Looky there's another
opportunity to read it and weep. Available for your viewing pleasure and teeth
gnashing is the bulging 1172 page borough assembly packet for this Tuesday's
meeting. The clerk’s office has taken this
huge bloated meal and cut it up in small bites for you. Go ahead and at least
read the agenda.
After you read it you will know why we suggest if you go to the meeting you carry
along at least two boxes of popcorn and a flask full of something strong. Good
times ahead for sure..
NEVER ENOUGH PILLOW
FLUFFING FOR BIG COAL
Guessing the ceremonial
mayor didn't get enough coal in his holiday stocking. He is headed to the first
assembly meeting of the year with a resolution tucked under his arm for yet
ANOTHER coal lease. After all what is an assembly meeting without one right?
This time it is located in Canyon Creek 18 miles from Skwentna.
Most people understand that
to make the port at Pt Mackenzie ever return a small portion of the buckets of
money poured into it something needs to be to transported some day. But is all this endless rush to get coal
there NOW without refusing to discuss the impacts or ANY alternative energy
methods (that whenever mentioned brings more than a few snarls and blank stares) a
way to beat the clock on natural gas? We know natural gas produces more
kilowatts of power than the equivalent amount of coal and although not clean
either it does provide more
energy. We also know with the explosion
of the bounty of natural gas from fracking creeping into the export markets that coal
is fast losing its glamour. The evidence is building daily that the term
"clean coal" is nothing but an oxymoron. But when you elect decision
makers straight out of an episode of “Mad Men” you better not count on them to acknowledge there are a few
roadblocks to their master plan or a weakening global market for what they want
at the end of a shovel or promised there will be. Though most third world
countries are waking up to the long term human impacts and costs of burning
coal to both their air and people the decision makers for the valley cling to
their fossil fuels.
Coal and the mining industry
is spending a lot of money in our state to get the right people elected who
have no appetite for moving beyond fossil fuels and they have been successful.
This is not any more evident than the people that are seated at this assembly
table. As Upton Sinclair said "It is difficult to get a man to understand
something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it".Cough, Cough...Pretty good
indication the sloppy kisses to coal will continue this year.
SPEAKING OF ENERGY...
This energy, development hungry
assembly would like to be the fathers of a shiny new energy policy for the
people of the borough. They would like to do this by repealing or changing..
you guessed it....the current ordinance
in place about where power plants can be built in the borough. The one set in
place by that other assembly to protect that pesky public and their property values. Assemblyman Colligan is the sponsor of a resolution for a temporary commission to review the current
ordinance to "make recommendations" which has become assembly
shorthand for hopping on the unwind train to ditch it.
No word on what the cost
will be for this new little exercise and doubtful we will know since the cost
of the unwinding process is never discussed by an assembly who seemingly
prefers to functions under the “whatever it takes” method of governing. Setting policy for energy that gets the blessing of the
majority of this assembly can't be a tall order. It could be the shortest policy set on
record. Most likely really only four letters.
C O A L. But shouldn't the taxpayers
know the cost of all the erasers or scissors the group will use and staff time
and resources the temporary commission will use before returning something to
the assembly to fawn over? Or must valley residents settle for another group of hand puppets to only give agreement to the
bloviators on the assembly? Does turning
the clock back on the current policy include allowing for coal bed methane
drilling in the Big Lake area?
We are hoping the ceremonial
mayor who collects payment to sit not only to hold the gavel at assembly
meetings but also his seat on the MEA board will recuse himself. The question is will Mr. Arvin (who will no
doubt be keeping his perfect record of calling it in from China for the
meeting) also recuse himself? His
appointed position again for which he receives $$ on the Alaska Energy
Authority should be a glaring conflict.
But then neither of these officials cares much for conflicts unless they
create them.
STATION BREAK HERE....
So you can thank everyone
that didn't educate themselves and vote in the last borough election which
would be other than the 17% of the people in the valley here..
OH JUST KEEP YOUR SEAT...
For those of you that have applied for seats on any boards or commissions and been given the bums rush it should
interest you that two ordinances on the agenda ask to extend to a time
uncertain the present members of the Emergency Planning and Fish and Game
Boards. Is it possible the ceremonial
mayor is running out of people willing to serve as marionettes or are sitting
members just getting the green flag to stay seated until this band is
done? We also notice in the mayors
conformation of two termed out members of the Animal Control Board. Unless we
missed something that board hasn't had terms extended and there are members of
the public that have applied waiting for appointment. Can this stacking the
deck mayoral style be any more obvious?
ABOUT THAT TOWER ORDINANCE....
The timing to talk again
about towers is interesting to say the least.
Poked sleeping bear Wasilla mayor Rupright reportedly had so much smoke coming out of his ears about the
threats to the views from all those big box stores that MEA picked up their
tower playing cards and left town. But the majority of this assembly doesn't give
much stock in the degradation of views, property values or how development can have in profound ways economic and social impacts so they will take another
dance with it.
Assembly member Colligan consistently
peeved about something and anxious to get off the bench with any type of
thoughtless legislation is ready to amend the just adopted tower ordinance now. You know the one just he voted for in
the last assembly meeting. The time to reconsider gone he will
apparently force upon the taxpayers this messy amending process in order to
revert to the old tall tower ordinance that sat in place until November 2011
when in all their wisdom the assembly decided to ditch and go without any
regulation in the borough for a full year.
Cue the parade of new towers you see popping up all over.
SO after over a year of NO
TOWER ORDINANCE in the borough and with the ink barely dry on the one the
assembly did finally pass he wants a redo. Colligan must have a doctorate in
gerrymandering by now. We know he had a
heavy hand in the whole redistricting mess the state courts wrestled
with and finally just threw to the curb. His company (based in Anchorage where
he has to pay real business inventory tax) assisted Anchorage in the dark of
the night to come up with their own assembly district changes. Sans any real
public process of course.
Assemblyman Colligan must
be frustrated with his first year of non achievements. He was a sponsor of
legislation like an assembly resolution supporting HB88. You know the one we
have all been reminded of lately. The anti-sharia bill that got a state
legislative aid in ethical problems and booted from her cushy state job because
apparently hate group leaders taking over legislative offices isn't acceptable
even in Alaska.
Undaunted Colligan spent a
good deal of assembly time last year bringing forth several pieces of failed
legislation. For example a change to when borough residents vote that was so
bad even he voted no on it. Having his arms fully locked around anything
corporation the Wasilla assemblyman must think he has finally found a winner in
the tall towers industry. We'll see.
Valley property owners that have spent oodles of time testifying and writing
letters to get the ordinance that is in place passed are none too happy about
starting up the battle again.
LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE TIE BALER..
There is one item on the
agenda that even the most conservative members of the assembly can earn some redemption on. Assembly member Salmon is the sponsor on a
resolution to allow the borough to complete its obligation to the very
successful valley recycling center by writing the check for the promised
borough matching funds for a windbreak and the tie baler the center so desperately
needs to increase recycled material for the valley. Good for Mr. Salmon for
bringing it forward. This is long over due and has intense support from valley residents.
SPEAKING OF PAYING THE BILLS…
Like an acquaintance run into when it’s avoidable no more the
ferry makes it back for an appearance on the agenda. Back with a reminder that
the monthly dripping of taxpayer dollars continues and this assembly while they
are itchin to fix something just can’t find the right tool to
fix this. Cue the taxpayer cash register…
YEAH YOU..GET OFF THE COUCH...
The assembly will warm up
early Tuesday @4pm with an executive session (the PPP meeting..no public please) to discuss borough employee union
contracts and some ongoing litigation. Knowing the majority of the assembly’s love for public government employees and unions this should put them in a good mood. Hearing
about litigation should be something they are used to or better get used to
with the way they govern. Quite the warm up which could set the tone for the
whole evening.
Regular meeting starts at
6pm once again at the school district building because the new grand assembly palace
isn't ready yet. Maybe they are stalled installing the moat. In any case Radio Free Palmer will be streaming the meeting live.
These times they aren't
normal. At least we're hoping not. To
use a line from "The Birdcage” — "It’s like riding a psychotic
horse towards a burning barn".
So start your engines. It's
time to throw down the spike strips and invest in popcorn futures. The crazy
car is out of the garage again with some really scary drivers at the wheel.
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