
meeting on Ethics @4pm this Thursday which might be short and sweet but hugely
important none the less. An Assembly work session Feb 21st starting
at 3:30pm (before the normal 6pm assembly meeting) includes a presentation from
respected state economist Neil Fried on the Borough economy and demography,
transit services and presentation from Larry Persily on the Alaska Natural Gas
Transportation Project. Both presenters
are excellent in their fields, interesting and well worth putting on your
radar. Since consideration of the facts doesn’t seem to be a strong point with
some Assembly members let’s hope this group listens to half of what they have
to say. As far as the transit services
component in this meeting, expect the Mayor to bring something forward to pull
the plug on the agreement worked on for years with prior Assemblies for a
regional transit authority between the Borough and Municipality of
Anchorage. That pesky public wanting
services again.
So there you have
it. Citizen Lobbyist wishes it were made
up but yet it’s real. You have a veto
proof Assembly that some of which would sell their grandmother to a Somali
Pirate if he claimed he was from a corporation.
How’s
it working for you so far? Whenever you
are confused as to why the majority of this assembly seems to be doing
something that makes no sense or is crazy, you really need to come back to this.
The goal of this ceremonial mayor and some members of this assembly is not
good governance. The goal is to make governing only done for and by a select
few. Pure and simple. Once again. It can’t be said enough so we will say it again.
Elections matter people. They really do.
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