Charlotte mayoral candidate lists being "white" as one of her qualifications for office.

Courtesy of the Charlotte Observer:

A Charlotte mayoral candidate wants people to know that she’s Republican, smart – and white. 

“VOTE FOR ME!” Kimberley Paige Barnette posted on Facebook. “REPUBLICAN & SMART, WHITE, TRADITIONAL.” 

Barnette, who turned 53 on Friday, is a former Mecklenburg County magistrate making her first run for office. 

She could not be immediately reached. 

In a WTVI debate last month, Barnette criticized last September’s Charlotte protesters. She called the protests “an expression of Democratic behavior.” 

Asked how the city could help its lower-income residents, Barnette said, “I don’t think we should encourage more lower-income people to (come to) Charlotte.” 

“We should attract higher-income people.”

In case you missed it, "higher-income" is shorthand for not a brown person.

I don't really want to judge people on their looks, but I am pretty sure I saw that same face stirring a cauldron during a Shakespearean play I watched one time.

But hey, she's white so who cares?

This is now apparently Trump's America where being white is really the only qualification one needs for success.

Is it too early in the day to start drinking?

One of Alaska's greatest politicians has passed away.

Courtesy of KTUU: 

Sad news to report from Talkeetna, Stubbs the cat has passed away. 

According to a release from Nagley's store, the unofficial Mayor of Talkeetna, Stubbs the cat passed away in his sleep Thursday night. 

The release states Stubbs was 20-years-old. 

As Stubbs grew older his public appearances at the store became less frequent. "The last time Stubbs was in the store; he got to snuggle with the employees and relax after a good long days’ work," the release reports. 

Stubbs served as the town’s unofficial mayor since 1997.

It should be noted that Stubbs was NEVER ONCE accused of any corruption, and this is Alaska!

What's more he was accessible to ALL citizens of his town, and did not only hang out with the big donors or those who had fresh fish for him to eat.

And he was by far the best mayoral mouser in the entire state.

Take that Anchorage Mayor Ethan Berkowitz!

Yep, it's always the great ones that leave this earth too early, while the likes of Don Young and Sarah Palin continue on leaving a trail of corruption and malfeasance in their wake.

Apparently Jesus is like a Wal-Mart greeter for Hawkins, Texas.

Courtesy of Politicususa

Speaking for Jesus? Isn't that what the whole "Thou shalt not take the Lord's name in vain" is talking about?

Well it might not anger Jesus, most likely because he is a mythical creation, but it did upset the FFRF.

This from KMOO: 

The Freedom From Religion Foundation has sent a letter to an East Texas City Council requesting they remove a sign posted on city property. 

The group states in its letter that the “Jesus Welcomes You to Hawkins’ sign posted on East Front Street is an unconstitutional religious display. 

The letter states, “The Jesus Welcomes You to Hawkins’ sign sends a message to the City’s citizens that the Hawkins government is endorsing and compelling a belief in a particular god. By endorsing such a belief, the sign sends the message to nonadherents that they are outsiders, not full members of the political community, and an accompanying message to adherents that they are insiders, favored numbers…” 

The letter ended by requesting the City Council to reply back with a plan for how to proceed.

However the mayor of Hawkins says that the creation of the sign was a "community project" and thinks the community should fight to keep it up.

And the mayor thinks you should show your support even if you are NOT a Christian, because Jesus was a good guy:

“Citizens should voice their support,” Rogers said. “Even if you don’t look at Jesus as a religious leader, you have the humanitarian aspects of his life while he was here to consider.”

You see they just like Jesus for being Jesus, they don't want him featured prominently on their sign to indicate any kind of religious preference in their town.

Yeah, right.

Koch brother paid-for Alaska Senator Dan Sullivan endorses Koch brother paid-for mayoral candidate Amy Demboski.

Courtesy of Alaska Dispatch: 

U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan endorsed Anchorage mayoral candidate Amy Demboski in a statement released by her campaign Thursday, and a Republican state senator from Anchorage, Lesil McGuire, came out in favor of Ethan Berkowitz in a radio ad that began running the same day. 

Sullivan, a Republican, appeared at a fundraiser for Demboski earlier in April. He made his endorsement official Thursday.

This of course would probably count as the least surprising news of the day, since we know that Sullivan is a Koch brother lackey who readily jumps through Koch brother hoops.

What is somewhat more surprising is that fellow Republican Lesil McGuire came out in support of Ethan Berkowitz, the Democrat.

In the ad supporting Berkowitz, McGuire, who worked with Berkowitz in the Alaska Legislature, speaks directly to listeners. The ad was produced by Berkowitz for a Better Anchorage, a union-funded independent expenditure group. 

“As a Republican, I want a mayor that gets the basics done right,” McGuire says. “Good roads, great schools and strong public safety. In this election we can also have someone with vision and integrity and a proven record of bringing people together.” 

She describes Berkowitz as a “gifted public servant who will work with all sides” and a small business owner.

I have had some issues in the past with McGuire but she shows some backbone here is refusing to support the candidate supposedly on her side of the aisle and instead supporting the one that can actually do the job. 

Ethan is indeed a talented and ethical man, and as yesterday's post proves Amy Demboski is neither.

The secret marriage, and ugly dissolution of that marriage, that Anchorage mayoral candidate Amy Demboski really does not want you to know about.

So Amy Demboski is in a runoff election with Ethan Berkowitz to decide who will be the mayor of our fair city.

Demboski is a completely unqualified candidate who nonetheless has attracted the backing of the Koch brothers and of course our Baptist minister king maker Jerry Prevo.

Essentially Prevo is drawn to Demboski because she is a family values embracing homophobe who is pushing a conservative agenda.  You could say that hate and ideology binds them.

But what if there were something about Amy Demboski that was not quite so pro-family values? You know perhaps something like a brief marriage and an attempt to force your former husband into paying child support for a child that was not his.

Because you know what? That is something that really happened.

After election of first African American female mayor, 80% of police force resigns.

Courtesy of KFVS: 

Voters in Parma, Missouri voted in their first African-American female mayor. 

Tyrus Byrd will be sworn in as mayor on Tuesday evening, April 14 at the Parma Community Building. 

According to Mayor Randall Ramsey, five out of six police officers resigned this week, effectively immediately. 

Mayor Ramsey said the city's attorney, the clerk and the waste water treatment plant supervisor also turned in resignation letters citing "safety concerns."

The previous mayor, a white guy of course, had been in office for 37 years.

Parma only has 740 residents so some wondered why they needed six police officers in the first place.

By the way Missouri is also where Ferguson is located, so as you see the state continues to struggle with their racism problem.

Conservative Anchorage mayoral candidate Amy Demboski calls public park access plan "big government garbage." WTF?

Okay the project that crazy eyes was losing her shit about back in 2014 was a simple plan to secure access points to Chugach state park, which already exist but are unsecured.

Here is more from Alaska Dispatch:  

The overall goal is to secure and maintain access to the park for existing and future park users. The plan is a step toward this goal by identifying potential access points, basically locations where users can already access the park but where the access is not secured or formally designated. The identification of such sites is a requirement of the Municipal Land Use Ordinance (Title 21) specifically to guide future planning and zoning decisions.

And that is what Demboski so eloquently refers to as "big government garbage."

God I cannot believe this is one of the two candidates in the run off election that will choose the next mayor to lead my city.

Runoff for Anchorage mayor now between Ethan Berkowitz and Amy Demboski. Seriously?

Photo courtesy of the Alaska Commons.

Courtesy of Alaska Dispatch:  

With more than 99 percent of the vote counted in the Anchorage municipal election early Wednesday morning, Ethan Berkowitz held a commanding lead with nearly 37 percent of the vote, but was shy of the 45 percent he would need to avoid a runoff. 

Amy Demboski held almost a 3-point lead for the second-place spot and the other runoff position over Andrew Halcro. She had more than 24 percent; he was close to 22 percent. Former two-term Anchorage Assemblyman Dan Coffey, initially the front-runner in the mayor's race, was in fourth place with 14 percent of the vote. 

“Feeling strong -- this is a great night,” Berkowitz said as he walked out of his campaign party downtown to Election Central at the Dena'ina Convention Center. “My campaign team has been terrific. The numbers suggest there will be a runoff. We’ll continue to talk about the goals we have for Anchorage, make sure this continues to be a safe, strong and secure community and make sure we’re ready for the opportunities that come our way.” 

Demboski was also upbeat in a brief interview at Election Central. She described herself as “cautiously optimistic” about the count. 

“No matter what happens, I know that we ran a great campaign,” Demboski said. “We did everything we could with what we had. And the message that’s really resonating is though you may not be the candidate with the most amount of money, if you have a strong message and that message resonates with voters, you absolutely can prevail.” Demboski raised the least amount of campaign money of the four leading candidates.

Okay color me surprised on this one.

I knew there would be a runoff but I really thought it would come down to Berkowitz and Halcro. 

Demboski is a fucking lunatic and might actually be worse for our city than even Dan Sullivan, who is to Anchorage politics what skidmarks are to a clean pair of underwear.

I have little doubt that Berkowitz will win, but I have to admit I find it troubling that Demboski received this much support.

Election day!

Well today is election day here in Anchorage, Alaska.

Perhaps the most important choice is for a new mayor to replace Dan Sullivan, possibly the worst mayor we have had in the last twenty years.

The choices for that position are as follows.

• Jacob Seth Kern 
• Dustin Darden 
• Amy Demboski - Anchorage Assembly member 
• Timothy Huit 
• Christopher Jamison 
• Samuel Joseph Speziale III 
• Ethan Berkowitz - Former Alaska House of Representatives Minority Leader 
• Andrew Halcro - Former Alaska House of Representatives member and 2006 Alaska gubernatorial candidate 
• Dan Coffey - Former Anchorage Assembly member 
• Paul Bauer - Former Anchorage Assembly member 
• Lance Ahern 
• Spencer Halgren

If you know any of the names on that list it is most likely that you will recognize Andrew Halcro, who ran against Sarah Palin and  Tony Knowles for Governor back in 2006, and then became a blogger for a time, and Ethan Berkowitz who ran against Don Young in 2008, and lost after an aggressively disputed tally of the votes.

Dan Coffey is the guy caught on tape talking about buying votes and Amy Demboski is the Anchorage Assembly member who introduced an ordinance in response to our new pot legalization law to forbid the sale of marijuana within city limits.  So you can imagine how popular she will be.

Currently it is suggested that the race is too close for one candidate to emerge victorious after today's vote, which means we can all look forward to a runoff election, one that will most likely have Berkowitz facing off against Halcro. 

Personally I think we desperately need a Democrat in the Mayoral office, after eight years of Dan Sullivan, and will vote accordingly.

There are also several bonds on the ballot, and several school board candidates to choose from.

Whatever your political affiliation and position on the issues please make sure to vote today. 

P.S. You can find more about the candidates and bod initiative here.

Michigan mayor rejects idea of "Atheist booth" alongside Christian prayer station in City Hall, compares Atheists to KKK and Nazis.

Mayor Jim Fouts

Courtesy of Chron:

The American Civil Liberties Union in Michigan and two other groups filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday seeking an injunction against a Michigan city's ban on an atheist booth in a municipal building. 

The groups said the Detroit suburb of Warren lets a church group run a "prayer station," distribute religious materials, discuss religious beliefs and pray with visitors in a City Hall atrium but refuses to let atheist Douglas Marshall use the same space. 

Americans United for Separation of Church and State and the Freedom from Religion Foundation also are part of the lawsuit in U.S. District Court that says Marshall's request in April to install a "reason station" was rejected by Mayor Jim Fouts. 

"Once the government opens public space for use by private groups, it cannot pick and choose who can use the space based on the content of their message or whether public officials agree with that message," said Dan Korobkin, ACLU of Michigan deputy legal director, adding "The city cannot allow speech supportive of religion and reject speech supportive of atheism."

I think Douglas Marshall has a valid point.

If you allow one group to have a special area in a government building then it seems reasonable to allow others in as well. And not just Atheists either, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Scientologists, etc., should have the same exact access and place of prominence provided to them.

Sadly the mayor of Warren, does not quite see it that way.

This was what he told the AP:

"The city has certain values that I don't believe are in general agreement with having an atheist station, nor in general agreement with having a Nazi station or Ku Klux Klan station," Fouts said. "I cannot accept or will not allow a group that is disparaging of another group to have a station here."

Now why do these idiots always think that THEIR values reflect the values or beliefs of everybody in their communities?

And conflating Atheists with the KKK or the Nazis demonstrates a complete lack of knowledge about history, and a deeply intolerant nature.

As far as I know most Atheist organizations are not about hate, they are about knowledge.

And it looks like this guy could stand to be exposed to some.

Texas mayor proclaims 2014 "Year of the Bible."

Courtesy of My Fox:  

New years are known for new resolutions, but in one North Texas town, the mayor has proclaimed 2014 the Year of the Bible. 

It's a declaration--or an official announcement. Mayors do it all the time for whatever they reason they choose to. In the case of Flower Mound, the mayor wanted his community to connect through the Bible. 

"I was nervous about doing this," said Mayor Tom Hayden. "And I've been thinking about it for two years, and procrastinated about if for as long as I possibly could." 

The proclamation was made by Hayden during a city council meeting last month. 

The Year of the Bible has two parts: the genesis of Hayden's proclamation borrows heavily from former President Reagan's almost identical proclamation in 1983, and quotes various presidents while pointing out America's founding documents are Biblically-based. 

The second part is a Bible-based website: thebible2014.com. 

"The way it's set up is that people would have the same scripture each day," said Jon Bell of Calvary Chapel. "That they would go over and so that at the end of the year, they'd have gone through the whole Bible in a year." 

The mayor says the proclamation was not law, not voted on by the Flower Mound City Council and not an official town action. 

However, it still raises some questions with some Flower Mound residents. 

"He was elected mayor," said Flower Mound resident Curt Orton. "Not as the spiritual leader of Flower Mound." 

Apparently this idiot thinks its 1714 instead of 2014.

Gee it must be very nice for the Hindus, Buddhists, and non-religious to have a website sponsored, paid for, and maintained by the city to go to and read from a book that they do not believe in.

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford becomes first person to sign up for 2014 municipal election after declaring himself "the best mayor the city has ever had."

Courtesy of the National Post: 

Mayor Rob Ford became the first person to sign up for the 2014 municipal election race on Thursday, and quickly turned combative when asked how he would respond to questions about last year’s crack scandal on the campaign trail. 

“Let them talk about whatever they want. I’m going to stick to my record. I want to see someone get a union deal like I did, get rid of the taxes like I have,” Mayor Ford told reporters at city hall. 

Touting his attendance record at council meetings, campaign promises fulfilled and his leadership during crises such as the recent ice storm, Mr. Ford declared himself “the best mayor that this city has ever had.”

Is it wrong that I love this guy?

I mean I would not want him running MY city, but for political entertainment you really cannot beat Rob Ford.

I just wish OUR crazy politicians were more like him, more damaging to themselves, and less damaging to the country.

Boy Canada universal health care AND Rob Ford? How'd you get so lucky?

Beloved mayor of Alaska town is almost assassinated. Fortunately he still has eight lives left.

Courtesy of CNN: 

He's a beloved mayor, who's held the top office in Talkeetna, Alaska, for 16 years. So imagine the townfolks' shock when he was attacked. 

Brutally mauled. 

By a dog. 

Oh, did we mention, this mayor's a cat? 

Mayor Stubbs, a yellow tabby with more responsibility than your average cat, survived -- but is in bad shape. 

A punctured lung. A fractured sternum. A 5-inch gash on his side. 

Doctors took out a chest tube Tuesday, and he was breathing on his own for the first time since the weekend attack. 

"It's a shame," said Ashley Kearns, who works at a pizza shop in the small town about 110 miles north of Anchorage. "He's the mayor, it's not a joke. I know it's ridiculous, but the town is run really well."

Well that is just horrible and I hope Mayor Stubbs makes a full recovery. (I might suggest that his first order of business when he returns to office is to make it illegal to be a dog in Talkeetna.)

I would also like to point out how unfair it is that such an easygoing, and universally beloved mayor has been attacked in such a brutal fashion.

I mean Sarah Palin was the mayor of Wasilla for six years and nobody tried to maul her!

The same goes for Anchorage's current mayor Dan Sullivan. He is despised by at least half of the citizens yet his sternum remains fracture free!

Now don't get me wrong I am not suggesting that anybody SHOULD do such a thing, I am simply pointing out how it always seems to be the innocent who suffer up here in Alaska while the guilty remain living high on the hog. (No offense to hogs.)

Missing: One Anchorage city mayor. Identifying features: Grecian Formula treated hair, noticable lack of integrity, and the stench of moral turpitude.

It has been several days since Mayor Dan Sullivan called in too sick to host a radio program at KBYR last Wednesday, and then took a turn for the worse and was even too sick to be an interviewee on Glenn Beigel's "triumphant" return to teabagging radio a couple days later on Friday.

Wow!  Too sick even to do a telephonic interview?  Now THAT sounds pretty sick!

So I have asked around and apparently he is still nowhere to be found. Almost as if he were in hiding. Hmmm.

I checked his Press Releases but there has been nothing new posted since last month.

I then checked his blog (Jesus, does EVERYBODY want to be a blogger now?) and nothing new has been added there since February!

Well you know this could be serious! I think perhaps we should form a search par....wait...I just received word of a sighting.

Well I hope at least he has been behaving himself and staying out of...uh oh....

Dan "I am having a party in my pants" Sullivan will be on KBYR at 4:00! Have a phone? Have some time? Well then you know what to do!

For those of you Anchorage folks who wonder what, oh what, you could possibly have to ask the mayor on the radio perhaps I could provide some suggestions.

You can ask him WHERE the contract is that allows him to pocket $193,000 of our city's money.

You could ask him WHO Bernadette Wilson is and WHY he paid her to plan his parties with city funds, and WHY her husband is divorcing her and pissed off at him.

Or you could ask him WHAT the hell he is doing cutting so many vital services from our city's budgets while paying for Zamboni's for a local ice rink.

You can listen to the show on 700 KBYR in Alaska or stream it here and ask any of those question yourself by dialing (907) 278-5297

Update:  I apologize.  Mayor Dan Sullivan will NOT be on the radio today!  He does not feel vewwy good, and hims is going to stay home. Even though I was assured just yesterday by KBYR General Manager Justin McDonald that he would be on.

Apparently he has a bad case of pansy ass-itis.  Let's be real, he is terrified of somebody calling the show and holding him accountable for:
a) lying to the Assembly about the contract concerning his dad's life insurance claim,
b) his Mark Begich witch hunt in which he tries to damage the Senator's rep so HE can take his seat, or
c) that somebody will ask him who Bernadette Wilson is, and what kind of relationship he has with her, and whether his wife knows about it or not?

Speaking of Mark Begich, I can guarantee you that HE would never have called in sick.  Mark shows the hell up.  That is why HE is the Senator and Sullivan's legacy will be that of a failed mayor and philandering Republican politician.

You can run Sullivan but you can't hide from the truth for long. Count on it.

BTW if anybody sees Sullivan around town today, or this weekend, let me know.

Assembly member Harriet Drummond just sent the posse after Dan "the desperado" Sullivan to retrieve the money he stole from our city's treasury.

This is Resolution AR No. 2010-91, which Harriet Drummond, this liberal bloggers favorite Anchorage Assembly member, just submitted for consideratin on March 23.

ANCHORAGE, ALASKA
AR NO. 2010–91


A RESOLUTION OF THE ANCHORAGE MUNICIPAL ASSEMBLY TO AUTHORIZE ENGAGING THE SERVICES OF INDEPENDENT LEGAL COUNSEL TO REVIEW AND REPORT TO THE ASSEMBLY ON THE LEGAL AND CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS, IF ANY, AND THE AUTHORITY OF THE ASSEMBLY, IF ANY, REGARDING PAYMENT OF $193,000 IN MUNICIPAL FUNDS TO THE GEORGE M. SULLIVAN IRREVOCABLE LIFE INSURANCE TRUST, AND PROVIDING FOR AN APPROPRIATION.

WHEREAS, pursuant to Assembly Memorandum No. AM 76-2010, the Assembly was requested by and on behalf of the Mayor to appropriate One Hundred Ninety Three Thousand Dollars ($193,000.00) from the Areawide General Fund (Fund 101) for disbursement to the George M. Sullivan Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust; and

WHEREAS, Assembly Memorandum No. AM 76-2010 declared that disbursement would be made under a life insurance contract; and

WHEREAS, Assembly Memorandum No. AM 76-2010 did not disclose that the George M. Sullivan Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust was administered by the Mayor in his private capacity as the son of George M. Sullivan and Trustee of the life insurance trust; and

WHEREAS, Assembly Memorandum No. AM 76-2010 did not disclose that no life insurance policy was in place and no written life insurance contract existed; and

WHEREAS, AR 2010-33 was passed and approved by the Assembly, on February 16, 2010, authorizing disbursement subject to receipt of proper documentation from the George M. Sullivan Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust; and

WHEREAS, the full circumstances purporting to legally obligate the Municipality to make a payout of $193,000.00 in public funds are more complicated than provided in the summary under AM 76-2010; and

WHEREAS, the payout of $193,000.00 in public funds for life insurance without a life insurance policy in place has raised many concerns in the mind of the public and one or more Assembly Members, including these questions:

• What is the legal basis for asserting the existence of a life insurance policy or contract?

• What is the legal basis for asserting a contractual obligation in the absence of a written contract?
• What is the legal authority of the Salary and Emoluments Commission to authorize an employee benefit after employment has terminated?

• Were the legal requirements, procedures and process under Charter Section 5.08 (c) properly followed?

• What, if any, is the extent of a municipal obligation to make payment of $193,000 in life insurance without a life insurance policy?

• What is the current Assembly’s authority to approve or disapprove a life insurance payment in the absence of a life insurance policy?

• Is this disbursement recognized in the FY 2010 General Government Operating Budget?

• What process should be used under the Ethics Code to ensure that an elected public official does not sit on both sides of a municipal transaction?

• Under what public purpose are public funds being disbursed as life insurance? and

WHEREAS, the current Mayor is also actively serving as Trustee of the George M. Sullivan Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust, creating a situation in which he serves on both sides of a significant financial transaction involving public funds; and

WHEREAS, as Mayor, the incumbent is required to represent and act in the Municipality’s best interests; and

WHEREAS, as Trustee of the George M. Sullivan Life Insurance Trust, the Trustee has a fiduciary duty to the Trust to represent and act in the best interests of the Trust and its beneficiaries;

NOW, THEREFORE, the Anchorage Assembly resolves:

1. Because the events surrounding the creation and administration of a special benefit for the Honorable George M. Sullivan occurred after he was no longer in office and over the course of several mayoral successions without a full and public review before the Assembly, the Assembly authorizes an independent legal review to include the following:

• The authority of the Salary and Emoluments Commission, after the mayor or other elected official has left elected office, to authorize a special life insurance benefit;
• Whether a special life insurance benefit was legally effectuated for George M. Sullivan, when, and by whom or under what actions;

• The legal obligations and risks to the Municipality concerning the special life insurance benefit (prior to payment);

• The authority of the Mayor to request an appropriation when the Mayor also currently serves as Trustee of the George M. Sullivan Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust, without disclosure of the potential for conflict of interest;

• The public purpose under which disbursement of public funds is allowed as life insurance proceeds, without a fair market life insurance policy or premium payments.

• The authority of the Anchorage Assembly to approve an appropriation of public funds for this purpose.

2. The services of independent legal counsel shall be selected by the Internal Auditor, the Municipal Clerk and Assembly Counsel under a small procurement contract not to exceed [$5,000 – $10,000], and an appropriation of [$ 10,000] for this purpose is approved.
3. Until the Assembly is assured by independent legal counsel that payment of $193,000.00 in public funds is legally appropriate, the Mayor, in his private capacity as Trustee for the George M. Sullivan Irrevocable Trust, is respectfully requested to return any funds disbursed under AR 2010-33 to a special account to be held by the Municipality.

PASSED AND APPROVED by the Anchorage Assembly this ______day of ____________, 2010.

______________________________
Chair
ATTEST:
____________________________
Municipal Clerk

Damn! It is about time SOMEBODY took Sullivan to task for emptying the city's cash reserves while cutting services to its citizens!

If you are late to the party and a little confused by this resolution just go here, here, and here and you will soon know why Anchorage residents are so angry.

By the way, is it too early to draft Harriet Drummons to run for mayor of Anchorage? State Senator? How about Lisa's job?

(H/T to my friend, and fellow Alaskan blogger Phil Munger)

Dan "Get your hand off my ass" Sullivan cut necessary city programs to save money to hire a lawyer in legal battle against whales.

(I would like it to be noted that I really thought before using this picture. But when I googled Mayor Sullivan, guess which picture popped up? What can I say? It is the iconic Mayor Dan Sullivan picture.)

Mayor Dan Sullivan has hired a Seattle attorney to help the city negotiate the way through a pending federal designation of critical habitat for Cook Inlet's beluga whales.

Federal scientists say Cook Inlet's belugas are a genetically distinct species that doesn't intermingle with other beluga populations in Alaska. The Inlet's whales were estimated to number about 1,300 in the early 1980s, but the population plummeted to around 350 in the late 1990s.

Scientists blamed the drop on subsistence hunts, but Native hunters voluntarily curtailed their harvests in 1999 and the population hasn't rebounded as biologists had hoped. The fisheries service listed the whales as endangered in 2008, and a few weeks ago proposed designating more than 3,000 square miles of Cook Inlet as critical habitat for the whales. That area would comprise all of upper Cook Inlet, the coastal areas of western Cook Inlet and most of Kachemak Bay.

I have spent many a wonderful evening in Anchorage down by Point Woronzof watching the Belugas frolic in the Inlet. It is a very peaceful experience.

I especially remember taking a two year old girl, whose family my wife was a nanny for, and watching her face light up as she watched the white shapes popping to the surface before slipping back under the murky waves. "Uga's! Uga's!" She exclaimed and giggled every time she spotted one.

How can anybody who has watched these amazing creatures NOT want to protect their fragile habitat?

Sullivan announced Stelle's hiring during a noon luncheon with Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor Dave Carey and Talis Colberg, mayor of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough. All three mayors said the critical habitat designation could have big negative effects on government projects and activities in and near the Inlet, as well as fisheries and oil and gas development. They said they want to present a united front to oppose it and limit its effects.

Gee who knew the Three Stooges could be so evil?

Sullivan and Carey, especially, said they want the state to pay for what Sullivan estimated would be "several millions of dollars" of new science research on the whales. That work couldn't be done in time to help much with the debate over what areas should be designated critical habitat, but would be useful in future lawsuits, Sullivan acknowledged.

So let me see if I have this straight. The science, done by the Federal scientists, is not the kind of science that these guys like. So they want to pay millions of dollars to hire their own "scientists" to conduct the kind of "science" that one gets, when one is willing to pay millions of dollars, in order to continue treating Cook Inlet like a giant toilet bowl? (Yes in Anchorage our shit literally gets dumped right into the Inlet.)

Supporters of the designation say it wouldn't cripple development in Cook Inlet, but would require it to be done more responsibly. Science studies and monitoring already have shown the Inlet's belugas need the endangered species listing and its protection, they say.

The mayor's office said Stelle's firm, K&L Gates, has an Anchorage office and is already retained under a $50,000 contract with the city's legal department. The cost of paying for Stelle's time under that contract likely will be shared by city agencies most likely to be affected by the designation, including the Port of Anchorage, the water and wastewater utility, solid waste services and project management and engineering, Sullivan's aides said.

Gee what a competent mayor we have. Apparently our city is so broke that he felt he had to cut $175,000 from our libraries and arts programs, but not so broke that he cannot justify providing a $50,000 retainer for lawyer to fight for the right to continue dumping toxic substances and raw sewage into the habitat of these beautiful creatures.



"You better lawyer up, Moby! Mayor Dan "We don't need no stinking libraries" Sullivan is taking your ass to court!"

When is the next election?

ADN covers the True Diversity Dinner and Mayor Sullivan's ham handed approach to diversity and unions.

First the unions:

The annual event is meant to wrap up diversity month in the city but comes on the heels of a bitter debate over a failed anti-discrimination proposal. This year it's being held at the Hilton Anchorage downtown, which is where the union's beef comes in.

Locked in a labor dispute with owners, Hilton workers in Anchorage voted in May to urge a boycott of the hotel. The statewide teachers union is on board, agreeing to cancel six events this year and next. The Alaska Federation of Filipino Americans canceled a banquet too.

The union of roughly 1,000 Anchorage hotel and restaurant workers this month asked new Mayor Dan Sullivan to move the dinner to another venue.

Sullivan declined, and the union, which is seeking a better offer on wages and benefits from the hotel's Kentucky-based owner, now plans to protest the event.

Oh yeah that is exactly the group you want to piss off as mayor, the unions. Isn't there like a handbook that comes with this job or something?

Now the LGBT supporters:

John and Heather Aronno, married college students in their 20s, helped organize the evening's other protest.

The couple supported a proposal before the Assembly this summer that sought to ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Sullivan vetoed the ordinance Aug. 17, saying he hadn't seen clear evidence that discrimination exists and that majority of people who contacted him opposed the change.

"As elected officials, we are charged with reflecting the will of the community in our decisions, particularly in the absence of compelling data that would supersede that will," Sullivan said in a written statement at the time.

That veto, combined with Sullivan changing the name of the annual "diversity" dinner to the "unity" dinner, prompted the Aronnos and fellow political bloggers to plan a dinner of their own.

It looks like the only demographic that Sullivan is interested in reaching out to is the attractive young female voter demographic. (It is either grabbing ass or kissing ass with you isn't it Mayor Sullivan?)

(H/T to Shannyn Moore for the photo)

The True Diversity Dinner will be held at the Snow Goose Restaurant tonight starting at 7:30. All of the cool people will be there!

(By the way, please click the title to read the entire ADN article. It was written by Kyle Hopkins who is one of the few GOOD reporters the ADN has left.)

Former Anchorage Mayor, and father of current Mayor Dan Sullivan, has died.

George Sullivan, the mayor who steered Anchorage's city government into a modern municipality, died at home Wednesday night of complications from lung cancer.

I have no doubt that there will be numerous times when I am very critical of our current mayor, but today is not a time for political disagreement as I offer my heartfelt condolences to him and his family.

It is unfortunate that this occurred at a time when there is so much rancor directed at Dan Sullivan. Hopefully we can express our sympathy for his loss while remaining true to our differences concerning politics and human rights

Namaste Mayor Sullivan.

Shannyn Moore destroys the Republicans attempt to blame Ex-Mayor/Current Senator Mark Begich for city's financial woes.

Hypocrisy, offensiveness, and lies, oh my!

It is not unusual to blame the previous administration for the current economic problems facing your constituents. However accusing them of a conspiracy is a step too far. But what else can this new Republican administration really do with so many daunting challenges facing them? Solve them? Now we all know that is not the Alaska Republican way of doing things.

And Dan Sullivan is a dyed in the wool Alaskan Republican.

I will say one thing for Mayor Sullivan, he is simply not a guy who wastes time.

For instance in just a handful of months Sullivan has managed to upset the LGBT crowd, the Assembly, and now the Unions.

The guy is demonstrating a propensity for self-destruction the likes of which I have not seen in this city in my lifetime. But hey who am I to complain about a guy who is working so hard to help elect a Democrat in the next Mayoral race?

(Just click the title to read Shannyn's wonderful post and to see the most revealing picture of Dan Sullivan thus far.)