SO WHERE IS THE MAYORS BINDER FULL OF WOMEN?

As an exercise to see if we could make our eyes bleed we read through the packet for tomorrow nights borough assembly meeting again today. Missing from the blog post yesterday was the discussion of the vacancy report for boards and commissions. We think the best way to deal with an issue on the report and a new development that transpired both involving the ceremonial mayor was to send him an open letter.  All in the sacred name of transparency and because we know the mayor and his peeps read this blog that they love to hate it so here it is. 

Dear Ceremonial Mayor Devilbiss:

As residents of the borough we wanted to bring to your attention that the assembly will be taking action on the open seat on the Matsu Borough Planning Commission for District 1 at tomorrow (Feb 19th) night meeting.  This seat has been vacant since the end of last year.  

Two very qualified women threw their hat in the ring for the planning commission position as soon as the vacancy was available and have been keeping each other company in the "application received" column for some time.  As evidence of their past experience and resumes it seemed very puzzling that neither of these well qualified women were selected.  Normally having a citizen serve on the planning commission that has a planning degree or prior experience on the commission and wanted to serve at this time would be a stroke of luck for a conservative borough like ours.  

Several weeks ago another candidate applied this time a male with seemingly no planning experience except if you count his efforts to stop public participation in the Buffalo Mine Community Council. His application was quickly followed up by yet another male applicant who owns rentals and brother was appointed by you to the platting board.  

So now we see that you have moved Mr. Endel with his vast no planning experience into the column for the assembly to confirm.  This just begs the question Mr. Mayor, if these two women with much higher qualifications than either of the MEN applicants aren't good enough...well then who is in your binder of women?  

And really Mr. Mayor when will there be enough MEN serving you?  The entire assembly is made  up of MEN.  The entire planning commission is made up of men.  The platting board has six MEN and one woman. The aviation board seven MEN and one woman.  Even your shiny new tower commission has five out of five positions filled by MEN. 

We are hoping by bringing this gender imbalance to light you will reconsider your recommendation.  We would like to think that a carrot farmer like yourself sees the value in having good female insight to help you plow the fields of the future of the borough.

Lastly it came to our attention you are instructing the assembly to make some changes in the newly passed Jim Creek Motorized Master Plan.  While we were hopeful you would suggest a revisit to the plan for more parity for non-motorized users we were dismayed to learn it was because "it does not accommodate firearm discharge for hunting purposes".  Say what? Really Mr. Mayor talk to anyone out in the Butte.  The only thing getting hunted down to discharge into in the area is empty barrels and cars formally set on fire.  The residents in the area trying to raise their families and co-exist with out of towners giving the throttle on their ATV a workout beg for some sanity in the plan.  They deserve it. 

So Mr.Mayor we hope you will take the above in consideration when you raise the gavel on tomorrows assembly meeting.  The valley will be watching and listening while doing their best to keep the snickering level down for what voters have sown.

GET OFF THE COUCH AND FIGHT..

ROLLIN THE CHAIR..

The first shots across the bow of public education rang out in Juneau last week and the bazooka was loaded up by what some are not so fondly referred to as the "Mat Su" mafia. Valley legislators with a little help from other evangelical and retrograde political actors are bypassing the public process. The majority held extremists are using a universally frowned upon process called "rolling the chair" as a way to avoid Senate and House committees designed to evaluate and examine bills.  

This political witches brew of free market ideology, uninformed idealism and political opportunism is for us that have been watching the borough assembly only too painfully familiar.We have been pounding the drum to warn of the sneaky and underhanded ways these local officials have operated trying to force conformity to their world view that they demand and few share. The virus is spreading. 

MEANWHILE THE FUN IN THE BOROUGH CONTINUES...

The packet for the next assembly meeting is out and its 522 pages more of that worldview.  There are no less than 13 resolutions of support for various projects.  Among them are:

• A resolution  in support of the Susitna Forrest which they voted against last year but now that its reworked in their supporters favor the ceremonial mayor is only too happy to carry it forward. 
• A resolution in OPPOSITION to the school district keeping its unreserved funds which are directed by the state and borough for education as a way to build a fund balance.
• A resolution in support of the Kabata because apparently the 6-7 they have already passed isn't enough that they need more support with a side of support.
• A resolution supporting HB 4 for a gas line even though any real conversation at the assembly table about the pro and cons of different projects has been rebuffed.

The rest of the resolutions which we have referred to as memos to themselves you can find in the packet. We are guessing these resolutions in part are because you just can't expect all those paid lobbyists to do their cheer leading to spread influence dust alone.  And we know the majority of this group likes to help their friends. 

Speaking of  lobbyists the list just gets longer and longer every year.  Its worth a few minutes of your time to look through  it to see how well the oiled revolving door is and how hard it must be for our elected officials to say with a straight face that they are making decisions based on facts and on what their constituents want and not "paid influence". It should be noted that the same lobbyist the borough employs  Ex-Speaker of the House John Harris is also the new lobbyist for the Freedom Foundation for Educational Choice. 

Don't be swayed by "Choice" in their name. This is a well known ultra conservative think tank founded on radical free market economics. They have clearly stated that "vouchers are not an end in themselves and they are a means to make a transition to a market system". .

The hugfest in Juneau has now turned into the concentration of ramming through some pretty awful legislation another thing we in the valley are all to familiar with the last couple of years. They are on a roll and the public be dammed!  

SMALL VICTORIES FOR THE PUBLIC

It does turn out that at least during assembly meetings reading parts of the borough ethics code as testimony even if its the watered down revision to the code passed last year is pretty effective.  That's what happened at the last assembly meeting after a well publicized attempt by Assemblyman Woods who stepped well in the bounds of "financial gain" was squashed. His attempt to shove through an ordinance instructing the manager to get busy to force a land acquisition for a future school site which would have resulted in substantial gain for his family trust was about as flagrant a misuse of power that we have seen. It rather shocked us that it was Woods who was so obviously up to this public skulduggery when there are so many other worthy candidates on the assembly.  Credit where credit is due and although it is rare we applaud the ceremonial mayor for jerking the whole thing off the agenda after public testimony made it clear those storm clouds ahead held some pretty good hail stones. 

By the way Assemblyman Salmon can save his ire at the media the next time around. We know facts are pesky but some people still prefer to know them.  We know it's human nature to take advantages of advantages but still most of the public thinks that might just be a little bit shaddy when it involves an elected official.  Pointing this out is the newspaper's job even if it does leave a mark. 

So get busy reading the packet to find out what mischief your assembly is up to this Tuesday. Keep in mind there is no audience participation on resolutions. They barely allow that on ordinances so if you have an opinion you better let it be known via email to the sitting monarchy or bring it up during general audience participation which can depending on who moves what chess piece around on the agenda at the beginning of the meeting be any time. As always you can listen to the live stream at www.radiofreepalmer.org or download that handy KVRF app for your iphone  or andriod if you don't get 89.5FM. 

LET THEM HEAR FROM SOMEONE NOT WEARING FOXGOGGLES..

Next Saturday Senate President Huggins will be holding a second townhall meeting with his friends and accomplices Gattis, Dunleavy and Hughes 10am at the Wasilla LIO.  Get off your easy chair and get there to ask some hard questions like why education bills now no longer belong in education committees or bills on a woman's right to abortion need not stop at Health and Social Services or changes in legal standards in the permitting process did not receive a referral to the Judiciary Committee.  

Senator Wielechowski is spot on when he said " not referring bills to their proper committees erodes the public trust in the process".  We are guessing that doing things in the public interest doesn't apply when you are facing a legislature populated by ALEC zombies, deep pocketed special interest and zealot religious groups with "social agendas" regardless of what is good for Alaska. 

THE FLOGGING OF THE DEAD HORSE CONTINUES...

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. 

IT'S A 2012 WRAP...

While the country is tied in the middle of a political knot waiting to find out what its like to go off the fiscal cliff  borough residents already took a little ride off their own cliff in 2012  

Let's just take a little peek at just some of the actions the borough assembly took. 

IT'S ONLY TAXPAYER MONEY

The assembly in order to stick to a majority held ideology that the only good government is a starving one, took out their samurai swords at budget time and set about spending a big chunk of spare change sitting in the taxpayer savings drawer . Reserves went from about $14 million dollars to sit hovering at last check around $4 million left in the ever shrinking piggy bank. That included a big fist full of greenbacks moved out of the emergency fund reserve because we all know there are never any emergencies in the valley and when there is we can always take it out of petty cash or rely on it to be just bad enough so that either the state of feds will pony up for the costs right? Eye roll here, followed by palm slapping forehead.. 

Along with changing the "revenue cap" to a presto chango "tax cap" things could get pretty interesting this next year when the same troop sits down with a much smaller savings and a borough with growing needs that are staring them in the face.  One has to wonder with an assembly that is always vowing not to raise property taxes just which services will get the ax and be 2013 sacrificial lamb? 

FERRY DUST CLOUD....

There was a nearly year long kabuki dance with administration on what to do with now borough owned M/V Susitna Ferry that by all accounts still sits in its expensive berth in Southeast Alaska.  Lots of talk about the ferry and it's $60-$80,000 monthly costs to taxpayers.  That is  right up to after the borough election where it promptly dropped of list of things to point fingers around the table about.  Has it found a home in some tropical paradise or should taxpayers be visualizing the teflon manager searching the borough building for hidden shoe boxes of money to continue to pay the monthly bills?  Have some port insiders been silently working away at their plan to beach it at Pt Mac?  Will some valley folks get that floating casino some have been talking about or will it end up becoming a certain construction companies glorified "work boat" to get the borough off the hook for the monthly gushing of taxpayer money? Can the fed's who will be calling for a refund from the borough on their investment for the ferry if it isn't put into service be tamed?

JUST CAN'T LEAVE IT ALONE...

The ceremonial mayor whose job it is mainly preside at assembly meetings and act as the ceremonial head of the borough continues to take full advantage of the position particularly with the agenda and what goes on it and where and when. That pesky public. Our carrot farmer mayor couldn't find much love for opening up community councils to non residents or eliminating the part on the agenda for "Person's to be heard" but he did manage to issue a handful veto's (however not very successful) and a few tie breaker votes.  That along with some real zinger comments now and again that lifted the scalp on more than a few audience members and the borough attorney a time or two. 

TOWERING PROBLEMS...

Tall Towers spent over a year to the joy of industry having no regulation by the borough.  The persistence of one assembly member (Keogh) resulted finally on a new ordinance being adopted just last month. Meanwhile grandfathered in are the 50 or so that have already sprouted up around the valley in the free for all blocking views, enraging neighbors and costing big taxpayer dollars in an ugly process that may continue if the mayor (who we must give credit to for casting the tie breaker vote for passage of the ordinance) has his self appointed new tower board likely to be weighted heavily by industry and likely to come up with some suggestions for change. 

PUTTING ON THE POUNDS...

And while were at it we continue to wonder how that "board diet" your assembly ordered up when they successfully removed from the list the Real Property Asset Management Board going?  Like most dieters does it goes away when the dessert tray gets passed around? Actually the borough will have to loosen its belt loop after this year as they expanded one board from 5 to 15 members, changed the requirements for expertise and extended the terms of members on a couple of others.  What was that saying about lipstick on a pig? 

BUCKETS OF COLD WATER...

Then there was the great watering down period.  The first bucket hit the borough ethics code striking "personal interest" out of code and making "financial interest" rise from $200.00 to $1,000.  Impossible to go into all the consequences of these and other changes made to the code but it sure made it smoother sailing for some people sitting in positions of power. We'll leave it at that for the moment. 

The next bucket got a hefty lift from the MatSu Buisness Alliance and some developers in a painful revamp of the borough subdivision code. It turns out, for a segment of the assembly open for "business" means setting up a system to amass fortunes for some supporters regardless of consequences on others. Short term gains that could serve up some long term consequences and not unlike the tower mess the borough found themselves in. Unfortunately when the blame game begins on this one many of the ringleaders of this on the assembly will be termed out.  Yes, we're looking at you Assemblyman Colver, Arvin and a couple others.  

SPEAKING OF WATER..

Assembly members got a quick lesson on how important mapping of the flood plain can be as a fall storm gushed through a fairly new subdivision in Wasilla.  Pretty much all corners of the borough were effected as emergency services, public works and other departments at the borough dropped everything to respond. Besides the importance of flood plains, river management took on a whole new significance and not just in Butte area who has had houses sliding in the Matanuska River like hot chocolate hitting ice cream for years.  Turns out "your problem" is "our problem" after all. 

Plenty of water and personnel was needed to stop a what could have been a catastrophic fire in one subdivision a hair away from the downtown area of Palmer. Fast action by borough (much of them volunteers) and city crews responded to fight the flames and curb what could have been life changing for the valley. 

PLENTY OF RESOLUTIONS TO GO AROUND..

There were resolutions a plenty many of them fulfilling what we have described here as memos to themselves. It was easy to loose count on how many in support of KABATA, coal, gas exploration and even one for Sharia law. A resolution presented several times for support for a full health impact statement on the effects of open pit coal mining  never could find anything but the bottom of a recycling bin thanks to this develop at any cost majority at the table. Endless passionate pleas from borough residents time and time again got the mute button. 

Sandwiched in between were ordinances for a long list of gas improvement districts, removal of easements, several new gravel pits (which now allow for drilling in the water table) lowering the decibels for noise which when you think about it for a borough that blesses fireworks for all anywhere any time kinda fits in. It sure seemed much of the time common sense was in short supply much of the time. You could however find plenty of politics and special interest laying around. It was as if not only the train left the station but no one was allowed to ask where it was going or who was driving it. 

THE TEENIEST, TINIEST OF HIGH NOTES

There was some good news for Hatcher Pass Nordic Skiers as the Government Peak Area was able to hold on to its traditional non motorized designation and pass a plan. Assemblyman Colver got to pull out his cape that he keeps tucked away for other projects in his district especially if they are related to a certain charter school and led the successful charge on this one. Although we tire of the messy process Assembly member Colver continues to cling to in doing even credible things at least the ball got over the line on this phase of a very worthwhile project. In addition a knowledgeable contractor writing the plan and diligence of a slew of volunteers who had put the trails in, groomed them for years and other borough wide supporters who testified were the right ingredient for passage. 

For those that recreate in Jim Creek without a throttle although the final verdict is still out, things aren't looking so good. Some members of this assembly seems to be determined to find a home for icky and punish this area of the borough and personal property values no matter what the cost.  

The timing couldn't have been better for the excellent coverage in the Frontiersman about the relocation of Felony Flats and possible threats of a move to some nicer neighborhoods in Willow or Big Lake. That hot mess on the Parks Hwy was just fine with people that were just driving it but the thought of it becoming one of their real neighbors sparked a whole new set of concerns and people with petitions showing up at Assembly meetings.  Assembly member Salmon who had passed off  the multi-family ordinance that currently is on the books off to the planning commission hoping to kicking it all to the curb, felt the heat on his collar and settled for a re-write still making its way through the process offered up by fellow Assembly member Halter.  

Hey people in nice neighborhoods....your not out of the woods yet on this one. We know you haven't had much experience at what goes on at assembly meetings but be forewarned things can go badly very quickly when the boys at the horseshoe get together to pass legislation.  Just ask the people of the Butte who are stuck with "Motorized" master plan in the works when they thought they could preserve at least some part of that area from a cloud of exhaust.  

The other good news is a very ugly longggggggggggg election is over and even though we can see the engines warming up for the next one in the fall there is a small respite. Keeping in mind that if one thing re-elected assembly members (including Mr. Arvin who is setting a whole new standard for "calling it in" and has continued to do so since the election) its not actually what is true that matters, it's what you can convince the right amount of people that vote is what counts. Remember that when you go to the voters booth next time or if you are an assembly member that complains about this blog.  


Were working on warming up own engines for the first assembly meeting on January 15th but meanwhile you can get your fill by wandering over to Radio Free Palmer and listening to the Citizen Lobbyist year end wrap up. A bit more detail there.  

Trust us talking about 2012 was painful enough but writing about it here was like hot pokers to the eyes. And while you are at the Radio Free Palmer site peel off a few green backs for a end of the year donation and don't forget to put them at the top of your "Pick, Click and Give" list when you doing all that hard work filling out your PDF form for that free state money.  We know you will...

Let's hope for a better New Year with more people paying attention and that moderation with triumph over extremism.  And yes we do know that is kinda like teaching a mule to tap dance..  

  

OFF THE ISLAND....

The borough assembly met last week and voted some important stuff off the island again.

One of them was a chance to establish a tall towers ordinance. But it was quickly set adrift. The usual suspects of the assembly gave it a shove remaining steadfast in refusing to let local government be in the business of protecting people that live in the valley. Clearly, the roar of the public about the absence of ANY tall tower ordinance in previous meetings is long forgotten. 

This compromise ordinance wasn't even allowed to be introduced for a vote at the next meeting. 

Was the mute button "on" when resident after resident testified outraged pleading for protection when without notice sky high transmitters started appearing all over the valley next door to them or in some cases robbing homeowner's pristine views which assuredly will devalue their investment? Did all the emails assembly members reportedly received insisting immediate intervention get caught in the assembly spam filter? 

Can't have anything to do with the election being over. Can it?

Unlikely you will actually see District 3 Assemblyman Arvin back from his perch in China to thank him in person but maybe you will see assembly members Colligan,Woods and Salmon who voted with him to send the tall tower ordinance to the killing fields. They tried to gloss it over by pledging their faith in the ceremonials mayors still waiting to be  appointed new committee of five to do the work that other stakeholders and professionals took years to go through. That's the way a dictatorship works right?

To keep the tall towers ordinance company in the discard heap was a resolution that would establish a policy and minimum for an emergency response reserve fund for the borough which is currently sitting on EMPTY after the budget setting raid and fall flood. Turns out there is no appetite for the self professed "Conservative" members of this assembly for saving funds for an emergency. Who could imagine that the borough could have a disaster that might require emergency funding huh? Can you really trust the science that says we live in a earthquake zone? Besides there is never enough wind to blow roofs off public buildings.  No rain that swallows houses and roads right?

Can you blame this assembly for voting down common sense legislation while they are busy, busy draining what's left of reserve coffers of local government or micro-managing staff? After all isn't time better spent instructing the teflon manager to write monthly $60,000 plus denial checks for a borough owned ferry or for even a bigger check for right of way the borough doesn't need but does fatten the checkbook of the largest private land owner in the borough? If you do. Just go tell Alice and her 10 foot tall rabbit.

But you know what there is plenty of time for?  JESUS.

The first 20 minutes of the borough assembly meeting was filled with a invocation from the mayor's own church pastor. That checked off the agenda the ceremonial mayor then read a rambling proclamation of recognition delivered to another fellow church member for his work since he moved to Alaska way back in 2006.  He even allowed the gentleman to deliver his own personal story about salvation that we are guessing was to remind all the heathens in the audience what they were missing.

The ceremonial mayor will also make time to take up an ordinance to do away with "PERSONS TO BE HEARD" at the next regular meeting. We are guessing that won't include people the mayor wants YOU to hear. 

If that wasn't enough fun before any real business of the people was taken up the ceremonial mayor announced his appointment of Assembly member Arvin as deputy mayor. With a perfect attendance record of only teleconferencing
his participation so far this term from his home away from home in China, Arvin was glad to accept the title and extra taxpayer paid salary that comes with it. A question asking if it was even legal to appoint a consistently physically absent deputy mayor or and if it was Mr. Arvin's intent to spend his entire term of 3 years participating via teleconferencing were scoffed at. After all didn't voters of District  3 know what they were getting when they re-elected him last month? Clearly back up deputy Salmon manages to get to nearly all meetings and will handle the gavel since there hasn't been a way found to do that over the phone. Yet. Silly public. Look at all the money that is being saved. Why it doesn't appear that the borough has even had to spend the money to print a  name plate to place in front of Arvin's empty chair at the assembly table.

Next up for your assembly a planning session November 17th. We are guessing the ego's of some of the members of this group have gotten so big they have found the need to have the meeting at the Menard Center in Wasilla. It starts at noon and although the public is allowed to watch they aren't invited for lunch.  

Oh and the ceremonial mayor won't be there.  He let everyone know he is butchering a cow that day.  

After we're sure he has baptized and blessed it of course. Can a resolution of recognition be far behind?

VOTE OR FOREVER HOLD YOUR PEACE...

You better check your pulse if you don't know there is an election TOMORROW! 

Seems people can't agree on much these days but we should agree life can be uncertain. If you don't believe us ask 20 million people on the east coast about an unwelcome visitor by the name of "Sandy" that came calling and has put voting probably pretty near the bottom of their list.  You can find out the details where and how here. There is also information at the link on where your polling place is which after the hairball of redistricting can be confusing. You should always be able to cast a question ballot at any polling place if things get desperate! 

VOTERS SHOULD HEED THIS OCTOBER SURPRISE

Turns out the valley is no stranger to a little October election season surprise. A well written article and editorial in the Friday's edition of the Frontiersman concerning a candidate running for office in a new Wasilla house district has raised more than a few eyebrows and again should make us ask about the ethics and character of candidates that are bidding to represent us. This one concerns a big bunch of public money from the borough taxpayer that ended up in private hands one of which is a candidate Gattis. Her challenger Merrifield asked during a candidate forum about this and was told more details would be released AFTER the election.  Say what? Actions should speak to us about just whose interest elected officials would be acting for once they are in office. Because remember once they are elected it takes more than a crowbar and sometimes a new wardrobe of vertical stripes to get them out. Worth a read for sure before you vote especially if you are from the greater Wasilla area. 


WE CAN'T HEAR YOU!!!

Another reminder that Tuesday is also the night for the borough assembly to meet. Our email has been busy with folks weighing in on the ceremonial mayor's introduction of legislation to eliminate the part of the agenda for PERSONS TO BE HEARD.  The reaction has been what you might expect by civilized informed people.  But here is one we can print from a reader that pretty much hit the nail on the head:

"How is it that the Assembly can justify new Assembly chambers when they are taking the “public” out of public view, public testimony and public opportunity? Shouldn't they need less room for Assembly meetings since that pesky public is being be shut out? Without the public there to comment or oversee,  Assembly meetings could be held in a large walk-in closet thereby saving taxpayers lots of money. Oh wait…they already operate in a closet. Quick…somebody turn on the lights and watch them scamper like cockroaches"

There is still time to speak out on this and other subjects in the packet by showing up or emailing members of the assembly.  Saying nothing about this and other issues seems to give some members of the assembly the false impression that we all just agree with their actions. And you thought Halloween was over. Scary but true...   

FINALLY OUR OWN VALLEY EDITION!

Another source (besides the blog of course) of good current local information launched Friday on Radio Free Palmer.  The "Valley Edition" is a panel discussion of Valley news and events much like "Alaska Edition" on KSKA. The program will be broadcast on 89.5FM Friday's at 5pm and repeats every Monday at 8:30am. The panel this week was Frontiersman publisher Mark Kelsey, independent journalist Zaz Hollander, and the Citizen Lobbyist. Mike Chmielewski  moderated. There will be other guest journalists from time to time. The recording of Friday's show can be found on the RF website. While you are there check out "Another vote done gone" by a couple of local Palmerites that is true fun. 

There are your walking orders for the next couple of days. Important stuff.  Not paying attention will only get you more of the same frustration.  

This time we wont be telling you how we're voting.  After all that is what that cute little curtain in the voting booth is for right? 

HANDS OVER YOUR EYES BAD....

Remember our harping about elections having consequences? Nothing drives this point home harder than a re-elected assemblyman "phoning in" his oath of office.  Apparently the mayor of Anchorage set the bar for swearing in from afar but at least he was on Skype so voters could all SEE him dressed in his aloha shirt taking the oath. All valley voters got was the same disembodied voice from China as Assembly member Arvin back in his pre-election perch in China reportedly raised an invisible hand.  That worked out well.  At least for him.  For District 3 voters well not so much.  They face another three years not having their elected voice in the same time zone let alone in person to hear their concerns. 

POUCHES AREN'T JUST FOR KANGAROOS..

The packet for the Nov 6th (yes the night of the election)  is finally out. It should be no shock to see one of the items scheduled for introduction comes from the hand of the ceremonial mayor. Not wasting any time, he will be introducing legislation to gerrymander the agenda once again. This time he is taking a knife to the part that concerns PERSONS TO BE HEARD. That pesky public again! His reasoning is "low usage of this agenda item". Not used it seems means not needed. Clearly in the mayor's parallel dictator universe people being heard and people that aren't in lock step with he and his majority held brethren are a big bother. Should be no surprise to those that have followed the gavel in the hand of this carrot farmer. But it should make us wonder if AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION will be an amendment also eliminated during the meeting. That would be perfect for completion of this assembly that is increasingly operating as a Kangaroo Court. 

BOW YOUR HEADS....

While we are on the subject of the agenda it should be noted that starting the meeting with a prayer is back on the roster. No added shocker that it is the pastor of the ceremonial mayors home church that will be delivering it. Not sure if that will be a added feature taking the place of the time normally allotted for that pesky persons to be heard or not. But if so does it mean that the mayor will be rotating different religious affiliations other than his own to give the invocation? We know some really nice Baptist, Catholic, Jewish, Russian Orthodox, Protestant, Lutheran, Buddhists, Hindu, Muslim. Sikh, Wicca and other religious affiliations that would like a turn. Seems only fair to us.

THE INVISIBLE CEREMONIAL DEPUTY...

Oh and for good measure the ceremonial mayor will be re-appointing the invisible assembly member Arvin as deputy mayor again, begging the question if he will be appointing another back up to the back up like he did last year since Mr. Arvin wasn't there physically to run the meeting?  Or will they just amend that part of borough code to allow a voice from afar to hold the invisible gavel or some other steaming cup of nonsense.  

MORE GAS,VIEW SHED-MOO SHED, LOCKIN SOME FUNDS IN PIGGY...

There is all other kinds of fun on the slate but most of it is being introduced to be taken up the following meeting. There are a couple of pages of the 674 page packet requesting approval for limited gas improvement districts.  So many you would think the borough is laying it's own natural gas line.

The tall tower ordinance that has been successfully defeated at every turn by  the ceremonial mayor and assembly opting for a NO ORDINANCE approach concerning towers but it will be back for discussion. The mayor was successful in creating his own self appointed five person board that is in the works and you can pretty much count on that resulting in one or two suggestions that give the whole topic lip service. 

There is legislation to beef up the reserve for the emergency response fund after the the assembly has whittled it down to chump change during the last budget dance. Coming on the heals of the borough's own flood and in view of the damage "Sandy" has caused it would only seem prudent to have some extra money in the till for what is becoming increasingly likely emergencies down the road.  But for a group that doesn't believe in climate change or planning for future generations it has a good chance to slide off the table in the un-recycled trash like most plans for the future.    

IN THE END ITS ABOUT THE VOTE...YOUR VOTE!

Seems that voters (particularly those that don't inform themselves or don't vote) are their own worst enemies. At least that is what we thought until a string of articles have hit. Vote rigging is something that many folks in the valley have been concerned about for a long time. One lazy mountain resident sent along this link with the following commentary:

"A thoroughly chilling historical view of vote rigging.  Ms. Collier indicts the media as well as the politicians on this issue.  Those who question the authenticity of the system get smeared with ‘conspiracy theorist’.  Funny, it’s just fine if we’re sitting in history class or watching a PBS documentary on Huey Long or Boss Tweed’s vote rigging, but, to talk about the possibility of it occurring in our time is considered unthinkable.  You’re wearing too much tinfoil on your head.  You’re a nut-ball   After the mess in the Anchorage election, the national 2000 and 2004 presidential debacle, you’d think we’d have a decent soul-searching on the issue.  It is notable that the Irish have just tossed the computerized voting system in the trash bin and gone back to a completely transparent, publicly verifiable method…paper and pencil.
A public discussion of vote-rigging with computers should not stop the voter from participating.  It should make us all more vigilant.  The mainstream media should bring the discussion into the light and forget about being smeared as conspiracy nuts.   If computers can be used successfully in bank fraud, white collar crimes, etc., they can be used to sway an election.  And the scientists at U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory have determined that any junior high kid could do it without actually needed sophisticated hacking methods…just 26 bucks and some hardware.  Their team leader called it a national security issue and, apparently, no one is listening.  Will you?"

So now we are facing another nationwide/statewide election on November 6th.  We are suspicious of the new slipped in method of voting via the internet the Lt. Governor has introduced with little fan fair.  We like knowing the information on who we vote for is our own. After all isn't that is why they have those little curtains on the voting booth? You can cast your vote now or wait and test fate that something will come up to give you an excuse not to.

We do know that the noise in the room is making our ears bleed listening to those that race to mislead the public as they are chased down by those that think truth in politics and policy should still rule the day. Truth in advertising just doesn't exist in politics and it seems to be getting weaker by the day in business even though there still does exist a federal law. As an advertiser, violating federal laws regarding truth in advertising carries stiff penalties.  The law says that as a consumer you should have recourse if your a victim of a violation. Not so much in politics especially after elected. 

As a voter you do have recourse. But it means doing your own homework and not leaving your fate in the hands of soundbites. We need to consider the personal motivation of those that would try to persuade us to vote one way or the other. Voting against our better interest because our boss, clergy or someone else suggests it will rarely serve us well. We must know the issues, profiles, voting history or dogma of those seeking our vote.  Letting peer pressure or fear rule the day instead of hope keeps us tethered to the post forever. 

This election season has inflicted pain beyond what we have discovered. It has left us feeling like we have been rolled in acid and trapped in a bottle of hospital ether that has kept us in a fog of finger pointing but for the most part it will be over next week.  We hope. Nationally if the outcome goes the way it certainly looks it will go you will be able to count on four more years of talk about federal over-reach, bogie men breaking into our house to take all the guns in the middle of the night and how better off we all would have been if we would have just elected that white guy who believes in free markets or free for all markets. 

Alaska doesn't have a big clout nationally in electoral votes but we do in our local vote. That right wasn't exercised very well locally in October. With what is on the agenda of this upcoming assembly meeting you can see the outcome of that October election in the rear-view mirror and it is here to haunt us. The hollow talk of transparency and listening to everyone's viewpoint is just as dead as the leaves on the trees. Don't expect the register of the borough check book online or the public to be invited as a welcome participant in the process. 

Tuesday it will be time to put on your hat and coat and see what your tax dollars are being spent on by attending the borough assembly meeting. If you can't make it tune in to Radio Free Palmer who will do you a favor and spare you the hard chair by streaming it live or downloading the podcast later. 

Let's be clear though, if we are forced to go through the gates of hell by this assembly it better be on pay for view.  

Oy vey...  

NOT VOTIN? HOPE THAT WORKS OUT FOR YOU..

After the next person complains to you about some borough injustice or that pesky property tax bill, ask them if they voted.  Then go check the list of voters that voted in our local election (which is public information that we are considering posting) and see if they did. Odds favor they DIDN'T   

It appears we would have to look back to somewhere around 1997 to find as dismal a voter turnout as we did here a couple weeks ago in our borough wide election. That will mean loosely that 4 out of 5 people didn't bother to show up to vote on “how” or “who” is guiding the spending being done in the MatSu Borough with their hard earned tax dollars. Just giving the assembly that was seated the go ahead to get all their direction from the Magic 8 ball they clearly have been using. 

We need to remember this when the inevitable bloviating will come from the re-elected ceremonial mayor and assembly members about voter mandates and confidence in what they are doing. Because this pitiful percentage of voters gave the keys to the government car to the crash test dummies once again.

Be sure and think about this dismal turnout when the next $60-$80,000 borough check is authorized to be written for a borough owned ferry floatin in southeast Alaskan waters, the snow is piling up on your road, the ambulance you need is up on jacks waiting for a part for repair because your local emergency service area is out of money and you get another answering machine at code compliance.

Here is some more of what this voter turn should tell you:

•   Outsourcing your own job to China and phoning in participation as an elected assembly member is a completely acceptable form of representation in the borough.

•   Cutting off public testimony on a stance you don't agree with can be par for the course if you’re the ceremonial mayor. In fact public comment at all is a pesky inconvenience.

•   Letting a special interest business group ( like the Matsu Business Alliance) write or rewrite local code and  legislation is what you agree is good public policy.  

•   Your elected officials watering down the ethics code so that "personal gain" is a laughable condition of serving the public was a stroke of genius.

•   If you go to certain churches in the borough you don't need to pay attention to what is happening around you because your pastor will tell you how to vote and even give you a copy of the church's voter pamphlet, written on property tax exempt paper or provide you with a bus to get to the polls.

•   If you don't have a tall tower, motorized trail, mineral extraction project or your water table hasn't been compromised by the development next door, waiting to care until you do have one of these situations is sufficient. 

•   Claiming a candidate is anti-development or lying about their positions or record is what you always believe without checking the facts because talk radio is so reliably true.

•   Right to life organizations, the Lt. Governor, and sitting state senators can fill your message machines and interrupt your dinner hour to tell who to vote for with their outside of Alaska recorded robo calls.

•   Big signs and big business donors will decide who your "citizen government" will be to serve them and not you. 

Enough for you?  Well apparently it is because the same assembly that we have been telling you about and has been sending you out of the room with your hair on fire will be in the same seats (or on the telephone calling it in) serving only those that paid dearly to put them there. It will be another year of shame for the residents of the borough which should already have died of shame.

This Tuesday/Oct 17th @5pm a band of elected by the minority officials will be sworn into office to continue to not serve your best interest.  That will be followed with session of kicking another 1100 page plus packet that only one maybe two of them has read around for several hours and making decisions that will affect not only your bottom line but the quality of life for all of us not just today but for years to come. 

So strap on your tinfoil hats folks and keep your arms and legs in the vessel at all times. With the election in the rear-view mirror we will continue on our trip through crazy town and earning that “Mad Zoo”, “Valley Trash” and “Land of the Rule-less” moniker. For now all you can do is scratch your head and ask why people in a country that claim to care so much about the right to vote just DON’T.

 

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