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| About |
THE BLOG--HISTORY
"Blue Oasis" began in 2005 in its Blogger format (now an archive) and became possibly the first Alaska Blog on Progressive Politics. At the 2008 Democratic National Convention, Celtic Diva's Blue Oasis was honored to represent Alaska as the state blog.
Transition--Community Blog
In September 2008, Celtic Diva's Blue Oasis moved to a Soapblox Community Blog format. Readers can become full participants by registering on the blog to comment and write "diaries." Diary titles appear on the right sidebar for folks to read and provide comments. Blog editors may choose to move some of these diaries to the front page.
While this Community was formed specifically with Alaska in mind, all "friends of Alaska" are welcome as members!
**Note about registering** Scroll down the right side until you find the link to register. Then, just follow the instructions!
**Note about comments** To comment on a story, click on the heading and then look for the "comment bar" at the bottom (it's light grey, I can't seem to change it). I believe the font color NOW permits you to see the "post comment" text.
YOUR BLOGMISTRESS
My name is Linda Kellen Biegel and I am a former 15-year Federal employee. Thirteen of those years were spent working for the US Army Corps of Engineers. I am also semi-retired from the Alaska music scene (singer, sound tech, stage manager, logistics).
When the blog was chosen to represent Alaska in the DNCC State Blogger Pool at the Denver Convention, I attended with the help of Alaska Real blogmistress, Writing Raven and my daughter Morrigan. On August 29th, one day after Barack Obama's inspiring speech at Invesco Field , my life took another turn as it did for all Alaska bloggers when Gov. Sarah Palin was chosen to be John McCain's VP running mate. Since then, I've either assisted or have been interviewed by media from the UK, Italy, Australia and Germany as well as national media outlets such as Wall Street Journal, NY Times, ABC Good Morning America's Kate Snow, National Journal, Dallas Morning News, LA Times, and NPR.
Presently, I work as a freelance writer, PR, event coordinator, community organizer, wife to computer programmer Josh and mother to 11-year-old Morrigan. Our family especially enjoys our summers in Alaska where we get to subsistence set-net fish Sockeye salmon as well as halibut fish/whalewatch in the family's homemade aluminum boat, "The Neverdone" (when it's working). We reside in Anchorage, Alaska.
Origin of "Celtic Diva"
I've used "Celtic Diva" as a screen name since the early 1990's on Web TV.
"Celtic"
"Folks have asked about my Celtic heritage, especially in light of my name. What they don't realize is that I'm adopted. I was born Valerie Morehead of the Clan Muirhead. I was adopted at three-months-old by the Kellens. I always "knew" I was Celt even before really knew. I was drawn to all things Scottish, especially music. That's why my parents eventually told me at age 16."
"Diva"
"Linda is well-known in Alaska & beyond as the prominent progressive political blogger Celtic Diva of Celtic Diva?s Blue Oasis. But back in the day, the early 1990s, I knew her as Linda Kellen, a member of the local folk/rock band Sky is Blu, which amongst other things performed in at least a couple or so of the annual women?s show Celebration of Change, in which I also performed. And if you don?t already know, let me tell you: Linda is one fine damn singer."
I went on after the break-up of "Sky is Blu" to perform with various Alaska musicians and work with national folks like Bo Diddly, Coco Montoya, Debbie Davies, Taj Mahal, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Bad Company, Creedence Clearwater, Carny Wilson, etc...
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| Proud Member of These Organizations: |
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| Archive Search by Topic (Prior to September 9th) |
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For the Alaska Community and beyond...
My daughter touched a Silver Medal!
USA Women's Olympic Hockey Team Star Kerry Weiland with our friend Isabella and my daughter Morrigan at St. Baldrick's Day
(Scroll down to find posts.)
(Please register to participate in diaries and comments! We'd love for you to join our Community!)
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Wed Sep 23, 2009 at 12:51:06 PM AKDT
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For the next three days (Sept 23, 24 and 25) the Alaska Public Offices Commission are having their regular quarterly meeting. According to the Agenda, they are covering a lot of territory.
Today, they are dealing with an interesting complaint from the Alaska Democratic Party from finance issues leading up to the last election-- October of 2008:
Under state law, an independent expenditure is only possible if there is no coordination between the person or group making the expenditure and the candidate or his campaign. The Democrats are filing a complaint with the Alaska Public Offices Commission, asking the commission to investigate how it happens that the party is attacking Crawford on the same point Brokaw has been attacking on, without coordinating the attack.
In August, Democratic Party officials asked the APOC whether a political party could legally make an independent expenditure on behalf of a candidate. APOC's Chris Ellingson told Alaska Democratic Party spokeswoman Kay Brown that it would be "hard for a party to do it and pass a straight-face test." She advised that any party entity doing an IE would have be "completely uninvolved" with the candidate and the candidate's campaign, and that there could be no contact about the campaign with the candidate, manager, or other agent of the candidate in order to legally do an independent expenditure.
Based on that advice, the Alaska Democratic party decided not to make independent expenditures.
"We wanted to stay in the center of the ethical playing field," Doogan said.
Ruedrich and the Republicans, who received the same advice from Ellingson, apparently decided differently.
This issue is scheduled to take the entire day, as the Republican Party is calling a myriad of witnesses...probably because this is a practice they want to continue.
The phrase "ethically bankrupt" comes to mind.
While I'll stop by today to discover if there's been a decision regarding the AK Dems complaint, the day I'm attending the meeting is tomorrow:
HEARING AGENDA
Thursday, September 24, 2009
4:00 - 4:30 Sarah Palin POFD Staff Recommendation [6]Presented by Jerry D. Anderson, APOC Staff
4:30 - 5:00 Public Comment Period
While it doesn't say the words "gifts" or "Arctic Cat," those are the disclosures for which the Staff has made recommendations regarding her 2008 Public Offices Financial Disclosure (POFD):
APOC and Palin went back and forth this summer over just what had to be disclosed. Palin didn't want to reveal details of the Arctic Cat sponsorship, saying it was proprietary information, and also argued that gifts were not "received" until they were opened.
APOC disagreed with her on both those points and Palin filed a new disclosure last month, listing more gifts and providing some information in the disclosure about Todd Palin's Arctic Cat sponsorship, while pleading ignorance of specifics.
Palin's lawyer, Tom Van Flein, told APOC that Palin "has not read the contract and does not know the specific terms of the contract."
"She has a general awareness that the sponsorship contract provides for discounts...Scott Davis is sponsored by Arctic Cat and has been for 15 years. As a sponsored team he, and his crew (which includes Todd Palin), can obtain Arctic Cat merchandise for 50% off of retail. In addition, the company pays a sponsorship fee and gives Team Arctic Wear to the Racing Team," Van Flein wrote.
APOC staff responded in Sept. 2 memo that Palin's response "appears to be appropriate...given the level of knowledge and disclosure of facts by this filer."
The staff will present their recommendation to the Commissioners tomorrow, immediately before the public comments period. I called the APOC staff and they do not know if the Commissioners will deliberate and make a decision before the public comments or not.
1) No one as of yet has made a complaint regarding specific gifts missing from Palin's 2008 gift disclosure. I'm not sure if they will be able to act on anything unless they have specific evidence of missing gifts.
2) Regarding Arctic Cat...following the Staff Recommendation sets a dangerous precedent regarding disclosure for ALL public officials in Alaska. A spouse of ANY public official could simply choose NOT to tell that official about their income (wink, wink) yet still use that income for the benefit of the family, including that public official.
3) Business could "pay" these spouses in "discounts" to avoid disclosure.
4) Even if these "discounts" from Arctic Cat do not qualify as "income," they most certainly qualify as "gifts" which directly benefit Sarah Palin. While "other income" must be reported if it is over $1,000 (according to POFD instructions), gifts over $250.00 must be reported...this includes the amount.
5) Sarah Palin has NOT answered any direct questions about the Arctic Cat income, though she DID report it in 2007...that means she consciously witheld it. Sarah Palin did not provide the sponsorship amounts from ANY Iron Dog sponsor on her 2008 POFD.
Sarah Palin in NO WAY has satisfied the questions about the Arctic Cat sponsorship. IN NO WAY has Sarah Palin followed the disclosure laws regarding the Arctic Cat sponsorship per APOC's POFD form instructions.
Public Comments are accepted in written form as well as verbally in front of the Commissioners.
Teleconference number: 1-800-315-6338, Code 4176
EMAIL: apoc@alaska.gov
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| Celtic Diva :: APOC Meeting begins today and will cover far-reaching issues of disclosure |
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