Via Casey Reynolds, below is a controversial letter from Peter Goldberg, the chair of the Alaska Republican Party, to Assemblyman Bill Starr about the upcoming vote on Tuesday to repeal Anchorage Mayor Dan Sullivan’s controversial labor code rewrite. The rewrite, among other things, limits raises, duration of contracts and eliminates bonuses.

Word is that before the letter, there might have been just enough votes on the Anchorage Assembly, including Starr’s, to repeal the law. Now, with Goldberg’s letter in circulation, the repeal is probably a slam dunk. In other words, the letter is likely backfiring in a big way.

Goldberg wrote that the rewrite was the mayor and assembly’s “greatest achievement,” in recent history. Municipal salaries, he says are “absurd,” which is a view that probably aligns with many in the city. However, he then goes on to write “police and firemen are WAY overpaid.”

”I don’t buy the argument that their job is dangerous. Their pay dwarfs that of the average soldier who is far more likely to be shot at,” he wrote. Goldberg’s words are sure to raise the ire of police and fireman everywhere.

After the party leadership was hijacked by a combination of tea party/Ron Paul supporters, Goldberg, a retired Army colonel, took over to provide some sanity.

Here’s the letter:

Bill,

Why are you changing your mind on the bill that reined in the unions? From my personal perspective, that was one of the greatest achievements of the Assembly and the Mayor in recent history. The salaries that some of our municipal employees receive is absolutely absurd. In particular, the police and firemen are WAY overpaid. I don’t buy the argument that their job is dangerous. Their pay dwarfs that of the average soldier who is far more likely to be shot at. Some of our police have retired pay that is much higher than military colonels and generals.

I suspect that you’ve gotten a lot of pressure from the unions, but I can’t believe that the population of the city as a whole wants to give in to them.

Please go back to your original position.

Peter S. Goldberg
Chairman, Alaska Republican Party
Colonel, US Army Retired

Contact Amanda Coyne at amandamcoyne@yahoo.com

“Although the governor strongly disagrees with the court substituting its judgment for the constitutional process of the elected branches or a vote of the people, the court has now spoken clearly as to their view of the New Jersey Constitution and, therefore, same-sex marriage is the law. The governor will do his constitutional duty and ensure his administration enforces the law as dictated by the New Jersey Supreme Court.”

Statement by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on dropping his administration’s  legal challenge to same sex marriage. 

From Peter Suderman in Reason:

“The deadline to apply to enroll in health coverage and not pay a penalty next year is not the same deadline as the end of the open enrollment period, March 31. It’s actually February 15. Which means that while you can still enroll after February 15, you’ll have to pay the penalty for going uninsured if you finish your application after that date. What’s terrifying isn’t the earlier date itself, but the facepalm-worthy fact that the administration, including the Internal Revenue Service, seems not have known about the earlier date until very recently.”

“This should not be about someone’s speakership. This should not be about the next election. This should be about, really, the future of our country. It ought not be about the politics of the game or whether or not someone keeps their leadership. I want to support John Boehner in any way that I can, but we need to be pragmatic. This is not going to be a Republican solution or a Democrat solution. This is going to be a solution that is good for the country.”

Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s response to a question on NBC’s Today Show.

Is Republican Sen. Ted Cruz really a sleeper agent for the Dems? Via Washington Posts’ Ezra Klein:

“Democrats managed to get the budget conference they’ve been pursuing for six months. They got a CR of the length they wanted and ending before the next sequestration cuts rather than six-month CR that Sen. Susan Collins proposed. They got a debt-ceiling increase all the way into February…[T]he strategy Ted Cruz managed to force on the GOP was so suicidal that Democrats felt comfortable forcing Republicans to cave completely.”

Perhaps Brad Keithley should take notes. Joke!

From Alaska state Sen. Hollis French’s Facebook page:

“Politics is an odd combination of individual effort and team effort. I have stepped forward many times and enjoyed your support. Tomorrow I am taking a step back for the good of the team. I’ve decided to run for Lt. Gov and to support Byron Mallott for Governor. I will need your help. Byron will need your help. I firmly believe that Alaska will be better if we win. Go team!”

Mallott’s Anchorage campaign kickoff is today at 11:30 at the Discovery Theater.

Contact Amanda Coyne at amandamcoyne@yahoo.com

Senate Chaplain Barry C. Black hasn’t stopped petitioning. Some might remember that last week, referring to the government shutdown, Black implored God to “save us from the madness.” Black was at it again on Wednesday morning. “Lord, when our federal shutdown delays payments of death benefits to the families of children dying on far-away battlefields, it’s time for our lawmakers to say enough is enough,” he prayed. Watch below.

“Your listeners, US taxpayers, are now paying to give arms to terrorists including Al Qaeda.This happened and as of today the United States is willingly, knowingly, intentionally sending arms to terrorists, now what this says to me, I’m a believer in Jesus Christ, as I look at the End Times scripture, this says to me that the leaf is on the fig tree and we are to understand the signs of the times, which is your ministry, we are to understand where we are in God’s end times history.”

U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann in a radio interview on Saturday.

“Have mercy upon us oh God, and save us from the madness…Deliver us from the hypocrisy of attempting to sound reasonable while being unreasonable.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-M7oXWTPf0

U.S. Senate Chaplain Barry C. Black in his opening prayer Thursday morning.

“When I think of the Republican Party, I don’t think of principled conservative legislators who are men and women of vision strategy. I think of ideologues who are prepared to wreck things to get their way. They have confused prudence — the queen of virtues, and the cardinal virtue of conservative politics — with weakness. I know I’m very much a minority among conservatives in this, but the behavior of Congressional Republicans pushed me out of the party two years ago, even though I almost always vote Republican, or withhold my vote.”

Rod Dreher, editor of The American Conservative.

https://twitter.com/sarahkendzior/status/384788396146577408

“This issue is about what Alaska and Alaskans need at this point in their history to secure their fiscal future. The Governor appears to have gone tone-deaf in understanding that. Someone needs to stand up for what is right… Over the next three weeks I am going to roll out on these pages the budgets I will support going forward. If adopted, they will lead Alaska to a safe and secure fiscal future. They will provide for a ‘Morning in Alaska.’”

From Brad Keithley’s blog, who is sounding more and more like a candidate.