As one of the behind-the-scenes architects of ANCSA, Jackson's most important contribution may have been something that is taken for granted today in Alaska—the 13 regional Native corporations and 200 village corporations that emerged from the law.
The allegations in Frank Abegg's resignation letter from the Interior Gas Utility need to be addressed and answered in detail. Public discussion will help resolve the issues.
Read MoreThe Interior Gas Utility needs to build confidence with the public and find ways to create a solid economic plan for the future. It can't afford to have a conflict of interest or the appearance of a conflict of interest.
Read MoreThe Dunleavy family has a corner on deep-pocketed special interests throwing crazy amounts of cash into the election.
Read MoreThe confusion stems from a misreading of the monthly statements of the Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation.
Read MoreWith $30,000 from Francis Dunleavy in Texas and $25,000 from Bob Penney in Anchorage, the two men have spent a total of $555,000 in the Mike Dunleavy shadow campaign for governor, free from the contribution limits approved by Alaska voters.
I've written about the Alaska Permanent Fund since 1977 in newspapers and books. On Wednesday at the Murie Auditorium at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, I will give what I hope will be an entertaining presentation on "Alaska at a Crossroads: How the Struggle Over the Permanent Fund Dividend Unites and Divides Alaskans."
Fairbanks was founded on mining disputes. It has never seen one like the standoff between John Reeves and the Binkley family. The Supreme Court has sided with Reeves once more.
Read MoreEither Sen. Dan Sullivan wasn't serious about Russia on "Meet the Press" or he remains unwilling to take the political risk inherent in any detailed critical response to Trump.
Read MoreSen. Dan Sullivan, Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Rep. Don Young—who appear to have taken a vow of silence about ever attacking Trump—ought to be horrified about the Trump-Putin bromance.
Read MoreOne of Rep. Don Young's perpetual gripes is about the name of the federal law dealing with fisheries conservation—the Magnuson-Stevens Fisheries Conservation & Management Act.
The fine print on the "Dunleavy Governor" campaign signs says they are not "authorized, paid for or approved by the candidate." But candidate Mike Dunleavy doesn't disapprove. He approves.
Read MoreThe Dunleavy shadow campaign for governor in Alaska is a big-time example of how rich people can use their wealth to buy political power.
Read MoreThe Trump administration has moved to block an action by the Obama administration that cleared the way for some Native lands in Alaska to be taken into trust by the federal government, a means of allowing those lands to become the legal equivalent of a Lower 48 reservation.
His voice was calm, never hurried and it always seemed he was speaking to friends. "Thank you for being such good company," he would say.
Read MoreIt doesn't matter to Trump that McCain is dying. The president has made it a standard part of his stand-up act to ridicule McCain for his vote a year ago on the Obamacare repeal vote, complete with the thumbs-down gesture.
Read MoreOne thing to say about SB 21 is that Sen. John Coghill and other proponents oversold it as a miracle cure for Alaska's financial situation. They are still overselling it with a fiscal dream that oil-will-fix-everything that the Permanent Fund doesn't.
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Sen. Lisa Murkowski reacted like a human being, aware that the lock-em-up policy had turned into an international disaster. Sen. Dan Sullivan reacted like a politician who wanted to keep on good terms with Trump.
Read MoreAlaska political and business leaders should be alarmed, even if it means calling on Trump to develop a coherent strategy to replace the carnival barker act.
Read MoreHad the White House under President Obama done such damage to Alaska, Sens. Lisa Murkowski, Dan Sullivan and Rep. Don Young would have seen it as part of the unprecedented "war on Alaska" that the three of them made up in 2015.
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