Read about the ridiculous fees the State of Alaska (under former half-Gov. Sarah Palin and now) requires citizens to pay for public information!
REGISTERING ON THIS BLOG WILL ALWAYS BE FREE. Soapblox charges Blue Oasis a monthly fee for the blog platform as well as the yearly charge for the website domain. There are also occasional fees for records gathering activities (CDs of meeting minutes and copying fees for letters and other documents from APOC). If you can support the blog and all of our work towards justice for ALL Alaskans and to hold ex-Governor Palin accountable, please visit the drop- down list above. Any contribution is much-appreciated!
Thank you!
Though many of us suffer from Palin Factor Fatigue, it is irrefutable that there is a nagging curiosity to have the question answered, ?How in the world did Sarah Palin become so popular and why do we still need to hear about her?? My book answers these questions in detail and urges us all to be vigilant. She is one of a small pool of ?rising stars in the republican party? as John McCain stated as recently as January 25, 2009 on Fox News Sunday.
As unbelievable as her meteoric rise was we cannot delude ourselves, turning our backs once again, into thinking that she and those like her are going away. This woman is joined by millions of loyalists whose perception is that she was persecuted in the media, stifled by McCain, and mocked by liberals - and now the theocratic conservatives are regrouping with a vengeance!
"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.
"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."
"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...
A bee on Dragon Tongue Stonecrop in my rock garden
August 2010
(Scroll down to find posts.)
(Please register to participate in diaries and comments! We'd love for you to join our Community!)
******************************************************************************************
KTVA Channel 11 seemed to catch Eddie a bit off guard...which is rather stupid for him to be off guard at his own press event. They showed picture of his son and fellow caucasian friends in blackface that's on his son's My Space.
The caption reads:"'me and my nigs' crazy news media people attacking my dad"--Yeah, crazy...
Why they never removed it, I'll never know. Eddie's reaction, however, was the biggest gaffe I've seen in a long time:
It was a "joke" among his son's "colored friends?" "Colored?" Really...in 2010? Considering the only friends in blackface are white, you'd have to do better than that.
The beauty of Eddie Burke running for office is we won't have to do a thing...he's done it/will do it all to himself.
At the Anchorage Assembly verbally beating-down the gays
Recently, Eddie Burke left the employ of KBYR Radio as their evening drive talk show host. There are...ahem...conflicting reports as to how that parting-of-the-ways occurred. Eddie says he "resigned"--sources say he was asked to leave "earlier than he wanted to resign." Eddie said it was to be "a cost-cutting measure" and they would have national feed during his slot. Yet, starting tomorrow, Glen Biegel will be filling the 4:00 to 6:00 pm slot and it has been renamed "Hometown Talk" after Glen's long-running Saturday Show.
Also, Eddie claimed that he no longer works his mortgage business because he "gave his life to radio." Yet, real estate sources claim that Eddie was unable to pass the test now required to write mortgages...a test installed as part of the reform package passed by Congress to help fix the problems with the housing market.
As someone once said, the truth is so limiting!
Now Eddie, wants to bring his crystal-clear honesty and razor-sharp business acumen to the Lt. Governor's Office! Much as the previous Governor discovered, if one has a problem with the truth and a complete inability to be successful in the business world, elected office might just be the place for you!
I received this press release in my email today:
--ANCHORAGE - April 2, 2010 - Former Anchorage radio talk show host and small
business owner Eddie Burke has entered the race as a Republican candidate for Lieutenant Governor. Though Alaska has financially benefited from its abundant natural resources, particularly the success of the oil and gas industry, Eddie understands that current state budgets are unsustainable over the long term. Therefore, he will encourage and support the Governor and State Legislature to be fiscally
responsible in the governance of Alaska. Eddie knows that thoughtful actions taken
today will help secure the future for Alaska's children.
The issues important to Eddie Burke are those that are important to the livelihood of all
Alaskans. As a well-known and outspoken media personality on local radio, Eddie has
been a staunch defender of the Second Amendment, the rights of the unborn and the concerns of Alaska's veterans. As he campaigns for Lieutenant Governor, he will continue to be a passionate proponent of these important issues, while also stressing the importance of the responsible stewardship of the State's financial resources.
Eddie Burke has been an active member of the Alaskan community since he arrived 38
years ago. In addition to his media career, he has been a small business owner and
active on the boards of Special Olympics, Crimestoppers, Anchorage Chamber of
Commerce, Legislative Committee and President of Alaska State Snowmobile Association. Furthermore, Eddie gained valuable legislative experience as a Chief-of-
Staff in the Alaska State Legislature.
Eddie Burke resides in Anchorage, Alaska with Linda, his wife of 28 years. They are
the parents of four children, and the proud grandparents of three young Alaskans. Eddie
Burke is seeking the office of Lieutenant Governor in order to secure a bright future for
his family and all Alaskans.
Jeannie at The Mudflats posted about it, including her pictures of "the real Eddie" from his homophobic ravings at the Assembly Meetings this past summer.
But don't take my word for it. Compare the vitriolic, name-calling diatribe Eddie spat at the Anchorage Assembly to the poignant presentation from Alaska Statesman and member of Alaska's Constitutional Convention Vic Fisher regarding proposed cuts to the arts, library and public transportation.
Keep in mind, Eddie is so fanatical about Palin that, as a friend says, he practically "drinks her bathwater." I can only hope and pray that Palin openly backs him for this race. I'd like nothing better than to be able to attach all of his really smelly, disgusting dirty laundry folks will be dragging out right to Sarah Palin's backside.
--On Wednesday, Eddie Burke had his butt handed to him repeatedly on his own show!
It's amazing how Alaskans get irritated:
1) When out-of-state folks (and we know they are because of their Facebook and Twitter pages) try to tell OTHER out of state (even out-of-country) folks that it's a good idea to interfere with STATE OF ALASKA SUPERIOR COURT JUDGES on a LOCAL CUSTODY CASE! (Trying to compare it to protesting US Supreme Court cases just shows total ignorance.)
2) When these out-of-state folks are encouraging the court to BLOCK ACCESS of A FATHER TO HIS OWN CHILD while that young man has shown from the beginning that he WANTS to participate in his child's life! (My husband has been a wonderful dad to my daughter but do you think it's taken away the pain of the absence of her own father?)
--Special double-secret agents scanned the downtown area at noon on Thursday, just to see if anyone showed up to do an in-person protest. No one was there.
--I left a comment over at their "Barracuda" Facebook page, simply listing which law enforcement agencies I had informed of their intended harassment. This started a conversation via Facebook messages with Dave Smith, one of the organizers of the protest.
My latest reply to Smith at the bottom lets you know how it went Thursday from the Alaska Court System's point-of-view:
Dave Smith January 5 at 6:59am
We wanted to let you know we appreciate your concerns on this matter. The protest is open to all who are concerned about the absurd ruling in this case. We are certain there are members of Law Enforcement, who also; are appalled at this ruling. Your inviting them to join the protest is greatly appreciated. We have also invited the Governor, and all Elected Representatives of Alaska to participate. We are currently in the process of enlisting media assistance, both local and national.
We look forward to your further interest, comments, and participation in this protest. Have a great day----Dave/Alicia
Of course, they deleted the comment...prompting my response:
Linda Kellen Biegel January 5 at 12:11pm
And yet you remove my comment...not very sincere there Dave. ;-) That's OK, because I don't believe you are going to get the results you are hoping for. Not very many folks signing up, I see. Plus, I got a "thank you for the warning from the Court System. They are ready for you now.
More lies from Dave:
Dave Smith January 5 at 7:02pm
What are the results the protest is searching for? Are you sure you know? We have talked to folks at 4 different Court Houses. They were extremely gracious and helpful. We are thrilled to have 3 of them participating in the protest.
We do not normally delete comments. We read your comment 3 or 4 times and felt there was a hint of a threat in it. We are hopeful you would not make threats. We do have a responsibility to the fans of this page first.
OK, I LITERALLY LISTED the law enforcement agencies I had notified. Basically "Here is a list of the law enforcement agencies I've notified." That was the entire comment. I'm guessing that was the "threat" he "claimed" he received when he was on Burke's show as well...what a wanker!
The folks who accepted the invite, are just the tip of the iceberg. Patriots from all walks of life are eager for the protest to begin. Alicia and Myself share their eagerness. The launch is about 39 hours away.
Well gotta go, hope you have a great night----Alicia/Dave
My latest response:
Linda Kellen Biegel January 8 at 2:32am
So, you were lying when you said that "Your inviting them to the protest was greatly appreciated?" All my comment did was list the various law enforcement agencies I had notified about the protest. I find it interesting that is threatening to you...it would seem that only those who know they may be walking a legal tightrope would be threatened by that.
Regarding your claim about the "three courthouses" supporting you, their boss is "fairly certain that you never reached anyone at management level"...i.e. getting a clerk on your side does not mean the courthouse is participating.
By the way, I was also informed that they received a very few calls at each courthouse from your "protesters" today.
I expect this won't be the last stunt these folks will pull, but I expect this will be my last post on this one.
Yesterday, I posted about the plan some deranged Palin fans came up with to harass the judges involved in the Palin v. Johnston custody trial. These were going to be people from all over the country...all over the world asked to call the Alaska Court System to interfere in an Alaskan case. I also revealed that, through the use of Twitter, several Alaskans prominent in the Palin camp were trying to push this protest forward. My post, as well as my contacting the authorities, spawned some responses.
Last night, while letting my vehicle warm up after the Anchorage Fish & Game Advisory Council vote, I checked my email. It was there I discovered that one of those Alaskans, the vile Eddie Burke, insinuated on his show yesterday that I shared Jessica "Beehive" Steele's "business information" which caused her to get called at work. You know...the kind of phone calls she was encouraging others to make to these judges.
Newsflash Eddie--I don't give out private information, you are the one who does that. I can see why you might get confused, especially now that your show has been whacked by an hour.
Actually, I accurately called her "Jessica Steele" because that's what SHE called herself on her Twitter page, which also identifies her place of business:
When one searches "JessicaBeehive" on Google, this is what comes up:
Search Results:
Jessica Steele (JessicaBeehive) on Twitter
If one searches on "Jessica Steele," this comes up as well:
"We would talk about pedicures and manicures and moose and politics, all while Sarah was having foils in her hair and holding my baby on her lap," said Jessica J. Steele, the owner of the Beehive Beauty Shop in Wasilla, Alaska, where Gov. Sarah Palin, the Republican vice-presidential candidate, has visited over the last six years, most recently in July, refining her much-discussed updo."
Yeah...guess that was OK when Jessica thought it would lauch her to stardom. Newsflash...the Internet always remembers.
Sometime yesterday, Jessica Steele whined to Eddie Burke about being a victim of us terrible bloggers. Sometime last night, @JessicaBeehive ceased to exist on Twitter when she pulled the plug. The woman who was the author of many nasty insults and lies in the anonymous safety of Twitter and comments on C4P (including encouraging others to come to my home and commit mischief) caved and cried when the light of day shined on her activities.
Here's the photoshop in question. Originally it was tagged "Baby Burke" because it's Eddie Burke's "monstrous" face (taken from the photo underneath it). Burke even acknowledged it on his radio show.
We're all going to be left hanging, as the portion of the book I have (page 371) in which she starts to reference me is incomplete. I'm missing 372 and 373 so I won't know the rest of what she says until Tuesday.
**UPDATE** Overnight, my "fairy godfather" sent me the pages (bless him) so I'm no longer "hanging." ****
What information there is on the photoshop incident once again shows a perfect example of this "book of lies" Palin has written:
"Also, unbelievably, hurtful attacks were directed at Trig. On the Internet, a fake Planned Parenthood ad showed a photo of me holding Trig. In one corner there was a coat hanger and in the other a slogan, "Better luck next time." What kind of person creates something like that? Maybe the same kind who would photoshop distorted images over Trig's pretty face in order to make him look monstrous. The person who did this proudly displayed it on her website; she was also the official Alaskan Blogger for the Democratic National Committee during the 2008 election"
She purposely lied about everything, including the timeline. Let's set the record straight...
First, the most basic information: I was the Alaskan Blogger for the Democratic National CONVENTION Committee...DNCC.
Secondly, I was having a web-a-thon to raise money for the emails I wanted from the State, some of which were between Palin and radio host Eddie Burke. Each night, contributor Dr. Chill was making a "thermometer" to show our progress and to let everyone know how far we had to go.
Day Four was the one with Eddie Burke's face. It's unfortunate that Palin thinks Eddie Burke has a "monstrous" face but, well, there's not much we can do about that. Granted, Dr. Chill did have to shrink it and turn it a little sideways to fit it properly in the picture.
Thirdly, folks from the fanatical Palinista blogs saw an opportunity. My blog more than some of the other ones focuses strictly on Alaska, which is why my readers knew what we were doing and understood the "Baby Burke" tag I put on the photo. However, as 99% of their readers knew little or nothing about Alaska other than what they filtered and spoon-fed them, they could spin this any way they wanted. So, they accused me of the illogical, the unthinkable, something this this disabled mom never even considered -- they accused me of trying to make fun of Trig. They farmed that information out to the rest of the blogs that were created by McCain Campaign money and influence trying to make it a big story. It didn't work.
Recently we learned of a malicious desecration of a photo of the Governor and baby Trig that has become an iconic representation of a mother's love for a special needs child.
The mere idea of someone doctoring the photo of a special needs baby is appalling. To learn that two Alaskans did it is absolutely sickening. Linda Kellen Biegel, the official Democrat Party blogger for Alaska, should be ashamed of herself and the Democratic National Committee should be ashamed for promoting this website and encouraging this atrocious behavior.
Babies and children are off limits. It is past time to restore decency in politics and real tolerance for all Americans. The Obama Administration sets the moral compass for its party. We ask that special needs children be loved, respected and accepted and that this type of degeneracy be condemned.
What Stapleton and Palin didn't realize is that they, according to Wonkette, "poked a stick in the worlds largest beehive of cheap, tireless insanity and the SomethingAwful.com goons have unleashed a pack of Photoshop Dogs From Hell to make the most incredible collection of Sarah Palin Desecration Images in the History of Time, the end."
It's on page six of the Something Awful thread where you'll find the fake Planned Parenthood ad.
Yes, the fake ad is disgusting, but in many ways Palin had only herself to blame. Many folks saw right through to the motivation behind her press release--partially because she didn't make any sense and partially thanks to great explanatory articles on Huffington Post by AK Muckraker and Shannyn Moore. These Internet veterans viewed her press release as an attack on free speech...that if you lie about someone's motives, act like a victim and have access to the national media to spread those lies, you can force your target to "sit down and shut up." If you read the beginning of their photoshop thread, you'll see that their often-gross photoshops were a reaction to just that.
I'm sure we'll see more-and-more come out today, especially in light of the Oprah interview. I'm not going to write anymore on book pages until I have it tomorrow. I know that Mudflats is "reading and reporting on the book so you don't have to" and I'll be reporting on the issues in the book that I normally cover--i.e. there are TONS more lies about the ethics complaints.
(Yay...may have to pay more money...but that's a worry for later.)
First, we'll find out what Eddie wanted regarding Andree McLeod:
Wow...Eddie wanted ALL of the emails and/or letters between Andree McLeod and ALL STATE OF ALASKA employees...back to Dec. 2006, when Palin took office. I wonder who was actually going to sort through all those emails, as Eddie really isn't the type?
Could it be that he was getting them for people at C4P...hypothetically?
As it turns out, he was charged a fee, which I don't believe he's paid:
However, there are several interesting aspects to that:
1) The $65,000 quote was exactly the same as mine.
2) It was also sent days after I INITIATED MY OWN RECORDS REQUEST to examine the one(s) Eddie and Sheila may have sent in as well as whether or not they were assessed fees.
The most fascinating aspect to this entire thing:
3) Linda Perez states that 3 and 4 in my request have been satisfied, yet I SEE NO RECORDS REQUEST FROM SHEILA TOOMEY, who claimed back in May:
Your email to the above has been forwarded to me.
Your facts are incorrect. The governor's chief of staff did not forward me anything. The emails I quoted from are public documents. You may FOI them if you wish.
Thank you for your communication.
Sheila Toomey
So which Office of the Governor lackey DID forward an email from a private Alaskan citizen to you, Sheila? You clearly didn't get them from your own FOI records request.
I guess you can call this an "open thread" but I got a GREAT song in my email from a reader...please enjoy it!
Dear Celtic Diva,
You've got to admit, the gov is inspirational. The whole iconic image and desecration claims were just too much to let pass! Look here what she made me do. Blasphemy.
Sung to the tune of: What Child Is This?
Note: Since "What Child is This?" was originally "Greensleeves" I doubt it's "blasphemy." No need to beat yourself up for this one! **grin**
What child is this, who plays the pest
In Sarah's arms is screeching?
Whom rednecks greet with burps and bleats
While liberals watch unbelieving.
This, this is baby Burke
Who spews forth bile and acts quite vile.
Cut, paste, outrage the base,
When will they stop their shrieking?
Its baby Burke, he dons a smirk,
By his ignorance you will know him.
This jerk of jerks, a piece of work,
Let gentle folks disown him.
This, this is baby Burke
Who spews forth bile and acts quite vile.
Cut, paste, outrage the base,
When will they stop their shrieking?
This, this is baby Burke
Who spews forth bile and acts quite vile.
Cut, paste, outrage the base,
When will they stop their shrieking?
When will they stop their shrieking?
(I decided to bump this to the top today so that folks can see what is REALLY behind all of this! The Palin Administration has made it all but impossible for private citizens to get public records without forcing them to raise the money, as I am. This isn't about a Downs Syndrome Child, this is about trying to shut down a critic. - promoted by Celtic Diva)
What is this fund for?
The primary focus of this fundraising drive is to collect the $5,552.64 fee needed for the Palin Administration to release records of potentially questionable conversations between with "preferred" members of the media. The posts on this can be found **HERE** and HERE**. While this is my regular PayPal account that I use for blog expenses, they money I'm raising now is to go for the release of the emails involved in the records request.
I don't have a PayPal account nor do I want one. Can I donate another way?
-- You don't need a PayPal account to give through PayPal.
-- I know there are those who do not wish to do financial transactions on line. I will have a P.O. Box posted by this evening (June 22nd).
Is this tax deductable?
At this time, no. I will end up reporting this as income on my taxes just like I did with the blog and other donations (to go to the Convention) I received last year.
What are your plans for fund accountability?
I will pay the State in person and get a receipt, which I'll scan-in and post on the blog in a place of honor to show you all what you've accomplished!
The beauty of PayPal is they have all the account activity records online for as long as the account has existed. So, in case there is a need to provide a list of transactions and dates, I can do that anytime.
**NOTE** I will NOT release the names or other information about ANYONE who gives to this fund drive. These are NOT political contributions. This is money raised to pay for the unreasonable fees charged by the Palin Administration in a records request per Alaska Statute 40.25.110 Public Records Open to Inspection and Copying; Fees. This is (supposed to be) a non-partisan process that provides public information for minimal cost in a reasonable amount of time. However, the Palin Administration has made obfuscation their mantra.
What if all the emails are redacted? What if they continue to delay like they have done with the Democratic Party? Will this be in vain?
It is definitely NOT in the long-term best interest of the Palin Administration to try and claim "Executive Privilege" on emails between or about a radio personality and a newspaper gossip columnist. It's also not in the best interest to show a pattern of delay when they are supposed to be meeting their statutory responsibilities. I will be writing and providing information about EVERY STEP of this process FOR THE RECORD, which is something I don't think anyone has done before. The only way I can do that is to keep following through with the next step.
As we in Alaska learned up-close-and-personally with Sarah Palin's VP candidacy, the national media researches EVERY INCH of that record when someone attempts to run for national office.
No, this MOST DEFINITELY will not be in vain, no matter what the outcome.
AVATARS AVAILABLE FOR SELECTION AFTER A DONATION IS MADE:
Dolphin -- Friendship, intelligence and good luck
Wolf -- a cunning, intelligent creature, capable of out-thinking hunters. It teaches us how to read the signs of Nature in everything, how to pass by danger invisibly, how to outwit those who wish harm, and how to fight when needed.
Owl -- a creature of keen sight in darkness, and a silent and swift hunter. It can unmask those who would deceive or take advantage
Dragon -- The dragon symbolized the power of the Elements, especially Earth and Fire, as well as treasure and prosperity
Unicorn -- the symbol of supreme magical power.
So please help us make Palin accountable by helping us get those emails!
Eddie Burke (KBYR talk show host) and Sheila Toomey (Alaska Ear gossip columnist) both seemed to be participating in a coordinated smear campaign of citizen watchdog Andree McLeod. Both received inside information from the Administration that they discussed in their respective mediums. Both made claims that they were receiving/had received documents from requesting records of the State. Knowing how it works and knowing the timing required, that seemed highly unlikely if not impossible.
So, I did my own records request(s) looking to see what kind of communication between the Palin Administration and these media figures was actually going on. The initial price tag--$65,000!
I replied to Linda Perez, Administrative Director of the Department of Administration, combining the records requests into one and limiting the scope. I also asked for an explanation of the search process that was taking 16 hours per employee.
I received a response back from Linda Perez, Palin's right-hand-woman, over at the Office of the Governor (click on the letter for a larger size of each page):
Yup...$5552.64!!
Even Eddie Burke himself was shocked!!!!
Two things of note:
1) They are perfectly willing to reduce the fees if I decide to ignore the "deleted" emails and focus on the ones still in the active email file.
Let's see...I'm going to send an email to several media figures, giving them "special" information. What should I do with the email afterwards? Hmmmm...
2) They are refusing to waive the fees due to the "staff hours required" to process these many requests, not addressing the issue of "benefiting the public interest."
I find it fascinating that anyone I've talked to whose worked for any government agency other than the State of Alaska has said they've NEVER HEARD OF charging money for a record request. As a matter of fact, the agencies within the Army I've talked to don't even charge for the copying costs!
The State's explanation for billing the fees plus the response I sent back (which included a list of questions from a System Administrator who does this stuff for other government agencies) is worthy of its own post, which I'll include tonight.
Also, we'll discuss plans for payment of this bill, since it's the only way I'm going to get to see those records.
Recently, I've done several posts on "backlash" attempts by the Administration. Several of those posts expose how the Administration uses members of the media like Eddie Burke and ADN's Sheila Toomey as tools of their backlash. These posts have directly led to several records requests which I have filed with the Palin Administration.
Pursuant to Alaska Statute 40.25.110, I request the Office of the Governor to duplicate and provide me with a copy of:
1) any and all email contact between you or any employee of the Office of the Governor (statewide) and Alaska resident Eddie Burke,
2) any and all emails to/from you or any employee of the Office of the Governor (statewide) that discuss Eddie Burke in any way,
3) any and all records requests submitted which target emails to or from Alaska resident Andree McLeod, and
4) a fee breakdown, invoice or any other document which assesses the cost of retrieving the McLeod emails and whether those fees have been/will be charged to the requester.
(This was basically the same records request I used for Sheila Toomey as well.)
This week, I finally received a response to those requests. They also provided me with the "costs" I would have to provide before they would be able to do this records request for me:
To provide complete responses to the email portions of your request, we will need to electronically search the email accounts of the 71 current and former employees who have worked in the Governor's Executive Offices since December 2006. For that electronic search, we will need the assistance of the State Security Office in the Department of Administration, Division of Enterprise Technology Services (ETS). ETS estimates that each email account retrieval, search, and record production will require 16 hours to complete. The ETS hourly rate is $54.84, so ETS estimates its costs per email account will be $925.44. Based on that estimate, ETS's estimated costs for obtaining records from 71 employee email accounts total $65,706.
Division of Enterprise Technology Services (ETS) is the State of Alaska version of any company's IT department. ETS employees are public employees, paid with public funds.
In other words...ETS employees work for the people of the State of Alaska.
Yet, as an Alaskan citizen, I am being charged money...an EXORBITANT, UNREASONABLE amount of money...for a records search which is my statutory right as an Alaskan citizen.
I'm being charged directly for something that's ALREADY PART OF THEIR JOB!
Plus, if it takes as long as they claim to do a simple email search on two names, then ETS should lose the "technology" part of their name...they have none.
Of course, just like with any "deal," now starts the negotiation. I sent these questions back to Linda Perez.
1) Am I correct in understanding your claim that it costs $925.44 to search and copy emails from one email account?
2) Is this the standard rate and is everyone charged this fee who makes a request of this nature?
I received a reply, where Ms. Perez states:
1. Yes, the Division of Enterprise Technology Services charges $925.44 to conduct an electronic search of a state e-mail account and make electronic copies of the search results. I have attached a breakdown of the ETS process and resulting fee estimate.
2. Yes, these ETS costs are a standard rate that we charge whenever ETS conducts an electronic search of a state e-mail account to respond to a public records request. Of course, these rates could change based on, e.g., changes in personnel costs or changes in the amount of time needed to complete the work.
I guess the ONLY way to find out if that's true with Sheila Toomey and Eddie Burke is to do my records request, right? See the catch?
Of course, Governor Palin's penchant for secrecy is...well...no secret anymore. Many who have filed records requests with the state have had to look into their pocketbooks first to determine how much honesty they can afford. This was well documented by the New York Times during the campaign:
The governor and her top officials sometimes use personal e-mail accounts for state business; dozens of e-mail messages obtained by The New York Times show that her staff members studied whether that could allow them to circumvent subpoenas seeking public records.
Rick Steiner, a University of Alaska professor, sought the e-mail messages of state scientists who had examined the effect of global warming on polar bears. (Ms. Palin said the scientists had found no ill effects, and she has sued the federal government to block the listing of the bears as endangered.) An administration official told Mr. Steiner that his request would cost $468,784 to process.
I'll be sending my request modification to them sometime today. While I will be significantly shrinking the parameters, which should significantly reduce the price, it's still going to cost several thousand. (I'll have to figure out the money end when I know the final tally. I jokingly asked my husband if we could sell the house. He didn't laugh.)
I'll update you when I know the final cost of this "open and transparent" government.
-- I want to make sure that I have a clear understanding of the situation so, in summary:
1) The ETS charges $925.44 per individual email account if they find it necessary to electronically search it.
2) The ETS per/hour charge is $57.84
3) This means that per individual email account, it takes an ETS employee 16 hours to do an electronic search.
Is this correct??
If so, what type of "electronic search" on one email account for two names takes 16 hours? Is that in anticipation that there will be a great many emails that will fit the "Eddie Burke" and "Sheila Toomey" search parameters? If I shorten the date range to, say, one year or maybe six months...will it take less than 16 hours?
-- Your original response to my request (pdf file "Linda Kellen fee letter") also stated:
"Once you pay the fees and the record compilation is completed, we intend to review the records to determine whether they are truly responsive to your requests and whether they include any confidential or privileged information that should not be disclosed."
Since the letter was unclear, I wanted to ensure that some of the "16 hours" for the electronic search time was NOT actually taking into consideration the time required to "review" the documents to determine "privilege." My understanding is that any estimate of anticipated costs for search and copying cannot include time likely to be spent reviewing the documents to see if they can or should be withheld due to a claim of privilege. (5902 S-11105 Fuller v. City of Homer, 113 P.3d. 659, 666)
-- I would also like to make these modifications to my records request:
1) Change the "start date" to July 1, 2008.
2) Limit the Governor's Office employee email accounts to be searched to Governor Sarah Palin, Linda Perez, Bill McAllister, Kris Perry and Sharon Leighow
3) I would like all other parameters of my request(s) to remain the same.
-- Finally, per Section 40.25.110 of the Alaska Statutes, I would like to request a reduction or waiver of the final fees, once we have come to an agreement upon the modified request. As we live on my husband's income because I do not have regular employment due to disability, my family would be unable to afford the extra expense. Also, my request and use of these records more than qualifies as an exercise benefiting the public interest. The results of my records request(s) will be published on my blog, Celtic Diva's Blue Oasis, which is specifically geared to Alaska issues. I'm also using this as an opportunity to educate my readers not only on the workings of state government in general but specifically on the process surrounding the State of Alaska Public Records Act.
Thank you and I await your response,
Linda Kellen Biegel
Thanks to your comments here and on Mudflats, as well as some of the private emails, I was able to craft that response! Thank you for all of your help and support!
In the entertainment industry, if a talk-show host needs someone to fill in for them while they are away, the rule of thumb is to use someone less-talented as a replacement.
I didn't think Eddie Burke could find someone that almost...almost made me miss him. Then, he had McHugh Pierre fill in for him on Friday afternoon.
Listening to both parts was painful at times. It was as if he had a list of talking points sitting in front of him that he would check off as he awkwardly injected them into conversations with callers, many of whom he clearly knew personally. However, the most idiotic thing he said by far was during his diatribe about the Governor's book deal:
"I just think it's so bogus, it's not outside employment. It's not like Rishi has a job or I have a job. It isn't a second job, writing is a hobby."
If one needs any proof of the embarassment, all one has to notice is that even though Conservatives4Palin members are the ones who religiously YouTube Eddie's Show and then post those YouTubes as a story, they recorded McHugh but made no mention of him anywhere on the blog.
Eddie, your place as king-of-the-idiots is secure.
During the show, she spent a great deal of time maligning those who filed ethics complaints. Eventually, she dove headfirst into backlash territory:
...I think we are to a point where we may have to say you know what this is enough and if we have to stop it to the extent where we have to become more aggressive then we have to become more aggressive...
So Governor Palin has issued several statements in the last few days to try and convince people that she is on an equal footing with President Obama.
One situation was just bizarre.
It seems that, according to the above-linked article in the AK Politics Blog by Sean Cockerham, Palin blames Obama for the closing of a GM dealership (Hutchings Chevrolet) in Soldotna:
"Today, we learned that Obama's decisions continue to impact Alaskans; while we as taxpayers now own General Motors, Obama closes another dealership - this time in Soldotna as more of Alaskans' hard-earned money and jobs are lost to big government."
The problem: it's not actually closing (Hutchings is terminating the franchise agreement but staying open for service and used car sales) and the change has been coming for awhile, according to another May 10th article also referenced in the Politics Blog.
Then comes the weirdness...
UPDATE -- I just got a call from SarahPAC spokeswoman Meg Stapleton, who contacted Hutchings about this blog post. While I was talking to Stapleton, Hutchings sent me an email saying Palin is right.
His email said "the bottom line is this: Governor Palin is correct: Soldotna lost a new car dealership as part of the federal intervention. 44 local jobs were terminated. Over a million dollars in annual payroll was lost. The net effect to Soldotna is substantial. Obama's actions have directly impacted Alaska and Soldotna. The Governor is correct."
Two things:
1) Why the HELL would Darth Stapleton and SarahPAC have anything to do with this?
2) Ummmmm...doesn't that email, especially the repeat of the phrase "The Governor is correct" at the beginning and the end, kinda come off as rather creepy? It seems rather "Stepford Wife-ish" to me! I joke around (sorta) when I say "Darth Stapleton" but I swear that some day, I'm going to see her grab someone by the neck and hold him/her over her head.
That help originated with Alaskan citizen, Andree McLeod:
A lawyer for the Tennessee college student charged with hacking into the Alaska governor's Yahoo e-mail account last year says his client couldn't have violated Palin's privacy because a judge had already declared her e-mails a matter of public record.
"He's not suggesting that e-mail can't be private," says Mark Rasch, a former Justice Department cybercrime prosecutor. "He's saying this particular e-mail was not private or personal because of who she is and because it wasn't intimate communication. "
The reason he's arguing this is due to recent litigation in Alaska's courts:
Tennessee, he says, only recognizes an invasion of privacy when the invasion exposes something that is inherently private, and the victim was placed in a false light by the invasion. But Palin wasn't placed in a false light by the alleged hack, and her privacy wasn't invaded since "an Alaska court has issued an order requiring Ms. Palin to preserve the correspondence in her private e-mail accounts on the grounds that the e-mails are public records."
Davies is referring to litigation that was filed by an Alaskan activist before the alleged hack occurred. That lawsuit sought Palin's private e-mail. The activist charged that Palin used her Yahoo accounts to conduct official government business and therefore e-mail in the accounts was part of the public record and should be disclosed under Alaska's public records statute. A judge ruled, after news of the hack broke, that Palin was required to preserve the correspondence in her private accounts until the lawsuit was resolved.
Davies implies in his motion to dismiss that there are reasonable grounds to conclude that Palin's Yahoo correspondence was a public record, and cites case law showing that information that already appears on the public record can't be considered private.
That "activist" was Ms. McLeod. At the time of the hacking, she had this to say about it:
"If this woman[Palin] is so careless as to conduct state business on a private e-mail account that has been hacked into, what in the world is she going to do when she has access to information that is vital to our national security interests?" she asked.
Now, a more timely question may be: How will Governor Palin react if the young man who hacked her email accounts has his case reduced or dismissed because of litigation generated by Andree McLeod?
As heard on his radio show yesterday, Burke stalked and harangued her at the victory celebration for new Anchorage Mayor Dan Sullivan Tuesday Night. (Remember, folks, contrary to the misinformation we are spoon-fed by the right, the truth is that Ms. McLeod is a Republican...there is no "Democratic Conspiracy"...there are no checks from Obama **sigh**...)
C4Pers are patting him on the back for a job well done. But listen to the YouTube...what's that I hear? Is he actually RECORDING A CONVERSATION SHE'S HAVING WITH SOMEONE ELSE!!!! Mr. Badass Toughguy didn't show her the mic until the point where she told him to get it out of her face?
Like I said, radio hack.
Let's remember, this was a celebration for THE NEW MAYOR OF ANCHORAGE. This had NOTHING to do with the State of Alaska, Governor Palin, etc....Yet, he chose this place to stalk and harass her.
-- Eddie once served in the Legislature (House) but...errr...had to leave. What was it that could have happened on top of his desk that precipitated that and who else was involved/witnessed?
-- Eddie claimed that he was fired from KFQD (Morris Communications) for "pissing off the oil companies." However, he was on probation for "inappropriate behavior" for MONTHS before. What really was the last straw?
Of course the most recent question is: as someone who can barely put an intelligible sentence together, how could Eddie spare the brain cells to file a records request all by himself? After all, he erroneously states that he's filing/filed a FOIA (a federal request which requires that forms are filled out and sent to the federal government) as opposed to a state records request, which just takes a memo.
So who is filing it for him?
Andree asks the big question on the YouTube piece:
Andree asks: "Has the Administration asked you to expose me?"
Today, I sent off a records request to the Governor asking for ALL emails between anyone who works for the Governor Office and Eddie Burke. I also requested any emails where Eddie is discussed and a copy of "Eddie's" records request of Andree McLeod's emails.
Yes, that too is public information.
Soooo...let's see how much of Palin's "water" Eddie has carried over the years...and let's make it public!
It was just SPIN about THIS. They wanted to make it clear to the Governor's lower-48 minions that she didn't change her mind about the stimulus money, like the previous article may have indicated.
It would be great if some of ya'll could call in while I'm there...it could get ugly!
Then we can all clean our palates at CC's Cutting Edge on KUDO 1080 immediately afterwards!
*****UPDATE*****
sigh I did OK, but I didn't do fabulously well. Ron gave me a nice phone call afterwards telling me that he listened and he thought that I did great.
He kept trying to get me to talk about abortion. I kept trying to keep it on topic. He kept asking me legal questions. I kept explaining that I wasn't a lawyer.
I don't take anything personally but when he said: "You like to kill those babies, don't you?" I hung up. It was at the end so it wasn't obvious.
There will be a podcast about two hours afterwards available on the web. I'm not sure I want to listen to it.
Mudflats emailed me and said that before they called me, he introduced the group as "Socialist Baby-Killers."
Interestingly enough, though, he didn't get a single phone call while I was on. I have a sneaking suspicion that there are a bunch of his listeners that agree with us.
I'm listening to CC now on KUDO 1080. I feel much better.
My legs were already rather tired from standing by Abbott Loop
so I made sure to bring a lawn chair with me. As I drove up 36th, I was
absolutely blown away by what I saw...a huge crowd along the street
by the Library and people literally streaming towards them.
I took this picture before noon so the crowd was far from it's fullest.
The polar bear was great and as it turns out, was also the husband of one of the organizers!
At its largest, the crowd covered the library side of the street
solidly from the corner of 36th and Denali to about 1/4 block past Barrow and 36th.
(Link goes to satellite map for non-Anchorage-ites. The big building between Denali and Barrow is the library.)
There's an excellent article by Jacob Alberin-Sheriff who I've been communicating with for the past several days. Through his research, he put all the pieces together and found out that Sarah Palin WAS responsible for sexual assault victims having to pay for their rape kits:
It turns out that Wasilla did not bill sexual assault victims for the cost of rape exams while Irl Stambaugh was chief of police. As chief, he had included a line item in the budget to pay for the cost of such exams. He had only just heard about the Mayor Palin/Chief Fannon policy today, and was just as shocked to hear about it as I was.
Checking the budget confirmed former Chief Stambaugh's claim. He had included a contingency of $15,000 in his budget for the department's 1st year of existence (1993-1994), $5,000 for 1994-1995 and 1995-1996, and $13,000 for his final year as police chief in 1996-1997, spending $11,625.
Duwayne Charles Fannon, his replacement, halved the budget request in 1997-1998, with a request of $7,298, spending $3,454. However, it seems he began the "victim pays" policy in the 1998-1999 fiscal year. That year, he requested $3,000 but spent only $205. This data can be found in the Document Central section of Wasilla's website.
The Document for the 1998-1999 fiscal year begins with a message "To the Citizens of the City of Wasilla:"
The comprehensive annual financial report of the City of Wasilla for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1999, is hereby submitted. The City's Finance Department prepared the report. Responsibility for both the accuracy of the data, and the completeness and fairness of the presentation, including all disclosures, rests with the City. To the best of our knowledge and belief, the enclosed data is accurate in all material respects and is reported in a manner designed to fairly present the financial position and results of operations of the various funds and account groups of the City. All disclosures necessary to enable the reader to gain an understanding of the City's financial activities have been included. ...
At the end of the letter, under the words "Respectfully submitted," is the signature of Sarah Palin.
??????
