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Current Topics
Dunleavy
appoints 2 Mat-Su Republicans to fill vacant Alaska House seats. ADN
Dunleavy chose Garret Nelson,
an online salesman and father of nine who lives in Sutton, to fill a
seat previously held by George Rauscher.
(My comment: Mr. Nelson
stands to receive $38,500 ($3500 x 11) as he advocates for "full
Dividend". At what point does a vote for a "full
dividend" comprise a conflict of interest, or even a breach of
ethics? Legislators have gone to jail in the past for accepting
money in payment for their votes.)
Opinion:
Before Alaska becomes an AI data farm, be sure to read the fine
print. ADN
Artificial intelligence is
driving a revolution in the economy and culture of the United States
and other countries. Alaska is being pitched as the next frontier for
one of the most energy-intensive industries: data centers, with their
primary purpose of advancing AI, socially disruptive to a degree as
yet unknown.
(My comment: I agree. It
sounds good but really means little in terms of Alaska jobs.)
Major
redesign planned for one of Anchorage’s busiest — and most dangerous
— highway interchanges. ADN
The Alaska Department of
Transportation and Public Facilities plans to raise and replace the
aging bridge over the Seward Highway and reconstruct the adjacent
ramps and intersections. The project extends west to Old Seward
Highway and east to MacInnes Street, and then north approximately
halfway to 36th Avenue and south to the Campbell Creek Trail
crossing.
The Federal Highway
Administration will pay for the majority of the $40
million project, with the state providing a roughly 7% match of the
total cost.(My comment: This is needed. My worry is that DOT will
mismanage it and waste the money. DOT is proving to have some
questionable leadership in the past year.)
Things That I Found Interesting
The
amazing tale of the Riley Creek wolf pack in Denali National Park. ADN
Assertive wolves like
Riley’s mother are the ones that breed, that fight, that have the
ability to pull down a caribou with their mouths. Other pack members
still hunt and fight, but don’t make decisions for the group, or
breed. Some, wanting independence, take off, which is a high-risk,
high-reward scenario.
Arctic
Finland
detains ship and its crew after critical undersea cable damaged. CNN World
Finnish police said in a
statement that the vessel suspected of causing the damage was found
with its anchor chain lowered into the sea in Finland’s waters, while
the damage site itself was in Estonia’s waters. The police later
named the vessel as the Fitburg, a Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
flagged cargo ship.
Danish
prime minister says a U.S. takeover of Greenland would mark the end
of NATO. ADN
Danish Prime Minister Mette
Frederiksen said Monday an American takeover of Greenland would
amount to the end of the NATO military alliance.
(My comment: This is serious.
Americans need to speak up. Do we want to lose NATO?)
1
big thing: NATO death watch. Axios
White House Press Secretary
Karoline Leavitt said: "President Trump has made it well known
that acquiring Greenland is a national security priority of the
United States, and it's vital to deter our adversaries in the Arctic
region. The president and his team are discussing a range of options
to pursue this important foreign policy goal, and of course,
utilizing the U.S. military is always an option at the commander in
chief's disposal." Then White House deputy chief of staff
Stephen Miller told
CNN's Jake Tapper on Monday that U.S. policy had been and would
remain taking full control over Greenland: "Nobody is going to
fight the United States militarily over the future of
Greenland."
(My comment: Where is
Congress? This is outrageous. Is Senator Lisa our only rational,
courageous person? What have the American people done in electing
this President?)
A
polar plunge: The Coast Guard bets on the Arctic. USCG
The urgency of Arctic
operations extends beyond aging hulls. Russia currently operates more
than 40 icebreakers, continuing to militarize its Arctic coastline.
China, despite possessing no Arctic territory, has declared itself
a "near-Arctic
state" and deployed its own coast guard vessels
alongside Russian patrols near Alaska. And a changing climate is
unlocking shipping lanes and resources that will demand American
presence and enforcement. After decades of deferred maintenance
and delayed procurement, the Coast Guard's polar plans are finally
scaled to the challenge. This frozen frontier, once patrolled by a
single aging ship, will soon host a fleet befitting American
strategic interests at both poles
Economy
Opinion:
Fiscal plans are built one piece at a time. ADN
While we agree that it is
past time for Alaska to adopt a comprehensive fiscal plan, too many
politicians use this phrase as a convenient excuse to avoid making
incremental steps toward fiscal stability. To be certain, there are
difficult decisions ahead, but never should we allow perfection to
become the enemy of the good. Instead, state leaders must march one
step at a time down the road toward economic opportunity and growth.
Make no mistake: There are no shortcuts, no transporters and no time
machines. Instead, the path to a fiscal plan will be marked by tough
votes and bipartisan compromises, under the watchful eye of Alaska’s
people.
Opinion:
Alaska’s best infrastructure deal is hiding in plain sight. ADN
As lawmakers return to
Juneau in January, they have a responsibility to act quickly and
provide certainty. Doing so will help keep projects on schedule,
support Alaska workers and ensure communities see the benefits of
this funding when it matters most.
(My comment: Everything
this author writes is true. What is not said is: Transportation
spending in Alaska is highly politicized! The DOTPF is a highly
political entity that fairly regularly disregards the needs of the
people who live in the area and use the infrastructure.)
1
big thing: The economic themes we're watching. Axios
Expanded
oil industry activity in Alaska expected to help create statewide job
growth. Alaska
Beacon
The Alaska Department of
Labor and Workforce Development’s 2026
jobs forecast predicts an additional 3,000 jobs, amounting to
0.9% growth in employment for the coming year. That is slightly
lower than last year’s growth of 1.2%, according to the forecast.
(My comment: Right now, 25%
of working people in Alaska don’t live here; they fly in from other
states for rotational jobs, and take their paychecks home to other
states, where they fund other states’ services through their income
taxes. How many of these 3,000 new jobs will be doing the same?)
Opinion:
Alaska doesn’t need bigger ideas. It needs better execution. ADN
But Alaska’s challenge is not
a lack of imagination. It is a failure of execution and
follow-through. Rushed planning may satisfy political timelines, but
it almost always leads to delays and overruns later. Big things can
get done in Alaska. But only if our leaders are willing to prioritize
delivery over drama, learning over grandiosity and solutions that
work now alongside visions for what might work someday.
(My comment: Ms. Gage is
absolutely correct. Voters need to read this, think about it, and
think “future” when casting their votes in the November elections
this year.)
Politics
Dunleavy
appoints 2 Mat-Su Republicans to fill vacant Alaska House seats. ADN
Dunleavy chose Garret Nelson,
an online salesman and father of nine who lives in Sutton, to fill a
seat previously held by George Rauscher.
(My comment: Mr. Nelson
stands to receive $38,500 ($3500 x 11) as he advocates for "full
Dividend". At what point does a vote for a "full
dividend" comprise a conflict of interest, or even a breach of
ethics? Legislators have gone to jail for accepting money in
payment for their votes.)
These
bipartisan bills were noncontroversial - until Trump vetoed them. ADN
Trump vetoed drinking water
pipeline legislation from Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado,
a longtime ally who broke with the president in November to release
files on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. He also vetoed
legislation that would have given the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of
Florida more control of some of its tribal lands. The tribe was among
groups suing the administration over an immigration detention center
in the Everglades known as " Alligator Alcatraz."
(My comment: These nonsense
vetoes sound a lot like the vetoes of the Turo tax bill (that would
was agreed to by rental car companies and Turo), the corporate tax on
internet companies (the same as other states levy), Dept of
Transportation matching money for projects, and other vetoes of
bipartisan bills.)
Judge
sides with lawmakers in dispute over Dunleavy order creating
agriculture department. ADN
In a Dec. 31 order, Juneau Superior Court Judge Marianna C.
Carpeneti wrote that the court sided with state lawmakers “because a
review of the Constitutional drafting history makes it clear that the
framers intended executive orders to be considered during only a
regular session.” The Dunleavy administration on Friday said it
would appeal the decision to the state Supreme Court.
(My comment: Of course the
governor will appeal this clear decision. It costs him nothing to
appeal. What a waste of state budget and Dept of Law time. Remember,
the Dept of Law defends the governor, despite how wrong he may be.)
Two
more themes to watch. Axios
Midcycle
redistricting deepens America’s divide. Alaska Beacon
History suggests that
midcycle gerrymanders lead to greater division and polarization, and
more volatility
in the Congress. And the impact may hit closer to home,
if Virginia voters uphold Democratic legislators’ current
effort to
reshape the state’s political maps.
(My comment: The reason this
midcycle redistricting deepens the gridlock and divide: Political
parties control primary election results. General election outcomes
are determined in the Primaries. Voters in most states only get to
choose from one political party ballot. In Alaska we have Open
Primaries: That mean voters get to choose from ALL the candidates.
Alaska is not experiencing the legislative gridlock, as seen in
Congress.)
Venezuela
notes: Conflict and context. Axios
Rice University oil
scholar Francisco J. Monaldi has
a nice primer on the geopolitics and economics of Venezuelan
oil. "Under an appropriate contractual and tax regime, oil
production would be profitable even at prices as low as $25–30 per
barrel," he writes.
Health Care
White
House freezes child care funds. Axios
The Trump
administration sent letters to five blue states freezing about
$10 billion for child care and social services programs pending a
"thorough review," citing "systemic fraud"
concerns.
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