Dunleavy disclaimer should tell the truth on his state-funded attack ads

The Anchorage Daily News story on the governor’s attack ads paid for by the state mentions that the disclaimer reads as follows: “Paid for by Governor Michael J. Dunleavy.”

But the thousands of dollars in ads are not paid for by Standing Tall.

The governor should correct the disclaimer to read: “Paid for by the State of Alaska.”

Have no doubt that Tuckerman Babcock, who makes $160,000 a year, would have been the first to complain about this sort of thing before he landed his government job as chief of staff. And Rep. Lance Pruitt, whose wife handles communications for Dunleavy, would have been right there with Babcock in the outrage department.

On second thought, Dunleavy should halt the dishonest attack ads and try to get something accomplished, which would be a first for his administration, the slogan for which is “Doing less with less.” It should be revised to “Doing less.”

As the purveyor of the so-called “Honest Budget,” Dunleavy should realize that attacking legislators in both parties who have had to wrestle with his grab-bag of dumb ideas is not going to succeed.

He asked them to cut education by $320 million. He asked them to confiscate hundreds of millions in property taxes from local governments. He asked them to shut down the ferry system. He asked them to stop reimbursing school construction costs. He asked them to gut the University of Alaska and wait for angel bucks to make up the difference. He asked them to cut $700 million from Alaska health care. He asked them to take away the right of Alaskans to raise taxes by initiative.

He refused to back up any of this, not even offering a wing and a prayer.

If Mike really wants to run ads attacking those he is supposed to work with, he should call up his brother in Texas and have Francis spend hundreds of thousands on image ads, trying to rehabilitate what’s gone wrong with the Dunleavy administration in its first six months.