No one runs for governor promising gigantic rate increases for Pioneer Home residents. Dunleavy never hinted that even a tiny increase was warranted. He should be ashamed of himself for this chapter in the Dunleavy bait-and-switch administration.
Read MoreThe firing/resignation of the coach, announced Thursday, must be followed by a clear statement from the school district about this stupid and reckless behavior. The lawsuits will be expensive.
Read MoreIn the 2007 corruption trial of former Rep. Pete Kott, former Veco Vice President Rick Smith was asked which state senators had been bribed. "That would be Ben Stevens and John Cowdery," Smith said.
Read MoreI’d like to see better outcomes from the governor’s office, which would start with a confession that anyone who says we can improve education in Alaska by cutting $330 million from K-12 and $130 million from the university is lying.
Read More“His brief time as governor has brought us an atmosphere of fear and distress, as people worry about whether they will be able to care for special-needs children or whether they will lose their jobs, their homes, and their ability to live in Alaska.”
By Joe Usibelli, Peggy Shumaker
Read MoreInstead of admitting there is no chance of finding $35 million in spare change, Mike Barnhill suggested that it is not only possible, but likely, as long as the university hits up the thousands of people who benefit from research.
Read MoreWhile a bipartisan majority of legislators voted again Monday to support higher education, the UA regents are left in a terrible spot with no good options, because Gov. Mike Dunleavy has decided to rule Alaska via the veto.
Read MoreAmong the many false claims made by the Dunleavy administration about the University of Alaska Fairbanks, one of the most important is that it does not do as well as it should in leveraging state funds to attract federal research dollars.
Read MoreTaking out extra money to pay a fat dividend would be like retirees taking too much from savings each year, only to discover they outlived their nest egg.
By Larry Persily
Read MoreThe careless approach to the future of the University of Alaska represents a staggering level of incompetence by Dunleavy.
Read MoreThis is no time for a Dunleavy surrogate to speak to the UA Board of Regents on his behalf, making lame excuses for a man who isn’t there.
Read MoreIf the Power Cost Equalization fight ends up in court, of which there is a chance, and if the attorney general is right, of which there is a chance, there is also a chance that about $10 billion or more of the Permanent Fund earnings reserve should be transferred into the Constitutional Budget Reserve.
Read MoreTens of thousands of people are traveling on these ships every summer day in Alaska, creating tens of thousands of reasons to keep the Ocean Rangers at work.
Read MoreFormer Gov. Sean Parnell said the scholarship endowment would be a “strong fence of moral obligation” to benefit students of future generations. Every member of the Legislature agreed. Gov. Mike Dunleavy and his allies in the state House want young Alaskans to know nothing about that promise.
Read MoreFinancial exigency is an extreme step, which will lead to a sudden and unplanned dismantling of programs across the state. Anyone looking at this from Outside will conclude that the state is not a good place to invest because it is unwilling to support higher education.
Read MoreGov. Mike Dunleavy and his allies in the Legislature have endorsed the dismantling of the University of Alaska without allowing time for any real public discussion about the damage they are doing to Alaska. They also haven’t allowed any time for a sensible process to take place.
Read MoreIf the Legislature restores half of the $135 million cut, which may or may not happen, the University of Alaska would still face a crisis requiring many programs to be eliminated and wide-ranging layoffs of tenured faculty members, which can only happen with the emergency declaration.
Read MoreAs the finances of the University of Alaska enter more perilous territory, the University of Alaska Board of Regents will again consider a motion to declare a financial emergency, moving up the debate to Monday.
Read MoreThe governor has no interest in restoring the endowments, which means that student scholarships for thousands of young Alaskans and rural electric subsidies for thousands of Alaskans are far more vulnerable and likely to be done away with next year.
Read MoreThe best way for the Legislature to respond is to approve the so-called “reverse sweep” so that the endowments for scholarships and rural electric payments are not emptied by administrative action without public hearings or discussion.
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