Alaska Pride

First Look At Prospective General Obligation Bonds For The Anchorage 2012 Municipal Election; $90 Million At Stake

2012-01-29T22:17:00.000-09:00

During the regular meeting of the Anchorage Assembly on January 31st, 2012, several ballot propositions and general obligation (G.O.) bonds for inclusion on the April 3rd, 2012 Municipal Election Ballot will be presented for discussion. Scroll down to Section 14, New Public Hearings on the agenda. This post will first focus on the bonds, since they cost us property taxpayers money. If all prospective G.O. bonds are approved as currently written and ultimately passed, property taxpayers will see an increase of $16.39 per $100,000 assessed value on their properties (assuming 70 percent debt reimbursement on the school bond). The Municipality of Anchorage has not yet disclosed how much in previous bonds will be retired this year.

A preliminary list of mayoral and school board candidates is available HERE. No Assembly seats are up for grabs.

Prospective General Obligation Bonds:

(1). AO 2012-3: Provides $27,472,000 to pay the costs of various road, storm drainage and related capital improvements; a list of projects is available on page 3 of this supplement. Applies only to the Anchorage Road & Drainage Service Area (ARDSA), although all voters within the Municipality of Anchorage will vote on it because of the "full faith and credit" clause. If approved and passed in present form, it will increase property taxes within the ARDSA only by $8.68 per $100,000 assessed property value.

(2). AO 2012-4(S): Both this one and AO 2012-4 are on the Assembly's agenda; AO 2012-4(S) is the most current version. Provides $2,750,000 to pay the costs of constructing, renovating and equipping various park and trail improvements and recreational facilities; a list of projects is available on page 3 of this supplement. Note that this parks bond is more important than most because it calls for the repair/replacement of failing bridges on the trail system. If approved and passed in present form, it will increase property taxes by $0.79 per $100,000 assessed property value.

(3). AO 2012-5: Provides $1,588,000 to pay the costs of Areawide Emergency Medical Service and Public Transportation Improvements and related capital improvements; a list of projects is available on page 3 of this supplement. If approved and passed in present form, it will increase property taxes by $0.39 per $100,000 assessed property value.

(4). AO 2011-119(S): This was already approved on December 6th, 2011. Provides $59,077,000 to the Anchorage School District to pay the costs of educational capital improvements, career and technical education upgrades, design projects and districtwide building life extension projects; the link posted above also includes a list of the projects. The bond is eligible for 70 percent state debt reimbursement.

-- With 70 percent state debt reimbursement: It will increase property taxes by $6.53 per $100,000 assessed property value.

-- Without 70 percent state debt reimbursement: It will increase property taxes by $14.67 per $100,000 assessed property value.

Prospective Ballot Propositions:

(1). AO 2012-1: Authorizes the Municipality of Anchorage to grant a real property tax exemption of the first $150,000 of assessed value to the eligible widow or widower of a person killed in military service of the United States.

(2). AO 2012-2: Authorizes personal use of certain common fireworks on private property without a municipal permit for a limited number of hours in annual celebration of the new year, subject to restrictions. It will be restricted to the three-hour period beginning 10:00 P.M. AST on December 31st and ending at 1:00 A.M. on January 1st.

(3). AO 2012-11: A ballot proposition amending Anchorage Municipal Charter Section 17.13, Definition of "Publish", to allow electronic publication instead of newspaper publication.

(4). Gay Nondiscrimination Initiative: Since this was accomplished using a petition campaign, no Assembly ordinance was necessary. Here is the wording of the question to appear on the ballot:

“Shall the current Municipal Code sections providing legal protections against discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, marital status, age, physical disability, and mental disability be amended to include protections on the basis of sexual orientation or transgender identity?”

Dialogue On Racism: Contrasting The Collaborative Approach Of Anchorage, Alaska With The Bigoted "Hate Whitey" Approach Of Duluth, Minnesota

2012-01-28T22:42:00.001-09:00

A couple of efforts to open dialogue about race have made the news this week, offering a contrast between a mature collaborative approach directed towards ALL Alaskans launched in Anchorage, Alaska vs. a hysterical finger-pointing witch-hunt directed AGAINST Whites launched in Duluth, Minnesota.

In Alaska, the First Alaskans Institute has launched Alaska Native Dialogues on Racial Equity, a series of community conversations designed to promote healing and raise awareness. The dialogues also aim to push for public policy solutions and to help create racial equality for all Alaskans. The key word in that last sentence is "all"; it's not intended to be a "blame Whitey" campaign. In one of the two videos released as part of the campaign, the Institute's Andrea Sanders talks about how Alaska Native children in urban areas have difficulty correcting stereotypes. However, she notes that intentional dialogue can go a long way toward healing through a proactive and positive approach, explaining that when people talk openly about how racism has personally impacted them, they begin a process of healing, of overcoming that baggage and continuing on their path.

So although the impetus for this campaign comes from an Alaska Native organization, it is designed to be more collaborative and less judgmental. They resist the temptation to jump on the "Hate Whitey" bandwagon. As a result, initial public reaction mined from the Alaska Dispatch story shows people are more interested in civil communication than in shouting at one another.

Screenshot of typical Un-Fair campaign poster

However, the city of Duluth, Minnesota took the opposite approach. A loose umbrella coalition called the Twin Ports Coalition, comprised of the City of Duluth, St. Louis County Public Health and Human Services, the Central Labor Body, Lake Superior College, University of Minnesota Duluth, University of Wisconsin-Superior and the YWCA, launched what is called the Un-Fair Campaign. Unlike the Alaska First Institute Campaign, the Un-Fair Campaign is NOT designed to promote healing and raise awareness; instead, their goal is to rant about so-called "white privilege" in their community. Their campaign, which will include seven months of events, billboards, a website, public service announcements, and various media splashes, is directed strictly against the White community; they want White people to become aware of the unfairness of judging people by their race and of their responsibility to help bring racism to an end. If this doesn't meet the criteria of a witch hunt, I don't know what does.

Even though Duluth is 90 percent White, this "hate Whitey" campaign is being led by progressive anti-racist whiggers and the white elite; Mayor Don Ness is personally leading the charge. Also note the prominent involvement of three universities; this is no surprise since colleges are the incubators of anti-racist hatred and apostate doctrines such as "white privilege". The Duluth News-Tribune has editorially abandoned all sense of journalistic impartiality and has been fully co-opted to act as a cheerleader for this campaign, as you can see in their editorial. Here's a YouTube video of a local news report (after the jump):

Proponents of white privilege doctrine maintain that white people receive advantages in life merely because of the color of their skin. They attempt to defend it by saying that most white people are unconscious of this privilege. Since there is no way to objectively or empirically prove otherwise, which would require one to prove a negative, this line or argument -- and indeed, the whole concept of white privilege -- is invalid. It also can promote a distorted sense of entitlement and resentment against the White community by various non-white communities. And it's only a matter of time before gay activists will use this as a pretext to start squawking about "straight privilege".

Don't forget that the campaign against Jews in national socialist Germany started with Adolf Hitler talking about "Jewish privilege". And the much lengthier and more destructive campaign against the bourgeoisie in the Soviet Union started when the Bolsheviks began talking about "bourgeoisie privilege".

Guess which one of these two campaigns attracted attention on Stormfront? Yep, the Duluth campaign, a 15-page thread HERE and a shorter 7-page thread HERE. Neither Minnesota Public Radio nor Fox21 nor the Duluth News-Tribune had the balls to accept public comments on their stories. Although the national media seems to be ignoring this story for the moment, the Council of Conservative Citizens noted that "The website for the [Un-Fair] campaign is viciously anti-white. It shows pictures of fair-skinned white people and then depicts them as the enemies of non-whites. It claims blacks and immigrants are being treated unfairly by whites. It’s absurd claims will only fuel actual racial hatred, the hatred directed at white people". At Occidental Dissent, Hunter Wallace wrote "In 2011, the 12th Annual White Privilege Conference was hosted in Bloomington, Minnesota. The ongoing destruction of the Mall of America by the Black Undertow wasn’t raised as a topic of discussion there". But numerous comments were posted elsewhere, and it didn't take a David Duke to trigger an outbreak of White racial consciousness:

AkamuSlayer January 28th 4:40 P.M. (posted on the YouTube channel):
God damn, I've never been racist in my life, but shit like this, open attacks against me, my family and my people, are MAKING me more racist than I have ever been. You ask us to ignore skin colour, then in the same breath tell us we're evil for being white, you tell us race is a social construct, then in the same sentance tell us that our race is evil and needs to be stopped. Make up your mind, if races don't exist, why are we targeted for our race?

You people are the racists, not us.

CaliforniaVolante January 28th 9:15 P.M. (posted on the YouTube channel):
I'm white and have lived first in an entirely black neighborhood growing up and now live in an entirely hispanic neighborhood. I've experienced nothing but racism and resentment from others for my skin color, but have not returned that hatred. I've never done wrong to these people, yet billboards and media like this justify hatred toward whites every day.

I am offended by this, and I say this in the kindest manner I know how.

fuck yourself and to the "minorities" especially FUCK YOU

Robert Goldstein January 28th 8:37 P.M. (posted on Northlands News Center):
This campaign is incredible. Instead of treating everyone equaly and combating all forms of racism, it targets whites specifically, even ridiculing them with markings written across their face branding them evil pale skinned racists. This is true reverse discrimination, funded by the ADL, SPLC and other Jewish run government institutions.

They imply that white communities need to embrace multiculturalism and abandon their "northern european values" Although USA was founded exclusively by Europeans and has been 90% European descent up untl 1965 when the immigration laws changed. Now its forbidden for whties to exist exclusively and show a natural healthy cultural identity and solid cohesion. We are witnessing mass indoctrination and systematic ethnic cleansing in a Cultural Marxist implementation. When will you guilt ridden suicidal "evil" "racist" White Europeans wake up and realize you are being systematically forced into the dustbin of history within your own nations?

Tammy Schmid January 25th 8:16 P.M. (posted on Northlands News Center):
My husband was in the military for 21 years. We served with all nationalities and made friends with them. My children were brought up to recognize racism and fight against it. They were taught to judge a person by that person's actions not looks. I am appalled that because I'm white I'm being labled a racist. I have been discriminated against by other nationalities because I'm white. Those billboards do not fight against racism but are encouraging it. If these groups want to fight racism then fight ALL racism and discrimination.

It seems like the Alaska example is better to follow than the Minnesota example.

Obama To Squander $3.2 Billion For Healthier School Meals Over Five Years Even While L.A. School Students Throw Healthy Meals In The Garbage

2012-01-27T00:02:00.000-09:00

Get ready to take a crowbar and pry open that wallet a bit wider, Mr. and Ms. Taxpayer. The Obama Administration wants to squander $3.2 billion of our money promoting healthier school meals during the next five years, and intend to impose it as an underfunded mandate upon the states, although costs will be offset in part by a reimbursement increase of 6 cents per meal.

Specifically, the Administration proposes an overhaul of U.S. school meal standards that replaces breaded patties and canned fruit with fresh tomatoes and chef salad. The new standards will drop a daily requirement for meat or a meat alternative with breakfast and require more fruit and food rich in whole grains. It will be the first major change to school meals in 15 years. Read the U.S. Department of Agriculture's full press release HERE, and read the 80-page explanation of the new rules HERE (takes about three minutes to download).

Chief Food Nazi Michelle Obama offered an explanation, saying “As parents, we try to prepare decent meals, limit how much junk food our kids eat and ensure they have a reasonably balanced diet. When you’re putting in all that effort, the last thing we want is for our hard work to be undone each day in the school cafeteria. When we send our kids to school, we expect that they won’t be eating the kind of fatty, salty, sugary foods that we try to keep them from eating at home. We want the food they get at school to be the same kind of food we would serve at our own kitchen tables.” Of course, Michelle failed to mention that parents could maintain that control by sending their kids to school with a PACKED LUNCH, the way many students did when I went through school in the 1960s.

Reaction from the food industry is mixed. While the American Frozen Food Institute, which represents 90 percent of U.S. frozen-food production, praised the proposal, a 2011 survey by the Washington-based National Potato Council indicated that 60 percent of district-school food-service directors expected costs to increase and more food to be wasted under the proposal. The Council's pessimism is justified, considering that U.S. schools served 2.9 billion free lunches, about 500 million reduced price lunches and only 1.8 billion full-price lunches as part of the National School Lunch Program in fiscal 2010. We taxpayers pay for those free and reduced-price lunches; in March 2011, then-school board candidate Bob Griffin disclosed that 42 percent of Anchorage School District students received free or reduced-price meals.

The experience of the Los Angeles Unified School District does not portend success for this new healthy foods campaign. LAUSD introduced a new healthful menu at the beginning of the 2011-12 school year in which they got rid of chocolate and strawberry milk, chicken nuggets, corn dogs, nachos and other food said to be high in fat, sugar and sodium, and substituted vegetarian curries and tamales, quinoa salads, pad Thai noodles, black bean burgers, tostada salad, fresh pears and other similar healthful items. The result: Many of the meals have been rejected en masse, participation in the school lunch program has dropped by thousands of students, and principals report massive waste, with unopened milk cartons and uneaten entrees being thrown away. Students are ditching lunch, and some say they're suffering from headaches, stomach pains and even anemia. At many campuses, an underground market for chips, candy, fast-food burgers and other taboo fare is thriving. As a result, LAUSD is now backtracking, getting rid of beef jambalaya, vegetable curry, pad Thai, lentil and brown rice cutlets, and quinoa and black-eyed pea salads, and putting hamburgers and pizzas back on the menu.

In the past, LAUSD has offered uneaten school meals to non-profit agencies that feed the needy in the local area, so it isn't a total loss. But it's still one hell of a waste. Obesity isn't merely a food consumption issues; it's also exacerbated by lack of physical exercise.

So how did LAUSD embrace such a radical change? Pressure by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, both of which gave awards to LAUSD for improving its school lunches last week. The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is a misnomer, though; an examination indicates that it is an extremist organization promoting vegetarianism and even an outright vegan lifestyle, which precludes both meat and dairy. PCRM also maintains active ties with another extremist group, PETA. So LAUSD embraced an extremist agenda, and paid the price. Or, more specifically, citizens whose tax dollars pay for LAUSD's operations paid the price, subsidizing massive food waste by students.

It will be interesting to see how the Anchorage School District and other Alaska school districts respond to these new guidelines -- and whether they'll be more successful than LAUSD.

Anchorage Baptist Temple Pastor Jerry Prevo Defends His Church's Property Tax Exemptions After Consulting With Two Law Firms

2012-01-26T09:37:00.000-09:00

Another self-proclaimed "community voice" has launched an attack upon Anchorage Baptist Temple Pastor Jerry Prevo over the church's numerous property tax exemptions. Professional sourpuss Elise Patkotak, who's been a bitter and vindictive critic of Prevo in the past, complained on January 24th, 2012 that even if Prevo didn't break the law, "it all just feels sleazy". Typical leftist tactic -- exalt feelings over facts. Patkotak also attempted to equivocate Prevo, who's been married only once and who has never been alleged to commit adultery, with the former serial adulterer Newt Gingrich, currently on his third marriage. Another typical leftist tactic -- erect a straw man. Both tactics straight out of Saul Alinsky's playbook.

But while the Anchorage Daily News has prominently reported on the tax controversy, they have minimized Jerry Prevo's own response to the issue. Fortunately, the Northern Right published a response by Prevo in its entirety on January 17th, 2012. Prevo discloses that when the Anchorage Daily News contacted him in December in preparation for their story, he consulted two different law firms and asked them to examine ABT's tax-exempt properties, determine if the exemptions were proper, and if not, how to make it right.

Both law firms advised ABT they believed the church was in compliance with the law. ADN quoted Kevin Clarkson to that effect, and a letter from Thomas P. Amodio also validates ABT's exemptions. Prevo indicates he is fully cooperating with the municipal tax assessor's office, and will comply with whatever final decision is rendered.

Jerry Prevo believes much of the kerfluffle is inspired by opposition to the fact that he has been a positive and articulate spokesman for traditional family values since the 1970s, fervently opposing the promotion and statutory protection of the homosexual agenda, and led public opposition to Ordinance #64 in 2009. Fueling his suspicion is the fact that although Bent Alaska first publicized the tax issue in August 2011, ADN didn't really start pushing it until January 2012, a mere three months before the municipal election during which voters will get the opportunity to weigh in on a new gay nondiscrimination initiative. Thus the tax issue is being used as a wedge issue to fuel a Yes vote on the initiative. Prevo explains this in the Northern Right:

...It seems this issue comes up about every time "special rights" for homosexuals comes up in our city which is coming up in April. If passed, these "special rights" for homosexuals will take away the rights of religious groups, churches, organizations, businesses, religious people, and individuals.

I have opposed "special rights" for what the Bible calls immoral behavior since the 70's. It seems these recent accusations are again a move to diminish my opposition to these "special rights".

What's ironic is that those who demand that Jerry Prevo and ABT stay out of the discussion on gay rights impose no such demands upon those churches who support the proposed gay initiative. Four local churches are involved; St. Mary's Episcopal, United Methodist, Immanuel Presbyterian and Joy Lutheran. Yet no one, including Jerry Prevo himself, questions their tax exemptions or their right to engage publicly in social advocacy without forfeiting tax exemptions. The bottom line: Either it's O.K. for ALL churches to engage in public issue advocacy -- or NONE of them. The only restriction upon churches is against endorsing specific candidates from the pulpit.

It is legal for Anchorage Baptist Temple, like any other entity, to take advantage of property tax exemptions. It is also legal for Anchorage Baptist Temple, like any other entity, to lobby for additional tax exemptions. Consequently, those who still have an issue with these exemptions are best advised to direct their attention towards those who granted or enable the exemptions; namely, the Municipality of Anchorage and the Alaska State Legislature. The Anchorage Assembly exercises control over local taxes, and it was the legislature which passed HB334 in 2006, which broadened the scope of the exemption to include religious school teachers and ordained ministers who run ministries. Those who object to the exemptions should contact their local assembly member to express those objections, and contact their state representative or senator to advocate for repeal of HB334.

The best solution:

-- Limit property tax exemptions for churches to the primary church complex and the senior pastor's residence.
-- Provide an appeal process so churches can apply for additional tax exemptions as desired.
-- Grandfather ABT's remaining exemptions to leave them in force as long as the present occupants live in the properties. Once the present occupants leave, the properties would be placed back on the tax rolls.

Federal Grand Jury Returns Superseding Indictment Against Schaeffer Cox, Coleman Barney And Lonnie Vernon, Includes Murder Conspiracy Charges

2012-01-23T20:42:00.002-09:00

For the third time, a federal grand jury has returned an indictment against Alaska Peacemaker Militia members Schaeffer Cox, Coleman Barney, and Lonnie Vernon. The superseding indictment returned before U.S. District Court Judge Robert J. Bryan in Anchorage on January 23rd, 2012 now adds murder conspiracy charges to the preceding indictment, with a possible maximum sentence of life in prison. As a result, the original trial date of February 6th has been pushed forward to May 7th. The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner published the most informative story, but the Alaska Dispatch adds some additional details about the arguments in the courtroom.

Karen Vernon is not named in the new indictment, but she remains jailed on separate federal charges of threatening a federal judge, his family and an IRS employee. Likewise, Michael Anderson was not re-indicted; he was taken into custody as a material witness on December 6th, 2011, but was released on December 13th. It is believed the feds are trying to pressure Anderson to become the third snitch in the case, joining Gerald Olson and William Fulton.

-- Read the complete 24-page indictment HERE.

The murder conspiracy charges are reflected in Counts 12-16 of the new indictment:

-- Count 12: Alleges that Cox, Barney, and Vernon did knowingly, willfully, and
unlawfully conspire and agree together and with other persons known and unknown to the grand jury to kill, with premeditation and malice aforethought, officers and employees of the United States, including law enforcement officers.

-- Count 13: Alleges that Coleman Barney did knowingly carry a firearm, specifically a semiautomatic assault rifle, a ParaUSA AR-15 .223 rifle, during and in relation to a crime of violence, that is, conspiracy to murder.

-- Count 14: Alleges that Lonnie Vernon did knowingly carry a firearm, specifically a semiautomatic assault rifle, a Sig Arms .223 rifle, during and in relation to a crime of violence, that is, conspiracy to murder.

-- Count 15: Alleges that Schaeffer Cox did knowingly carry a firearm, specifically a handgun, during and in relation to a crime of violence, that is, conspiracy to murder (the type of handgun was not specified).

-- Count 16: In summary, alleges that all three defendants engaged in solicitation to murder an officer of the United States, and implies that Cox was the ringleader.

The new indictment also includes seven criminal forfeiture allegations in which the federal government is requesting that weapons found be permanently forfeited to the federal government.

Of interest is the appearance of the phrase "and others known and unknown to the grand jury" repeatedly found in certain parts of the indictment. While this phrase may be used to cover the activities of the snitches involved in the case, it may also imply the feds could be considering charges against other people, it may also be the reason why Alaska Citizens Militia leader Norm Olson expressed concern on January 11th about the possibility that federal snitch Gerald Olson may be trying to rope him into the case. Olson supports Cox in principle 100 percent but denies ever urging Cox or his cohorts to break the law.

During the hearing, all three defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges. Two strategems by the defense team to derail the indictment, challenging the constitutionality of referring to grenade launchers and canisters loaded with bullets as "destructive devices", and claiming the Gerald Olson had effectively "kidnapped" Cox in the weeks leading up to his arrest, were rejected by Judge Bryan. But this simply illustrates the expertise of Cox's defense team; they leave no stone unturned.

The Anchorage Daily News reports that at least 12 supporters of Schaeffer Cox and his cohorts had come down from Fairbanks and were present in the courtroom, along with the wives of all three defendants, Marti Cox and Rachel Barney in the audience, and Karen Vernon in the dock in a prisoner jumpsuit.

Alaska State Rep. Sharon Cissna Prefiles HB262 To Restrict Physical Patdowns By TSA And Co-Sponsors HB270 To Require Posted Warnings

2012-01-23T10:01:00.000-09:00

On January 23rd, 2011, U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) was temporarily detained by TSA personnel at the Nashville airport when he tried to board a flight to Washington D.C. After triggering an alarm during routine airport screening, TSA personnel sought to give him a patdown. Sen. Paul refused and asked to go back through the scanner a second time; TSA refused his request. They temporarily detained him, but in accordance with Article I, Section 6 of the U.S. Constitution, did not take him into custody; local police soon arrived to escort him out of the area, and Sen. Paul made alternative flight arrangements.

But Sen. Paul's experience is likely to give renewed impetus to two TSA-related bills prefiled in the Alaska State Legislature. Alaska State Rep. Sharon Cissna has prefiled two bills designed to address the issue of body scanners and physical patdowns. The primary target of these bills is the Transportation Security Administration.

-- HB262: The short title is "No Required Patdowns/Scans For Access". Adds a section to AS 11.76 defining a new Class A misdemeanor entitled "Interference with access to public buildings or transportation facilities". Defines it as requiring a person to submit or consent to physical contact by any person touching directly or through clothing the genitals, buttocks, or female breast, or requiring a person to submit or consent to any electronic process that produces an electronic image of the genitals, anus, or female breast or otherwise creates an electronic image of the person that exposes or reveals a physical characteristic that is normally hidden from the public. Rep. Cissna is personally invested in this bill because of her experience with TSA; she even gave testimony to Congress in March 2011.

However, HB262 exempts correctional facilities, probation officers, restricted access area of a law enforcement building or federal building, a courtroom, offices of the Alaska Court System, or a courthouse that is occupied only by the Alaska Court System and other justice agencies. So about the only area not exempted is the screening area at an airport. The bill clearly is intended to impose restrictions upon TSA screening at airports. The bill has now been referred to Finance and Judiciary.

Problem: While HB262 is well-intended, if passed, it would impose a Hobson's choice upon a TSA screener. If the screener pats down a traveler upon direction by a supervisor, the screener could be prosecuted for a misdemeanor. In addition, it creates the appearance of a state law intending to supersede a federal practice. Consequently, I predict that TSA would immediately file suit in state court if HB262 is passed. What's more possible is that HB262 was conceived as a hammer to promote passage of the milder HB270, described in the next paragraph.

-- HB270: This is the related bill that Rep. Cissna is co-sponsoring along with Reps. Max Gruenberg (D-Anchorage) and Chris Tuck (D-Anchorage). The short title is "Warning Of Airport Patdowns/Scans". Applies only to areas where screening of passengers and cargo is being actively conducted. Amends AS 02.15.050 by adding subsection which requires a warning notice to be posted in such areas, and prescribes the size and text of the warning. Imposes no penalty for non-compliance. The bill has now been referred to Finance and Transportation. Rep. Tuck also has some personal investment in this bill since he recently released a video of a commercial in which he warned of the prospective radiation hazard of whole body scanners.

Since HB270 does not impose a penalty upon someone for complying with conditions of employment, it is not as potentially problematic. Passage would not likely trigger a lawsuit by TSA. Nevertheless, the secondary value of both bills is to send a legislative message to TSA that they need to clean up and humanize their act a bit more.

InsiderAdvantage Poll Shows Newt Gingrich Leading Mitt Romney By Eight Points In Florida, But Alaska Voters Still Unreceptive To Gingrich

2012-01-23T00:34:00.001-09:00

The bubble which suddenly inflated in a matter of days and propelled Newt Gingrich to an unexpected victory over Mitt Romney in the January 21st South Carolina primary seems to be extending to Florida as well. In the first Florida poll conducted since South Carolina, InsiderAdvantage found that Gingrich leads with 34 percent, while Romney is second with 26 percent. Rounding out the field is Ron Paul with 13 percent and Rick Santorum with 11 percent; 14 percent are undecided, and two percent want someone else. InsiderAdvantage contacted 557 registered Republicans in Florida.

This is a significant turnaround from three previous Florida polls taken one to two weeks ago by PPP, CNN/Time, and Sunshine State News/VSS, all of which showed Romney anywhere from 15 to 26 points ahead of Gingrich. Adding to InsiderAdvantage's credibility is the fact that they were the first pollster to pick up the dramatic shift from Romney to Gingrich in South Carolina just days before the primary.

Update: A Rasmussen survey released after this post indicates a similar outcome, with Gingrich at 41 percent, Romney at 32 percent, Santorum at 11 percent, and Paul at 8 percent.

In general, contributing factors to the shift towards Gingrich in South Carolina included Gingrich's willingness to call out the media in his exchange with John King, Romney's dithering about the release of his tax returns, possible backlash against the last-minute revelation by one of Gingrich's ex-wives that Gingrich had proposed an open marriage, and, to a lesser extent, Rick Perry's endorsement of Gingrich and Sarah Palin's "endorsement-that-was-not-quite-an-endorsement". Some exit polls showed that many voters thought Gingrich more electable than Romney.

In the Weekly Standard, Fred Barnes attributes Romney's lack of success in South Carolina to the lack of a "big idea". While Gingrich's campaign was perceived to be based on the big idea that he’ll crush Obama in debates and win the White House, Romney’s insistence on touting his years as a corporate turnaround expert at Bain Capital and his understanding of the economy simply didn't produce the same level of enthusiasm or momentum. Gingrich stirs up the masses by throwing them raw meat, while Romney insists on serving a leisurely, sedate seven-course dinner.

To get back on track, Mitt Romney must go on offense and expose Gingrich's vulnerabilities. He must paint a picture of Gingrich as an unstable loose cannon who's unpopular nationally, with independent voters, and even within his own party, with 23 percent of Republicans saying they would not support him as the nominee in a recent ABC poll. Romney must also overcome perceptions that he is the candidate of the rich, and emphasize how many jobs were created during his tenure at Bain Capital.

Nevertheless, even if Romney loses Florida, the Chicago Tribune doesn't think it's the end of his campaign. Both Arizona and Michigan are considered Romney-friendly turf, and Romney literally owns Utah. Caucuses in Nevada, Colorado, and Minnesota will benefit from a more organized campaign, giving Romney and Ron Paul a boost over Gingrich. Then comes Super Tuesday, when 10 states will allocate a total of 407 delegates; Alaska is expected to be split primarily between Romney and Ron Paul. Comments to an Anchorage Daily News story about South Carolina indicate a pronounced dislike of Gingrich. With few debates left on the horizon, Gingrich won’t have the time, the exposure, or the money to build the type of national campaign Romney has already started to build. The Tribune does project a two-point Gingrich victory in Florida.

Is Federal Snitch Gerald Olson Trying To Implicate Alaska Citizens Militia Leader Norm Olson In The Schaeffer Cox Case?

2012-01-20T23:17:00.001-09:00

On January 20th, 2012, Alaska Dispatch published an article discussing an interview with Alaska Citizens Militia leader Norm Olson earlier this week about developments in the Schaeffer Cox case. Apparently there is scuttlebutt spreading that one of the Fed's two snitches in the case, Gerald Olson, is trying to not only implicate Norm Olson in the case, but to also imply that Norm Olson may roll on Cox in order to discredit Olson within the militia community. The fact that the Feds are apparently preparing to present new evidence and request additional indictments from a grand jury on January 23rd, combined with the passage of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), exacerbate Olson's concern. Update: On January 23rd, a superseding indictment was presented in U.S. District Court in Anchorage, and Cox pleaded not guilty.

Background: Gerald Olson is the "dirty" snitch in the case, having made three felony charges go away in exchange for his cooperation. Despite defrauding numerous customers, he ended up pleading guilty only to second-degree theft, and got probation. In contrast, William Fulton, who formerly owned Drop Zone Security, is the "clean" snitch, facing no charges, but who suddenly disappeared from view after the initial arrests of the Schaeffer Cox crew in March 2011. What's even more intriguing about Fulton is that he was under Federal control in October 2010 at the time of the famous Tony Hopfinger incident during a Joe Miller campaign appearance in Anchorage; this has triggered speculation that the Feds may have encouraged Fulton to deliberately stage a provocation to sabotage Miller's Senate campaign and deliver the November victory to Lisa Murkowski.

Alaska Dispatch refers to a warning sent out by Norm Olson to other militia followers on January 11th addressing these concerns. Further research reveals that this was in the form of two separate messages posted on their forum. The first message was posted at 11:35 A.M. on January 11th:

Schaeffer Cox is facing additional federal charges involving "conspiracy to murder."!! The feds will present their "evidence" before the grand jury on the 23rd. It will be the 3rd time that the feds have added new "evidence" and have gone to the grand jury for additional indictments.

Also heard that JR Olson (Confidential Informant who wore a wire for the feds in trade for making his own 3 pending felonies "go away") has implicated me, claiming he has an audio tape of a phone call to me (or from me?) about Schaeffer. I am alleged to have urged Schaeffer to avoid arrest and prosecution by going into hiding and becoming a fugitive. I wouldn't be surprised to get a visit from the feds. They'll probably have "conspiracy to aid and abet a fugitive" or "hampering a federal investigation" or some such BS to charge me with.

From what I can put together, the new "evidence" is based entirely on audio tapes. I believe that the federals have resorted to manufacturing evidence from parts of normal conversation. The feds are hungry and are itching for a showdown. They don't seem to understand the law of unintended consequences.

I do think it is interesting that the federals may be "casting the net" over a wider group of patriots. This, together with the federal's authorization to arrest without warrant or cause does give me pause...

Later in the same thread, Olson notes that the information he received is from reliable sources on Schaeffer's defense team. Obviously, Schaeffer Cox has a much better defense team than did Edgar Steele.

The second message was posted at 6:30 P.M. on the same day. Here's the pertinent part:

I want everyone to know that I have, and still do, and will continue to support Schaeffer Cox 100%. Nothing will change that. I will NOT become a Judas against him, regardless of the false evidence that may be created by the feds.

It may be, repeat MAY BE, that the federals are trying to drive a wedge between me and my good friend Schaeffer. Some unusual things are going on around me, with people I know, and crimes that have taken place that I'm being accused of. The latest BS concerning JR ("Gerald") Olson and the alleged link between him and me are absolutely bogus.

Please do not give any credence to the rumors that I assisted in any way Schaeffer's arrest.

From these two messages, Norm Olson has made two things quite clear:

(1). He did NOT urge Schaeffer Cox to avoid arrest and prosecution by going into hiding and becoming a fugitive.

(2). He does NOT intend to roll over on Cox; he will continue to support him 100 percent.

The possibility that the Feds will base much of their case on audio tapes means that Schaeffer Cox's defense team must be prepared to challenge the authenticity of the tapes, and they need to line up some audio experts with experienced resumes. They must be prepared for the possibility that the prosecution will use every strategem to exclude any audio experts from testifying in Cox's behalf. The Edgar Steele case also revolved somewhat around audiotapes, and Steele's defense team engaged two experts, former New York City detective Dennis Walsh and George Papcun, who holds a PhD in acoustic phonetics and whose resume showed work on the Jon Benet Ramsey trial, to challenge the tapes' authenticity. But Assistant U.S. Attorney Traci Whelan convinced Judge Lynn Winmill to reject them. Later in the trial, Judge Winmill changed his mind about George Papcun, but imposed conditions logistically impossible for Papcun to meet, requiring him to travel from Bora Bora to Boise, ID in less than 24 hours. Obviously, Papcun could not meet that requirement, and so could not testify.

Naturally, Steele was convicted, and subsequently sentenced to 50 years in prison. The snitch in that case who actually planted the bomb, Larry Fairfax, got a 27-month wrist slap. There was barely a pretense of justice in the Steele case, and not even a pretense of justice in the Schaeffer Cox case. It's glaringly obvious that the Feds want to destroy and bury the Schaeffer Cox crew.

Pro-Family Activists Bring The Culture War To The Very Doorstep Of The Southern Poverty Law Center, Decry SPLC's Protection Of Gay Agenda

2012-01-20T15:22:00.000-09:00

Representatives of various pro-family groups, some of which have been smeared as "hate groups" by the Southern Poverty Law Center, have delivered a response to the SPLC, bringing the culture war to their very doorstep on January 17th, 2012. The SPLC actually published a complete account on their Hatewatch blog, albeit with the customary left-wing spin, referring to the people as "anti-gay extremists".

Although the specific number of protesters was not provided, this press release shows who had committed to show up:

-- Peter LaBarbera, Americans For Truth About Homosexuality (AFTAH), Chicago, IL (the SPLC has smeared AFTAH as a "hate group");
-- Dr. Patrick Wooden, pastor, Upper Room Church of God in Christ (COGIC), Raleigh, NC;
-- DL Foster, founder, Gay Christian Movement Watch, Atlanta, GA;
-- Matt Barber, Director of Cultural Affairs, Liberty Counsel, Lynchburg, VA;
-- Tim Johnson, Fredrick Douglass Foundation, Washington, D.C.;
-- Rachel Conner, representing Abiding Truth Ministries (smeared by SPLC as a "hate group")
-- Pastor Glen Sawyer, New Mt. Zion Church of God in Christ, Elizabeth City, NC
-- Pastor Wil Nichols, Victorious Praise Fellowship COGIC, Durham, NC
-- Pastor Jon Robinson, Kingdom C.O.M.E. Ministries, Clairton, PA
-- Pastor Kenneth Jefferson, Greater Harvest COGIC

Matt Barber of Liberty Counsel reflected the group's predominant opinion when he said “In the past few years the SPLC has inexplicably chosen to lay on the line any credibility it once had as a serious civil rights advocacy group to, instead, push a left-wing extremist political agenda. The SPLC has moved from monitoring actual hate groups like the KKK and neo-Nazis to slandering mainstream Christian organizations with that very same hate group label. By extension, the SPLC is smearing billions of Christians and Jews worldwide as haters simply because they embrace the traditional Judeo-Christian ethics.” He summed it up by characterizing the SPLC as simply a well-funded MoveOn.org.

Pastor Patrick Wooden, who was interviewed before the protest by Peter LaBarbara of AFTAH, said that he was saddened by the SPLC’s deviation from its historic role of defending racial minorities in favor of defending the homosexual lobby. “I think every African-American ought to be appalled, ought to be angry, and begin to wave their fist in the air and declare black power and say to the homosexual lobbyists, the homosexual groups, how dare you compare your wicked, deviant, immoral, self-destructive, anti-human sexual behavior to our beautiful skin color.”

In response, SPLC Intelligence Director Mark Potok, who is a gay Jew, said in part “Our listing of anti-gay hate groups is completely unrelated to religion, Christianity or the Bible. These groups are listed because they repeatedly lie in an effort to defame LGBT people, an exercise they’ve been extraordinarily successful at. The idea that we are criticizing these groups because they represent Judeo-Christian morality is simply ludicrous.”

But what's really ludicrous is that during the first decade of this century, the SPLC, which had heretofore limited their focus to racist organizations in the South, also began to target nativists, immigration restrictionists, and patriotic miltias. They also began to categorize pro-family groups as “hate groups” for opposing the homosexual political agenda and condemning homosexual behavior as immoral. Groups specifically condemned as “hateful” by the SPLC include the Illinois Family Institute, Mass Resistance, Abiding Truth Ministries, and Americans for Truth About Homosexuality (AFTAH); the Family Research Council has also been condemned by the SPLC. By casting a wider net, the SPLC has been able to disingenuously claim that the number of hate groups in the United States had increased, which keeps the donation spigot cranked wide open and the shekels flowing.

Alaska Governor Sean Parnell Proposes Five Steps Towards Faster Growth And Greater Opportunity In His 2012 State Of The State Address

2012-01-19T00:05:00.000-09:00

To kick off the new legislative session, Alaska Governor Sean Parnell delivered his annual State of the State address on January 18th, 2012. He noted that Alaska had survived the recession better than most states, identifying us as a rock of stability. He cited low unemployment, low foreclosure rates, high median income, and high budget surpluses as our strengths. But Gov. Parnell reminded us that we are not completely insulated from global instability, and also noted that our revenue surplus stems primarily from high oil prices which mask declining production. Read the full text of the address at the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner.

The decline in production is one of Parnell's major concerns. From a peak of two million barrels of oil per day flowing through the pipeline two decades ago, less than 600,000 barrels now pass through. Unless we act to reverse this decline or compensate for it by further diversifying our economy, we will eventually pay a stiff price in lost jobs, lost state revenues, and lost opportunities. Consequently, to chart a course for faster growth and greater opportunity, Gov. Parnell proposes to act in five critical areas:

(1). Pass a balanced budget that holds the line on government spending, so we can add nearly $4 billion to our savings accounts for future years. This budget reduces total expenditures by $856 million without shortchanging important investments, and will eliminate 288 state positions which are currently vacant.

(2). Grow Alaska's economy by encouraging more private-sector investment in oil production. This will be done by lowering taxes, streamlining permitting processes, and by making Alaska's resources more accessible through the Roads to Resources initiative. Gov. Parnell said that if the Legislature passes meaningful tax reform, companies have already pledged at least $5 billion in new investments; this is important since the most recent Fraser Institute Global Petroleum Survey shows that Alaska continues to be one of the higher-taxed oil provinces in the world. Coupled with our remote location and our harsh climate, this dampens the incentive to invest. While we can't do much about our location and our climate, we can mitigate taxes.

(3). Grow Alaska's economy by accessing our natural gas. Experts estimate our state has more than 200 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in the ground. This gas represents cheaper heating fuel for Alaska homes and Alaska businesses, and these reserves can energize and grow Alaska's economy. Specifically, Gov. Parnell wants to combine two separate tracks -- the Alaska Gasline Inducement Act (AGIA) and the Alaska Gasline Development Corporation (AGDC) -- into one. AGIA represents the gas line to the Lower 48, and AGDA represents an all-Alaska gas line. This alignment must include work on a large-diameter liquefied natural gas line through Alaska to tidewater to service the growing Asian market.

(4). Promote investment in Alaska's other natural resources. This includes seafood, mining, and timber. In particular, Alaska's mining industry supports more than 5,500 jobs, and this is only scratching the surface of the potential. Indeed, Alaska has many deposits of untapped rare earth elements which are critical to America's security and economy. America should not have to depend on foreign rare earths when we have plentiful supplies here in this state. Gov. Parnell was too polite to note that some Alaskans need to change their attitude towards the mining industry, particularly the proposed Pebble Mine. While the concerns of Bristol Bay residents dependent upon fishing are valid and need to be addressed, their prohibitionist Luddite attitude against the Pebble Partnership is intolerable. Pebble deserves the opportunity to put forth their final plan before judgment is rendered.

(5). Act to support Alaska's entrepreneurs and small business owners who represent the true pioneer spirit of our state. While Gov. Parnell cited a number of steps already taken in this direction, to include reducing processing times for business filings, strengthening financing programs, stepping up tourism marketing, and promoting new avenues for trade, he wants to push education even harder. In particular, he wants to strengthen the Alaska Performance Scholarship program.

Other stated objectives include improving public safety, reducing domestic violence, and stepping up preparedness for natural disasters.

Legislative Reaction: In response to the speech, House Minority Leader Beth Kerttula (D-Juneau) said her caucus wants to make sure Alaska gets its fair share if there are any changes to the oil tax structure. She said her caucus would stand against any effort to give away our resources.

Senate Majority Caucus Leader Gary Stevens (R-Kodiak) told reporters that Parnell is right in saying this will be an important legislative session, particularly as it pertains to oil and gas issues and trying to find meaningful solutions. But he says there are problems with Parnell's oil tax-cut plan and says he'd like the Senate to craft its own tax bill. Alaska Dispatch opines it could be a bruising fight.

Sen. Joe Thomas (D-Fairbanks) said he'd like to see a plan that delivers increased production and doesn't simply give money away to companies and leave the state hoping for the best.

Operation Red Cheeks: Fairbanks Resident Craig Alan Parsel Caught Up In Massive Internet Child Sex Sting While Vacationing In Florida

2012-01-18T13:03:00.002-09:00

Update January 20th: See updated News-Miner story.

Via Osceola County Sheriff's Office

Fairbanks resident Craig Alan Parsel Jr. probably wishes he hadn't gone on vacation in Florida. Parsel is one of 40 men recently arrested in a massive internet child sex sting called "Operation Red Cheeks" conducted in Florida. While the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner discusses Parsel's role, they don't even begin to do the story justice; more detailed stories were published by the Orlando Sentinel and the Daily Mail

Operation Red Cheeks was a weeklong, undercover operation led by the Osceola County Sheriff's Office, running from January 8-16, 2012. Undercover detectives posed as children, or as parents or guardians, to chat online with the suspects, who traveled to an arranged meeting location in Osceola County for sex with a child. During the chats, some of the suspects even reportedly sent pornographic images to the undercover detectives. Agencies involved in the sting included the Citrus, Lake, Orange, Sumter, Polk, Hardee and Manatee sheriff's offices and Ocoee, Kissimmee, Sanford, Orlando, Longwood and Casselberry police.

-- A group photo of all 40 men arrested is available HERE.

-- Individual photos with labels available HERE.

-- A full list of all the names of those arrested is available HERE.

Craig Alan Parsel, Jr., 25., lives in downtown Fairbanks and works as a warehouse clerk. He was on vacation in Florida with his family when he was arrested on Sunday January 15th. He's been charged with using a computer to seduce a parent or guardian to commit sexual acts on a child and attempted lewd and lascivious battery on a child, both felonies. On January 16th, Parsel posted bail of $5,150 on condition that be around any minors younger than 18 years old and not use the Internet outside of work and school while awaiting trial. Some commenters to the News-Miner think the bail is too low, but it may reflect the fact the Parsel's Alaska Court System database entry shows nothing in his past except for two speeding citations, in 2004 and 2007.

Update January 20th: Parsel reportedly corresponded with a detective pretending to be a 19-year-old girl on a social networking site and through email. He allegedly made plans to have sex with the supposed 19-year-old and her 14-year-old sister. He was arrested shortly after midnight on Sunday January 15th after showing up at the safe house with a new box of condoms. According to the charging document, he admitted the intent to have sex with both females.

The News-Miner published an engagement notice on a Craig Alan Parsel in May 2010; the picture is quite similar. This Parsel is identified as a graduate of North Pole High School in 2005 who subsequently attended the University of Alaska-Fairbanks. Although the picture looks very similar, I cannot guarantee it is the same one. KTVA Channel 11 now has a news video:

Stories about some of the other accused are also of interest; it's astonishing what some of them brought to their meetings with their intended victims:

-- PGA golfer Stephen Wesley Thomas, 55, brought three condoms, two packages of chocolate pudding and a bottle of honey. It's obvious for what and for whom the condoms and the pudding were intended; I'm not sure I want to know what he was going to do with the honey.

-- Retired beekeeper Dell Rio Highsmith, 70, brought white wine, a heart-shaped box of chocolates and Viagra pills.

-- Bryan Allen Woodward, 29 and the head swim coach of the Gator Swim Club in Florida, was a bit of a cheapskate, bringing only M&Ms to his meeting. Particularly disturbing about this guy is the fact that he's worked with more than 200 children, most of whom were under 18. Floridians may hear more about this guy in the future; he could turn out to be another Sandusky.

Analysis: Some of these guys have already confessed. When one deliberately solicits contact with underage trade, and then shows up for a meeting bearing chocolates and Viagra, they aren't intending to present missionary discussions. Law enforcement is careful to inform these people during the internet contact that their intended paramours are underage. So when they show up, there's no need to wait until they unzip their trousers before arresting them. Underage victims warrant extra protection.

Sarah Palin Lashes Out At Newsweek Over Cover Story By Trig-Truthing Homosexual Columnist Andrew Sullivan

2012-01-17T15:45:00.000-09:00

Openly-gay columnist Andrew Sullivan has stirred up a hornet's nest this week with his Newsweek cover story entitled "Why Are Obama's Critics So Dumb?" He believes that both the hard right and the hard left, in their fevered criticism of Barack Obama, have missed his "long game", which he begins by first extending a hand to his opponents. Then, when they respond by raising a fist, he demonstrates that they are the source of the problem; then, finally, he moves to his preferred position of moderate liberalism and fights for it without being effectively tarred as an ideologue or a divider.

But almost before the ink was dry on the article, Sarah Palin lashed out -- but not against any of the content. Instead, Palin Tweeted a not-completely-unjustified attack on Sullivan's character, while questioning Newsweek's smarts in giving Sullivan top billing:

Click to enlarge

Naturally, Andrew Sullivan wasted little time in responding:

I have no idea, as I have said time and time again, whether Sarah Palin gave birth to Trig, and have never written such a thing. All I ever asked for a person who could become president was some basic evidence for her insane story, like medical records that most candidates have no problem providing. She never provided any, and preferred to withdraw from seeking public office rather than do so. Of course, no response to the substance. She doesn't do substance. Neither, it seems, does much of the rightwing blogosphere.

There was more to this. Newsbusters reveals that during an ensuing online chat on January 17th, Sullivan told participants that he had an orgasm when he saw Palin's tweet. Sullivan wrote "No. Palin's tweet made me come in my pants. I write what I think is true. I don't give a damn about 'reputation'. If I'm wrong I correct or re-think. Once a writer worries about these things, he's like an actor watching the audience. In my opinion, far too many journalists worry about their reputation".

Of course, Sullivan continues to hold to his lunatic theory that Sarah Palin is not the mother of Trig Palin without providing any supporting evidence. He seems to believe that the onus is strictly upon Palin to prove she's the mother of her child. Yet he never imposed that same standard upon any other Presidential hopeful or public figure -- he never asked Michelle Bachmann to prove she's the mother of her children. Because Palin's pregnancy with Trig did not conveniently fit into any of his narrow, preconceived notions on how a pregnancy is supposed to work, he suddenly decided she faked her maternity.

But then again, what would a homosexual know about women?

Fortunately, there has been more substantive critiques about Sullivan's article published. On Big Government, Joe Pollak peels Sullivan's analysis back like a banana. He says Sullivan offers no proof that Obama's $862 billion stimulus turned the economy around other than a post hoc, ergo propter hoc fallacy familiar from basic economics. He claims that Obama's auto bailout pushed aside property rights and subsidized failed green cars, rather than allowing car makers to rebuild through normal bankruptcy. He notes that Sullivan ignores the numerous new taxes and tax increases that Obama signed into law -– from higher cigarette taxes to the many ObamaCare taxes -– as well as the glaring fact that Obama has been campaigning for the past several years on the promise to raise taxes on the rich, and would have done so if not for Congress.

Pollak concludes by writing that one would have to be stupid, fanatical, and dishonest to argue -— as Trig Truther Sullivan does -— that Barack Obama's failures are part of any ingenious "long game" that is destined to succeed. He says that what's in front of Sullivan’s nose is Obama’s incompetence. He has coasted on the military success of his Republican predecessor, and is taking credit for moderate economic progress enabled by a Republican Congress that has held taxes, regulation, and spending in check. If he wins in 2012, Obama will again have Republicans to thank.

Fox News' Megyn Kelly also criticized Sullivan's piece, although the bulk of her criticism was personal. But by continuing to question Trig Palin's maternity, Sullivan marginalizes himself and invites personal criticism rather than principled debate. How can one take someone seriously when he wallows in conspiracy theories? Sullivan deserves the criticism.

False Flag Operatives From The Stop Ron Paul 2012 Facebook Group Caught Red-Handed Planning Infiltration Of Ron Paul Campaign Events Dressed As Klan Members

2012-01-16T22:37:00.000-09:00

While I'm normally skeptical of any information published by Alex Jones, it appears Infowars has published the straight goods this time. On January 16th, 2012, Infowars reported that a group of false-flag operatives from the Stop Ron Paul 2012 Facebook group (you have to log in to Facebook to read it) were caught red-handed planning campaigns to infiltrate Ron Paul events dressed up as members of the Ku Klux Klan. Specifically, they were planning to do this in South Carolina to affect the outcome of the South Carolina primary. Jere Brower wrote, “If you live in South Carolina and want to have some real fun with these Paulbots here is what we do- go online and buy or make your very own KKK robe, complete with hood (hood is important). Then get some Ron Paul signs off the internet or make your own. Follow Paul around South Carolina and be sure to get photographed by the media. Again, hoods are important. All can be Klansmen for Paul. Black, white, Jewish, Asian- those Paulbots will shit a brick!”

Infowars published the information, and as an extra precaution, grabbed a screenshot of the most incriminating page. This was a prescient move, because once exposed, the Facebook group quickly deleted the page.

But not quite fast enough:

Click image to increase size

Infowars adds that Jere Brower has a history of defamation-ridden anti-Paul posts, claiming the Congressman wants to “legalize child prostitution” and is “against children going to school”. He has characterized Ron Paul supporters as “clinically insane,” while also trolling singer Kelly Clarkson’s Facebook page after she Tweeted her support for Paul in December 2011. Brower also works for Google as a Field Operations Specialist, focusing on crisis management, social media, media relations, brand specialist, event planning, and event management.

LaCrosse Watchdog has also picked up the story, and identifies numerous other individuals who're part of the Facebook group, providing several additional screenshots as evidence.

Jere Brower has since fired back, claiming that Ron Paul supporters have communicated "threats" to him and his family, and insisting that it was all intended as a joke:

...was it a joke, of course it was. It was a beauty of the joke that seemed to take off. Paul and his supporters have been shown for the fringe group they are. We’re we going to do what we joked about? Of course not – these people have little regard for rules and order by the way they acted at the Georgia GOP State Convention in Macon last year or disrespecting Senator Isakson in Cobb County in 2010.

However, the response was published by Chris Collins, who is one of Brower's Facebook confederates, so the objectivity can be called into question.

According to comments posted on Digital Journal, Ron Paul supporters plan to confront anyone who shows up at a Ron Paul event wearing national socialist or Klan regalia.

Anchorage Municipal Officials Scrutinizing Property Tax Exemptions Allowed For 18 Properties Belonging To Anchorage Baptist Temple

2012-01-15T03:00:00.001-09:00

Anchorage municipal officials are re-visiting property tax exemptions allowed for 18 different properties belonging to Anchorage Baptist Temple after being tipped off by a post about Allen Prevo's divorce case published by Bent Alaska back on August 29th, 2011. The Anchorage Daily News has published a lengthy and complex story with numerous twists and turns; it includes links to three PDF documents offering additional background. I only intend to summarize the highlights in this post.

How The Story Went Mainstream: Although Superior Court Judge Frank Pfiffner sealed the documents on the Allen Prevo divorce case on August 29th, LGBT activist Melissa Green obtained some of the court documents and wrote about them on Bent Alaska. Several people subsequently sent copies of the blog post to state assessor Steve Van Sant, who in turn called Anchorage Municipal Assessor Marty McGee. McGee said he saw it and had begun an inquiry.

Applicable Properties: Listed in this visual aid. They include the following:

-- The Anchorage Baptist Temple (ABT) complex, which includes Anchorage Christian Schools (ACS)
-- Preschool and Bus Barn
-- Christian broadcasting station & espresso stand (partial exemption)
-- Christian broadcasting tower
-- Ten pastoral residences, nine of which are currently occupied
-- Four residences housing ACS teachers

Three of them, ABT, the preschool, and Pastor Prevo's residence, have never been taxed, which is in keeping with the more traditional practice of limiting exemptions to church facilities and the chief pastor's residence. One pastoral residence has been exempt since at least 1990. But notice how eight different residences became exempt starting 2006. This coincides with the passage of HB334, sponsored by former State Senator Ben Stevens and current Rep. Jay Ramras that same year at the request of ABT. The bill, signed into law by then-Gov. Frank Murkowski, broadened the scope of the exemption to include religious school teachers and ordained ministers who run ministries. The definition of "minister" and "ministry" is a possible bone of contention, but ABT defines a minister as someone who has a spiritual devotion and prayer with a particular group when they meet every Sunday. ABT contends that Allen Prevo met the church's definition.

How It Works: The properties qualify for the exemption because ABT retains ownership of them; they allow pastors and teachers to move into the residences. Additionally, senior pastors are allowed to build equity in their church-owned houses through payroll deductions, but even though they build equity, ownership of the property does not change.

Pastor Jerry Prevo's Reaction: He and Larry Linegar of the Board of Deacons believe the church has acted properly, but if the city reaches a different conclusion, the church will either change the program or pay the taxes.

Timing Of Story: Even though Bent Alaska first published this information back in August, it seems odd that it's only now that it's broken into the mainstream. This generates suspicion that the release was timed to make it more difficult for Pastor Prevo to take a public position in opposition to the Anchorage Equal Rights Initiative to be on the April 3rd ballot. Whoever decided to go public may have wanted Prevo tied down by a distraction so he couldn't wage a credible campaign against the gay initiative. Pastor Prevo took a public position against Ordinance #64 in 2009, which mobilized much of the community against it while outraging pro-gay activists, progressives, and atheists; Prevo has been subjected to constant vilification from the lefties ever since.

Reaction: As expected, this story has provided an excuse for anti-Christian bigots to come slithering out of their holes and spew their venom in the ADN comments. I know of no other church in Anchorage which enjoys so many property tax deductions, and this will exacerbate the growing anti-Christian bigotry in this community. I would not be surprised if the deductions are ultimately ended for all properties except the church, the preschool, and Pastor Prevo's residence, although it might be in stages.

And in the final analysis, that's the way it should be.

Alliance Defense Fund Criticizes Proposed Anchorage Gay Nondiscrimination Initiative, Says It Could Undermine Religious Liberty

2012-01-14T11:57:00.000-09:00

On January 3rd, 2012, the Catholic Anchor, which is the official newspaper of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Anchorage, Alaska, reported that the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) has taken a public stand against the proposed gay nondiscrimination initiative known as the Anchorage Equal Rights Initiative to be presented on the ballot during the April 3rd municipal election, concerned that it could undermine religious liberty.

The question to appear on the ballot reads “Shall the current Municipal Code sections providing legal protections against discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, marital status, age, physical disability, and mental disability be amended to include protections on the basis of sexual orientation or transgender identity?” But the ADF has analyzed the proposal, and found it to substantially undermine religious liberty and conscious protections. In particular, the ADF believes that the current Anchorage Municipal Code does not contain an adequate religious exemption to the proposed law. Specifically, the ADF writes:

“Rather than exempting all acts of a religious organization, the exemption only applies when the challenged conduct is reasonably calculated to promote the religious principles for which it is established or maintained. This type of exemption requires courts to determine whether the challenged conduct is sufficiently connected to the organization’s religious mission.”

The ADF foresees the possibility that the initiative will impose a significant burden on all religious organizations by requiring them to predict whether a court will consider their activities to be sufficiently connected to their religious mission to qualify for the exemption. The Alliance Defense Fund is a legal alliance defending the right to hear and speak the truth through strategy, training, funding, and direct litigation; they defend religious freedom by empowering their allies, recognizing that together we can accomplish far more than we can alone.

Taking the lead in local opposition to the initiative is the Alaska Family Council; on December 28th, its president, Jim Minnery, outlined similar concerns. While no individual church or pastor has publicly declared against the initiative yet, four churches, St. Mary's Episcopal, United Methodist, Immanuel Presbyterian and Joy Lutheran, have publicly declared themselves in support of the initiative. In addition, a group called Christians For Equality has formed to promote passage of the initiative; they contain a lengthy list of individual pastors in support.

Of course, there is a double standard employed in discussing churches who weigh in on gay rights. While Anchorage Baptist Temple, which publicly opposed Ordinance #64 in 2009, has been endlessly vilified by progressives and atheists who've urged that ABT's tax exemptions be "re-visited", no such vilification has been directed by social conservatives against the four churches which support the current initiative. No one has smeared them as being "fag churches". And no one should; the right of a church or pastor to speak out on political issues is absolute and unconditional, so long as pastors don't endorse specific candidates from the pulpit.

It's obvious that any hate and bigotry is NOT being directed by conservative Christians towards gays, but rather by progressives and atheists towards conservative Christians.

Congressman Allen West Condemns Impending Witch Hunt Of Four Marines Caught Urinating On Taliban Corpses In Afghanistan

2012-01-13T22:20:00.001-09:00

The political storm clouds are gathering around four members of the U.S. Marine Corps who were filmed urinating on some Taliban corpses in Afghanistan. The video, which was filmed sometime between March and September 2011, is embedded on The Blaze if you want to watch it. The four Marines were assigned to the Third Battalion, Second Marines, which was stationed in Helmand Province, a strategic Taliban heartland and a center of the opium poppy trade.

The elite have already issued statements of ritual condemnation and are promising endless investigations. It looks like these guys are about to be transformed into scapegoats for a failed policy in Afghanistan. Here are some statements from the elite:

-- Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta: Ordered the Marine Corps and the commander of US and NATO troops in Afghanistan to investigate the incident. Issued a statement saying, in part, "I have seen the footage, and I find the behavior depicted in it utterly deplorable...Those found to have engaged in such conduct will be held accountable to the fullest extent."

-- Secretary of State Hillary Clinton: Expressed her total dismay at the story concerning the Marines, for whom she professed the highest respect and admiration. Characterized their behavior as deplorable, saying it is absolutely inconsistent with American values and with the standards of behavior expected from our military personnel.

-- USMC Headquarters: “The actions portrayed are not consistent with our core values and are not indicative of the character of the Marines in our Corps. This matter will be fully investigated.” Marine spokesman Lt. Col. Stewart Upton added, “Allegations of Marines not doing the right thing in regard to dead Taliban insurgents are very serious and, if proven, represent a failure to adhere to the high standards expected of American military personnel.”

-- Senator John McCain: Opined that the incident makes him so sad, and that the image of the Marine Corps has apparently been tarnished by a handful of obviously undisciplined people. Also said there should be an investigation and these young people should be punished.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai and the extremist group CAIR also chimed in with criticism.

However, Congressman Allen West (R-FL), a U.S. Army combat veteran himself, has held up a stop sign. In an e-mail sent to the Weekly Standard, West acknowledges that while the Marines need to be held accountable, he says “all these over-emotional pundits and armchair quarterbacks need to chill,” and also advised people that "unless you have been shot at by the Taliban, shut your mouth, war is hell". He condemns the selective outrage directed towards these Marines, noting that there was no similar indignation when our Delta snipers Shugart and Gordon had their bodies dragged through Mogadishu, or when our Blackwater security contractors were killed and their bodies burned and hung from a bridge in Fallujah. His recommendation:

Give them a maximum punishment under field grade level Article 15 (non-judicial punishment), place a General Officer level letter of reprimand in their personnel file, and have them in full dress uniform stand before their Battalion, each personally apologize to God, Country, and Corps videotaped and conclude by singing the full US Marine Corps Hymn without a teleprompter.

The maximum punishment which can be levied under a field-grade Article 15 is a one-grade reduction in rank for E-5 and E-6 (multi-grade reduction for E-4 & below), forfeiture of a half-months pay for 2 months, 45 days extra duty, and 60 days restriction (45 days if extra duty is imposed). In the Marine Corps and Navy, the process is referred to as "captain's mast".

Congressman West knows what it's like to be in the position of the four Marines. In 2003, he fired a gun near the head of an Iraqi detainee to scare him into divulging details of a suspected ambush. West, initially charged with assault, ended up being relieved of his command, paying a $5,000 fine and retiring as a lieutenant colonel with a full pension.

By the way, Allen West just recently said that if Mitt Romney asked him to be his runhning mate, he wouldn't turn it down.

Also chiming in with support for the four Marines is the Canada Free Press. They reserved their harshest criticism for Hamid Karzai, characterizing him as a devious snake who now takes his daily marching orders from Tehran. They write "It’s an open secret that Karzai, while squirreling away billions of dollars of U.S. aid, has been collaborating with Iran’s ayatollahs on ways to blow up the NATO soldiers who have spent fruitless years trying to meld Afghanistan’s collection of 14th century tribes into a functioning democracy". Of course, this illustrates the futility of using our troops for nation-building and peacekeeping; the right move would have been to send our troops in to decapitate the former Afghan government, turn the country over to the Northern Alliance, get the hell out, and let Afghans rebuild Afghanistan.

Most of the critics of the four Marines have never served in the military, never mind in combat. While I never faced hostile fire, I've read extensive accounts by those who have, and it's an experience one cannot grasp without enduring it. Every possible emotion -- fear, uncertainty, elation -- comes to the forefront, fueled by adrenalin. The letdown after a combat operation sometimes results in troops doing what we think are silly things to cope with the tension. The suggested remedy by Congressman West would be adequate accountability; these four Marines don't need to be thrown out of the service.

Considerable support for the Marines is expressed on MilitaryTimes.com and on Free Republic; opinion is more divided on Stormfront.

Alaska Redistricting Lawsuit And College Speech Codes Show How The Federal Civil Rights Bureaucracy Complicates Lives And Violates Presumption Of Innocence

2012-01-12T13:57:00.000-09:00

Proposed HD-38 in purple; go HERE for larger version

Two stories this week provide good illustrations on how the federal civil rights bureaucracy complicates our lives and violates the presumption of innocence.

Currently, a lawsuit targeting Alaska's legislative redistricting plan is being heard by Superior Court Judge Michael McConahy in Fairbanks. George Riley and Ron Daerborn argue that creating the new House District 38 (as illustrated above), which integrates Ester and Goldstream Valley, where the two men live, with parts of the Denali Borough and the western coast, violates Alaska constitutional standards for socioeconomically integrated districts. In response, the redistricting board maintains that pairing of rural villages with a portion of Fairbanks was necessary to build a fifth district where Alaska Native voters can have a decisive voice, as required under the federal Voting Rights Act. What makes the federal role problematic is that a Voting Rights Act expert, Lisa Handley, told the board that none of the alternative plans offered by political groups would have been approved by the Department of Justice voting rights bureaucracy.

This shows that if it wasn't for interference by the federal government, we could have already solved the redistricting problem in a matter meeting Alaska's needs, and this lawsuit most likely would not have been filed. The problem is that the Department of Justice assumes that discrimination will take place if Alaska Native voters aren't extended preference, simply because discrimination took place in the past; the fact that remedies are available if discrimination takes place doesn't matter to the feds. This violates the customary presumption of innocence.

The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) highlights another example of obstructive federal civil rights preemption. FIRE has just released its 2012 report on speech codes at universities around the United States, and reports that 65 percent of the 392 schools surveyed have speech codes that clearly fail to meet First Amendment standards, which FIRE labels "red light" speech codes. Included on this list is the University of Alaska-Anchorage (UAA) and the University of Alaska-Southeast (UAS), while the University of Alaska-Fairbanks earns a "yellow light".

However, on page 28 of their report, FIRE discloses that the greater threat to student rights on campus today comes not from the actions of individual universities, but from the federal government — specifically, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) of the U.S. Department of Education. On April 4th, 2011, OCR sent a guidance letter to all schools within its jurisdiction reminding them of their obligations under Title IX, the federal law prohibiting sex discrimination in federally-funded educational programs. The letter discussed universities' existing requirements under Title IX and introduced new ones, two of which seriously jeopardize the due process rights of students accused of sexual harassment or sexual assault:

-- (1). In adjudicating cases of sexual harassment or sexual violence (but not other violent acts), campus judiciaries must utilize a "preponderance of the evidence" evidentiary standard. This is the lowest evidentiary standard used in our judicial system, and is not used in the criminal justice system because it does not sufficiently protect an accused person's right to due process.

-- (2). If a school provides the accused with the right to an appeal, the accuser must have the same right. This requirement resembles "double jeopardy," a situation in criminal law where someone is tried twice for the same crime.

What also makes this a problem is that students found responsible in university proceedings for what are widely understood to be serious offenses can still face serious lifelong consequences, even if there is no criminal prosecution. Yet many schools, fearful of having their federal funding cut off, maintain vague and overly broad sexual harassment policies, and often confuse speech protected by the First Amendment with speech or conduct that is actually punishable as harassment in order to placate federal inquisitors.

FIRE reports that there has been a decline in the number of "red-light" schools over the past five years, from 75 percent in 2006 to 65 percent in 2011. This indicates that many college administrators want to permit more free speech. But more won't follow suit until they can be assured that a predatory civil rights bureaucracy won't witch-hunt them and arbitrarily cut off their federal funding for not being prescient and foresighted. The Department of Education needs to back off and let colleges teach; intervene only in response to an unresolved complaint. And restore the "guilt beyond reasonable doubt" standard in all adversarial proceedings.

EPA Gives Anchorage Permission To End IM Emissions Testing Program Effective February 9th, 2012

2012-01-11T21:08:00.001-09:00

On January 10th, 2012, the Environmental Protection Agency completed its review of the Anchorage Assembly's decision in May 2010 to end the the IM (Inspection & Maintenance) emissions testing program for motor vehicles, saving consumers up to $68 every two years. Noting that Anchorage has not violated federal clean air standards since 1997, and acknowledging that newer, less-polluting vehicles have become predominant, the EPA upheld the Assembly's decision to end the 27-year program, setting a February 9th termination date.

Except there's a caveat -- the Assembly included a clause to delay the end of the program until six months after the EPA approval in order to give emission testing companies sufficient time to adjust. This means that technically, every motorist whose vehicle registration anniversary comes up between February 9th and August 9th would still have to obtain an IM certificate -- for a program that will have effectively expired.

Anchorage Mayor Dan Sullivan doesn't think that makes sense, so he's asking the Assembly to remove the six-month grace period so the program can end on March 1st at the latest. Sullivan believes the IM testing outlets have had ample time to adjust. And many of them have adjusted; every Xpress Lube outlet in town has expanded the range of services offered to include tires and more extensive mechanical work during the past year and a half. The Anchorage Daily News also doesn't think the grace period makes sense, so they've editorially called for the Assembly to end it as well.

One of the IM testing outlets still defends the program. Brad Lamb, a manager with Car Care Center, said the I/M program works and not having violations is proof of that. “You gotta be responsible for the air, for the environment,” Lamb said. “I’m not a big greenie, but this is one of the things that can help out a lot. Obviously it’s made a big difference.”

Public Reaction: Overwhelmingly favorable; most of the reaction documented in the 129 comments appended to the January 10th ADN story.

keysgoclick 21 January 11th 11:15 A.M:
I'm glad the program is ending. My car, a 2001 will not pass IM test because of a false positive service engine light indicative of a transmission problem. I've tested the car and it does not have this problem but rather a faulty sensor which would cost in the neighborhood of 2-3 thousand dollars to repair because the sensor is inside the transmission. I'm eligible for a waiver only after I've spent over 400 dollars on repairs, but why would I spend 400 dollars on a repair that is 3x that amount just to get a waiver. The program has too many flaws and just makes an unnecessary hassle for most people. I would support a tailpipe emissions testing law just to keep junk in the junkyard but I don't see nearly as many clunkers on the road these days anyways.

One person's concerned that the Anchorage Assembly, in order to make up for lost revenue, might decided to mandate a safety inspection program for vehicles. What a pain in the ass that would be for us, considering how easy it is for windshields to get dinged by flying rocks:

dingleberry January 10th 9:58 P.M:
The fact is that we will be happy when the IM testing is gone but wait until next year when the Assembly votes to initiate a safety inspection program which will definitely cause a lot of people headaches and cost us more money that the IM did. We will be wishing the IM testing back. All of the cracked windshields, Tie-rods, and everything else that causes a vehicle to be unsafe. Somehow the assembly will keep these guys in business with our money.

Pope Benedict XVI Falsely Accused By The Advocate Of Condemning Same-Sex Marriage; Fred Karger Also Lies About The LDS Church And Mitt Romney

2012-01-09T18:55:00.000-09:00

On January 9th, 2012, Pope Benedict XVI delivered his annual State Of The World address to the Vatican diplomatic corps, in which he laid heavy emphasis on the continuing economic crisis, the uncertainties facing young people, the threats to the dignity of life and the family, violations of religious freedom, and dangers to the global environment. The Pope also expressed special concern about recent developments in Syria, the Holy Land, Iraq, Pakistan, and Nigeria, while touching more generally about hostility toward the Christian faith in many parts of the world.

Somehow, The Advocate, one of the leading publications for the gay community, got the idea that Pope Benedict XVI was attacking same-sex marriage. In an article entitled "Same-Sex Marriage Endangers Humanity, Says Pope", author Trudy Ring wrote the following:

In some of his strongest antigay rhetoric yet, Pope Benedict XVI said today that same-sex marriage threatens “the future of humanity itself.”

The Catholic pontiff made the comment in his annual State of the World address to the diplomats from about 180 nations who are assigned to the Vatican, Reuters reports. He said the traditional family, “based on the marriage of a man and a woman,” is “not a simple social convention, but rather the fundamental cell of every society. Consequently, policies which undermine the family threaten human dignity and the future of humanity itself.”

Fortunately, the Vatican Information Service published numerous extracts of the Holy Father's address, enough so we can find out exactly what he said. Here's the applicable paragraph:

"Education is a crucial theme for every generation, for it determines the healthy development of each person and the future of all society. ... In addition to a clear goal, that of leading young people to a full knowledge of reality and thus of truth, education needs settings. Among these, pride of place goes to the family, based on the marriage of a man and a woman. This is not a simple social convention, but rather the fundamental cell of every society. Consequently, policies which undermine the family threaten human dignity and the future of humanity itself. ... There is a need for policies which promote the family and aid social cohesion and dialogue. It is in the family that we become open to the world and to life. ... In this context of openness to life, I note with satisfaction the recent sentence of the Court of Justice of the European Union forbidding patenting processes relative to human embryonic stem cells, as well as the resolution of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe condemning prenatal selection on the basis of sex. More generally, and with particular reference to the West, I am convinced that legislative measures which not only permit but at times even promote abortion for reasons of convenience or for questionable medical motives compromise the education of young people and, as a result, the future of humanity.

Nowhere in this paragraph is the phrase "same-sex marriage" mentioned, and CatholicCulture.org, which has access to the full address, confirms that same-sex marriage wasn't mentioned. All Pope Benedict XVI did was to refer to marriage from within the context of the customary definition -- one man, one woman. Thus The Advocate lied about the Pope, and unfortunately a number of people posting comments to The Advocate have been taken in and unnecessarily stirred up by the lie.

This is not the first time the gay lobby has misrepresented or lied about public remarks by prominent people, and Catholics are not the only Christians victimized. Lunatic fringe gay Republican Presidential candidate Fred Karger has repeatedly lied about Mormonism and Mitt Romney. He falsely claims that as U.S. President, Mitt Romney would not turn down a call from the LDS First Presidency because he's been an obedient, faithful Mormon his whole life. Karger has also falsely stated that the LDS Church is working to stop Huntsman from being nominated in order to better guarantee Romney's chances. However, Karger provides absolutely NO OBJECTIVE OR EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE supporting his allegations; they're just a bunch of slippery-slope connect-the-dot assumptions.

In contrast, we have this unequivocal statement of political neutrality from the LDS Church in which they assert that they do not endorse, promote or oppose specific political parties, candidates or platforms, they don't attempt to direct or dictate to a government leader, and note that "While the Church may communicate its views to them, as it may to any other elected official, it recognizes that these officials still must make their own choices based on their best judgment and with consideration of the constituencies whom they were elected to represent".

Because I'm a resident of Anchorage, and a proposed gay nondiscrimination initiative is on the April 2012 municipal election ballot, I can get even instead of getting mad. I intend to vote No on the initiative to send a message to the gay community that they cannot abuse, misrepresent, and lie about us 364 days per year and then expect us to vote their way on election day. Life just doesn't work that way; only a masochist would enable his oppressors.

Anchorage Mayor Dan Sullivan Defends $60,000 One-Year Consulting Contract For Retiring Port Director Bill Sheffield

2012-01-08T23:45:00.003-09:00

Anchorage Mayor Dan Sullivan has come under some fire for deciding to award a one-year $60,000 transitional contract to Anchorage Port Director Bill Sheffield, who is retiring from the position on January 15th, 2012, and on January 8th, 2012, Sullivan fired back. In an LTE entitled "Mayor Sullivan gives credit to Sheffield for job well done", published in the Anchorage Daily News, Sullivan states that they have corrected the problems that occurred prior to his administration taking charge, and now have the expansion project back on track. He claims that while the federal Maritime Administration (MARAD) was managing the port expansion, Sheffield did a good job running the port operations; during his tenure, the port increased its revenues, improved its infrastructure, and is financially sound. Alaska Dispatch previously reported that Sullivan said the Assembly will have the opportunity to see, discuss and vote on whatever contract is finalized for Sheffield's consultant role.

Mayor Sullivan's letter was directed as a specific response to an LTE entitled "Tale of two Sheffields" by Lynn Willis, published on January 3rd, in which Willis was concerned that Sheffield was escaping accountability for the port problems. Back on January 4th, Sullivan also explained to KYUR Channel 13 that the contract would not cost taxpayers any extra money, saying "It's a sixty thousand dollar contract but it doesn't cost the city a dime because it comes out of the contracts we currently have with our federal lobbyists...It's no cost to the city it helps the transition and if anybody thinks Governor Sheffield needs a sixty thousand dollar contract he's a self made millionaire".

Although the port expansion project is managed by MARAD, funding is the responsibility of the Municipality of Anchorage. Mayor Sullivan believes Sheffield can still be instrumental in securing optimal funding for the port expansion. During his tenure, Sheffield has been able to patch together up to $60 million a year through port revenue, loans, state and federal grants, and federal earmarks.

But although many of the problems may have occurred prior to the Sullivan Administration, specifically during the mayoral tenure of our current U.S. Senator Mark Begich (who has managed to evade criticism), they coincided with Sheffield's tenure. These problems were documented and explained in an ADN article entitled "Port of Anchorage: A billion-dollar mess", first published back on January 15th, 2011.

-- The completion date for the massive dock replacement project at the Port of Anchorage has been pushed back to 2021 from a target of 2011 set before major construction began.

-- The price tag, which was $360 million as of 2005, has escalated to $1 billion based on a recent estimate by Sheffield himself.

The city decided not to build a traditional dock on pilings but instead chose a bulkhead system, which extends the shore into the sea. The design is a patented technique called Open Cell Sheet Pile. When Sheffield first began promoting the design in 2002, he said it would be cheaper and better than a traditional dock on pilings. PND Engineers Inc., who submitted the winning design, said more than 180 of its structures have been built successfully around the world, including many in Alaska: on the North Slope, in Dutch Harbor and on the North Star dock near the city port.

But during the 2009 construction season, problems surfaced when a contractor had trouble driving in some of the steel pile. When PND arranged for divers to check for damage that October, they found places where the pile pieces were bent and out of joint. In one spot, the gap was big enough for a diver to reach in and touch a side wall about 3 feet away. Subsequent inspections revealed more damage; of 66 cells targeted for inspection, 28 showed damage, some of it dramatic, and three more need further review, according to ICRC and the PND inspection reports. Other inspections targeted the walls reaching back to shore. They are packed in gravel on both sides. Hundreds of those sheets had to be pulled up for inspection. In all, the inspections revealed 635 damaged sheets out of 2,611 examined.

This revelation generated strong criticism in the comments to the January 15th story, and recently joining the critics was East Anchorage Assemblyman Paul Honeman, who's also running against Sullivan for mayor. Back on November 21st, Honeman called for Sheffield to be fired because the problems occurred during his watch; he was supported by Midtown Assemblyman Dick Traini. Downtown Assemblyman Patrick Flynn, whose district includes the port, also reluctantly supported the departure of Sheffield after the resignation announcement. After the $60,000 contract for Sheffield was announced, Honeman accused Mayor Sullivan of "cronyism", and delivered a two-page letter questioning the details of the consulting job to City Hall.

Even those more favorably disposed toward Sullivan appear skeptical. Respondents to an Anchorage Daily Planet online poll indicate by a two-to-one margin that they believe the contract extended to Sheffield is an example of cronyism, and the Daily Planet is normally friendly to Dan Sullivan.

Unfortunately, giving Sheffield a one-year contract may be the best of a bunch of bad options. The sheer complexity of the project requires overlap between Sheffield and his successor as port director. Furthermore, being in an election year, we still need someone who is experienced at soliciting additional funding for the project. From the perspective of continuity, it was probably the most logical decision Sullivan could make, even if it stinks.

Meet One Of The Two Finalists To Replace Anchorage School Superintendent Carol Comeau: Jim Browder, The Florida Outsider

2012-01-08T00:03:00.002-09:00

The selection process to replace Anchorage School Superintendent Carol Comeau, who will retire effective June 30th, 2012, has been narrowed down to two finalists: Steve Atwater, the current superintendent of the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District (9,000 students), and Jim Browder, recently the superintendent of Lee County Schools in Florida (82,000 students). The Anchorage Daily News reported that each finalist would get a three-day whirlwind visit to tour local schools, participate in lengthy School Board interviews, go on talk radio and meet the Anchorage Assembly, the mayor and the public. The Anchorage School District has the complete application packages on each finalist accessible HERE for public review.

During the past week, Jim Browder was up first. Browder was Lee County Superintendent from 2003-2010. He then took a job as an executive at Edison State College in Fort Myers but had a short and stormy tenure. Faculty at the college complained Browder had been hired without a search and thought he was being paid too much. A series of news videos provides the opportunity to see and hear him.

KTVA news video from January 6th is available, but is just a brief overview:

KYUR Channel 13 aired a story entitled "Browder Meet & Greet: Says No Cronyism" on January 6th. Browder appeared at a public meet & greet attended by 50 people. He addressed a report about Pastor James Gillespie of Ft. Meyers Florida, who claims he's known Browder for 20 years and accuses Browder of things like cronyism, saying he was allegedly hired by his friend Kenneth Walker, President of Edison Community College. Gillespie also claims Browder was ousted from the position as a result of a community outcry. In response, Browder said he has no idea who Gillespie is and denies any cronyism, saying he has always hired the most qualified person for the job. Browder admitted that he does know Walker, but says Walker hired him because he was the best candidate. Browder also mentioned in the past that some folks were upset there wasn't a superintendent search at the time. He also said he was not kicked out of of the district, but chose to leave on his own. KYUR has an interview with Pastor Gillespie:

However, Browder was aware that these issues would surface, and three weeks prior, addressed them in another interview with KYUR entitled "ASD Applicant Search: Jim Browder Speaks Out", which aired on December 19th:

Browder said there were some faculty members not happy with his hire and pay range at Edison Community College, noting that they didn't like the fact he didn't have to go through a selection process and were concerned about his lack of post-secondary experience. But Browder said he chose to leave the position after about 6 months because he felt uncomfortable.

Interesting choice. Steve Atwater knows Alaska, has no controversy attached to his record, but the district he currently heads only has 9,000 students. In contrast, Jim Browder doesn't know Alaska, but headed a district with 82,000 students and has some controversy attached at the tail end of his record. The Anchorage School District has just under 50,000 students. Those of us who've been in Anchorage more than 10 years know what it's like to have a controversial superintendent; Bob Chrystal's tenure was pockmarked with contract issues and outbreaks of industrial action by school district workers. At this point, I lean slightly towards Atwater, because ASD has enough administrative personnel to help Atwater get used to running a larger district early, but I recommend waiting to hear from him on December 13th.

Jesus Christ Was Not A Pot-Smoking Hippie Who Spent 33 Years Nodding And Smiling And Passing Out Loaves, Fishes, And Doobies To The Multitudes

2012-01-04T23:28:00.000-09:00

Here we go again. Another letter-writer to the Anchorage Daily News is promoting the Jesus-was-a-hippie idea.

In a letter entitled "Contrary to modern concerns, Jesus didn't say much on sexuality", Anchorage resident George Gilson expresses disagreement with Jim Minnery's December 29th Compass piece opposing the proposed gay nondiscrimination initiative to appear on the Anchorage Municipal Election ballot to be presented on April 3rd, 2012. Gilson at least avoids the sin of inflating the numbers of gays in society; he suggests that they constitute only 4 percent of the population, as opposed to the popular 10 percent figure echoed by a Kinsey study that relied too much on input from prison inmates.

But then he spoils it by promoting the tired old Jesus-was-a-hippie mentality. He talks about how Jesus was forgiving and non-judgmental, which is part true. He noted how Jesus made a point of associating with unpopular and marginalized segments of society such as the poor, lepers, tax collectors, and prostitutes. But his portrait of Jesus is one-dimensional and distorted. So I posted the following comment to educate him (and the rest of the public) further:

Riddle me this, George. How do you know Jesus didn't have a lot to say about sexuality? Were you there? Did CNN have a reporter embedded within His entourage? Do you believe the four synoptic gospels recorded every single word uttered by Jesus during his 33-year lifespan?

If Jesus didn't say much about sexuality, perhaps it's because the issue is amply addressed elsewhere in the Bible. Try Leviticus 18:22 and Romans 1:26-27 for starters. Remember, He came not to destroy the law, but to fulfill it.

Unfortunately, you paint a distorted picture of Jesus being a pot-smoking hippie who spent 33 years nodding and smiling while endlessly passing out loaves, fishes, and doobies to the multitudes. The real Jesus also had another side. According to Matthew 23, He condemned the Pharisees and Sadducees as being hypocrites and vipers, of their father the devil. And when he encountered moneychangers in His temple, Matthew 21:12 tells us that Jesus didn't exactly turn the other cheek; instead, he pulled out a whip and parted their cheeks with it. My kind of Savior.

Read the whole Bible and get the complete picture about Jesus Christ. And if that's not enough for you, also consider reading the Book of Mormon, another witness for Christ.

As a matter of fact, there are other instances in the Bible which show that Jesus had a human side (after the jump):

-- Luke 2:49 tells us that after Mary and Joseph frantically searched for the 12-year-old Jesus for three days and found Him at the temple, Jesus curtly dismissed them, saying "How is it that ye sought me? Wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?" Had I talked smack like that to my folks, I would have been grounded for a week -- at the very least.

-- Mark 5:25-34 tells us that Jesus could be occasionally disconcerted by someone who sought healing. A woman with an issue of blood for 12 years touched His garment and was instantly healed. Jesus' first reaction -- he was disconcerted by the feeling that virtue had gone out of him. But He quickly recovered and blessed the woman, reaffirming the healing.

-- Matthew 20:1-16 tells us that Jesus was not a fan of hourly wages. In the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard, all workers were paid a penny for their day's labor regardless of how many hours they worked during the day. Just imagine if Anchorage AFL-CIO leader Vince Beltrami had been there; he would have sent union goons to picket Jesus.

-- John 8:1-30 tells us that when Jesus forgave the adulteress, He did NOT overrule the secular authorities. After He shamed the authorities into walking away and abandoning their prosecution, He noted that the woman's accusers were no longer present to condemn her. So He reaffirmed their judgment and also chose not to condemn her, once again showing that his purpose was not to destroy the law, but to fulfill it.

So even though Jesus Christ lived a sinless life, He definitely had a human side. He experienced and displayed the full range of human emotions. How could He still be sinless? Because He had no guile or hidden agenda; He never sinned against the light. Sinning in ignorance is readily accepted and forgiven by the powers of heaven, which is why those who do not get to hear the gospel while on earth get a chance to hear it in the spirit world, and ordinances are performed on their behalf in earthly temples. It is sinning against the light that requires repentance before forgiveness.

Nope, Jesus Christ was definitely NOT a pot-smoking hippie who spent his whole life handing out gimmedats.

YouTube Video: Overlanders4X4 Takes You From Key West, Florida To Deadhorse, Alaska In Less Than Eight Minutes

2012-01-03T23:45:00.001-09:00

Interesting video posted on KTUU Channel 2. A contingent from Overlanders4X4 decided to take a road trip from Key West, Florida to Deadhorse, Alaska, and filmed segments of the trip shown on the video embedded below. For most of you, it will be the closest you ever get to the Dalton Highway which goes from Fairbanks to Deadhorse on the Arctic Coast:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDJ70u62ogU

Ah, but there is much more to this story. The group also documented their trip in several posts on the Overlanders4X4.com blog. In this post, they state their trip took them through Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, and Alaska; they've not produced a video of their return trip yet. They drove a 2005 Venezuelan Toyota Landcruiser Autana (80 series). They spent 53 days on the road, drove a total of 17,500 miles, and spent $9,000 on gas.

In this post, they describe the segment from Prince George, B.C. to Fairbanks. A long drive with few gas stations and overpriced lodgings of low quality. Includes numerous photos.

In this post, they describe the segment from Whittier back to the Lower 48. The primary value here is you get a look at the 2.5 mile long Whittier Tunnel shared by cars and the train. It has only has one lane, so vehicular and train traffic are coordinated through signals, and the toll is $12. Also includes numerous photos.

In this post, they describe the segment from Fairbanks to Deadhorse. It shows photos of the road winding through the Brooks Range, which is the most scenic park. The travelers panned Coldfoot, describing it as a gas station with a costly bad hotel and a restaurant with super high prices. Coldfoot is the only fuel stop along the Dalton Highway. They noted that the 18-wheelers on the highway do not slow down or yield as they throw gravel onto the windshield causing cracks. They experienced a mechanical problem which they could repair on the road; they noticed a vibration which is characteristic of a malfunctioning cardan shaft. Upon investigation, they found that the problem was with the crosshead; they had to change it as soon as possible to avoid further damage. You have to make sure your vehicle is roadworthy before driving the Dalton; most people probably don't know what a cardan shaft is. Loads of photos included with this post.

They also saw the Hyder, Alaska ghost town, which is accessible only via Canada although it's located on Alaskan soil. They thought the Santa Claus House in North Pole was a bit of a letdown, expecting something more entertaining and adapted for visiting children. They also emphasized that during the late spring and early summer, mosquitoes are so numerous and pervasive that it rules out camping outside; if you can't find a hotel room, you keep on driving. But overall, they found their trip to be a good experience and they reported fairly on our state.

Overlanders Global Expeditioners was created by a team of professionals in different areas, who share a common passion for adventure and ecotourism, than after more than 16 years of travelling the world in different groups have decided to undertake more ambitious and extreme projects.

Residents Of Juneau, Alaska Donate A Record-Setting $49,000 To The Salvation Army In 2011, But Pro-Gay Activists Whine About The Organization's "Homophobia"

2011-12-31T20:43:00.001-09:00

The Juneau Empire reports that residents of Alaska's capital opened up their hearts -- and their wallets -- to the Salvation Army big time in 2011. They donated a record-setting $49,000, nearly doubling last year's $28,000 total. It's true that the Salvation Army did provide more opportunities, placing 10 more kettles around town than in previous years, and manning the stations until 7 P.M. instead of 5 P.M. during the holidays, but the increase in donations far outstrips the increase in deployment. All donations are retained and used within Juneau.

Not impressed? Think $49,000 is chump change? Juneau only has 31,275 people (2010 census), so that averages out to around $1.57 per head. Yet the celebratory occasion has been spoiled by a couple of people, either pro-gay activists or homosexuals, who posted derogatory comments about the Salvation Army's so-called "homophobia" to the Empire story. One person, Haole, posted a link designed to portray the Salvation Army as "homophobic", when it clearly isn't. Then another person, Jo MacNamara, posted the following drivel:

Thank you for that link.

The bell ringers are a nuisance and annoying. This is one holiday tradition I wish would die.

And, in light of the link haole posted above, I agree. There are better causes to donate to.

Even though the Army does good things, they still have that underlying homophobic message: "Yes, we love gay people...but gays are still inferior and unworthy of full membership of our church unless they repent for how God made them inferior."

When Jesus said "love one another" I think he meant everyone, and to accept them as they are. True love is unconditional.

Gays do not need to be repentant of how God made them.

Imagine that. We Americans have literally bent over backwards for gays, passing nondiscrimination ordinances in city after city, extending hate crime protection to them, allowing them access to our kids through Gay-Straight Clubs in our public schools, and ending Don't Ask Don't Tell in the military. We've even legalized gay marriage in six states, and one state, California, now mandates teaching gay history in their public schools. Yet despite all these measures, we're still considered homophobic, and churches which still declare homosexuality to be a sin are relentlessly attacked by these people.

But if Haole and Jo MacNamara had gone to the Salvation Army for assistance, they wouldn't have been asked about their sexual orientation; they'd merely be asked to certify their need.

We don't have to take this abuse lying down. On April 3rd, 2012, Anchorage voters get the opportunity to weigh in on a gay nondiscrimination initiative. Because of those two comments in the Empire, I now intend to vote No. By voting No, we can send a message to the gay community that there are limits to our tolerance; they need to simply STFU, be gay, and quit dumping their drama and angst upon a society that's sick and tired of hearing about it. Voting No will also derail any prospective efforts to use the initiative as a Trojan horse to legalize gay marriage in Alaska. I also recommend reading Jim Minnery's ADN Compass piece entitled "Measure would harm religious freedom" for more justification for a No vote.

Another more proactive measure we can take is to make a special donation to the Salvation Army to show that we really don't care what the gay community thinks about it. One commenter suggested that measure in the Empire, and I think it's a damn good idea. Donation methods are spelled out HERE.

New Year's Eve 4.3 Earthquake Near Youngstown, Ohio May Be Related To Fracking; Time For Congress To Convene Hearings On Fracking

2011-12-31T14:21:00.001-09:00

WKBN Channel 27 reports that a 4.3 magnitude earthquake centered about two miles northwest of Youngstown, Ohio occurred at 3:05 P.M. on December 31st, 2011. Although there are not yet reports of any significant damage, the quake was felt as far away as Cleveland (55 miles), Columbus (145 miles), parts of Pennsylvania, and even in Canada.

This is the eleventh minor quake to hit the area in 2011, and yes, it appears to be related to fracking, or hydraulic fracturing of subsurface rock to recover trapped natural gas. On Friday December 30th, the director of Ohio's Department of Natural Resources announced a halt to operations by D&L Energy at a Youngstown brine injection well which may be the source of the low-level earthquakes, none of which had previously exceeded 2.7 in magnitude, occurring during the past nine months. The injection well, located in the Youngstown area, is used to dispose of wastewater which is a byproduct of oil and gas drilling. Thousands of gallons of brine are injected into the well daily, and much of it is shipped in from out of state. Although there are 177 similar injection wells throughout Ohio, the Youngstown-area well is the only site associated with seismic activity. In the immediate area of Youngstown, D&L Energy has or will soon have wells in Girard, Campbell, Coitsville, Hubbard, Springfield, and in Columbiana County in East Liverpool, Fairfield Township and Elk Run Township.

Here's a video of a good analysis provided by the DutchSinse blog:

One state lawmaker has reacted. Sen. Bob Hagan (D-Youngstown) is calling for a statewide moratorium on injection wells, and has asked the EPA to intervene. Hagan said he has asked Bill Batchelder, speaker of the Ohio house, to set up bipartisan joint hearings involving the house and senate.

Reaction from area residents is posted as comments to the Youngstown Vindicator story. Many of them suspect a connection between the local earthquake swarm and fracking. The fact that seismic activity has not occurred at the other 176 wells does NOT preclude the possibility that the geology in the areas of the Youngstown well may be too seismically unstable to support fracking. But fracking has also been associated with earthquake swarms in Arkansas and Oklahoma, as well as contamination of water supplies in those areas and in Montana, West Virginia, and New York. These other incidences are further described in my September 18th post. This has clearly become a national problem.

The variability of effects implies that a complete ban on fracking is not necessary. However, we need to find out if there is a common geological profile of vulnerability which should preclude fracking in a particular area. This can be best determined by convening Congressional hearings and inviting interested parties from all sides to provide testimony and empirical evidence. From these hearings can come sensible laws which will impose restrictions upon fracking in areas deemed vulnerable. But first, we must better define "vulnerable".

Alaska stands ready to replace any Lower 48 natural gas which cannot be recovered due to fracking. Our North Slope gas does not require fracking for recovery. Unfortunately, commodity prices are so low that Transcanada, the winner of the AGIA sweepstakes, has no financial interest in building an gas pipeline at this time. During the open season, Transcanada did not receive a sufficient number of shipping commitments to justify proceeding. If Transcanada continues to drag its heels, we are prepare to consider building an All-Alaska Gas Pipeline to Valdez paralleling the TAP, using some Permanent Fund money to jump-start the project.

Alaska's Congressional delegation should be taking the lead in exploring this problem and coming up with legislation to impose sensible restrictions on fracking, particularly since Alaska could economically benefit and become less dependent upon Federal "pork" as a result.

Newt Gingrich Says Sarah Palin On His Short List For Vice-President Or A Cabinet Position If He Wins The Nomination

2011-12-30T14:07:00.001-09:00

In an attempt to revive his flagging candidacy in which he's slipped to fifth place in Iowa, Newt Gingrich has reached out to a more populist constituency. Real Clear Politics reports that on December 28th, 2011, during a tele-townhall hosted by Ralph Reed's Faith and Freedom Coalition, Gingrich disclosed that Sarah Palin would be on his short list for the vice-presidency or a cabinet position in his administration.

This surprise gambit came in response to a question from a caller. Gingrich's response:

She [Palin] is certainly one of the people you would look at. I am a great admirer of hers and she was a remarkable reform governor of Alaska, she’s somebody who I think brings a great deal to the possibility of helping in government and that would be one of the possibilities. There are also some very important Cabinet positions that she could fill very, very well. I can’t imagine anybody who would do a better job of driving us to an energy solution than Gov. Palin, for example. Tell her that she would certainly be on the list of one of the people we would consider.

This comes as a surprise to me, since Sarah Palin has been a strong critic of crony capitalism and insider politics, and Gingrich is widely considered to be a poster boy for crony capitalism and insider politics. But CBS News reports that Palin and her husband Todd speak favorably of Newt and what they see as his credentials as compared to Perry and Romney, and further speculated that if Palin was to extend a pre-convention endorsement, Gingrich would be the most likely recipient. Back on December 8th, the Boston Herald reported that Palin said Gingrich has been more successful than Mitt Romney in courting party activists, explaining "He has been engaged in that movement most recently in order for them to hear his solutions and there’s been some forgiveness then on the part of Tea Party Patriots [team stats] for some of the things in Gingrich’s past". But even then she acknowledged that Gingrich could not sell himself as an outsider. Word is that Palin won't consider endorsing anyone until after the Iowa caucuses, at the earliest.

However, Sarah Palin has also spoken highly of Ron Paul. On December 7th, Palin told Fox Business Network’s Follow The Money that although she didn’t agree with Paul’s foreign policy, that he was absolutely right on when it comes to his stand on domestic spending issues. Palin said “He’s the one that Americans need to listen to when it comes to dealing in reality about this bankrupt path that we are on. So Ron Paul’s endorsement — not saying he won’t get the nomination, but in case he doesn’t — who it is that he chooses to endorse will give us a clear indication of who is on the right path with domestic spending that needs to be addressed. I’m very interested in hearing what Ron Paul thinks at the end of the day.”

What does seem clear is that it's unlikely Sarah Palin will endorse Mitt Romney or Rick Perry.

Reaction: Some enthusiasm shown on the neocon-dominated Free Republic forum. One person thinks Gingrich would turn her loose to go after Obama and not muzzle her like John McCain did in 2008. Others welcome the possibility that she might become Secretary of Energy or Interior. But one person demurred, writing "It’s a cynical ploy and only convinces me more that Newt is untrustworthy. He’s embracing the Tea Party just long enough to get your vote and then he’ll dump us for his Washington cronies".

I tend to agree with the latter. If Sarah Palin was to endorse Newt and become his running mate, it would damage her credibility and she could be perceived as a sellout. It would not make me more inclined to support Gingrich.

New Ron Paul Ad Effectively Debunks Any Charges Of "Racism"; Newsletter Controversy Not Affecting Ron Paul In The Polls

2011-12-30T12:59:00.001-09:00

Republican Presidential candidate Ron Paul continues to be relentlessly attacked by the elite over the "racist" newsletters published under his name 10-20 years ago. On Christmas Day, the New York Times bemoaned the fact that although Ron Paul has repeatedly disowned White nationalist philosophy, he has not chosen to formally disavow their support. Realizing that Dr. Paul is a genuine threat to win the upcoming Iowa caucuses, the elite will stoop to any level to try and stop him; the elite would rather have a stooge like Newt Gingrich who will tell Middle America to shut up, take their "trickle-down" table scraps, and be thankful they're allowed the privilege of subsidizing the rich.

However, a well-crafted and well-timed ad has been released which effectively debunks any charges of "racism" on the part of Ron Paul. A Black gentleman named James described his experiences when he encountered difficulties in procuring health care, and how Dr. Paul stepped in and helped him solve his problem:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Rv0Z5SNrF4

The video clearly shows that notwithstanding what private views Ron Paul may hold about race, he treats people of all races with equal consideration. Those who have a fully mature sense of justice know that actions speak LOUDER than words.

White racialist leaders make it abundantly clear that they do not consider Dr. Paul to be a White nationalist and do not expect him to bring back Jim Crow if elected. The Times quoted Stormfront proprietor Don Black as saying “We understand that Paul is not a white nationalist, but most of our people support him because of his stand on issues. We think our race is being threatened through a form of genocide by assimilation, meaning the allowing in of third-world immigrants into the United States.” Some of the other issues were subsequently described as controlling our borders, opposing affirmative action, and eliminating the Federal Reserve.

Another White civil rights activist, Dr. David Duke, has not formally endorsed Ron Paul, but makes it clear he intends to vote for him -- and NOT for racial reasons. According to PolitickerNY, Dr. Duke explained “Again, I go back to that, you know, traditional topic that I always talk about, you know, the powers of international Zionism–a power in banking, a power in media, a power in government influence, in campaign finance–a power that’s, you know, hurting the values of this country on behalf of Israel. So, I would vote for Ron Paul at this moment because he’s one of the few candidates who have policies in this regard and this realm that I wholeheartedly support, and that’s why I’d vote for him.”

Ron Paul's aides have said that much of the support is unsolicited and that it is unfair to overlook the larger and growing number of mainstream voters now backing him. For his part, Ron Paul told the Times that he doesn't encourage White racialist support, saying “If they want to endorse me, they’re endorsing what I do or say — it has nothing to do with endorsing what they say”. Unlike more mainstream candidates, Dr. Paul shows political courage and refuses to throw unpopular constituencies under the bus.

And isn't this what we want in a President? Don't we want a President who will give everyone their shot at the podium? Isn't it about time we had a President who is a uniter instead of a divider?

The newsletter flap has not hurt Ron Paul at the polls in the least. An NBC/Marist poll from Dec. 27-28 shows Mitt Romney and Ron Paul running virtually neck and neck in Iowa; Romney's at 23 percent while Paul is at 21 percent. This shows Ron Paul is a clear-cut threat to win Iowa. And a national Gallup daily tracking poll from Dec. 22-28 shows only a slight decline in support for Ron Paul from 13 percent to 11 percent. This indicates people are no longer listening to these self-appointed minders who constantly see "racism" as the cause of every racial variance in the United States, no matter how small or inconsequential.

Ron Paul will survive the newsletter controversy.

Why You Should Not Let Your Toddler Play With A Smartphone: Oklahoma Toddler Unintentionally Downloads $200 Worth Of Apps

2011-12-29T22:28:00.000-09:00

Two tips for those who buy smartphones. First, make sure you require that passwords be used before purchasing apps. And second, don't allow toddlers to play with smartphones.

The Hall family in Oklahoma had engaged password protection, but they allowed their 20-month-old daughter to play with their smartphone one day because she "liked looking at the colors". Then surprise, surprise -- at the end of the billing period, their statement included additional charges for $199.98 -- two $99.99 "apps". The story originates from the Associated Press and is replicated on The Blaze:

There sure are a lot of negative, judgmental comments about the Hall family posted on YouTube (81 dislikes). While the couple may seem a bit ditzy to us, this is something that could easily happen to many of us -- and has happened to many already. One would not normally expect to accidentally download features after engaging password protection.

After the Halls explained the situation to their provider, the provider removed the charges as a one-time courtesy. But public reaction on The Blaze was mixed. Some cynics claimed the parents deliberately downloaded the apps, didn't like them, and so they blamed it on the kid to escape the charges. In response, the toddler's mother, Holly Hall, posted the following comment:

hhall11 Posted on December 29, 2011 at 4:18pm (broken into paragraphs to improve readability):
I am actually this little girl’s mother and I just want to clarify. We already had ALL our devices password protected. The news was incorrect.

What we had not done was to push one small button in the settings to turn off the “in-app” feature. It is not correct to say you have to have an “account” with ITunes and once the money it is gone you can’t download. We have our credit card linked to the account and have to enter our Apple ID any time we download an app. This is where this news story has spun out of control. She did not download an actual app like games, etc.

What she did was download “star coins” in a game that she had clicked on and each of them were $99.99 each. THERE WAS NO APPLE ID NEEDED TO DO THIS!!! All she had to do was to push a “confirm” button. We are not as ignorant as the media made us sound and we are very interactive with our children. We just let her push buttons (or used to!) on the phone as she loves looking at the colors, etc. We didn’t realize in doing this she could get these in-apps confirmed with no password. This was the only reason we agreed to go on the news to let other parents know this is possible.

I am shocked to see so many people still think you have to have an Apple ID to download anything and say because they think this this whole story must be false. Most people I have talked to since this happened had no idea there is a feature to turn the in-apps off! This is the reason why we wanted others to know.

Apparently when you buy a smartphone, the factory setting for the in-app feature is ON, so you must remember to reset it OFF if you want to avoid this problem. The "in-app" feature is NOT a separate stand-alone app, but is designed to facilitate the playing of certain game apps requiring frequent and expensive additional In-App purchases in order to advance in the game. If the In-App setting is ON, then these additional In-App purchases are automatic, which minimizes disruption of the game, but will rack up additional charges. If the In-App setting is OFF, the additional In-App purchases cannot be made without your affirmative consent. At least that's how I understand it to work. Read more about how to turn off the feature at iPad Insight.

The following graphic illustrates what the menu should look like, and where the In-App button is located:

Another commenter to The Blaze recommends getting an app called Toddler Lock, a free app that allows a kid to play with a smartphone all they want while keeping the unit itself temporarily disabled.

Sears Releases Partial List Of Stores To Be Closed; Alaska's Anchorage, Fairbanks, And Wasilla Full-Line Stores Spared The Axe So Far

2011-12-29T13:19:00.000-09:00

Update January 1st 2012: The Juneau Empire reported on the Juneau store, which is part of the subcategory of smaller Sears Hometown stores. Further research also revealed Sears Hometown Dealers in Kenai and Ketchikan. This post has been updated to reflect this information.

On December 29th, 2011, Sears Roebucks released a partial list of Sears and K-Mart stores to be closed during the first quarter of 2012, and Alaska's three full-line Sears stores in Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Wasilla have been spared -- so far. There are also three Sears Hometown Dealer stores in Juneau, Kenai, and Ketchikan which are unaffected. Three sources provide a list of the closing stores; the primary source is the Sears website:

-- http://www.searsmedia.com/tools/122711_close.pdf

However, the Sears link has been occasionally down, perhaps due to oversaturation; NJ.com is a substitute source:

-- http://www.nj.com/gloucester-county/index.ssf/2011/12/sears_holding_identifies_79_se.html

And here's the best-organized substitute source at the Wall Street Journal, organized by state:

-- http://blogs.wsj.com/deals/2011/12/29/here-are-the-sears-stores-that-are-closing/tab/interactive/

Same-store sales at Kmart were down 4.4 percent in the eight weeks that ended Christmas Day, and down 6 percent at Sears' U.S. stores. Overall, they were down 5.2 percent compared with the same period a year ago. As a matter of fact, sales have declined every year since the $11 billion merger of Sears and K-Mart into Sears Holding Corp. in 2005.

According to Reuters, some analysts are pessimistic about Sears' future and foresee further closings down the line. Independent retail analyst Brian Sozzi said the company has let stores deteriorate, sells ho-hum merchandise, and also faults poor locations. Although the Anchorage store co-anchors The Mall At Sears, it's located directly across the street from Fred Meyer, which offers something Sears does not -- groceries. Likewise the Wasilla store is located directly across the Parks Hwy. from Walmart; same problem. The Fairbanks store has attracted a number of complaints in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner for slow service and insufficient stock.

I would suggest that the Anchorage store is least likely of the three to close because it's in the best position to serve the entire state of Alaska, although the Juneau Empire suggests the Juneau store is in good shape.

It appears to me that Sears' business model is antiquated. The business models for department stores nowadays are either upscale (Nordstrom's and JC Penney), or discount (Walmart). Sears tries to be both, and is succeeding at neither, although their Kenmore line of appliances and their Craftsman brand of tools are still highly-regarded. A comment by Isanova to the News-Miner story hints that some of the stores may be understaffed, which can mean long waits for customer assistance. Customers won't put up with that problem very long.

Alaska Political Predictions For 2012; The Bombshell -- Sarah Palin May Endorse Ron Paul At The GOP Convention And Become His Running Mate

2011-12-26T11:54:00.001-09:00

As 2012 approaches, Alaska's political pundits will undoubtedly be gazing into their crystal balls and publishing their prognostications for the upcoming year. So I've decided to get the jump on them and put out some predictions of my own.

Many of them are based upon wishful thinking. But I try to keep my predictions realistic; I don't predict that Person A will be arrested for child porn on such-and-such a date, because those types of predictions are totally fanciful. I try to attach some logical rationale to my predictions.

But where I go out on a limb is with Sarah Palin and Ron Paul. The wild-card bombshell: I'm predicting that Sarah Palin will endorse Ron Paul for president at the convention and become his running mate. Palin partisans might ask why she'd settle for being second banana in 2012 after being second banana in 2008. The answer: Palin has a track record of putting the interests of others ahead of her own personal interests at critical junctures. When Sarah Palin decided to resign as governor, she did so in order to extract the Executive Branch from the hands of the anklebiters who were holding it hostage and give it back to the Alaskan people, knowing full well that she would be denounced by some as a "quitter". But before then, when Sarah Palin learned that her unborn baby had Down's Syndrome, instead of selfishly aborting it, she chose to bring it into this world. Sarah Palin's the real deal; she will bridle her greater ambitions for the sake of the public good.

Anyway, here goes, assembled in a loose chronological order (I will update this post with the outcomes as they occur):

-- The Anchorage School District will select Kenai School Superintendent Keith Atwater as early as late January to replace Carol Comeau. While Jim Browder has a good package, he shows a recent pattern of contentious behavior; that, combined with his status as an Outsider, will trigger his rejection.

-- At a February Federal trial, Schaeffer Cox and his cohorts will be acquitted on all conspiracy charges, and convicted only on weapons charges. Cox and his cohorts will appeal the convictions nonetheless.

-- Ron Paul will narrowly defeat Mitt Romney at the March 6th 2012 state GOP Presidential Preference Poll and bag Alaska's delegates. Sarah Palin will play no public role in the outcome. [Disclosure: I am a Ron Paul partisan, but even so, the correlation of forces is incrementally and massively shifting in favor of Ron Paul]

-- Anchorage Mayor Dan Sullivan will be narrowly re-elected over challenger Paul Honeman, but it will require a runoff.

-- Anchorage voters will pass the proposed gay nondiscrimination initiative, but only by about a one to two percent margin. It will require a recount to determine the outcome, and the Alaska Family Council may decide to challenge the results in court.

-- After two 6.0 earthquakes closely spaced together occur in areas where hydraulic fracturing for natural gas recovery is taking place, Congress will realize there is a connection between fracking and earthquake swarms; they will pass tough new restrictions on fracking. The price of natural gas will rise, making Alaska's supply more valuable and providing a greater financial incentive for recovery. But Transcanada will continue to make excuses as to why they can't launch AGIA.

-- A frustrated Governor Sean Parnell will finally give up on AGIA and launch a campaign for an all-Alaskan natural gas pipeline to parallel the TAP to Valdez. He will propose the use of some of the Permanent Fund to jump-start the project, and also propose to allow Alaskans to use their PFDs to buy shares in the project.

-- As Ron Paul's across-the-board grass roots appeal surges, the Occupy Anchorage and Occupy Fairbanks groups will re-direct themselves away from protest and more in the direction of getting Ron Paul elected President. The transition will be gradual but noticeable.

-- To stem continuing financial losses, Alaska Communications Systems (ACS) will either merge with or be purchased by a larger lower 48-based telecommunications provider (let's hope it's not Comcast, for God's sake).

-- At a Republican National Convention hopelessly deadlocked between Ron Paul and Mitt Romney, Sarah Palin will make a dramatic entrance and give a fiery speech endorsing Ron Paul because of their mutual distaste for crony capitalism. Ron Paul will then be nominated by acclamation, and during his acceptance speech comes the payoff: Ron Paul will propose that Sarah Palin be his running mate. The convention accepts, and the Paul-Palin ticket is born.

-- An Alaskan judge will invalidate the results of the anti-Pebble initiative passed in the Lakes and Peninsula Borough on the basis that a borough law cannot supersede a state law. The judge will accept the state's contention that the initiative is trumped by Alaska law and the state's authority to govern the management and development of mineral resources.

-- The convictions of Schaeffer Cox and his cohorts will be set aside as a Federal judge finds that the two informants in the case actually crossed the line and induced illegal activity. The judge will also find that the refusal of the Feds to grant bail to Coleman Barney constituted cruel and unusual punishment.

-- Peggy Wilson will defeat Kyle Johansen by a healthy margin to secure the Republican nomination for the new HD33 seat in Ketchikan during the state primary election in August.

-- In the November general election, the Paul-Palin ticket will score a landslide victory over the Obama-Biden ticket, winning at least 55 percent of the popular vote. Obama will be lucky to take the Northeast, the Upper Midwest, and the three lower 48 West Coast states. The South, the Lower Midwest, and the Intermountain West will be solid red.

Did The Same Entities Pushing SOPA (H.R.3261) Also Distribute Software To Aid Piracy In The First Place?

2011-12-24T21:41:00.000-09:00

Yes they did, according to the video embedded below. Mike Mozart claims that many of the top companies supporting SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act, HR 3261; the Senate version is the PROTECT IP Act, S.968) actually helped to distribute the software that aided and promoted music and book piracy to begin with. Much of his focus is on CNET, which developed and promoted software designed to facilitate music downloads in particular; CNET just happens to be owned by CBS, who supports SOPA. Mozart's premise: The companies allowed piracy software to be promoted and distributed to encourage copyright violations so that the companies could go to Congress, claim massive copyright violations, and ask for legislative remedies designed to crush competition and promote greater corporate control of the Internet. As David Icke would say, Problem-Reaction-Solution.

Read my October 30th post for more information about this legislation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHL912jlyE0

Mozart also edits the following blog, which contains much more information on this subject:

http://onecandleinthedark.blogspot.com/

Already public backlash against SOPA has caused one corporate supporter to reverse course. On December 23rd, 2011, GoDaddy withdrew its support for SOPA after a backlash from customers who were vehemently against the legislation. Triggering GoDaddy's response was a Reddit user who called on those with GoDaddy domains to move them elsewhere by December 29th, prompting godaddyboycott.org. In addition, Cheezburger CEO Ben Huh threatened to move his 1,000 domains off GoDaddy unless they renounced SOPA.

GoDaddy now recommends that SOPA be modified to propose changes to key defined terms, limitations on DNS filtering to ensure the integrity of the Internet, more significant consequences for frivolous claims, and specific provisions to protect free speech. One of the key concerns about SOPA is that the bill is too far-reaching and broad, and could potentially harm websites that don't actually contain infringing content or were acting in good faith.

The House Judiciary Committee is scheduled to take up SOPA when it reconvenes in 2012, while the Senate will take up their version, PROTECT IP Act, in late January.

Three Louisiana Girl Scout Leaders Resign Their Posts And Disband Their Troops To Protest Colorado Girl Scout Troop's Inclusion Of Transgendered Kid

2011-12-22T22:25:00.003-09:00

The decision by a Denver, Colorado Girl Scout troop to allow a transgendered kid to join because he felt like he was a girl continues to have repercussions -- and they echo far beyond Colorado. The New American reports that three Girl Scout leaders in Louisiana have decided to resign their posts and dismantle their troops because of the recent decision by the national organization to allow boys who are confused about their gender to join the Girl Scouts. The leaders, who oversee three Girl Scout troops at Northlake Christian School in Lacombe, Louisiana, explained that the move by the group’s national leadership conflicted with their host organization’s Christian beliefs. Additional stories published by the Baptist Press News and the Christian Post; more mainstream media sources include the New York Daily News and the Daily Mail.

Susan Bryant-Snure of Lacombe, La., one of three troop leaders, spoke on behalf of all of them. She characterized the Girl Scouts' action as extremely confusing and an "almost dangerous situation" for children. Her three daughters, ages 10, 6 and 4, were among 25 girls who had been active scouts there.

Northlake Christian School is exploring the possibility of aligning with American Heritage Girls, a group organized in 1995 in protest to the Girl Scouts' decision to allow scouts to replace the word "God" in scout teachings with a word representing a personal image of God, such as a "higher being", "Allah" or "Buddha". The newer group proclaims Jesus Christ as Lord, limits membership to girls and works to disciple girls as Christians. AHG Founder Patti Garibay told Christian Post that her group has not dealt with any transgender issues and that they only accept girls ages five to 18, adding that the issue with the Girl Scouts is definitely a concern parents need to know about. A website called HonestGirlScouts.com details other concerns, such as how the 2011 GSUSA National Convention was pushing pro-lesbian and pro-abortion role models, as well as the growing connection between the Girl Scouts, Planned Parenthood, and radical feminists.

A list of American Heritage Girls troops is available HERE. There are four AHG troops in Alaska; Anchorage, Eagle River, Wasilla, and Dillingham. Each one is affiliated with a church.

They've garnered support from Focus On The Family. Jeff Johnston, a social issues analyst specializing in homosexuality and sexuality in the Public Policy Department of Focus on the Family, said the Girl Scouts' practice of admitting transgendered children will lead to growing societal confusion about gender. He alleges that strong cultural campaigns are already under way to teach that gender doesn't matter and to promote more than two genders.

The Boy Scouts of America remain true to traditional values; they don't accept openly-gay people. One reason is that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints uses the Boy Scouts as one of their official youth programs. The LDS Church is the largest single sponsor of Scouting units with over 30,000 units nationwide, comprising about 13 percent of BSA's youth members. The LDS Church has stated that it would withdraw from the Scouting program if it was ever compelled to accept homosexual Scout leaders. If this happened, not only would this put a noticeable dent in the BSA, but would probably decimate the program altogether in heavily-Mormon Utah and southeast Idaho. Nice to have that type of clout.

A group called Scouting For All exists for youth who think they're gay and want to engage in Scouting-type activities.

Ron Paul Walks Out On Interview After CNN Analyst Gloria Borger Bullies Him About "Racist" Newsletter; National Media Arrogance Off The Charts

2011-12-21T22:08:00.001-09:00

Public officials and candidates for elective office incur an obligation to hold themselves accountable. But in the process, they incur no obligation to take abuse, as Congressman Don Young demonstrated to the surprise and chagrin of Rice University professor Douglas Brinkley three weeks ago.

Now Republican Presidential candidate Ron Paul has delivered the same lesson to CNN reporter Gloria Borger. During a December 21st, 2011 interview with Ron Paul, Borger questioned Paul about the newsletter published under his name back during the early 1990s. When Borger asked whether he looked at them when they were published and decided they did not represent him accurately, he said not all the time. Pressed on whether he read them he said, "Not all the time. Well, on occasion, yes. I've never read that stuff. I've never read - I came - I was probably aware of it 10 years after it was written and it's been going on 20 years that people have pestered me about this and CNN does it every single time". When asked about the money Paul reportedly made off the newsletters, Paul replied “No, I’d like to see that money. I never read that stuff. I was probably aware of it ten years after it was written and it’s been going on 20 years that people have pestered me about this and CNN does it every single time. So when are you going to wear yourself out?”

But Borger wouldn't quit. She then pressed Paul on whether or not this was a legitimate topic, and he became a bit testy saying "Yeah and when you get the answer, it's legitimate that you sort of take the answers I gave. You know what the answer is? I didn't write them, didn't read them at the time, and I disavow them. This is the answer." At that point, he decided this was a set-up, had the mike removed, and calmly left the premises. YouTube video below:

Ironically, during the first part of the interview, which is shown later in the video, Borger conducted herself much more professionally when asking him about some hard-hitting campaign commercials. But for some reason, she decided to slip into Mr. Hyde mode when she started discussing the newsletter. Mediaite takes CNN to task, writing "Why cover this now? And why so much? You’re not looking at a decades-old story from a different angle, you’re not revealing new information, you’re merely reheating the same embarrassing, racist meal (just…. go with it) you keep serving us every few years. This is becoming, at this point, the McRib of Embarrassing Political Stories. Why?"

Unfortunately, this type of bullying by the national media is becoming more prevalent. Sean Hannity and Chris Matthews regularly bully their guests on a nightly basis. In 1999, NBC reporter Jim Gray disrespected Pete Rose during a commemorative occasion during the World Series which represented his first return to a MLB event since getting banned (video HERE). And, of course, there was that infamous incident between quarterback Jim Everett and ESPN reporter Jim Rome back in 1994, when Everett snapped and jammed the table into Rome's gut.

There have been local incidents in Alaska as well. In one incident, Alaska Dispatch reporter Tony Hopfinger ended up getting restrained and trussed up like a Thanksgiving turkey after getting too uppity with U.S. Senate candidate Joe Miller in October 2010. And when Dan Fagan was doing his talk show on KFQD, he would bully his guests from time to time, the most notorious example being when he went stark raving bonkers on Assembly candidate Chris Blankenship in 2008.

These national reporters didn't start their careers as bullies. At one time, they were just as respectable as most of our current local reporters here in Alaska. But something happens to them when they go national -- they become arrogant, power-drunk, and full of themselves. They forget that the job of a journalist is to report the news, NOT become the news. Comment posted to Politico and to Yahoo News are overwhelmingly sympathetic towards Ron Paul -- the national media is becoming increasingly reviled amongst middle Americans.

On the other hand, a lot of us have been complaining that Ron Paul has been either ignored or marginalized by the national media. Such is obviously no longer the case. Meanwhile, Barack Obama continues to get preferential treatment from the national media.

Think FedEx Or UPS Is Such A Great Alternative To The U.S. Postal Service? This Video Of FedEx Package Abuse In The U.K. May Change Your Mind

2011-12-20T10:28:00.001-09:00

Extreme free market wankers are cheering the decline of the U.S. Postal Service. They openly celebrate its possible demise, and rhapsodize about how well the so-called "free market" could replace USPS.

Perhaps the video embedded below will change some minds. The accompanying story was published by the Daily Mail. It shows a FedEx worker delivering a computer monitor somewhere in the United Kingdom. Watch as the delivery man walks right past an iron gate equipped with a security keypad that he could have used to gain access, and toss the parcel over the fence. And yes, the customer did report that the monitor was broken when he opened it:

Shea Leordeanu, a company spokeswoman, says company officials are shocked at the video and the company is working to track down the delivery man. She said when they find that person, "This won't be his best day". I sincerely hope that is a code phrase for TERMINATION; such a blatant disregard for proper procedure warrants no second chance. Update December 22nd: FedEx says they quickly located the errant employee using the company's own tracking system. FedEx spokeswoman Shea Leordeanu says the employee has been disciplined, but did not specify the nature of the discipline. FedEx determined that the employee had delivered all other packages properly on that day.

No one is denying that the U.S. Postal Service can make mistakes, too. But if USPS leaves a parcel at your doorstep, and someone steals it before you can get it, you have additional recourse not available to those who use UPS or FedEx. Stealing mail from the U.S. Postal Service is a federal crime; if caught, it's a potential five year prison sentence and a $250,000 fine. But, if your items are stolen after delivery from a private carrier like UPS, it is considered property theft. This means that carries like UPS may not offer much help.

They point is, USPS can be held more accountable than private carriers, and one doesn't have to be rich enough to hire a lawyer to do it. Free marketeers don't think about that when they call for the demise of the U.S. Postal Service. They think that because they have the resources to sue in civil court, anyone can do it. They define economic accessibility by the capabilities of the rich.

Comments posted to the Daily Mail story indicate this is not an isolated occurrence at FedEx, and even UPS takes a few hits (after the jump):

Tyson, Toledo,Ohio,USA, 20/12/2011 18:16:
I worked for Fed Ex and other freight companies.They never train their employees how to handle and load things properly.It's usually common sense If the box is 80 lbs it doesn't go on a 20 lb box.Fed Ex prides themselves in speedy delivery not quality.I unloaded trucks with 80 lb boxes laying on 20 lb boxes smashed loaded this way.I remember that they would push us extremely hard to get the most freight loaded in a small amount of time.I once unloaded a truck that had numerous packages incorrectly loaded and were either crushed or destroyed.I commented to a shift supervisor about their techniques needing more attention and was simply told and I quote "It's just another insurance claim"Shame on you Mr Fed Ex delivery guy! You just ruined someones Christmas present because you're lazy.I certainly hope you think about what you did when you open your nice new undamaged present someone bought for you this year." Shame on you Fed Ex for not caring how you train your employees.

Holly, Utah, USA, 20/12/2011 18:13:
I live in a very remote area and when I'm the only person in the area getting a delivery, my FedEX driver will hold onto the package at his house until he has other deliveries coming to my area. He refuses to drive all the way here for just one package. I've had several gifts arrive too late to give in time for birthdays because of this. One day he also forgot to close his doors while driving down the highway and lost several packages. I happened to be driving behind him and had to keep stopping to get boxes out of the road.

babeinpink, usa, 20/12/2011 18:07:
it happened to me too. I ordered an iPad for 2nd day delivery and was shipped using FedEx. While when I was waiting for my package that afternoon, I heard something hit my front door very loud and hard, so I looked out my windows, and I saw FedEx guy drove by my house. My boyfriend found the package 10 feet away from the door which was bounced back by the force. I think they delivered packages more like delivery [they delivered] the newspaper. It's awful.

Name, United States, 20/12/2011 8:21:
Take it from someone who worked for FedEx. Your packages are thrown many more times than this before they arrive at your house.. the handlers in the terminal LOB them out of the trailers onto the belts, then the loaders/drivers LOB them into the trucks. This is less a problem with the workers, more a problem with the way these companies do business. They never hire on enough help for the peak holiday season, so these guys get loaded up with so many packages they don't get home until midnight or later, and even then they still have undelivered packages sitting on their trucks. In other words, they don't give a damn about your stuff. And neither do the companies. A small insurance claim here and there is cheaper for the company than paying the drivers overtime. If you are expecting a package and live in a fortress, make your house accessible during the estimated delivery span or leave a note to the driver with specific instructions. Otherwise this WILL happen, recorded or not. [Ed. Note: Of course they don't hire on enough holiday help -- heaven forbid the CEO would have to settle for a seven-figure poverty wage instead of eight-figure compensation.]

LovePeopleMore, USA, 20/12/2011 6:35:
I refuse to use FedEx after several incidents, including one in which I answered the front door after a slight delay (I was on a conference call, working from home) to find the FedEx delivery woman throwing a package from the top of a 7-foot retaining wall, down to the driveway in front of the garage. Our driveway winds around to the back of the house, and is not very long; it would have been very simple to use it. Now if a company only ships FedEx, I find somewhere else to make my purchase.

Alaska State Rep. Chris Tuck Speaks Out Publicly Against The New Body Scanners At Anchorage International Airport

2011-12-19T21:39:00.000-09:00

A second member of the Alaska State Legislature has taken a public stand against the body scanners in use at Alaska airports. On December 19th, 2011, Rep. Chris Tuck (D29-Anchorage) unveiled a T.V. commercial in which he warns people that the new scanners can emit radiation, and advises people they can elect a patdown in lieu of the scanner, and that they should call airport police if TSA's patdowns become too intrusive. Rep. Sharon Cissna (D22-Anchorage) is the other lawmaker who's publicly criticized the scanners as well as TSA's overall screening procedures.

Tuck started running the ads on Sunday December 18th during KTUU's news broadcast, which airs statewide. His commercial is scheduled to appear during the morning and 6 p.m. newscasts for a total of eight airings up through Wednesday. The cost to Tuck is $2.060, which he paid out his Public Offices Expense Term (POET) account, which is a place legislators are allowed to put surplus campaign cash after winning an election. Video of commercial embedded below:

One fly in the ointment, though. Rep. Tuck insists that scanned images can be stored and transmitted, and will continue to believe it until TSA proves to him that there is no storage capability. TSA spokespersons have repeatedly denied that they store and transmit images, either from the older backscatter machines or the newer millimeter-wave technology, more completely described in my previous post.

TSA's reaction was also documented by CNN. TSA spokesman Greg Soule says the ad is flawed on several accounts. First, the body imagers now installed in Fairbanks and soon to be installed at Anchorage, Ketchikan, and Juneau all use software that displays a generic body outline to protect people's privacy. Second, all use harmless radio waves instead of low-level radiation. And finally, none record images. In response, Tuck called it good news, but said his concerns remain because Alaskans also travel out of the state, where the older body scanners are in use. Alaskans are far more dependent on air transportation than all other Americans except for Hawaiians.

Alaskans' Freedom to Travel USA praised Rep. Tuck for speaking out, writing "Three cheers for Chris Tuck's Public Service Announcement - covered by CNN today. Check out the story and be sure to leave a comment. Also share the story on your Facebook page. Let Rep. Tuck know you appreciate having a public official who will speak out against the abusive tactics of the TSA".

Because of re-districting, Chris Tuck has now been placed in the same district as another incumbent House member, Mike Doogan. It is now known as District 22. Doogan has already said he will not seek re-election, so Tuck has the Democratic field to himself so far. Jeff Landfield is providing the Republican opposition.

North Korean Communist Dictator Kim Jong-Il Dies, Kim Jong-Un To Succeed Him; Will This Lead To Freedom For North Korea?

2011-12-18T19:03:00.001-09:00

The end of the long totalitarian nightmare for the so-called "Democratic Republic of Korea" (North Korea) may be at hand. According to Reuters, North Korean Communist dictator Kim Jong-il died around 8:30 A.M. on Saturday December 17th, 2011 at the age of 69 while on a train trip. North Korean state television said the cause of his death was physical and mental overwork while on his way to give field guidance ro workers, while Voice Of America says it was a heart attack. In response, South Korea has placed its military on alert and its National Security Council is convening for an emergency meeting. CNN news video embedded below:

Because Kim Jong-Il suffered a stroke in 2008, he had begun to incrementally transfer power to his third son and chosen successor, Kim Jong-un, who is 27 years old. Kim Jong-un was first presented to the North Korean public as the successor in September 2010. Kim Jong-un was recently named vice chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party and promoted to four-star general. Three senior North Korean leaders -- General Choe Ryong Hae, General Oh Kum Chol, and Military Director-General Oh Il Jong -- reportedly spearheaded the campaign to anoint Kim Jong-un as the country's future leader. Two other people who reportedly keep Kim Jong-un on a short leash include Kim Jong-il's right-hand man, brother-in-law Jang Song-thaek, and Mr. Jang's wife, Kim's younger sister, Kim Kyong-hui.

The son of Kim Il Sung, North Korea's founder, Kim Jong-il was a chain-smoking recluse who ruled for 17 years after coming to power in July 1994 and resisted opening up to the outside world in order to protect his regime. He repeatedly tested missiles which were advertised to have the capability to strike Alaska, and worked to develop nuclear weapons, imposing serious economic privation upon his people to pay for it. During the closing years of his regime, Kim Jong-il became more bellicose and confrontational. He is believed to have ordered the sinking of the South Korean naval vessel Cheonan that killed 46 sailors in March 2010. Eight months later, North Korea shelled a South Korean island, killing two soldiers, two civilians and setting homes ablaze.

Kim Jong-un (from 2010)

While it's tempting to think that freedom may finally be dawning for North Korea, the world knows very little about Kim Jong-un. Since he did receive part of his higher education in Switzerland, he's not ignorant about the rest of the world or other political systems. But it may take time for him to catch on at home. According to an October 2010 Christian Science Monitor article, Kim Jong-un is not very popular with North Korean citizens. One defector told the media that "The regime says Kim Jong-un has inherited the 'revolutionary achievements' and traditions from his grandfather, but the public has no illusions about him. People are simply speechless at Kim Jong-il's greed in placing his young son on the throne." Another defector called Kim Jong-un a scoundrel who relies on his father's power to do whatever he wants, noting that the distrust North Koreans feel toward Kim Jong-il will turn into animosity toward Kim Jong-un, who is said to be just like his father. In addition, there are also doubts among the North Korean military's rank and file about the leadership of Kim Jong-un as they wonder why a 27-year-old would be qualified to be a four-star general.

The rank-and-file of the military could be the key to North Korea's future. Will Kim Jong-un be smart enough to co-opt them? And, if so, how will he do it? Will he merely distract them by buying them new toys at the continued expense of the people, or will he turn into a Gorbachev?

Anchorage Gay Nondiscrimination Initiative To Go On The April 3rd Ballot; Alaska Family Council Launches Campaign To Defeat It

2011-12-14T23:03:00.000-09:00

The Anchorage Municipal Clerk's office ruled on December 14th, 2011 that enough signatures on a petition to put a proposed gay nondiscrimination initiative on the April 3rd municipal ballot have been successfully verified. While the Municipal Clerk required a minimum of 5,871 signatures, over 6,000 of the 13,515 signatures turned in by One Anchorage have been validated.

Here is the wording of the question to appear on the ballot:

“Shall the current Municipal Code sections providing legal protections against discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, marital status, age, physical disability, and mental disability be amended to include protections on the basis of sexual orientation or transgender identity?”

If passed, it will get applicable sections of the Anchorage Municipal Code updated to add the phrase "sexual orientation or transgendered identity" to the laundry list of protected classes, but employers and proprietors would still be allowed to maintain separate-gender restrooms and to impose reasonable dress codes upon employees.

One Anchorage is the pro-gay umbrella group leading the charge for the initiative, described by Bent Alaska as the Anchorage Equal Rights Initiative (Equality Works is a related website). Prominent Alaskans involved with them include former Gov. Tony Knowles, former "Republican" State Senator Arliss Sturgulewski, AFL-CIO president Vince Beltrami, and NAACP Anchorage president Wanda Greene. Four local churches are involved; St. Mary's Episcopal, United Methodist, Immanuel Presbyterian and Joy Lutheran; the pastor of First Congregational Church, Rev. George E. Blair III, also published a supportive comment.

One Anchorage and its supporters maintain that there is still sufficient discrimination against gays in employment and housing to warrant statutory class protection. To strengthen their case, they issued a preliminary 22-page report on the results of an Anchorage LGBT Discrimination Survey in November 2011. Of course, one must remember that perception of discrimination can be subjective; there is a big difference between merely being "offended" versus actually being abused.

Despite the imposing pro-gay lineup, passage is by no means a slam dunk. Although gay nondiscrimination ordinances are being passed with increasing frequency nationwide, on December 13th, the city of American Fork, Utah indefinitely tabled a proposed gay nondiscrimination ordinance after half the community testified against it. The reason given by the city council was the need for additional discussion and the fact that three new members of the council will take office in January 2012 and they deserve a chance to weigh in.

The Alaska Family Council, which led the successful fight against Ordinance #64 two years ago, intends to lead the pro-family forces into battle against the initiative. Jim Minnery told the Anchorage Daily News "It's not clear that there is any widespread discrimination against the gay community...What is clearer is that this is a true threat to religious liberties." To KTUU Channel 2, he said “They’re kind of barking up the wrong tree if they want government to require this affirmation by the public of a lifestyle, that, for many people it goes against their religious convictions.” Minnery has posted a three-page essay outlining the Alaska Family Council's objections on their website. It is anticipated that Anchorage Baptist Temple Pastor Jerry Prevo will also join the fight against the initiative. Prevo opposed Ordinance #64 in 2009; while his SOSAnchorage website has since been deactivated, a cache of the site is preserved HERE.

Two paragraphs from Jim Minnery's post cut to the chase (after the jump):

For almost fifty years the country has been embroiled in a continual effort to, first change, and then eradicate the traditional moral social and cultural principles that have governed our society from the beginning. Marriage and family, sanctity of life, responsible sexual behavior are the major, though not the only core values, that have been under attack. The progression of the campaign is clear. First, tolerance and choice are the reason for the change. Then, traditional views are suppressed by public opprobrium, but, ultimately, by force of law. The same sex identity initiative belongs to this latter stage. The old values must be prohibited. No toleration here. In a classic Orwellian twist of reality, the initiative, purportedly against discrimination, would, in fact, enshrine massive discrimination in the law against ordinary people whose only crime will be to hold social and moral values that this campaign aims to suppress. Big Brother will be watching you.

This is true. While Pastor Jerry Prevo has been vilified for his opposition to statutory protection of homosexuality, the four churches supporting the new initiative have received no significant criticism. In addition, pro-gay forces launched a savage persecution campaign of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in California because of the church's support of Proposition 8; pro-gay activists sought to out the names of California contributors to the Prop 8 campaign in order to target them with "personal activism".

The initiative will undoubtedly gather enough signatures to get on the ballot. The campaign for it will be well funded. It is supported by prominent liberal clergy and politicians and, of course, the local media. Those who dare raise their voices against it will be called bigots and hate mongers. It takes courage to fight for your values when you and those values are vilified in the daily press, but the values are defended for a reason. They are the basis of family and society. The deconstruction that has happened over the last few decades in this country has only damaged society and the people in it. The battle is worth fighting. Be prepared.

Those of us opposing this new initiative should take pride in being called "bigots" and "hatemongers"; they're like battle scars or decorations reflecting meritorious service in the culture wars. As Sarah Palin once said, if you're taking flak, it simply means you're over the target.

Anchorage International Airport Unveils New Millimeter Wave Full-Body Scanners For Passenger Screening, AFTUSA Shows Up To Protest

2011-12-09T21:09:00.000-09:00

On December 9th, 2011, the new full-body passenger scanners which do not present a form-fitting human outline were unveiled at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. Four of them have been installed in Anchorage, and scanners will also be installed at Fairbanks, Juneau and Ketchikan. However, one group, Alaskans' Freedom to Travel USA (AFTUSA), showed up to mount an orderly protest. Alaska Dispatch has a particularly detailed story, while the Anchorage Daily News published its own standard report, with a gallery of 11 photos HERE.

Summary: Instead of using low level X-ray beams to create the virtual image of an individual which stirred up so much controversy, these new scanners, which cost $150,000 each, use millimeter-wave technology that relies on bouncing radio waves off of a person's body. Using radio waves eliminates the radiation caused by the old backscatter machines. As a result, only a general outline of a person appears, with a yellow box depicting any "anomalies", defined as bumps or objects that the scanner deems unusual for a person's body. The scanners will neither store nor transmit any images of passengers, like those shown in the screenshot below. TSA provides more details HERE.

How It Works: A traveler passing through security checkpoint will still need to remove shoes and empty their pockets, and their belongings are sent through an X-ray machine. The person then steps into the scanner's see-through enclosure, raises his arms and two sensors rotate around his body, emitting electromagnetic waves. A display screen at the exit, viewable by both the passenger and a TSA agent, flashes green and "OK" if the person has nothing concealed on their body, otherwise a yellow box appears highlighting any anomaly. Anomalies will have to be resolved with a targeted patdown, which can be done on the spot or in private.

The old metal detectors are still installed next to the new scanners. While the new scanners will eventually become the default form of screening, the old detectors will be retained for overflow situations to speed up processing. Alaska Dispatch noted that there is some concern about false positives with the millimeter-wave machines; Germany has held off on deploying even the millimeter-wave scanners due to a false positive rate approaching 50 percent in some German media reports, including underarm sweat showing up as an anomaly.

The possibility of false positives, among other objections, attracted the attention of AFTUSA, which showed up to express their concerns. AFTUSA was downstairs from the security checkpoint; their people carried anti-TSA signs and even offered cookies, some shaped like TSA's trademark blue gloves and others, gingerbread men, dubbed "G-men." But the group appeared less concerned with the scanners than with any resultant patdowns. Patricia Anderson maintains that nobody should be touched for any reason, and that there are lingering concerns about the long-term health effects of millimeter-wave machines. AFTUSA has posted more extensive discussion on their Facebook page.

Rep. Sharon Cissna, who took a ferry from Seattle to Juneau to avoid being subjected to a patdown after a full-body scanner revealed her mastectomy, is still not satisfied, and has no intention of flying in the near future. Because her prosthesis will always show up, she's concerned she will be singled out for a patdown every time she flies. She wants to know why are we constantly picking on the same people over and over again when we're supposed to be looking for terrorists. A legitimate question -- should people with prosthetic appliances be asked to make a disproportionate sacrifice for the War on Terror? Is the War on Terror still important enough to even ask for such a sacrifice? That's a decision each person must make individually.

Swastika Found Painted On Aldersgate United Methodist Church In Juneau, Alaska; No Evidence Of Any So-Called "White Supremacist" Activity

2011-12-07T12:18:00.001-09:00

The Juneau Empire reports that the Aldersgate United Methodist Church was the target of vandalism early on Tuesday December 6th, 2011. A three-foot high swastika was painted on the church building’s white garage door, the number “420” was painted on the side of the garage, and the numbers “666” were painted on the church’s front door as well as on plastic sign out near the church’s entrance. The latter two numbers commonly refer to the Mark of the Beast in the Bible, and marijuana use. No other churches were targeted, and the church has been tagged by vandals on several other occasions during its 25-year history. Because of the variety of symbols involved, it's not being treated as a possible hate crime.

Undoubtedly, the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) and the Anti-Defamation League will be looking for an excuse to exploit this situation and sound the "white supremacist" alarm in order to further promote their self-perpetuation. However, Keith Pahlke, chairman of Aldergate’s board of trustees, dismisses the notion, saying that the vandals were just painting whatever they thought would shock people the most. The church quickly removed the graffitti; because of the wet weather, all it took to remove the spray paint was a little paint thinner and elbow grease. Rev. Susan Beogli, who just became pastor of the church in July 2011, was impressed by how much the local community have been calling her, reaching out to express their sympathy. Her message to the vandals: “Next time you’re in the vicinity, come in. Our logo is open hearts, open minds and open doors, come in.”

My message to the vandals would be to put a scrub brush and bucket into their hands and tell them to start busting their knuckles cleaning off graffitti.

Although the SPLC has a penchant for waving their magic rhetorical wand and transforming an innocent P.O. Box into a virulent Klan unit, at least they're intellectually honest enough to admit that there are no official "hate groups" in the state of Alaska. And this is actually impressive, considering that the SPLC has expanded their definition of "hate group" to include nativists, patriots, militia groups, pro-life advocates, pro-family advocates, and even immigration reform advocates like ALIPAC. But what the SPLC won't tell you, because they have no vested interest in doing so, is that there are many leaders and pundits within the White racialist community who have condemned so-called "white racial activists" who commit crimes in the name of "racial advocacy". On February 16th, 2011, Hunter Wallace, who edits Occidental Dissent, delivered this ringing condemnation of hooliganism disguised as "white nationalism" (after the jump):

Specifically, the marginalization of the White Nationalist movement by the reigning taboos attracts kooks, misfits, sociopaths and exhibitionists who wouldn’t fit into any society, whether it be a White ethnostate, Barack Obama’s multicultural utopia, or the White Republic of the Founding Fathers.

There are con-artists and rent-seeking charlatans who trying to make a living for themselves off the gullibility and desperation of alienated people.

There are intellectuals who are drunk on ideological kool-aid like their counterparts on the Left who believe in “the brotherhood of man.” These people are in love with some type of abstraction. No existing community can ever measure up to their high standards.

They are not motivated by any sentimental attachment to any peculiar people or place and go absolutely out of their way to let that fact be known to others.

Going down the list …

There are hotheads and net nazis who are just blowing off steam on the internet.

There are fantasists and time wasters who are here primarily to entertain themselves.

There are hateful people who just plainly dislike other groups.

There are prophets of doom and an endless supply of disagreeable curmudgeons.

There are other people in the White Nationalist movement who are here just because they are looking for some type of social acceptance.

More recently, in the ANP Report for September 29th, 2011, American Nazi Party Chairman Rocky Suhayda delivered an even more explicit condemnation:

Recently, the White masses were treated in the controlled jews-media to a DOUBLE-TREAT. Yes, once again the hollywierd-nutzi's gave the enemy MORE CRAP to TARNISH National Socialism with! The first was a "special" that depicted a guy who had a big Swastika TATTOOED on the back of his shaved head, who was shot and killed by his ten-year old son, for abuse of him and his mother. The other was a national news story of another member of this so-called "nsm" that was given a lengthy jail term for making "pipe-bombs”, which he never used.

Comrades, WHY do I bring this garbage up? Yes, I KNOW that unfortunately in this "bowel-movement" this kind of nonsense happens all too often. I understand that UNLIKE the ANP, 99.9% of these orgs out there have NO standards of QUALITY CONTROL over "WHO" or "WHAT" they allow in their ranks. I also realize that SOME of these idiotic creatures shouting "six million more!" and the like actually REVEL in such "publicity". It’s simply that AFTER one of these "pieces" are broadcast - WE, the ANP - are inundated by "hate-mail" from people who think that it was US portrayed, or even WORSE - we are contacted by rambling morons who actually LIKE what they saw!

Soooo, I am here to "CLEAR the AIR". NO! The American Nazi Party DOES NOT, nor EVER WILL - INVITE the ENEMY into OUR MEETINGS, nor OUR HOMES, nor PUT OUR ADHERENTS ON DISPLAY for the ENEMY to FILM and RECORD. In my mind, any "LEADER" who would ever ALLOW such things to occur is a MORON and or a TRAITOR to the people he supposedly "leads"...

The SPLC operates out of a political bias against the right rather than out of any legitimate concern about extremism. Don't just swallow the kool-aid -- get the whole story before making a judgment.

Prodded By His Lesbian Mother, Brainwashed Eight-Year-Old "Gay Rights Activist" Elijah Confronts Michele Bachmann At South Carolina Book-Signing

2011-12-06T14:53:00.001-09:00

At a recent signing for her book Core of Conviction: My Story in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Michele Bachmann suddenly found herself confronted by a so-called "gay rights activist". The "activist" is an eight-year-old kid named Elijah, and it's blatantly obvious that his lesbian mother put him up to it. The most complete story has been published by CityPages, although Yahoo News also picked it up (well over 3,000 comments).

The video embedded below shows Bachmann leaning in to listen closely as the youngster whispers, "My mommy's gay, but she doesn't need fixing." Bachmann then backs up and manages a "bye bye" as the lesbian and her son walk away.

According to CityPages, the boy was clearly being prodded and manipulated by his mother. When Bachmann greeted the boy, his mother said to him, "Do you have something you'd like to say?" Then when Bachmann leans over the table to hear Elijah, and he mumbles something inaudible, his mother said "You can say it louder, go ahead". At this point, the young activist is looking pretty uncomfortable himself, but then he goes ahead and tells Bachmann that his mother doesn't need fixing.

Kudos to CityPages for telling the WHOLE story and exposing how this kid was shamelessly brainwashed and manipulated by his lesbian mother. Worse yet, Elijah's mom is proud of herself, having posted the footage on Youtube on Sunday December 4th, explaining that they were participating in the Occupy Myrtle Beach protest when they noticed the Bachmann event. She called her 8-year-old son an "activist."

This is exactly why gays should NOT be allowed to adopt kids, although it wasn't revealed whether or not Elijah was adopted.

Bachmann discussed the incident on Glenn Beck's radio program, saying “I think it’s shameless to use a little boy and to put that little boy forward to advance an agenda issue". But she also agreed that little boy's mom didn't need "fixing", saying “Well, of course not. You know, I believe that we love all people, and I do. I love everyone. I don’t necessarily agree with them but I love them, I’m kind to them, I’m gracious to them because the golden rule is treat others as you want to be treated”. She also reiterated her belief that marriage should be between only one man and one woman.

Public Reaction: Almost universal disapproval. Much of the disapproval is directed toward the idea of using an eight-year-old kid as a political pawn rather than about the subject of gay rights. Even some gays disapprove. Some examples, and their sources (after the jump):

Hccrenshaw December 6th 10:15 A.M (CityPages):
GO ELIJAH! Love that look of shock she gets." WHAT??? Don't know who wrote this but I am so tired of the media in general!!!! How horrible is it and how sick and weak that mom if you want to call her that is for setting this little 8 year old boy up for this. It's obvious he didn't want to say that and he was put up to it I just hope she is not sick enough to yet now carry this child to participating in the Occupy Myrtle Beach protest!

What's to come of this little boy?

TheBigIf Tuesday, December 06, 2011 12:23:30 PM (Free Republic):
...since the liberal movement no longer feels any shame when using children to promote their causes (they do it on global warming issues as well as sexuality issues) then this should be used to show real Americans that next they will easily do the same when their pet cause becomes pedophilia and attacking our right to define the age of consent.

The left-wing has no shame at all. Children are tools for their agenda. This needs to be pointed out in regards to all of the recent evidence of left-wing activism to normalize pedophilia.

Sarah Barracuda Tuesday, December 06, 2011 12:30:26 PM (Free Republic):
This kid was coached..I have an 8 year old cousin and he doesn’t even know the meaning of the word “Gay” its not in his vocabulary..this kid was told what to say, damn liberals and their perverted, sick agenda..indoctrinating kids one at a time.

Saltmeat Tuesday, December 06, 2011 12:59:47 PM (Free Republic):
Yep! The camel in now in the tent. Remember when the gay thing first started all they wanted was not to be discriminated against. They merely wanted an equal opportunity at jobs. And sane people knew that they would not stop there and would soon become advocates of the sick lifestyle. Well it has happened and sooner than most thought.

Steve, Cumming, United States 1:15 P.M. (Yahoo News):
It is wrong to use children to foreword your agenda no mater what side your on. That kid clearly did not want to be there.I do not have any problem with gay people. I do have a problem with IDIOT PARENTS turning little kids into puppets.

TexasLightning December 7th 11:33 A.M. (Stormfront):
The story on Yahoo is playing it up like this 8 year old kid challenged Bachmann and left her speechless. It even describes the kid as an "activist". Yeah, right!

I feel sorry for the kid. When you watch the video you can tell he was nothing more than a puppet for his lesbian "mother". You can't even hear what he's saying unless you crank up the volume.

I'm no Bachmann supporter, but the way this 8 year old was used is just wrong. What was Bachmann supposed to do? Engage an 8 year old child in a debate over gay marriage? Unreal.

Smack 1:15 P.M. (Yahoo News):
Obviously, "mommy" told him to say this. This doesn't help the LGBT community when people use their children in this manner. BTW, I'm gay and I do not approve of this message.

c, Fort Cobb, United States 1:30 P.M. (Yahoo News):
I am gay and that is wrong. Don't use your kids for political statement.

Veteran Wrangell Rep. Peggy Wilson To Challenge Ketchikan "Love Caucus" Rep. Kyle Johansen For New Alaska House District 33 Seat

2011-12-05T23:10:00.000-09:00

Metro Southeast: Click HERE to go to PDF version if you need to zoom

Residents of Ketchikan, Alaska who are still unhappy with Rep. Kyle Johansen over the Love Caucus flap get a prime opportunity to pass judgment upon him during the Republican primary on August 28th, 2012. Because of redistricting, his district has been combined with much of the Wrangell district of Rep. Peggy Wilson. Both are Republicans, and on December 5th, Rep. Wilson announced her intention to challenge Johansen for the Republican nomination in the new House District 33 (see map above).

Rep. Wilson discussed her political plans on two different radio shows:

-- KCAW 104.7, December 5th
-- KRBD 105.3, November 29th (also includes segment with Johansen)

KCAW has the most detailed story. Rep. Wilson, who has served six terms, admits that because both she and Johansen are friends, it does feel a bit awkward to be running against him. But she believes it's something she must do. While still interested in prospective changes to the Alaska Marine Highway System and its corresponding ferry service, she is even more interested in coastal management, and she told KRBD that the economy will remain her top priority. In 2010, legislators did away with Alaska’s coastal management program, which gives municipalities a say in development plans for coastal zones. Wilson says she would have liked to have seen the program stay in place. Gov. Sean Parnell said he doesn’t plan to introduce legislation to resurrect the program, and so a citizen’s initiative is moving forward to put the matter before the voters. Wilson says she doesn’t know if that will help. The proposed initiative calls for a board to provide local input on coastal management plans, and gives that board a say on plans that address coastal uses that might raise concerns based on science or local knowledge.

The initiative, designated 11ACMP, has not been approved for the ballot yet, but the 16-page printed copy is available HERE.

While KCAW did not interview the three-term Rep. Johansen, he was interviewed on KRBD earlier. He feels that he has not finished what he set out to do. He's interested on continuing to build out the Southeast Intertie, as well as the further expansion of Alaska Ship & Drydock. He also wants to focus on additional transportation projects for the area. The Love Caucus flap was not discussed.

Comparison between Wilson and Johansen: The most recent example was provided by the Alaska Business Report Card, which graded Johansen a B+ and Wilson a B. This means that both lawmakers are business-friendly and have a track record of trying to grow their districts' economy and attract jobs, within reason. VoteSmart has pages on Johansen and Wilson which show their voting records and special interest ratings.

By the way, there are three other candidates for this seat so far. Ketchikan Visitors Bureau Director Patty Mackey and David Scott have filed as Republicans, while Ketchikan City Council Member Matt Olsen will run as a Democrat. Scott is already in trouble with APOC because he started campaigning without registering; he faces a $2,357 fine for sending out emails announcing his election plans without filing the proper paperwork with the state.

If Ketchikan voters are still serious about wanting to retire Kyle Johansen over the Love Caucus flap, Peggy Wilson would be a more than adequate replacement. She's more experienced and less controversial.

Anchorage Daily News LTE Calling For Free Birth Control Illustrates The Entitlement Mentality Prevalent At Planned Parenthood

2011-12-05T21:32:00.001-09:00

Entitlements have contributed to the $15 trillion national debt incurred by the United States. Some entitlements, such as Social Security and Medicare, which focus upon sustenance of basic life and health, have become enshrined with the passage of time; so many people have become dependent upon them that their perpetuation, in one form or another, are considered vital to the public interest.

But additional entitlements which focus much less on basic life and health and more upon the promotion of specific political agendas have been proposed and promulgated. On August 1st, 2011, the Department of Health and Human Services announced that as part of the implementation of Obamacare, they were requiring that new health insurance plans provide preventive health services to women at no additional cost to the patients. Specifically, they would have to cover women’s preventive services such as well-woman visits, breastfeeding support, domestic violence screening, and contraception without charging a co-payment, co-insurance or a deductible. Here's the specific list:

* well-woman visits
* screening for gestational diabetes
* human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA testing for women 30 years and older
* sexually-transmitted infection counseling
* human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) screening and counseling
* breastfeeding support, supplies, and counseling
* domestic violence screening and counseling.
* FDA-approved contraception methods and contraceptive counseling

It is the latter service, "FDA-approved contraception methods and contraceptive counseling", that has attracted specific criticism from various pro-life lobbies. They claim it is tantamount to free birth control, and suggest it promotes irresponsibility and immorality.

In a letter to the editor entitled "Birth control with no co-pay will assist women at all levels", published on December 4th, 2011 in the Anchorage Daily News, Robyn Lauster, who signs herself as a member of Planned Parenthood, defends the HHS decision to require new insurance plans to cover birth control with no co-pays, suggesting that by making birth control affordable, it helps prevent unintended pregnancies and the need for abortion. However, Lauster undermines her argument with this disingenuous statement:

They [in reference to socially-conservative Republicans] wish to undermine this preventive care provision by allowing exemptions, even for organizations which employ and serve individuals of different faiths and backgrounds. It can't be right for an employer to dictate whether a woman can or can't have access to affordable birth control.

The latter sentence is false. No employer is dictating accessibility to affordable birth control. Women always retain the freedom to shop around for the most cost-effective services and products. Obviously, Robyn Lauster is advocating for a so-called "right to free birth control". It is the invention and proliferation of such artificial rights that has led to public funding measures which have increased our national debt.

The fact is, there are already two methods of free birth control for women. First, there's abstinence. Women know when they are fertile, and should be smart and disciplined enough to avoid vaginal intercourse during those times. Second, since there's usually a man involved in pregnancy, a woman can require a man to share the responsibility and the costs for pregnancy prevention. This means the man can wear a condom or take other measures to prevent sexual activity from resulting in pregnancy. Any man who refuses to wear a condom upon the request of a woman is merely trying to use her to gratify his selfish, vain ambitions, and has no interest in her pleasure.

One of the reasons why Planned Parenthood became so powerful politically is because the pro-life movement has been too nice and has made some compromises. For example, when we couldn't get a parental consent initiative for abortion passed, we backtracked and got a parental notification initiative passed. But even this compromise was unsatisfactory to Planned Parenthood; after the initiative passed and just before it was to take effect, Planned Parenthood sued, and the issue is still unresolved to this day. Planned Parenthood shows no respect for parental prerogative or the integrity of the family unit.

And that alone makes Planned Parenthood the enemy -- unworthy of public funding.

Anti-Idling Mania Spreads To Alaska; Alaska Department Of Transportation Imposes Idling Restrictions Upon Its Vehicles

2011-12-03T09:48:00.000-09:00

Anti-idling mania is spreading nationwide. The latest prominent city to fall victim to the craze is Salt Lake City; on October 25th, 2011, the city council passed an anti-idling ordinance that bans idling for more than two minutes in many cases and imposes fines on a sliding scale from $50 to $210. To make it more palatable to the public, the ordinance exempts idling at stop lights and drive-through businesses, and allows for motorists to idle vehicles so they can operate heaters and defrosters when the temperature is below 32 degrees or air conditioning when it's warmer than 90 degrees, which means that residents without garages can still legally warm up their vehicles on cold mornings.

Now it appears that anti-idling mania has spread to Alaska. In a December 1st, 2011 press release, the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities announced that it had mandated that all 8-yard dump trucks and tractors with programmable on-board computers be set to a 10-minute idle time. They intend to install these computerized timers on light duty equipment as well. Some exceptions will be made for emergencies or airport ground support. DOT claims this policy will save over $959,000 in a single year, since a typical dump truck burns approximately one gallon of diesel fuel each hour spent idling.

This policy may work for DOT so long as discretion is granted to local supervisors to override the policy during periods of deep cold, when temperatures can plunge far below zero Fahrenheit. But what is disturbing is that environmental extremists may seize upon this policy as an excuse to promote and implement anti-idling ordinances for ordinary Alaskans. To my knowledge, no Alaskan community has yet implemented an anti-idling ordinance, but these environmentalists are skilled at propaganda and are well-funded nationally. We could probably trust the citizens of Fairbanks to shoot down any proposed anti-idling ordinance; in October 2011, they were smart enough to reject Proposition 2, which would have outlawed an entire class of heaters regardless of their impact upon the environment.

But could we trust the residents of the state's largest city, Anchorage, to reject a proposed anti-idling ordinance? Although the Anchorage Assembly has shown no interest in such legislation, and even went in the opposite direction by rescinding the IM emission-testing requirement, Anchorage has become increasingly infested with Californicators and Pacific Northwest greenies who move to Alaska because their locales became oppressive through too many laws, but then turn around and advocate for those same oppressive laws to be passed up here. And if they fail, they don't take No for an answer; they'll come back again and again until the local authorities pass such laws just to shut them up. The proponents of an Anchorage gay antidiscrimination ordinance are currently engaging in such battering ram tactics.

If a state or local agency wants to impose such restrictions upon their vehicles, that's one thing. But to impose such restrictions upon the population in general is unacceptable. No amount of so-called "savings" would justify the intrusion and invasion imposed upon the population, as well as the implied discrimination against those who have no access to garages and must warm up their vehicles on cold mornings before driving. Even if one uses a block heater, a vehicle must be warmed up for at least five minutes before the interior is sufficiently warm to allow someone to drive safely. Besides, cops have enough real work to do without asking them to be idling police as well. Anchorage is not Salt Lake City; we don't have the inversions trapping pollutants close to the ground that Salt Lake has.

Alaska RINO Senator Lisa Murkowski Endorses Mitt Romney For Republican Presidential Nomination, May Drive Conservatives Away From Romney

2011-12-02T12:52:00.002-09:00

On December 2nd, 2011, Republican Presidential nominee Mitt Romney picked up an endorsement which is clearly from the "RINO" wing of the Republican Party. Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski has awarded Romney her endorsement, and Murkowski's power in the U.S. Senate is steadily growing. Her most prestigious committee assignment is as the ranking Republican on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. So the endorsement carries some weight.

The full details are published in this official press release:

Mitt Romney: “I am proud to announce the support of Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski. I look forward to working with her to expand Alaska’s energy production, bring jobs back to the state, and help get our country on the right track again.”

Lisa Murkowski: “Mitt Romney has had the lifelong experiences needed to turn around our economy. Whether it was his ability to turn around the Massachusetts economy or turn around businesses in the private sector, Mitt Romney has demonstrated the leadership that we need in the White House to get the country on the right track. He has also laid out a plan to get our country on the path toward energy independence. Mitt Romney understands the importance of Alaska as a leader in our country’s energy production and I look forward to working with him on such an important economic and national security matter.”

Murkowski becomes the second Alaska politico to endorse Mitt Romney, joining Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell. Thus Murkowski decided to overlook Romney's reputation for flip-flopping, and Romney decided to overlook the manner in which Murkowski won re-election, in which she effectively bought another six-year term with the help of Native corporations. Congressman Don Young has yet to make a choice; however, in August 2008, Ron Paul endorsed Young for re-election, so don't be surprised at an eventual quid pro quo.

The Weekly Standard reports that Romney also picked up two more endorsements today; former Iowa Governor Robert Ray, who has a reputation for being a moderate, and former Missouri U.S. Senator John Danforth. Danforth's endorsement could be useful in helping voters overcome their fear of or hostility towards a Mormon President; he's offered to help speak out about the subject of Mormonism. Politico's not particularly impressed; they note that these are not exactly high-profile conservative validators for the height of the Republican primary season.

Alaskans are not too impressed; support for Ron Paul may increase. From various Alaska media sources come these comments:

muzungu December 2nd 11:45 A.M (Anchorage Daily News):
Oh boy, what a surprise --- the kneejerk pro-status-quo, pro-everything-Establishment Lisa "Daddy, I want a Senate seat!" Murkowski has endorsed the most rabidly pro-status-quo of all the Republican presidential candidates. Color me unsurprised. That woman, and her chosen candidate, represents EVERYTHING that is wrong with American politics today --- a blinkered, power-pandering, self-interested, public-be-damned, short-sighted devotion to furthering the interests of the corrupt and sociopathic financial and political elite above all else.

Now, if she REALLY wanted to represent honest "hope and change" that was truly in the public's best interests, she would have endorsed the ONLY Republican candidate with honesty, integrity and a commitment to the public good, and who understands the current financial and monetary problems facing this country, as well as the need to end these imperialistic, unnecessary, self-destruction wars of choice and aggression: Ron Paul.

TheManWhoShotLibertyValance December 2nd 11:05 A.M. (Fairbanks Daily News-Miner):
A RINO endorsing a RINO. That ensures I will not be voting for Romney

Why Gas Could Top $9 Per Gallon In Nome, Alaska, And Why Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell Is Hollering For More Icebreakers

2011-11-30T20:35:00.004-09:00

For larger version, click on the image or go HERE for the original

Even though Nome, Alaska is not on the road system, the price of gas is not that much higher than in Anchorage. Presently, gas sells for up to $5.98 per gallon. Part of the reason is that a population of 3,500 is sufficient to keep prices from jumping off the chart. But the price of gas could end up topping $9.00 per gallon as the winter wears on. That's because the only way gas can be delivered to Nome right now is by air -- a much more expensive form of transport.

How did this happen? Not because of lack of preparation. Back in May 2011, Sitnasuak Native Corporation, which provides services to the area, arranged with petroleum distributor Delta Western Inc. to have three barges deliver fuel to Nome. But only one barge arrived early in the summer, and it carried home heating fuel. So Nome can heat their homes all winter. But the huge extratropical storm that hammered western Alaska in mid-November prevented the arrival of a second barge carrying 1.6-million gallons of gasoline and diesel. And now the waters surrounding Nome are iced up, preventing any barge traffic.

Delta Western hasn't washed their hands of Nome, though. They've canvassed the nation looking for ice breakers and ice-class tugs and barges to get fuel to Nome, but so far have had no success. Failing that, the plan is to have fuel delivered 4,000 to 6,000 gallons at a time by prop plane or jet, beginning before the end of the year, for an overall total of perhaps a half-million gallons before spring breakup permits the resumption of barge traffic.

There is one other way increased fuel costs might not be passed on to consumers in Nome. It's possible that costs related to the canceled barge shipment could be rolled into a state disaster declaration, according to Scott Ruby, director of the state Division of Community and Regional Affairs. Gov. Sean Parnell's Disaster Policy Cabinet will meet to consider whether damage from the mid-November storm across a wide swath of western Alaska warrants a disaster declaration from the state. The cabinet will advise the governor, who makes the final call, according to Ruby.

But this is why Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell is now hollering for more icebreakers. On December 1st, Treadwell is scheduled to testify at a hearing of the House Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation chaired by Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ). Read the 10-page background memo HERE. Treadwell will testify as to how climate change is opening up Arctic waters to more surface transportation, creating a greater need for the country to maintain its presence in the region with polar icebreakers. The Coast Guard currently has one functioning icebreaker, the Healy, which is a medium-duty vessel. The country's two heavy icebreakers, the Polar Star and the Polar Sea, remain docked in their homeport of Seattle; the Polar Star is going through $57 million in upgrades and won't be ready for duty in 2013. In contrast, Russia has announced it will build nine new icebreakers, and even China is planning to get in on the act. At least 18 vessels made trans-Arctic voyages last year, and the United States is not prepared if there's a wreck. It is anticipated that a new icebreaker could cost up to $750 million, but Treadwell envisions that shippers could help pay for the cost of icebreaking operations.

Update December 1st: Lt. Gov Treadwell did testify before the committee today, and the 11-page written transcript of his testimony is available HERE.

Of course, with such a lengthy Arctic coastline, Russia needs more icebreakers than we do. But if we're to compete effectively for our share of the Arctic pie, we need at least three icebreakers, so if necessary, one can be detached to support our stations in the Antarctic as well (McMurdo Station, for example). An icebreaker assigned full time to Alaska could break a path through the ice to allow a barge to land fuel in Nome, and could allow LNG to be shipped directly from the North Slope by tanker rather than a pipeline.

You can take a virtual tour of the Coast Guard's heavy icebreaker for the Great Lakes, the USCGC Mackinaw, HERE.

Mead Treadwell's Putin-style ethics have come under question at times. He not only misled the Conservative Patriots Group into temporarily awarding him their endorsement in 2010, but has been chastised by Gov. Sean Parnell for overstepping his bounds, and is currently battling an APOC complaint. But Lt. Gov. Treadwell seems to have a broader, more expansive economic vision than most people in Alaska state government. Treadwell believes our state should be more than a Fortress Alaska where we spend all our time dancing with wolves and teddy bears. Icebreakers aren't merely economic stimulus; they're important to national security as well. Those who believe government shouldn't compromise on infrastructure should be supporting the icebreaker issue as well.

Schaeffer Cox And His Three Co-Defendants Moved From Fairbanks Correctional Center To Several Facilities In South Central Alaska

2011-11-27T12:45:00.001-09:00

In anticipation of the November 28th arraignment of the Schaeffer Cox Four and their eventual federal trial to begin on February 6th, 2012, the four have been moved from the Fairbanks Correctional Center to various facilities in South Central Alaska.

-- Schaeffer Cox: Now housed at Cook Inlet Pretrial Facility.
-- Lonnie Vernon: Now housed at the Anchorage Correctional Complex
-- Coleman Barney: Now housed at the Anchorage Correctional Complex
-- Karen Vernon: Now housed at the Hiland Mountain Correctional Center.

The distinction between the Anchorage Jail and Cook Inlet Pretrial is academic; they are located adjacent to one another. Corrections Commissioner Joe Schmidt unified the two facilities. The UAA Justice Forum presents some interesting background about the Anchorage Correctional Complex. Note that the information about the prisoners' transfer was not released by the Department of Justice, but by a Fairbanks jail staffer; the feds are normally quite close-mouthed about prisoner transfers, ostensibly to "protect" them against revenge, but also making it more difficult for supporters to write them.

Supporters of the Schaeffer Cox Four may want to hold off on sending them cards or letters until after the arraignment, as there is a good chance they could be moved again. The StandBySchaefferCox website still exists but has not been updated in a while. The most current list of federal charges is available HERE.

Update November 28th: Schaeffer Cox, Coleman Barney and Lonnie Vernon appeared for their arraignment and all three pleaded not guilty to the new charges. Cox faces up to 70 years in prison if found guilty on the eight counts against him; Barney, who is accused in four counts, faces up to 30 years; and Vernon, who is accused of only one count of conspiracy to possess unregistered silencers and grenades, faces up to 5 years. In a separate case in which he and his wife are accused of plotting to kill a federal judge, he faces a significantly harsher sentence. Combined, the men face 10 counts of conspiracy to possess unregistered silencers and destructive devices; possessing unregistered destructive devices, an unregistered machine gun and a machine gun; making a silencer; and carrying a firearm during a violent crime.

In Case You Missed It: Significant recent stories about the Schaeffer Cox Four.

-- "Attorney: Militia leader Schaeffer Cox was not trying to bring down the government", Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, November 15th 2011: Cox’s attorney, Nelson Traverso, said that not only was Schaeffer Cox not plotting to overthrow the federal government, he reported on others who tried to instigate a conflict. The two snitches, Gerald Olson and William Fulton, were the ones trying to instigate conflict. Includes links to documentation.

-- "Fort Wainwright: We did not offer Fairbanks militia leader asylum", Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, November 17th 2011: Fort Wainwright garrison spokeswoman Linda Douglass rebutted Schaeffer Cox's claim on his affidavit that he came to Fort Wainwright with his family because he was worried about being attacked, and that an unnamed colonel offered to give him what protection he could.

-- "Militia lawyers threaten to expose government surveillance tapes", Alaska Dispatch, November 22nd 2011: According to Coleman Barney's attorney Tim Dooley, the tapes the federal government secretly made of Fairbanks militia leader Schaeffer Cox and his associates prove only one thing; namely, the only persons advocating for killing anyone were the confidential informants for the government.

Alaska Congressman Don Young Bitch-Slaps Uppity Rice University Historian Douglas Brinkley During ANWR Hearings

2011-11-27T00:39:00.000-09:00

Update November 27th: Post updated to include link to Dermot Cole's transcript of the exchange.

On Friday November 18th, 2011, Alaska Congressman Don Young just signed, sealed, and delivered my vote in 2012, only I didn't realize it until I personally reviewed the video of his now-viral confrontation with Rice University Professor Douglas Brinkley. The dustup took place during hearings conducted by the House Natural Resources Committee, during which the Alaskan Energy for American Jobs Act was on the agenda for discussion, and was prompted by Brinkley's testimony that Congress should urge Prsident Obama to make the ANWR coastal plain a national monument. Congressman Young maintains that monument status for ANWR would violate the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA). This incident triggered 463 comments to the Anchorage Daily News story.

It was after that testimony that Don Young staged his imitation of Mt. Redoubt. A four-minute video is presented below in order to show the context; the fireworks took place only during the first minute:

Congressman Young told Brinkley his testimony was "garbage" and mistakenly called him "Dr. Rice". That prompted Brinkley to interrupt with a correction, saying "It's Dr. Brinkley; Rice is a university. I know you went to Yuba College and couldn't graduate" (which was false; Young did graduate). Young then responded "I'll call you anything I want to call you when you sit in that chair. You just be quiet. You be quiet!" Brinkley then fired back "You don't own me. I pay your salary".

One of the other committee members was more diplomatic, but also took Brinkley to task for his arrogance and disrespect. Dermot Cole published a more extensive written transcript in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. More information on the hearing HERE.

While Brinkley did eventually simmer down, he continued his war of words with Congressman Young elsewhere. He told a television station in Houston, where Rice is located, that his students applauded when he walked into class, and claimed that while he's received hundreds of supportive e-mails, he's not gotten a single negative response. A Minneapolis online news site, the left-wing Minnesota Post, also quoted Brinkley as calling Young a "menacing blowhard" and a "low-grade Joseph McCarthy".

For his part, Congressman Young ultimately blew off Brinkley as a publicity whore who merely wants to create a stir and sell books. Two of Brinkley's more prominent books are "Wilderness Warrior", which describes Theodore Roosevelt's environmental policies, and "The Quiet World", which traces the history of Alaska's wilderness. Congressman Young's spokesman also said "While reaction from the Lower 48 has been mixed, much of the feedback our office is receiving from Alaskans has been supportive of Congressman Young. In fact, many have simply been saying 'Go get 'em Don,'"

Not that we obsess with what the Lower 48 thinks. If they were smart, they'd be agitating to get more of their natural gas from Alaska instead of allowing the energy companies to rape and pillage their lands through the controversial process of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, which has been linked to contamination of water supplies in New York and Pennsylvania and earthquake swarms in Arkansas and Oklahoma. But as long as fracking produces a glut of natural gas in the Lower 48, the financial incentive for the producers to exploit Alaska's natural gas just doesn't exist.

The real beauty of this confrontation is that someone of prominence finally, after all these years, had the balls to tell academia just where to stick it. For forty years, academia has been a growing cancer upon our society. Colleges have promoted binge drinking, serial fucking, feminism, anti-racist witch-hunting, the enshrinement of homosexuality, anti-Christian bigotry, and anti-White bigotry under the guise of affirmative action and false doctrines like white privilege. Academia has treated middle America with nothing but intellectual arrogance, contempt, patronization, and disrespect, particularly when it comes to issues like climate change. Academia has presented science as inerrant, thus transforming it into a de facto religion from which no deviation is tolerated. Note that it is academia's ATTITUDE rather than content that really stirs us up; the academic community needs to learn a bit of diplomacy if they desire it in return.

Douglas Brinkley didn't really get all that he deserved at that hearing. He should have gotten a lot more. But at least Don Young was willing to step up to the plate and tell this arrogant punk where to go. For that, he's earned my vote for 2012.

Alexander Tsiaras Presents Video Visualization Of Life From Conception To Birth

2011-11-25T07:00:00.001-09:00

From The Blaze comes a video produced by Alexander Tsiaras, author of the book “From Conception to Birth: A Life Unfolds". It graphically shows the process of human progression, beginning by showing an egg being fertilized and ending by illustrating a baby’s actual birth. Throughout the clip, viewers see the full fetal development with explanations as to what is occurring at each critical phase. The actual sequence of fetal development begins at 2:05:

Perhaps pro-choicers who watch this video may now better understand why we pro-lifers consider unborn human life to be so sacred. We pro-lifers have made many political concessions throughout the years; we now accept the need for therapeutic abortion, which we define as abortion to save the life or preserve the fundamental health of the mother. Increasingly, we are also accepting abortion in the case of rape or incest despite the concern that it might appear to make the unborn baby pay for the sins of the father.

But we cannot and will not ever accept elective abortion, which has nothing to do with life or health.

The two leading pro-life political groups in Alaska are the Alaska Family Council and Alaska Right To Life. The latter bestows endorsements on political candidates who at least oppose elective abortion.

Anchorage Fireworks Ordinance Sparks Renewed Controversy; While Dick Traini Wants To Make It Permanent, Paul Honeman Wants Some Restrictions

2011-11-20T15:54:00.002-09:00

Update December 13th: The Anchorage Assembly voted 9-2 to pass Paul Honeman's ordinance forbidding the use of fireworks in mobile home parks.

The current fireworks ordinance in Anchorage, Alaska has sparked renewed debate as New Year's Eve approaches. Leading one side of the debate is Assemblyman Dick Traini, who helped pass the more liberal fireworks ordinance in December 2010. Since the ordinance sunsets itself in December 2012, Traini wants to make it permanent. On the other side, Assemblyman Paul Honeman wants to impose restrictions on fireworks use in some densely-packed neighborhoods, particularly in mobile home parks, even though he originally voted in favor of the current ordinance. He will be introducing AO 2011-117 to accomplish this goal. A group of citizens opposed to the indiscriminate public possession and use of fireworks have formed the Anchorage 2020 Keep Anchorage Fireworks-Free Facebook page.

The bone of contention is AO 2010-86(S), passed on December 7th, 2010 (what an ironic date) by a 7-4 margin. AO 2010-86(S) modified the blanket ban on the sale, possession, and use of fireworks within the Municipality of Anchorage and authorized residents to use fireworks on one occasion per year, from 9:30 P.M. on December 31st until 1:00 A.M. on January 1st. The sale of fireworks in Anchorage remained prohibited. Ten of the 11 Assembly members involved still hold their seats; here was the voting breakdown:

For the ordinance:

-- Dick Traini: 250-6832 561-4526 E-Mail: TrainiD@muni.org
-- Elvi Gray-Jackson: 343-4118 E-mail: gray-jacksone@muni.org
-- Jennifer Johnston: 346-1087 E-mail: johnstonj@muni.org
-- Bill Starr: 350-5481 E-mail: starrwe@muni.org
-- Ernie Hall: 562-2088 343-4115 E-mail: HallE@muni.org
-- Paul Honeman: 947-0500 E-mail: HonemanPS@muni.org
-- Mike Gutierrez: 382-5972 E-mail: gutierrezm@muni.org
(voted out 2011 and replaced by Adam Trombley 830-0378 E-mail: trombleyar@muni.org)

Against the ordinance:

-- Debbie Ossiander: Phone: 688-2308 E-mail: ossiander@gci.net
-- Harriet Drummond: Phone: (907)279-7763 E-mail: harrietdrummond@alaska.com
-- Patrick Flynn: Phone: (907)278-8462 E-mail: flynnpp@muni.org
-- Chris Birch: Phone: (907)346-3265 E-mail: chrisbirch@gci.net

Paul Honeman's replacement ordinance, AO 2011-117, is on the agenda for introduction at the November 22nd Assembly meeting, but no public testimony will be taken at that time.

Reaction: Many residents were outraged, saying that fireworks usage went off the charts and that Anchorage sounded like Baghdad. PTSD sufferers and pet owners were among the leading complainants. Elected officials who received phone calls and e-mails report the public was about equally split in their reaction.

Proponents of Traini's ordinance claimed that fireworks were being used anyway despite the blanket ban, and that it was a waste of time to divert police from more serious situations to chase down fireworks violators. However, the blanket ban at least ensured that fireworks use would remain within respectable and tolerable bounds. This, of course, was not the case last New Year's Eve when Anchorage did sound like a poor man's version of Baghdad. There was a dramatic upsurge in complaints to police; Chugiak resident Georgia Kustura described seeing fireworks in her horse pasture and large, booming shells exploding until 4 A.M. New Year's Day, well after the 1 A.M. cutoff under the law, while Linda Harter said the fireworks also resulted in a great deal of litter around town that could hurt local creeks and also drew people away from the city's larger fireworks display on New Year's Eve. Another issue I pointed out in my January 1st, 2011 post on this subject: The majority of fireworks sold in Alaska come from China, which means we're giving China foreign exchange for a frivolous product which has no lasting value, further adding to our trade deficit with China, which tends to weaken the argument that shooting off fireworks is "patriotic".

Paul Honeman's proposed solution represents an attempt at compromise, but it is primarily window dressing. It won't result in less fireworks usage in mobile home parks. The better solution is to repeal AO 2010-86(S) and return to a blanket ban, but providing for secondary enforcement so that police remain free to respond first to more serious breaches of the law. Too many people have proven that they cannot handle the power to use fireworks responsibility; a blanket ban is justified.

Occupy Fairbanks Continues To Maintain Outside Vigil Even With Temperatures Approaching -40F

2011-11-18T22:54:00.001-09:00

More photos HERE and HERE

Many pundits thought winter would drive the Occupy Wall Street movement indoors. Not necessarily so -- and not even in Fairbanks, where they have a REAL winter. Occupy Fairbanks continues to maintain an outside vigil even with temperatures approaching -40F; while the temperature at their campsite reached -36F on Thursday November 18th, the temperature at the nearby international airport plunged to -41F, a new record low for that date.

Occupy Fairbanks is set up at Veterans Memorial Park, across the street from city hall. They've erected a small, stove-heated wall tent with a sleeping bag on top of cardboard for insulation. One of the spokesman cited by Alaska Dispatch is Brent Baccala, who actually came up from Juneau to join the Fairbanks group. Another person quoted is John Watts, who noted that elements of the Tea Party are starting to connect with the "thinkers", as both sides are wising up to common interests.

And just what are those common interests? Occupy Fairbanks posted a statement of purpose on November 15th which included three broad objectives:

1. Separation of corporation and state; enacting reform in the government to remove the power of corporate lobbyists over our representatives, and to sever the incestuous ties between government and big money.

One way to do this is campaign finance reform, entailing a repeal of the Citizens United ruling. This problem represents issues both in the private sector and the government, and change is not possible without reform to both.

2. Fiscal Accountability and Transparency; corporations as well as the government need to held accountable for their collusive fiscal actions.

A prime example of this is the exorbitant bailout taxpayers paid to banks that were “too big to fail,” who in turn continue to refuse loans to small businesses and carry on predatory lending practices. No one was or has since been held accountable for this problem (except taxpayers). There can be no such thing as “too big to fail.”

3. Creating awareness through the spread of information regarding local and national issues precipitated by these overarching concerns.

The issues we are protesting are relevant to every citizen of our country, and it is paramount that they be informed. Apathy and disinformation are the enemies of democracy, and for too long both have preyed on the power of the individual and the value of the vote. It is high time we took our democracy back.

This graphic also shows the area of common concern between OWS and the Tea Party:

There's a food fight between the Fairbanks North Star Borough (FNSB) and the City of Fairbanks over whether Occupy Fairbanks should be allowed to have a tent on the grounds. FNSB Mayor Luke Hopkins doesn't like it, because he defines it as "camping". However, Fairbanks City Mayor Jerry Cleworth doesn't mind it, and since the City of Fairbanks provides the police service in the area, the city gets its way for the time being. The fallback plan for Occupy Fairbanks will be to either move its tents to a nearby church or attempt to find an RV.

Below-zero temperatures are expected to persist through the Thanksgiving holiday, although overnight lows may temporarily moderate to -20F with the passage of a storm system during that period.

Former Anchorage Assembly Candidate Kendra Taber Facing Eviction From Mobile Home For Nonpayment Of Space Rent, But Taber Insists She Has Receipts

2011-11-17T22:37:00.001-09:00

While visiting the Alaska Citizens Militia website, I found a message posted by militia leader Norm Olson that was disturbing. Seventy-one year old Kendra Taber, who ran unsuccessfully for the Anchorage Assembly in April 2011, is facing eviction from her mobile home at Forest Park Trailer Court for nonpayment of space rent, although Taber insists she has receipts proving payment. Here is the pertinent part of Olson's post:

Kendra lives in her own mobile home on a lot owned by Michael Farley of Anchorage. The property is managed by Jim Hoff Property Management out of Wasilla. Todd Timmermans is the legal mouthpiece representing Michael Farley. The property manager who keeps the books (or cooks them) claims that this elderly woman has not paid rent on the property. I've talked with Kendra and she assures me that she has paid stubs and receipts.

This is a great opportunity for the militia to get involved. Kendra is frightened that she will be evicted and that she will lose everything. She's frightened that the court might award the mobile home to the owner (to be sold) as payment for money allegedly owed.

It's a rather convoluted situation and I'm trying to get a handle it...

This is a side of Norm Olson that the Southern Poverty Law Center didn't bother to research before publishing their hit piece on him in their Summer 2010 Intelligence Report.

At the November 14th hearing, the judge decided to continue the case, which is documented in the Alaska Court System database as case no. 3AN-11-11885CI, until November 18th. Since Norm Olson admits the situation is convoluted, there could be much more to this than meets the eye. Nonetheless, the prospect of a 71-year-old woman being tossed out on the street during an Anchorage winter is unsettling, at best.

Two negative reviews of Hoff Property Management have been posted online:

By M 09/03/2010:
Steer clear of this couple, Holly and Jim Hoff. Terrible management service. Terrible care of tenants, terrible follow-up with repairs, and couldn't keep a renter in more than 6 months. I had 3 tenants break their lease within a year's time. Terrible attitude as well. Tried to blame me (the owner) and told me I was micro-managing them too much! Well, after a mutual parting (flew up from the Outside to fire them in person, then they refused to meet with me). Didn't even have an office to meet at anyway. It's been over a year now since I 'let them go' and now they are 'spamming me' with porn web links. Classy...

By annibel 08/14/2011:
These people are not property mangers, they are lazy and just want to get money for nothing. All they did for a friend of mine was collect rent via having it mailed to them. They did not in any way "manage" the property. Lawns,carpet, walls,windows, plumbing and much more were destroyed due to their lack of Managing the Property. Please if you are looking for proper Property Mgrs that will take care of your property as their own-go somewhere/anywhere else and save yourself 10s of thousands of $s in repairs.

Jim Hoff posted a rebuttal to one of the reviews HERE, in which he states "We have been recommended by a wide majority of our customers and will happily provide a lengthy list of references, or letters of reference". I could find no entries on this company in the BBB database.

Alaska Business Report Card Grades The 2011 Alaska State Legislature On Ability To Promote Business Growth; Rep. Les Gara Unhappy With His "F" Grade

2011-11-15T14:28:00.000-09:00

A consortium of four Alaska business groups recently issued a report card on Alaska lawmakers to assist voters in adjudging how responsive the legislative and executive branches are to the needs of the business community, and Alaska State Rep. Les Gara (D-Anchorage) has been on a nonstop bitchfest ever since, most likely because he received a letter grade of F. Rep. Gara has published essentially the same complaints in the Anchorage Daily News, and Alaska Dispatch.

Rep. Gara characterizes it as a fake report card designed to pressure legislators into toeing a more corporate-friendly line during the upcoming 2012 session. He portrays the Alaska Chamber of Commerce as a sockpuppet for big business, noting that their biggest donors are Exxon, British Petroleum and ConocoPhillips. He disputes his own letter grade of F, explaining that he has supported legislation that would bring more North Slope energy jobs, citing HB231 as an example of how companies earn a lower rate if they explore in new fields, build processing facilities to put new oil into the pipeline, and/or increase drilling activity. Rep. Gara claims that investment and hiring are up by 40 percent since 2006 under Alaska's current law, which is based upon incentives that lower the tax rate if one invests in Alaska.

On November 12th, the Alaska Chamber of Commerce fired back. While its Chair, Renee Schofield, acknowledged that oil companies are the largest financial contributors to the chamber, she noted that each member of the chamber, regardless of income or size, gets only one vote. The outcome of the recent Alaska Business Report Card Midterm Grade Luncheon in Anchorage further supports her contention; out of the 90 Alaska Chamber members present, only seven of them represented oil, gas or refining businesses. This theme is also echoed in the Anchorage Daily Planet's own commentary.

The four business groups collaborating on the Alaska Business Report Card are the Alaska Support Industry Alliance, the Resource Development Council, the Alaska State Chamber of Commerce, and Prosperity Alaska. All except for ASIA are listed as part of the Make Alaska Competitive Coalition. Legislators and the governor were graded on fiscal responsibility, litigation reform, oil tax reform, general business climate, regulatory streamlining, and strategic infrastructure. Actions of the policy makers that were evaluated included bill sponsorships, committee actions such as as debate and amendments, committee votes, overall leadership in and out of the legislature, and floor votes. Read a more complete description of the methodology HERE.

Categorical and individual letter grades follow after the jump:

Categorical Grades:
Governor Sean Parnell:  B+  
Senate Majority:        F  
Senate Minority:        B+  
House Majority:         A-  
House Minority:         D 

Individual Senate Grades:

John Coghill (R-Fairbanks):        B+ 
Bettye Davis (D-Anchorage):        D  
Fred Dyson (R-Eagle River):        B+  
Dennis Egan (D-Juneau):            D  
Johnny Ellis (D-Anchorage):        D-  
Hollis French (D-Anchorage):       F  
Cathy Giessel (R-Anchorage):       A+  
Lyman Hoffman (D-Bethel):          D-  
Charlie Huggins (R-Palmer):        A  
Albert Kookesh (D-Angoon):         D- 
Lesil McGuire (R-Anchorage):       B- 
Linda Menard (R-Wasilla):          B-  
Kevin Meyer (R-Anchorage):         B-  
Donald Olson (D-Nome):             D  
Joe Paskvan (D-Fairbanks):         D  
Bert Stedman (R-Sitka):            F  
Gary Stevens (R-Kodiak):           F  
Joe Thomas (D-Fairbanks):          C  
Thomas Wagoner (R-Kenai):          B- 
Bill Wielechowski (D-Anchorage):   F 
  
Individual House Grades: 

Alan Austerman (R-Kodiak):         D+  
Mike Chenault (R-Nikiski):         A+ 
Sharon Cissna (D-Anchorage):       D  
Mia Costello (R-Anchorage):        A  
Alan Dick (R-Stony River):         B  
Mike Doogan (D-Anchorage):         D- 
Bryce Edgmon (D-Dillingham):       D- 
Anna Fairclough (R-Eagle River):   A  
Eric Feige (R-Chickaloon):         A+  
Neal Foster (D-Nome):              B-  
Les Gara (D-Anchorage):            F 
Berta Gardner (D-Anchorage):       F  
Carl Gatto (R-Palmer):             B+ 
Max Gruenberg (D-Anchorage):       D 
David Guttenberg (D-Fairbanks):    F  
Mike Hawker (R-Anchorage):         A+  
Bob Herron (D-Bethel):             C-  
Lindsey Holmes (D-Anchorage):      D+ 
Kyle Johansen (R-Ketchikan):       B+ 
Craig Johnson (R-Anchorage):       A+ 
Reggie Joule (D-Kotzebue):         D+ 
Scott Kawasaki (D-Fairbanks):      F  
Wes Keller (R-Wasilla):            B+  
Beth Kerttula (D-Juneau):          F  
Bob Lynn (R-Anchorage):            B+  
Bob Miller (D-Anchorage):          D-  
Charisse Millett (R-Anchorage):    B+ 
Cathy Munoz (R-Auke Bay):          B-  
Mark Neuman (R-MatSu):             B+  
Kurt Olson (R-Kenai):              A  
Pete Petersen (D-Anchorage):       D- 
Lance Pruitt (R-Anchorage):        A  
Dan Saddler (R-Eagle River):       A  
Paul Seaton (R-Homer):             F  
Bill Stoltze (R-Chugiak/MatSu):    A  
Bill Thomas Jr (R-Haines):         B+  
Steve Thompson (R-Fairbanks):      A  
Chris Tuck (D-Anchorage):          D- 
Peggy Wilson (R-Wrangell):         B 
Tammie Wilson (R-North Pole):      A

Social Investing: AIPAC Alaska Chief David Gottstein Prodding State Lawmakers To Require Alaska Permanent Fund Managers To Disinvest From Iran

2011-11-14T10:45:00.001-09:00

Article 8, Section 2 of the Alaska State Constitution requires the Alaska state legislature to "provide for the utilization, development, and conservation of all natural resources belonging to the State, including land and waters, for the maximum benefit of its people". Presumably, because the Alaska Permanent Fund represents the financial fruits of such utilization and development, it should also be invested in a manner to provide maximum benefit to the people, placing financial returns ahead of secondary considerations such as politics and morality.

But apparently, some state lawmakers don't believe Permanent Fund investments should be subjected to the same standard. On November 14th, 2011, the Anchorage Daily News reports that a bipartisan group of state lawmakers hope to force managers of the $37 billion Permanent Fund to dump the stocks of companies doing business in Iran. KTUU Channel 2 published a more abbreviated story. While a complete list of these lawmakers is not provided, we can determine the identities of some of them by examining divestment legislation under the "Permanent Fund" category currently in the hopper:

-- HB2, Divest Investments In Iran, sponsored by Republican Reps. Carl Gatto and Bob Lynn, relegated to State Affairs Committee on January 18th, 2011
-- HB241, Divest Investments In Iran, sponsored by Democratic Rep. Beth Kertulla, relegated to State Affairs Committee on April 17th, 2011
-- SB131, Divest Investments In Iran, group-sponsored by the Senate State Affairs Committee as of April 16th, 2011.

Since the Senate State Affairs Committee approved keeping SB131 alive as a group, their identities are pertinent to this post. The committee members are Senators Bill Wielechowski (D-Anchorage), Joe Paskvan (D-Fairbanks), Al Kookesh (D-Angoon), Kevin Meyer (R-Anchorage), and Cathy Giessel (R-Anchorage Hillside). This means there are a total of eight lawmakers known to be directly involved in the divestment effort.

Sen. Wielechowski defends his efforts, saying that Iran is a unique situation. He notes that Iran is a country recognized for supporting terrorism, violating human rights and creating a nuclear program that threatens the world. However, Permanent Fund CEO Mike Burns says that the fund has had a long history of investing exclusively on economic terms, and Permanent Fund spokeswoman Laura Achee says no previous bill requiring social investing has ever passed and fund investors have never done so under their own authority. Governor Sean Parnell is not known to favor divestment.

The Projected Effects of Divestment Legislation: In general, any of the three bills would force Alaska to drop its stocks with companies doing more than $20 million of oil and gas, mining, energy production or military equipment business with Iran. However, legislative researchers found nearly $79 million in Alaska state investments would be subject to Iran divestment, most of which are held by the Permanent Fund.

Who's Really Behind This Effort? Anchorage businessman and financial adviser David Gottstein, who is Alaska chairman of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), has been among those who have been pushing for Alaska to join 20 other states pursuing divestment policies. Gottstein claims that Iran threatens the Middle East and the U.S. even though they've attacked no one, notes that their oil and gas sector is vulnerable, and wants to change their behavior by financially crippling it.

However, AIPAC exists solely to benefit the state of Israel, without regard for the impact upon the United States. And despite the fact that other foreign lobbies are required to register with the Department of Justice under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, AIPAC and the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations have not been required to register. While AIPAC claims that they are a registered American lobbying group, funded by private donations, and receiving "no financial assistance" from Israel or any other foreign group, AIPAC has been involved in numerous scandals, including one notorious incident in 2005 when Lawrence Anthony Franklin, a U.S. Air Force Reserves colonel working as a Department of Defense analyst at the Pentagon in the office of Douglas Feith, was arrested by the FBI and charged with providing classified national defense information to Israel via two AIPAC officials. The two officials, AIPAC policy director Steven Rosen and AIPAC senior Iran analyst Keith Weissman, were fired by AIPAC and later indicted for illegally conspiring to gather and disclose classified national security information to Israel. Ultimately, all charges were dropped.

Reaction: Comments posted to ADN and the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner indicate many respondents are reacting unfavorably to the divestment idea. While a few are wise to AIPAC's purpose and tactics, more are critical of the idea of "social investing".

The Anchorage Daily Planet also condemns the divestment maneuvers, noting that the Permanent Fund website states, "They must be income-producing, protect the fund’s principal, maximize total return and conform to the prudent investor rule which requires investment decisions be made with the prudence, intelligence and discretion expected of an institutional investor", and expresses the concern that lawmakers who have issues with the energy industry may decide that if they can make social investing the Permanent Fund’s new path, they could also use it as a punitive force against companies such as ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips and BP who refuse to bow to state demands. A Daily Plane online poll indicates 75 percent of respondents also disapprove of divestment.

Update November 16th: Alaska Voices columnist Geoff Kennedy, who traditionally promotes a balanced foreign policy in the Middle East, weighed in, and showed that he's wise to AIPAC's history and tactics:

But there is an outfit called the American Israel Public Affairs Committee with such immense power that not even Alaska politicians dare stand up to it. AIPAC could not only buy any member of the Corrupt Bastards Club, it could buy the whole club and still be able to throw in Bill Allen as well.

{snip}

So, the question boils down to whether our politicians have the guts to respect the nearly 30-year-old tradition of keeping politics out of the permanent fund or whether they’ll appease AIPAC for the sake of political correctness.

Or should the politicians solve the problem by simply turning the entire fund over to AIPAC?

The primary goal of Permanent Fund investment must remain for the maximum benefit of the people, NOT the maximum benefit of Israel or any other foreign power. Social investing is merely another name for socialist investing.

The Tyranny Of Political Correctness: Buffalo, Wyoming Football Coach Pat Lynch Forced To Resign After Passing Out "Hurt Feelings Report" Parody Survey

2011-11-13T23:10:00.002-09:00

Special Note: Want to express solidarity with Pat Lynch? You can send an e-mail of support to him at the following address: plynch@jcsd1.us

The tyranny of political correctness is no longer restricted to the big cities; it's now wormed its way into the smallest towns in the real America, the heartland. And it struck with a vengeance in Buffalo, Wyoming when a football coach was forced to resign after distributing what was clearly a parody survey poking fun at political correctness to students.

On November 9th, 2011, Pat Lynch resigned as head football coach at Buffalo High School in Buffalo, Wyoming under pressure from the Johnson County School Board, which had voted unanimously to ask for his resignation. He will be allowed to retain his position as guidance counselor, albeit with administrative supervision. Neither the Buffalo Bulletin nor K2Radio reported if Lynch would take a cut in pay as a result.

Triggering this action was a survey that Lynch passed out to his players called the "Hurt Feelings Report"; a copy is posted below:

For larger version, click on the image or visit the source

The survey was clearly intended as a joke to poke fun at political correctness and to unify the team; as coach since 1998, Pat Lynch had led his team to a 96-40 record, twelve playoff appearances, six state championship games, and back-to-back 4A state titles in 2004 and 2005. So he was a proven leader and motivator of young men. But this cut no ice with a few sissies who got their panties in a twist when they saw the survey. So they cried to the school board and the board lowered the boom. But Superintendent Dr. Rod Kessler wasn't totally vindictive, which is why Lynch was allowed to stay on as guidance counselor.

“[Lynch] screwed up, he screwed up big time,” Kessler said. “The coaching, we didn’t want that to be the issue anymore. We wanted him to have his priority back where it was as a counselor. None of us are happy that it happened. It’s a black eye to the district. And it’s a black eye to Pat. We’re going to work with Pat and have him continue doing the good things he was doing prior to this mistake. Our hope is that we can mend things we need to mend and gain back the trust and get the reputation that he needs to gain back as a professional.”

Pat Lynch composed the following apology, which was read at the school board meeting:

“I would like to apologize for my lack of judgment and the poor choice that I made from my position as head football coach for Buffalo High School. I know that this situation has caused you pain and discomfort, and for that I am truly sorry. As a person and a professional, I believe I will learn and grow from this experience and use it to help others.”

“I appreciate having had the opportunity to coach in this community for the past 22 years. It has been a rewarding experience. I am eager to earn back your trust as I continue to serve in a profession that I truly love.”

Naturally, the gay rights lobby is unforgiving. Equality For All sent a letter to the Casper Star-Tribune demanding Lynch's FULL resignation, meaning being stripped of employment altogether. They claim Lynch's apology isn't good enough.

And the Casper Star-Tribune is also editorially calling for the complete termination of Pat Lynch. They question whether any students who have been bullied or harassed due to their sexual orientation can now possibly look to Lynch for help or guidance on any subject. They claim that if Lynch is allowed to keep his job, it implicitly shows that the district doesn’t take such discrimination seriously.

The lack of forgiveness shown by the gay rights group, the Star-Tribune, and many commenters to the various Wyoming media stories is appalling. If this is truly representative of local Wyoming opinion on this issue, this country is in grave trouble, because it means political correctness has now infested the very heartland itself. This was clearly no more than an attempt by Lynch to weld the team closer together through humor. If we protect and cocoon students against all adversity now while under controlled and supervised conditions, how does that effectively prepare them for dealing with adversity when they become on their own as adults, away from the protective embrace of parents and other mentors?

Update November 14th: Pat Lynch is getting strong support on Free Republic. They suggest sending an e-mail of support to him. Here's his e-mail address:

plynch@jcsd1.us

Mexican Secretary Of The Interior Francisco Blake Mora Dies In "Helicopter Crash"; American Intervention In The War Against The Cartels Now Justified

2011-11-11T11:11:00.008-09:00

Mexico is now reporting that Mexican Secretary of the Interior Francisco Blake Mora, the No. 2 official in the country, died on Friday November 11th, 2011 in a helicopter crash at the age 45. Seven others aboard the chopper also perished. Mexican spokeswoman Alejandra Sota said Secretary Blake Mora died when the helicopter crashed in Morelos state, just outside of Mexico City. Secretary Blake Mora was to meet with prosecutors in Morelos state. President Felipe Calderon appointed him as interior secretary in July 2010.

Authorities are investigating; the French-manufactured THP06 Super Puma helicopter was made in 1987 and had logged 717 hours of flight. So far, no foul play is suspected, as investigators think turbulence from a commercial airliner was the probable cause. It is the second time that Calderon has lost an interior minister to an air crash. In November 2008, Interior Secretary Juan Camilo Mourino died in a Learjet crash in Mexico City; that crash was blamed on "wake turbulence". President Calderon sought to spike rumors about cartel sabotage by saying that cloudy conditions along the flight path pointed to a possible weather-related accident, and added that the helicopter was closely protected on the ground by the presidential guard and had been recently serviced.

One might be tempted just to write this off as an accident, except Secretary Blake Mora was the point man in the Mexican government's war against the drug cartels. He also led the push to clean up Mexico's notoriously corrupt state and local police forces. Blake Mora frequently traveled to violence-torn cities for meetings with besieged state and local security officials, promising to step up the presence of troops and federal police in violent areas, and not leave until drug gang members there were caught. He even announced a five-point initiative to investigate the crimes and to increase security, including the federal monitoring of buses such as those used by the migrant victims. Thus Blake Mora would be a top target for the cartels.

The cartels have demonstrated an uncanny ability to take out police chiefs and police officers throughout the country, particularly in the northern states. The cartels also corrupt public officials through bribery by paying them more than their employers; according to one report, the cartels pay Mexican military members on the Progreso Bridge in the Rio Grande Valley $5,000 per week to let drug shipments through. Consequently, in my opinion, there is NO WAY IN HELL that this was an "accident". I believe we will find out that the helicopter was sabotaged in some way, and that representatives of the cartels were behind it.

If it is found that the helicopter was sabotaged, then the cartels have now stepped up their insurgency to levels imposing a serious threat to the security of the United States. Consequently, it would be appropriate for the U.S. government to consider sending troops into northern Mexico in an all-out effort to wipe the cartels off the face of the earth. To avoid overloading our military, this would be accompanied by a incremental withdrawal of all American forces from areas not vital to our national security, like Kosovo and the Middle East. There is no rationale in continuing to try to civilize Afghan ragheads who cannot and will not be civilized; even Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who we personally installed, recently showed his "gratitude" by saying he would side with Pakistan if they went to war against the United States. Good God, people, the Brits couldn't civilize the Afghans, and neither could the Soviets; what makes us think we'll be any different? And as far as Israel's security is concerned, Israel has over 300 nukes; its neighbors will think twice before launching a general attack on Israel because Israel has said they will use nukes to repel a general attack. We've been holding Israel's hand for 63 years, and that's long enough.

Of course, the optimal situation would be to intervene in Mexico with the active permission of and collaboration with the Mexican government. Mexican and U.S troops could operate side by side to root out the cartels. Each American unit could have a Mexican liaison officer assigned, provided the officer was properly vetted to ensure no hidden connection with the cartels. However, if the Mexican government refuses to voluntarily allow such an operation, I would have no qualms about American troops intervening without Mexican permission. No nation requires another nation's permission to protect itself. Russia provided a recent precedence for such action by their intervention in neighboring Georgia. Besides, Mexican cartel activity has spilled over into the southern U.S.; according to one report, cartels are paying bank presidents in the U.S. to launder money. Business owners aren't given a choice; the hitmen move in if they don't cooperate.

To his credit, Rick Perry is the only presidential candidate who's declared that he's open to the possibility of intervening in Mexico.

But intervention would work best only with a change in our internal war against drugs. First, we must sever marijuana from other drugs; the effects of marijuana are not as severe as other drugs. Dopers don't mug people and invade homes to get money for marijuana; they commit those acts to get money for crack, cocaine, and heroin, all of which are far more addicting.

Then we must ratchet up the war against other drugs. Possession and sale of other drugs should be declared a Federal crime; life imprisonment at hard labor and execution must be penalties levied against the biggest dealers. While there is a "safe" level of use for marijuana, there is NO safe level of use for any other recreational drug. If we need to compromise on marijuana to eradicate other drugs, then we do it.

Ketchikan City Councilman Jack Shay Arrested, Now Charged With A Total Of 91 Counts Possession Of Child Pornography

2011-11-07T14:53:00.002-09:00

Update November 10th: Post title changed to reflect dramatic and unfavorable development in this case for Jack Shay.

Jack Shay (Alaska Municipal League)

Ketchikan now has a much bigger political problem than the love-struck Kyle Johansen. On Friday November 4th, 2011, Ketchikan City Councilman John W. "Jack" Shay was arrested on 10 felony counts of possession of child pornography after workers at a local computer repair shop discovered child porn images on a computer Shay brought in for repair and then notified police, as the law requires. Police obtained a search warrant and report that they discovered several printed images of child pornography at Shay's home.

The 80-year-old Shay was arraigned Saturday morning and pleaded innocent; he was released on $30,000 bail. Shay has previously served as both Ketchikan City Mayor and mayor of the Ketchikan Gateway Borough. He has no prior entries in the Alaska Court System database under the names of either Jack Shay or John Shay. However, this case is now documented as Case No. 1KE-11-00980CR. Since this post was first published, Shay has now announced his resignation from the city council.

Update November 10th: This case just took a huge turn for the worse for Shay. He has now been charged with an additional 81 counts of possession of child pornography for a grand total of 91 counts, as police discovered, amongst other things, a homemade video in which at least one scene involves Shay and an unidentified pre-pubescent girl. Bail is to be reset at $100,000 and a third-party custodian required. His Alaska Court System database entry now reflects these changes.

When the story initially broke on November 7th, the negative comments began to show up in the Anchorage Daily News. But what some of those commenters may not know is that child porn can actually be planted on your computer with malware or viruses without your knowledge. The FramedForChildPorn.com website contains links to a number of stories of such incidents; in the case of Michael Fiola, it took him 11 months and $250,000 in legal costs to prove that he did not willfully or deliberately acquire the child porn found on his computer. Actual pedophiles can exploit virus-infected PCs to remotely store and view their stash without fear they'll get caught. Pranksters or someone trying to frame you can tap viruses to make it appear that you surf illegal websites.

Unfortunately, the fact that additional paper copies of child porn were found at Shay's house during the search does not help his case -- unless he discovered it at home, printed out a few copies for evidence, then took the computer to the repair shop for a virus/malware check. It's hard to imagine an 80-year-old having any sex drive at all, never mind a taste for child porn. Of course, subsequent developments indicate that for some reason, whether it was a lifelong problem swept under the rug, or some occurrence along the way which awakened this desire, an 80-year-old man can have a sex drive -- and one that turns in the wrong direction. I'm not sure I even want to know what Shay was doing with that girl in the video.

The Sitka News published a background story on Jack Shay back on November 23rd, 2010. Shay was born on May 10, 1931 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. When the Korean War broke out, he joined the Air National Guard and spent his time at an air base in northern Missouri. He eventually rose to the level of E-5, the equivalent of a staff sergeant in today's Air Force. His first duties were as a cryptographer, but he was also a supply sergeant. He turned down an opportunity to attend Officer Candidate School to separate and attend the University of Minnesota. In 1960, Shay and a friend flew aboard a Grumman Goose to Ketchikan; after seeing the First City, Shay decided to stick around for a while, and has been there ever since.

Occupy Anchorage Protesters Get A Bit Rowdy, Invade Fifth Avenue Mall To Target Wells Fargo Branch In Concert With Bank Transfer Day, Two Arrested

2011-11-06T10:49:00.000-09:00

The Occupy Anchorage movement, which until now had been essentially a model of decorum, got a bit rowdy on November 5th, 2011. About 40 of the protesters entered the Fifth Avenue Mall in downtown Anchorage to target one of the big predator banks, Wells Fargo, and ultimately two of the protesters were arrested for trespassing (according to KTUU). And judging by the response in the comments to the Anchorage Daily News, they may have played up to the negative stereotypes promoted by leading neoconservative pundits. KTUU news video embedded below:

However, it appears the intent of Occupy Anchorage was not destructive, as they fully intended to clean up any mess left before departing the mall. Around 2:30 P.M., the protesters entered the mall, a few carrying signs, and some attired in white hazmat suits. Another protester dumped some fake paper money as "dirty money" in front of the Wells Fargo branch to symbolize the contention that the bank's profits were ill-gotten. This action was also designed to correlate with the national Bank Transfer Day observance, in which Americans were urged to transfer their assets from the big predator banks to smaller community banks and credit unions.

Mall security guards soon arrived, blocked the bank entrance and told the protesters to leave even though the protesters wanted to finish sweeping up the "dirty money" strewn about. Anchorage police arrived and arrested two of the protesters, although one of them was quickly released; the other had an outstanding warrant. There is some dispute among Occupy protesters as to just what exactly went down, though. While the Anchorage Daily News reported that people started chanting, "The banks got bailed out, what about us", another participant reported differently:

Jay Stariwat November 5th 10:44 P.M:
Casey [in reference to Casey Grove, ADN reporter], if you're going to be covering this issue, please pay attention to the details. The chant was, "They [the banks] got bailed out, we got sold out!". We're not asking for bailouts or erasure of debt for ourselves as you (with your misinformation) and one other poster suggest. We're not all as self-interested and greedy as you may think. Not that we don't have problems ourselves, but at least we're trying to make this nation and this world better for everybody.

If you look at our society, our economy, our politics and you don't see problems, then you are certainly not living in the USA. We're trying to shine light on the reality of these problems when everybody else, from corporate media to our own government, refuses to do so. What happened to government of the people, by the people, and for the people?

If you think we are wrong for critiquing a system full of corruption, exploitation, and a disregard for our basic rights, then you are saying the rights guaranteed to us by our founding fathers through the Constitution are wrong or not needed.

The first step to solving any problem is to be aware of the problem itself.

Unfortunately, the damage was done, as there have been an upsurge of comments critical of OWS in the Anchorage Daily News. Many people persist in perpetrating the stereotype of OWS protesters being a bunch of unemployed hippies and students looking for student loan forgiveness. On the other hand, too many of those defending OWS also attack the right and the Tea Party, which further perpetuates the artificial righty-lefty feud dividing our society. Another comment best nails down what Occupy Anchorage is all about:

El_Fudd November 6th 1:41 A.M:
Somehow, I am not too surprised by the anti-support sentiments here directed at the Occupy demonstrators. Reminds me of many sheep being led to the slow slaughter ahead and cannot fathom it actually happening. There is a lot of "I got mine, you go get yours" mentality. It is possible to actually have yours and support what they are doing if one can remember that a good deal of this nation`s greatness has been born in dissent and demonstration.

The Occupy Movement is non-partisan, for both parties` policies have failed its` citizens. No matter how hard the left leaders try to attach themselves to the momentum, it is too grassroots to be hijacked; unlike the Tea Party movement. To those who vehemently insist they all get a job, from my point of view, I see many of the past couple generations paying more than twice the rent I paid with less than half the real wages adjusted for inflation I made back then. All one has to do is follow the money and see the excess has gone either overseas or to the top 1%. We have been living in a modern Robber Baron era and this backlash and adjustment to the system is long overdue.

And here's a useful comment from Steve Pratt, a perennial political candidate who's part of the Republican establishment:

StevePratt November 6th 10:30 A.M.:
If the protestors have a point, they should make it – you can’t just be against something. What are you in favor of?

To repeat a previous post on a different thread:

It is true that a middle class fueled by US hegemony is disappearing.

China invests in roads, bridges, power lines, pipelines, railroads, manufacturing plants, fossil and renewable energy supplies, and education.

We invest in unemployment benefits, no-bid contracts to conduct wars, regulatory paralysis, investment banker bailouts, politically chosen industries and companies like the solar company that went south.

In 2007 Zheng Xiaoyu, the head of the Chinese food and drug agency, was put to death for taking bribes from pharmaceutical companies.

In 2007 Franklin Raines, former Fannie Mae CEO in the US, nearly wiped out the mortgage lender and received $52.6 Million in bonuses.

In the US, investment bankers that lied to America's middle class investors and the US government about their liquidity positions received millions in bonuses paid for by taxes imposed on those very families.

China demands accountability for its public servants. The US demands "accessibility" to its public servants.

Corporations and companies that employ are not the enemy. The lack of accountability in corporations and government IS the enemy.

If you are worried about government handing out goodies to the wrong people, the answer is simple: less government control over resources to hand out.

Limited government = Limited Government mischief

Army Specialist William Colton Millay Proclaims His Innocence Of Any Espionage Charges; FBI Involvement Contaminates The Case

2011-11-04T19:09:00.002-08:00

U.S. Army Specialist William Colton Millay has proclaimed his innocence of any espionage charges, according to his lawyer Steve Karns of Dallas, who says he spoke with Spc. Millay by phone on Friday November 4th, 2011. Spc Millay is being held at the Anchorage Correctional Complex.

Spc Millay was arrested at 6:30 A.M. on Friday October 28th at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER) by special agents from the Army counterintelligence service and the Army Criminal Investigation Command. Eric Gonzalez, spokesman for the FBI in Anchorage, said the 22-year-old Millay was arrested following an investigation by the FBI and Army counterintelligence. He said the case is being handled in the military justice system. Neither the Army nor the FBI have yet disclosed the specific allegations against Millay and no charging documents are yet available, although they did deny that the arrest had anything to do with Pvt. Bradley Manning and Wikileaks. They also said Millay never transmitted any information because he was observed before any damage could have occurred. Formal charges under the UCMJ are expected to be preferred next week. Steve Karns believes Millay will be charged with attempted espionage.

Update November 7th: Spc Millay has now been formally charged with attempted espionage, failing to obey regulations, issuing false statements, solicitation, and communicating defense information. Read the full statement from the local Army Public Affairs office for more details.

However, Stars and Stripes has disclosed that Spc Millay, assigned to the 164th Military Police Company, part of the 793rd Military Police Battalion of the new 2nd Engineer Brigade, did not have access to sensitive classified material and is not a spy. They also reported that Spc Millay was upset at not being deployed to Afghanistan with the rest of his unit in March 2011, and allegedly offered to sell classified information to an undercover police officer to get revenge. Spc Millay was assigned to the company's rear detachment, a small group of soldiers who remain behind at their home base during a deployment. Army spokesman Lt. Col. Bill Coppernoll did not know why Millay specifically was left behind.

Some spy experts are already suggesting that if an espionage case gets to the point of formal charges, then the government's got the goods on the person. Linda McCarthy, a retired 24-year CIA veteran, says that because espionage is a difficult charge to prove, chances are there is a boatload of documentation, to include wiretaps, available to the government. Of course, this presumes that the documentation itself is valid and that it wasn't cooked up or planted.

Hometown friends of Millay in Owensboro, KY were astonished at the news. Longtime friend Drew Bramschreiber said Millay hardly fit the spy persona, characterizing him as a simple country boy who never got into trouble, and adding that Millay wasn't particularly computer-savvy. Janssen Payne, who now lives in Phoenix, said the Army's arrested the wrong guy, explaining that Millay idolized his brother, who is also in the Army, and that he had been in the ROTC program in high school. He was also a supporter of George W. Bush and the U.S. war effort in Iraq and Afghanistan. Millay's lawyer Steve Karns, a former U.S. Army major specializing in military criminal defense who was retained on Thursday by Millay's parents, said his client came across as a simple country boy who seems like a really good kid who doesn't sound like he has a malicious bone in his body or malevolent intent.

The involvement of the FBI in the case raises a red flag. The FBI had a checkered record in the various Corrupt Bastards Club cases; Chad Joy blew the whistle on his fellow FBI agents, saying that prosecution errors and omissions amounted to serious violations of federal rules and possible criminal violations. Among other allegations, Joy said the lead FBI agent in the Ted Stevens case had an improperly close relationship with FBI snitch Bill Allen and other sources. And one of the two informants in the Schaeffer Cox case, Gerald Olson, is so unsavory that an Alaska judge dropped all state charges against Cox and his four cohorts; the Feds will now find it even more difficult to prosecute their case. In the Edgar Steele case, the FBI used a snitch, Larry Fairfax, who was so depraved that he actually attached a bomb beneath the car of Cyndi Steele, a bomb which could have detonated at any time. The bottom line: While military authorities can still be trusted, the FBI cannot be trusted. If the FBI discloses the existence of a confidential informant, it's almost a guarantee that this case is being blown out of proportion.

My gut instinct at first glance tells me that Spc Millay was pissed off about not being allowed to deploy, shot his mouth off to the wrong person who snitched him out to the FBI, who in turn set him up with an undercover cop who made the case. It has to be investigated, but a full-blown arrest and court-martial seems like overkill.

Providence Alaska Medical Center To Implement Ban Against Hiring Smokers And Users Of Nicotine-Based Smoking Cessation Products

2011-11-03T12:34:00.000-08:00

On November 3rd, 2011, the Anchorage Daily News and the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner report that Providence Alaska Medical Center and its affiliates, which employ approximately 4,300 people around the state, will stop hiring tobacco users beginning on November 17th, even if they only use tobacco off the job. Current employees will be grandfathered and allowed to stay on so long as they don't use tobacco on any property owned by Providence.

Those who currently use tobacco products, as well as those who have used tobacco products within the previous six months, will be excluded from employment. And the ban also extends to any nicotine-based smoking cessation or substitution products, to include patches, pills, gum, and even e-cigarettes (which also deliver nicotine, albeit without smoke). Providence will screen prospective employees for nicotine use by testing for a byproduct called cotinine; they say those who are merely exposed to second-hand smoke "shouldn't" come up positive.

The quote from Tammy Green, director of health management services for Providence Health & Services Alaska:

"We believe that by doing this move, to where we are no longer going to hire tobacco users, that we are sending a very clear message into the community that we are not only the leaders in health care, but we're really the leaders in health".

Proponents of the policy also argue that precluding smokers from employment can save employers an extra $3,400 per year on the average, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control estimates that a smoker costs an employer an extra $3,400 a year on average. They also note that smokers also are more likely to suffer injuries such as cigarette burns, which in extreme circumstances could prevent a nurse from scrubbing. In addition, unlike 29 other states and the District of Columbia, Alaska does not recognize smokers as a protected class under state labor law, which minimizes the threat of a smoker filing an ADA lawsuit claiming that tobacco addiction is a protected disability.

Opponents of the policy, who have posted comments to the Daily News story, not only wonder why Providence didn't first try less drastic measures, such as simply charging smokers more for health insurance or denying them employer-paid health coverage altogether, but are also concerned about the slippery-slope implications. They ask what will come next -- banning jobseekers who ride motorcycles or eat too many Big Macs? Comments are running about 50-50 on the issue. Four excellent comments best express these concerns (after the jump):

bbaegger November 3rd 11:30 A.M:
This is a great example of the slippery slope we're stepping onto as we move toward federally managed health care. In the interest of keeping the populous healthy and managing demand for limited care resources, we're going to need to regulate more and more risky behavior. Smoking, drinking, riding motorcycles, eating trans-fats, drinking soda, etc. Where will it end?

Better to let folks be responsible for their own health care expenses and decide for themselves how much risk they think they can afford. Cash on the barrelhead for medical care!

AlaskanGirls November 3rd 11:15 A.M:
This is just another way for corporations and insurance companies to micro-manage their employees. Providence already bans smoking on their property and that is where it should stop. Unfortunately there are not enough people who can understand where this is headed and why it is wrong.

It is no ones business what I do in my own home, especially when it is 100% legal. These employers want to control their employees at home as well as on the job to ensure their profit margins stay high. What's next..?? What ever they want to test for and base employment on they can and will... People just don't understand the freedoms they give up when they allow this type of thing to happen.

Obesity and diseases related to obesity (diabetes, heart disease etc.) are the leading health problems in America... so when do they start the weigh ins and the body fat measurements for employment screening...??? What height and weight restrictions will be given in order to gain employment at Providence...??

What will they test for next...??? Corn Syrup... Chocolate... Caffeine... Alcohol... If this escalates as far as the insurance companies want it to... only people deemed HEALTHY will be employable.

It's not about whether or not people like to smell cigarettes.... it's about the right to earn an income and have a job without being discriminated against. The employees of Providence... even the NON-SMOKERS should be on STRIKE right now until this nonsense is stopped. Unfortunately that won't happen... because people know that cigarettes are bad for you and that is what they base their decision on.. that one simple fact. If people look at the big picture and where this is headed... they would be outraged.

Go_Yukon_Quest November 3rd 12:05 P.M:
It's a Brave New World. Corporate personnel departments routinely check Facebook and all the social network sites to find out what their potential employees are doing in their "private off-work time". Where's the outrage? Corporate America makes the rules now. Get used to it or join the Occupy Wall Street crowd and protest for change!

These comment sections have never changed ANYTHING! Sheeple need not apply! Oh, BTW, how's that pee testing working for ya?!

stacybak November 3rd 10:58 A.M:
I do understand the reasoning behind the decision and that smokers cost a business far more in health insurance premium costs than a nonsmoker. I'm having trouble understanding how it is even legal to deny a tobacco smoker employment if they are an otherwise acceptable canidate and they agree with the hospital's smoke-free campus policy.

Even though I'm a nonsmoker and I think smoking is disgusting, unhealthy and a waste of money - I believe people have the right to do what they want within the law. Smoking tobacco is still legal, therefore smokers should be able to smoke where it is permitted and not feel as if their job or potential future employability is in jeopardy. Yes, smokers contribute to higher health insurance costs that us, ostensibly healthier, nonsmokers end up paying for.

Rather than restrict a person's rights (no matter how much you disagree with them), I would advocate a way for the insurance industry and employers to offer a separate health plan for smokers, so they can pay for their own costs rather than the burden being spread across nonsmokers and smokers alike. The cost of that alone might encourage smokers to quit.

Of course, a smoker could choose to quit. Many successfully do so each year, and the average price of over $9.00 per pack in Alaska offers a financial incentive to quit. But my main concern is that this could be used as a pretext by employers for more intrusive and invasive screening an exclusion measures; the soft economy means it's a buyers market for employers. There was also no reason why Providence couldn't have tried more intermediate measures first, such as offering a separate health plan for smokers.

How The Clinton Administration Blackmailed The Mortgage Industry To Make Loans To Unqualified Minorities And Trigger The Mortgage Meltdown

2011-11-02T19:43:00.002-08:00

Courtesy of Resist.com

While the financial industry deserves much of the opprobrium currently directed towards it, they are not solely responsible for America's economic problems. It turns out the federal government bears a healthy share of the responsibility.

Investors Business Daily has uncovered a smoking gun document that show the Clinton Administration laid the groundwork for the mortgage meltdown through civil rights terrorism. The 20-page document, entitled "Policy Statement on Discrimination in Lending", was entered into the Federal Register on April 15th, 1994, by the Interagency Task Force on Fair Lending to coordinate an unprecedented crackdown on alleged "racist" bank redlining. Prompting this action was an October 1992 Boston Fed study which showed that mortgage lenders were rejecting Blacks and Hispanics in greater proportion than Whites, and the Clinton Administration automatically presumed racism. So Bill Clinton sicced no fewer than 10 federal agencies on the financial industry, ordering banks and mortgage lenders to ease credit for lower-income minorities or face investigations for lending discrimination and suffer the related adverse publicity. They also were threatened with denial of access to the all-important secondary mortgage market and stiff fines, along with other penalties.

But the Boston Fed study was soon discredited. Private analysts concluded that more relevant measures of a borrower's credit history — such as past delinquencies and whether the borrower met lenders credit standards — explained the gap in lending between whites and blacks, who on average had poorer credit and higher defaults. In addition, the study failed to account for a host of other relevant denial factors, including applicants' net worth, debt burden and employment record. Other variables, such as the size of down payments and the amount of the loans sought to the value of the property being bought, also were left out of the analysis. The study also failed to consider whether the borrower submitted information that could not be verified, the presence of a co-signer and even the loan amount. After the missing data was factored in, it became clear that the rejection rates were based on legitimate business decisions, not racism.

Nevertheless, knowing that the presumption of innocence does not exist in the civil rights industry, lenders found it necessary to put race at the top of their list. Banks that failed to lend preferentially to credit-poor minorities were denied expansion plans by the Fed in an era of nonstop financial mergers. HUD threatened to deny them access to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which it controlled. And the Justice Department sued them for lending discrimination and branded them as racists in the press. Civil rights inquisitors openly stated that applying different lending standards to applicants who are members of a protected class and providing different treatment to applicants to address past discrimination would be permissible.

In a separate story on Real Clear Markets entitled "Housing, and Reckless Disregard for Risk", Steven Malanga appends more of the blame on Fannie Mae rather than civil rights enforcers. He writes, "It was Fannie Mae who showed those on Wall Street how it was possible to eliminate the traditional due diligence conducted by lenders, which 'soon became the playbook for financial executives across the country', and executives at Fannie Mae who, when all else failed, viciously and personally attacked those who questioned its practices, in the process destroying a few careers. But Malanga's end conclusion is the same -- too many risky loans were made.

Yet despite the fact that the terminally-adulterous Slick Willie Clinton created this problem in the first place, he gets better press than Bush II and Obama simply because there was more prosperity during Clinton's time. Forgotten is the fact that Bill Clinton also committed a monumental war crime in 1999 when he ordered American forces to unleash the 78-day carpet bombing of Serbia, which had not threatened or attacked the United States.

This just further illustrates the increasing toll which forced diversity exacts upon our nation. Forced diversity imposes serious financial and social costs; not only have vast sums of money been invested in diversity, but society has been atomized and antagonized by it. Most ordinary people pledge "allegiance" to diversity primarily to preserve employability and social standing; their true opinion of diversity is expressed in residential patterns. When Lisa Murkowski and Don Young kissed Native ass at the AFN Convention, they were not speaking for mainstream Alaskans.

America cannot continue to exist in its present form unless we place common nationality ahead of individual heritage. We will not forever tolerate minorities being allowed to play racial politics while Whites who merely oppose minority racism are branded as racists.

Alaska 2012 Legislative Redistricting: Sources For New District Maps And Candidate Information

2011-11-02T12:13:00.001-08:00

On August 11th, 2011, the Alaska Redistricting Board submitted its final legislative redistricting plan to the U.S. Department of Justice for preclearance under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act. Section 5 requires that certain states - including Alaska - submit changes to their electoral processes and redistricting plans for preclearance from the U.S. Department of Justice to ensure that the proposed change is free from discriminatory purpose and will not result in retrogression in the position of racial minorities with respect to their exercise of the electoral franchise. On October 11th, the Department of Justice granted that preclearance, so even though the possibility of lawsuits still exists, the plan is considered authoritative, and candidates are beginning to announce their campaigns.

The new plan already pits incumbents -- even those of the same party -- against one another. In one instance, two Democratic incumbents, Mike Doogan and Chris Tuck, were placed in the same House district; Doogan decided to bow out. In the new Senate District M, Rep. Anna Fairclough will be challenging the declared incumbent Sen. Bettye Davis. However, I discovered that it is a bit difficult and time-consuming to track down maps and other related information about the new districts and the candidates. This post is designed to resolve this problem.

Pertinent links:

-- Alaska Division of Elections list of legislative candidates
-- APOC list of legislative candidates
-- Alaska Redistricting Board DOJ Submission Documents
----- Scroll down to Index of Volume 03/Folder 04 - Proclamation Regional Maps to see the newest regional maps to take effect in 2012.
----- Scroll down to Index of Volume 03/Folder 03 - Proclamation District Maps to see individual House district maps to take effect in 2012.

Legislative District Maps: Here are the series of regional maps. Note that the alphanumeric designations show the House district first and the overlying Senate district second (Example: 17-I indicates House District 17, Senate District I). Maps available after the jump:

Statewide: Click HERE to go to PDF version if you need to zoom

Metro Anchorage: Click HERE to go to PDF version if you need to zoom

Metro Eagle River: Click HERE to go to PDF version if you need to zoom

Metro Mat-Su: Click HERE to go to PDF version if you need to zoom

Metro Fairbanks: Click HERE to go to PDF version if you need to zoom

Metro Southeast: Click HERE to go to PDF version if you need to zoom

Metro Kenai: Click HERE to go to PDF version if you need to zoom