University of Alaska allows itself to be used by Dunleavy campaign

Gov. Mike Dunleavy campaigns with state resources almost every day.

The latest example of him ignoring state ethics rules is found in the official state press release from Dunleavy hyping University of Alaska research on so-called “heavy oil.”

This is a campaign document, although it was written and promoted at state expense.

Here is the UAF presentation, which contains nothing that could not have waited until after the election. I have no problem with the subject of the research, but with the timing of the Dunleavy event promoting it.

The University of Alaska is allowing itself to be used for partisan political purposes. UAF and UA officials should know that this is inappropriate and that they should divorce themselves from overt political activity by the incumbent governor.

UAF Chancellor Dan White allowed himself to be quoted in the Dunleavy press release saying, “This project demonstrates how UAF is contributing to developing Alaska’s economy, while also educating and training the workforce.”

White should have looked at the calendar, realized how UAF is being used and told Dunleavy that the press conference should have been held after the election.

Dunleavy won’t campaign by taking part in campaign events at which his record can be debated and defended. He ducks debates with Bill Walker and Les Gara and uses the machinery of state government to promote himself. That’s what happened here, with a boost from the university.

Reading the Dunleavy campaign press release from the state, I thought of the 2019 Dunleavy plan to eliminate research at UAF.

Dunleavy can get away with promoting himself as a champion of UA research because Alaska news organizations don't hold him accountable or cover him in detail.

Here is the one-page Dunleavy plan that would have eliminated research at UAF.

As I wrote at the time: “The University of Alaska Fairbanks is Dunleavy’s chief target. He cites misleading and false statistics, which has become standard practice under Dunleavy. If carried out, the Dunleavy master plan would mean that tens of millions of federal research dollars would leave Alaska along with faculty members and researchers who will be eagerly recruited by universities Outside.”

The Dunleavy plan did great damage to the university, creating instability that made it harder to recruit and attract faculty members and students.