This video which is supposed to illustrate the Anchorage Legislative Office deal showed up in my inbox last week. I’ve asked around, but nobody is taking credit for it. It looks like it’s professionally made, but the facts are a little off. Rep. Mike Hawker and Rep. Bill Stoltze are named as the pigs in the video. The wolves are developer Mark Pfeffer and Bob Acree. To be fair, Stoltze had no more to do with the deal than did Democrats Rep. Max Gruenbert, and Sens. Lyman Hoffman and Dennis Egan. Other Republican House members who signed off on the deal include Craig Johnson, Lance Pruitt and Peggy Wilson. Senators included Kevin Meyer, Lesil McGuire, Dennis Egan, John Coghill, and Peter Micciche.
Well Dan, fill us in on these “facts” you speak of. I have yet to see anything that makes me think that there are any redeeming aspects of this “deal”. Well, other than ensuring that political backers are well monied if you see that as a redeeming aspect.
And on the issue of anonymity, there are many of us who’s livelihoods would be in jeopardy it it were known who we are. In most cases, you could well become unemployable in this state for divulging facts and truth. Honesty is not rewarded in this state. In fact, honesty is usually punished.
Those who are most vocal about this are those who don’t want the truth to see the light of day. They want to ensure that they can exact retribution on those who dare to expose cowardly and unethical actions.
Sorry, but I believe that anonymity is healthy and helps to keep the pigs honest.
They can’t do it to us without us, Alaska!
Oink!
Clever and cute. However, it adds little to the understanding of this deal.
It would be helpful if someone with this level of talent would take the time to accurately explain all of the facts, not just some of the facts, surrounding this deal.
It would also be help full if they would tell us who they are rather than hide behind anonymity, although because they included the “give away” language that has been part of the advertizing re: SB 21/Prop 1, it is not to hard to guess who is behind the piece.
When I heard of this deal as it was being structured, I made a point to talki with several of the folks in and around this deal, asking questions, trying to understand the how and the why of it. Based in my inquiries, I learned that there is far more to this deal than the cartoon’s creators included in their piece.
So….unfortunately, it’s just another political piece offered to sway emotions, not to inform.
Good video – unfortunately the factual errors undermine the message. In addition to the what Amanda caught, there has been no $2 billion give away to the oil industry.
Start at the earlier leases, wife is the lobbyist for the little pigs to lease the same building, who is wife married to? Find him retired from the legislature, divorced and now a ….wait for it, a lobbyist. Steve Conn wrote about the strange set up back when wifey had to lobby hubby to approve the deal. Separate bank accounts makes it legal?
Since we the people have no advocate, how long until once again the Federal Department of Justice – Public Integrity Division will have to re-open its’ office in Juneau. Perhaps this very recent LIO deal should have been brought up when the majority caucus was lecturing us on how ethical they are and so proud of their legislative processes. After watching this video let me hear one more time how “perception is reality” from their leader.
Yes, this is a bi-partisan problem. This LIO deal smells of serious corruption. Just like the tennis deal, those who have been implicated in even the appearance of malfeasance should be begging for an inquiry. That isn’t going to happen nor is Parnell’s appointed Attorney General going to lift a finger if he would be forced to also investigate his party brethren.
These trust baby legislators have had no function other than to spend state revenue; however, perhaps, just perhaps, the estimate of Professor Goldsmith of ISER that they are now spending our cash reserves at the rate of about 7 million dollars per day is sinking in with some of them. But they have a solution for that. Since facing fiscal reality is such a drag they now are going to distract us by offering us a shiny big new truck with license plate AKLNG. The sleazy salespeople have lowballed us then have left us standing to admire the new truck on the lot while they go to talk to the dealer for the next couple of years. Before they left us standing in the lot they reminded us that we had better re-elect them this November or we will be responsible for them not being able to close the deal and loss of the truck will be our fault.
Oink…Oink..
Very creative exxplannation of what miight be called the worst deal in Alaska. If you vote for these clowns, you get what you deserve.
That’s good stuff. Let’s make an example out of Hawker and vote him out of office.