- Gov. Parnell’s “milestone” label for the new Alaska-Japan LNG agreement has Dermot Cole scratching his head. In the ADN, Cole points out the striking resemblance between the new AK-Japan LNG memo and the one-year old AK-Japan LNG memo in vague language, tone and intent.
- Meantime, Gov. Sean Parnell’s op-ed about Bill Walker’s lack of a gas pipeline plan is still reverberating through the tubes.
- U.S. Senate candidate Dan Sullivan explained his change in heart regarding his new-found support for the minimum wage ballot measure in the News Miner.
- A lawsuit was filed to challenge decision by Lt. Governor Mead Treadwell to allow the pairing of Bill Walker and Byron Mallott for the gubernatorial race.
- The Juneau Empire is reporting that Maria Gladiszewski, area-wide Juneau municipal candidate, would support a sales tax if elected.
- It’s official! The 2014 Alaska Permanent Fund dividend will be $1,884.00. According to the Fairbanks News Miner, the Permanent Fund’s dividend is high because the fund has recovered from a loss due to the Great Recession and has grown 71 percent since June 30, 2014.
- Freedom Partners Action Fund Inc. is putting $323,550 into media buys to attack Sen. Mark Begich. Freedom Partners is the center of the political network by the Koch Brothers that spent $41.7 million within the Koch network in 2013 alone.
- The Pacific Standard has come out with a study that claims people find the smell of politically liked minded individuals more attractive than their political opposites.
- Brent Budowski with The Hill claims that the GOP might have peaked too soon for the midterm elections. Despite this, Alaska’s Senate race is still considered to be a toss up.
- Karl Rove wrote a piece for the Wall Street Journal explaining the hurdles the GOP must overcome in order to regain the Senate. Included, not surprisingly, is a call for Republicans to give more cash.
Dermot nails what is going on with the games the administration is playing with Japan.
Bill Walker went to Asia many times- over the last decade- to engage with our markets. When Walker brought those markets to a solicitation of interest held under AGIA in 2012, Parnell sabotaged the effort.
Only recently, because we have an election coming, is the administration now starting to pretend like they care about Japan.
Its all nonsense. The markets have said repeatedly that they want gas by 2019. Parnell ignored them, because Parnell only does what Exxon and Conoco demand. Parnell is now trying to tell us a project that provides gas in ten years is a good thing.
Its nonsense, as the reporting by Dermot illustrates.
Dermot is one of the best reporters in Alaska. When Dermot reported the truth in the News-Miner a local car dealer/Republican AHole threatened to stop buying ads.
So Dermot now reports before a statewide audience. He has vast experience, and has done an outstanding job at the Dispatch. Dermot deserves praise for his work.
When Dermott was at the News Miner, his article’s rang more true. When ne left the News Miner, I feel he sold out in more ways than one. The question I have for Dermott is, does Mrs. Roggoff pay bonuses for each story she likes or is this just pandering for a year end bonus? Everyone, including the folks in your newsroom, knows that she played a signiificant fole in putting the Unity Ticket together. The old Daily News staff would have never pandered like Dermott does now. The Walker/Mallott team leaves a lot to be desired.
Let me help Karl Rove – the biggest hurdle we have to over come as Republicans is Karl Rove.
Ditto
Amanda, I really would love to be interviewed. Care Clift for Alaska Governor. cell#907.748.4632.
Agreed. This would become a valuable and appreciated resource if done regularly.
10am is perfect. So, this is a permanent thing?
I went to the muni panel last night because there is a huge homeless problem and I wanted to know what the different candidates were planning to do if I voted for them. I heard Maria talk about starting a new sales tax and I too was shocked. I don’t think the Empire did a bad job reporting on the event. I wish they had spent more time on the homeless questions and responses though.
@Mike. Good question. If there isn’t any news worth posting, which I can’t imagine, then I won’t bother. Otherwise, will try to get up by 10 am. Would like to do it earlier, but I work late. Is that early enough, do you think?
What Dermot’s article doesn’t do is provide context or an explanation for why the agreements were signed. Why Dermot refuses to interview anyone is beyond me. Maybe he wouldn’t have to scratch his head of spoke w re signatories to the agreement?
The article does expose another Walker lie: that the administration hasn’t courted Asian markets.
This is great Amanda. Keep it up. If this becomes a regular thing, I’ll be going to your website first in the morning. If this isn’t a single article, when will this be available each morning?
The Empire may have been imprecise and unclear. I think what Gladiszewski was trying to do and was saying is that she favors taking away part of the existing sales tax exemption for senior citizens, and she wants to make sure people who do not live in Juneau pay the city sales tax!
The Empire editorial today says the PFD will soon pump “$22 billion” in the state economy. It advises to spend it wisely and locally. At our house those two checks would amount to almost $40,000, so if the Empire is correct about the amount (and the governor is incorrect) we certainly will save part of it after sending about $13,000 directly to the IRS.
After the IRS, the largest beneficiary of the annual PFD is the State of Alaska Child Support Services Division. Other windfall beneficiaries include AHFC, the Department of Corrections, and the Court System.
Thank you for this excellent resource. Will you put this out every day? You’re reading the Alaskan press so I don’t have to!