Let’s hope that the announcement Wednesday from Costco—that all employees and customers must wear face masks as of Monday—will be the impetus the state and the Municipality of Anchorage need to apply a consistent policy that protects the most vulnerable Alaskans.
Read MoreThe Trump administration has declared that federal bailout money cannot be used by local and state governments to make up for revenue losses created by the pandemic, the major reason that local and state governments need help.
Read MoreOn the same day that a national GOP strategist suggested that senators blame China for all COVID-19 problems, Sen. Dan Sullivan echoed the talking point on his Facebook campaign page.
Read MoreAlaska has so far been spared from the worst of the pandemic. Health care facilities have not become overwhelmed and the number of people stricken with serious illness has been low. Some people have concluded from this that the danger is past, an attitude that is incredibly short-sighted and dangerous.
Read MoreRather than admit their error, the board members have decided to argue about the definition of the word “ban,” stealing a page from Bill Clinton’s dissertation on weasel words: “It depends on what the meaning of the word ‘is’ is.”
Read MoreThe need for transparency in this program became a far more urgent matter with the sudden transition to a grant program. The selection of businesses for grants should be made in ways to avoid political favoritism. That is always a threat when money is distributed by political appointees with few rules.
Read MoreWhat is missing from the consciousness of the five Mat-Su school board members who banned five great books from high school classes is the understanding that every great book is controversial, including the Bible.
Read MoreThe state isn’t saying what loan requirements will be waived. Unless there is full disclosure and a system with checks and balances, this sounds like an open invitation to a boondoggle.
Read MoreThe Legislative Finance Division has prepared a bleak presentation for legislators Wednesday, attempting to update the state’s financial situation in the midst of unprecedented chaos for Alaska and the nation.
Read MoreOne way of looking at new national research findings is that the daily testing level in Alaska should be fourfold higher a month from now if things are going to open up. Then again, there has been a relatively small number of positive tests in Alaska, which adds uncertainty to picking a test target.
Read MoreThe social distancing and travel restrictions in Alaska have worked to hold down the number of cases and allow our relatively small health care facilities to keep from becoming overwhelmed. Anyone who thinks that continued success is guaranteed had better start to pay attention to what is happening Outside and around the world.
Read MoreIn this time of economic crisis in Alaska, Gov. Mike Dunleavy should stop paying $4,000 a month to Vought Strategies LLC, an Arlington, VA consulting company that is supposed to generate good publicity for the governor.
Read MoreHad a small federal tax been accepted by the cruise ship industry in 2017, it might be in a stronger position to lobby for a federal bailout in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read MoreA push by profit-making Alaska Native corporations for a big piece of the giant COVID-19 federal bailout has turned into a major controversy with Lower 48 Indian tribes.
Read MoreSenate President Cathy Giessel and Anchorage Sen. Natasha von Imhof are not the only ones asking if federal bailout money can be used to replaced items vetoed by Gov. Mike Dunleavy. It’s a good question.
Read MoreWe need a plan from Gov. Mike Dunleavy that recognizes that some people are getting hit much harder than others, that resources are limited and the state needs to target what it does for maximum benefit. We need a fiscal plan.
Read MoreWith the Alaska economy in serious trouble, this is the wrong moment for Gov. Mike Dunleavy to continue paying $600 an hour to Trump’s lawyers and to look to spend $900,000 more on contract lawyers.
Read MoreMurray Grand wrote hundreds of songs in his life, including one about Alaska, but "People don't walk down the street singing 'April in Fairbanks,"' he lamented.
Read MoreGov. Mike Dunleavy skipped the Alaska Municipal League conference last fall so he could attend a GOP conference in Florida. As that Boca Raton meeting ended, the GOP governors association gave him $125,000 on Nov. 22 to fight the recall.
Read MoreIt is stunning that Gov. Mike Dunleavy says he plans to use federal COVID-19 money to replace most of the things he has vetoed from the budget, instead of using bailout funds to deal with the COVID-19 health and economic crisis.
Read More
