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!)
******************************************************************************************
The Palin Administration CONTINUES to ride the backfire bus everytime they open their mouths these days. I guess they missed that definition of insanity, "Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."
--And the begging continues...this time, Palin wants to fill the coffers over at SarahPAC. Per Stapleton:
You have been so incredibly supportive and generous, and now we ask you again for your help - and we ask that you please also encourage your friends and family to give.
It's rumored that they edited the section of the letter out where Stapleton tells folks how to live on Top Raman noodles for a month so they can increase the money they send to Palin.
Yesterday, I took the kids to Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center where all the following pictures came from. However, the picture above I caught on the way down. A couple of Dahl Sheep were up in the rocky cliffs along Turnagain Arm. How did I know? The tipoff was the army of cars and RVs pulled over to the side and the tourists snapping pictures! That's usually the best wildlife spotting technique!
This is the wildlife observation deck at the Wildlife Center. Below, is the view from the deck!
It looked like the black bear was eating roots and insects.
I loved following these elk around! The three babies kept bleating because their moms didn't want to suckle them at the moment...they were too busy grazing.
Below, I had a "Bambi moment" with one little guy when he looked my way while he was bleating.
The musk ox were shedding their "Qiviut"...used to make some of the softest yarn in the world. Some call it "cashmere of the North."
This is a Great Horned Owl who is a permanent resident at the Park (some animals are sick or wounded and leave when they are well). The owl has a damaged wing and can't fly very well.
A caribou mama and baby (with a friend who was chased away eventually).
The Center has a "Wood Bison Reintroduction Project" where they hope to grown the herd imported from the Yukon Territory large enough to reintroduce into the Alaska wild.
After we left the park, we went to Alyeska Ski Resort to eat at "The Bake Shop." They have beautiful flower gardens outside.
And in the wildlife theme...my daughter and I went to Alaska Gubernatorial Candidate Bob Poe's volunteer party last week. We were able to observe Bob and Terzah in their natural habitat
Here we have Bob Poe showing his "Alaska wildlife" credentials. He proudly displays the "Poe-mobile," which is the camper he'll be traveling Alaska in during the campaign! I was impressed, it was very cute and had a full-sized toilet! (I just love that, for some reason!)
The flower arrangement in their lovely home was put together by Terzah.
I loved their perennial garden, especially the raven that was standing guard!
Terzah and my daughter display their kuspuks.
--Later today, I'll be able to report on the records request!
*************************************UPDATE**********************
A HUGE thank you from Dennis Zaki to all of you who jumped in to help. He ended up with $1,140 which means he has enough to fly to Emmonak and stay a couple of nights!!!! (it costs $75.00/night to even stay in the school!)
I am so looking forward to his reports when he gets back!
*****************************************************************
Dennis Zaki did some incredible work when he went out to Emmonak this past winter. He brought the plight of their poverty...the decision they had to make between food and fuel oil...to CNN and the nation. He, along with many Alaska blogs, helped provide much needed relief to the people of the Yukon. What Dennis brought to the table was a video legacy.
However, little has changed overall for the folks who depend upon the Yukon River and its salmon for their life and livelihood. While folks like Ann Strongheart and the women of "Anonymous Bloggers" as well as our own Mudflats have continued to keep the issue at the fore, the Board of Fisheries and the State of Alaska have done little or nothing to resolve the issue. Now, the king salmon fishery has been shut down, leaving the subsistence and commercial fisherfolk along the Yukon high-and-dry.
The Federal Subsistence Board called an emergency meeting Wednesday and we need to get Dennis to Emmonak to try and film it. You have been incredibly generous to me and my records request. However, this is also an opportunity to help Rural Alaska in a huge way by documenting this meeting and highlighting their present plight. Below is the letter he sent to all of the bloggers letting us know what is happening.
Dear readers,
It is a matter of great urgency that I be in Emmonak ASAP. The Federal Subsistence Board has
called a meeting with the Emmonak tribal leaders and residents to discuss the Yukon's king
salmon subsistence and commercial fishing crisis. At the State meeting last January, I was
not allowed to film. Residents later told me the State did not want that meeting on film.
The people of Emmonak have been prohibited from commercially fishing for early run King
Salmon. Alaska, the feds, and the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council have chosen the
marginal benefit of a few commercial pollock fishermen from Seattle over the livelihood of
the villagers of Emmonak, and others of Alaska's Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. The fact is
indisputable that the salmon bycatch of Seattle's pollock fishermen is the direct cause of
the steep and devastating decline of king salmon in the waters of Western Alaska. However,
few, if any, of our state's government officials have the courage to bring up this topic on
the record, presumably due to the fact that they would be championing the "hapless" Natives
(not a new concept in our history) over the strong, wealthy, lobbyist-backed (non-Alaskan)
pollock industry.
What this intolerable situation needs is to be brought to the attention of the American
people, even as it is being swept under Alaska's political rug. A few months ago, when the
heating fuel/food crisis in Emmonak first surfaced, I flew there with my camera and
interviewed the victims of the crisis. My filming gave their plight national exposure on CNN
and other national outlets. I want to follow up the story and do it again.
We cannot let this problem just fade away as if our fellow Alaskans mean nothing. This is
not just the problem of the villagers of Emmonak. As Alaskans, this is our problem just as
much as it is theirs. (See: Lack of King salmon in the Deshka River, Ship Creek, Bird Creek, Kenai River, etc., etc.)
Help me get to Emmonak to do something about it. The trip will cost $1080. That is $720
airfair and 4 nights in the Emmonak hotel.
Dennis Zaki
Here is the link to his donation button and I hope folks can give him a hand. Please help get Dennis on the plane tomorrow so that he can "shine a light" on the lack of action from the State of Alaska and the Board of Fisheries.
Nunam Still in the grips of winter and now out of
stove oil/heating fuel due to early freeze up and no fall fuel barge!
In this evening from Ann Strongheart:
Nunam Iqua ran out of heating fuel/stove oil for the residents here.
Then more information:
Ok, just got off the phone with Alakanuk and Emmonak they are selling stove oil to out-of-towners (meaning anyone not living there) but they are limiting it to:
Alakanuk 20 gallons per household/person
Emmonak 10 gallons per household/person
So we are going to have to go upriver and try to get enough to make it through break up.
I asked how we could help and she replied:
Did I mention that we ran out b/c we didn't get our last fuel barge in b/c of early freeze up?
I don't have any short term solutions to offer other than pray at this point Jane. I can't authorize donations for other village fuel sales. Plus this is the first time we have run out of stove oil before winter was over, usually we run out of gas.
reprinted with permission
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
I've contacted several folks I know but I encourage people to pass this information along. I know pilots who could get access to a DC-3, probably the only thing large enough to fly the oil in, however it would take some serious money.
If anyone has any suggestions or spare heating oil just laying around, let the ABers know!
I encourage you to make Anonymous Bloggers a regular read and keep checking back to see how we all might be able to assist.
Palin approached a topic that most Alaska politicians shy away from -- the need to seek employment and opportunities outside village Alaska. (For Outside readers, there are more than 200 villages in Alaska, most unconnected to roads and the power grid.)
Palin may have been criticized for not reacting swiftly enough to cries for help from villages hurting this winter from high food and fuel prices, but she clearly is thinking about the long-term future of rural Alaska.
The harsh reality is that rural Alaskans have limited opportunities, be it employment, education or even dating. In the early 21st century, rural residents are still dealing with many of the same perplexing questions as they have for decades:
How do they hold on to tradition, to hunting, to fishing? If people leave the village for new opportunities, how can the community sustain itself? What is the purpose of the village today? Why are so many people suffering from suicide and alcoholism?
Watch this video and listen closely to Palin's remarks. It seems she's thinking about these larger issues, and perhaps this might prompt a state conversation sorely needed, especially in these uncertain economic times.
Her response to the seemingly uninformed staff of the Dispatch should be shouted from the rooftops:
After stewing all night, I woke up this morning to a phone call from Celtic Diva. She and Mudflats pointed to an article in the Alaska Dispatch, praising Palin for "speaking from the heart" and being "thoughtful" about solutions for the communities.
You can only be thoughtful if you've met with the people from the communities and listened to them. Palin is calling for a change in leadership - with who? What are these leaders doing wrong? Who are they? When has she talked to them? And she gave NO solutions except to say these youth should think about leaving. So the solution is "leave the village"? She can't be a spark to "real dialogue" when she's never taken part in a dialogue! The dialogue has been going on, but Palin doesn't care to be part of it.
The article was also preemptively defensive about the race card being thrown at Palin. As if Palin needs to be a racist to make ignorant remarks about the state of rural Alaska. Personally, I believe Palin is willing to be pretty racially equal about throwing rural Alaska under the bus. For that matter, she's screwing us all equally in her painfully obvious stab for national attention. I didn't agree with the remarks about Ted Stevens at the time (don't think the guy was racist, just wrong) and it is interesting to note that the only people to bring up racism with Palin's remarks have been the people of the Alaska Dispatch.
To be very clear - Palin's remarks aren't racist. They are ignorant of the real issues, display a willingness to decide what is right having never had the dialogue, and take us back about 50 years in the struggle to maintain thriving rural and cultural communties. But in ignorance, she's being quite equal.
My own observations:
-- I was angered and amused by the Dispatch's reference to former Sen. Ted Stevens as someone who also "thoughtfully" discussed rural Alaska's future. In truth, the FBI investigation of Stevens originated as a result of the shady deals involving his son Ben with various fishery entities in Alaska and Seattle. The results of this and other Stevens-supported legislation has been the all-out acquisition of the Alaska cod and other federally-controlled fisheries by the Washington State fishing fleet, the loss of thousands of fishing jobs in Alaska, and possibly irreversible damage to the King Salmon run on the Yukon River...a run many villages depend upon for their survival.
Any "musings" of former-Senator Stevens may not be racist, but are clearly warped by his corporate ties and the undue influence of monies from big-business over his decisions.
-- I agree with Writing Raven in that Governor Palin's comments do not necessarily reflect racism but do reflect self-promotion and ambition in its purest form.
Governor Palin has shown that she is actually quite predictable...whatever most benefits her is the direction she will follow, no matter what the results or consequences. Most recently, with the dawn of "SarahPAC" and her recent trip to meet with huge donors and "bundlers" like Fred Malek, it has been clear that her quest for finances and support for a 2012 presidential run has dominated all else. This includes her Governor's "State of the State" speech, where Alaskans were looking for some glimmer of a message among the platitudes directed at her national audience.
Some of this will be tricky, however. Sarah Palin desperately needs money and must somehow court the corporations without appearing to contradict her "Mavricky" image crafted during her Vice-Presidential run. So I don't believe it's a coincidence that the position on Rural Alaska reflected in her comments has been the same position spouted by corporate-hacks-posing-as-Republicans for years.
And this ties in with a theory:
The vast majority of Alaska's resources including gold and other minerals, oil, natural gas, etc...are found on and under lands traditionally inhabited by Alaska's Native people. The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act was a tool by which all individual Alaska Natives legally relinquished their claim on the land. It established the Village Corporations (for example, Emmonak Village Corporation...the people who live there) as owning the surface rights to the patented land while the regional corporation (for example, Calista Corporation) owns the subsurface rights. This lasts as long as the Corporations exist.
For those of you who have never lived/worked up in oil country, much of the North Slope is completely under corporate control. The only "police" are oil-company security. Whoever gets in/out is completely within the control of the oil companies.
So, what happens if the Native population of Emmonak is starved out of a village, the people move and the village no longer exists nor is it incorporated? Is it probable that the surface rights would be up for grabs or revert back to the government? Would the government also have a case to challenge Calista for the subsurface rights if there was no longer a Native population living there?
I believe that corporations would love to encourage the Alaska Native population to leave their villages in order to clear the way for unfettered development.
-- The Alaska Dispatch commentary on Palin's remarks and their further response to emails show the same ignorance of the issues that our Governor displays...an ignorance born of not even bothering to investigate or learn from the people whose lives are presently touched by the problems. Both Palin and Alaska Dispatch focus on "charity"...something which the Alaska Natives abhor more than anyone. However, both Palin and the Dispatch ignore what the communities have needed for years from the state and federal governments...not charity, but simple infrastructure like a port at the mouth of the Yukon (jobs), energy extraction projects (inexpensive energy, jobs), and a solution to the fishery problem which has severely damaged their ability to live off of the King Salmon run (jobs, income, food). Palin is clearly willing to (quietly but deliberately) continue the quest for the billion-dollar-plus Knik Arm Bridge, but wants to reject the infrastructure money coming in from the stimulus package which could revitalize Rural Alaska.
So yes, there must be many discussions on Rural Alaska and the solutions to their issues, but the discussion doesn't begin as one-sided commentary suggesting leadership change (before the leadership has been consulted) and that the youth move to the cities to find jobs...a sure death of the villages The fact that neither Palin nor the Dispatch seems to "get" that reflects badly on their understanding of the issues and, for the Dispatch, their alleged "journalistic neutrality."
********************UPDATE********************
From Pekoe's comment below (good catch!):
Todd wasn't raised in a village, was he? Palin made it sound like he was with this statement, like he was tanning hides and smoking salmon and thought, "Dang! I live in a cash-based society! I need a mainstream job!"
Culturally, the Palins live a lifestyle of small-town Alaska. Todd does not take part in Native organizations or tribal politics. He grew up in Glennallen and Wasilla. His Native roots can be seen in his dividends from the Bristol Bay Native Corporation and boyhood visits with his grandma, where he learned to tend fish nets along the Nushagak River.
(hat tip--Palingates.blogspot.com)
Via an email source, I was told that the most Palin ever "lived" in the village was a few weeks each summer fishing with his grandma.
I spent a few weeks every summer of my life until age 19 on my grandmother's/aunt's/uncle's farms in Iowa, while I spent the rest of the year in Ohio, Philadelphia or Chicago. According to "Palin-logic," I'm an Iowa farmer.
It seems that CNN.com writer Mallory Simon has really taken this story to heart. There are links throughout to Dennis's videos and one to a Feb. 9th interview Simon did on CNN.
So the Palin Administration hasn't had a very good couple of weeks.
--Andree McLeod filed two ethics complaints, one against her Press Secretary Bill McAllister and one on Palin's closest aide, Kris Perry.
--CNN has been doing regular broadcasts of Dennis Zaki's videos from his trip to Rural Alaska...a trip the Governor has yet to make...causing questions about the Governor's inaction to go national. Dennis's trip was a result of grass-roots fundraising by bloggers and "community organizers."
--The Alaska Legislature reminded the 10 folks subpeonaed during the Branchflower Investigation that they were in contempt when they decided not to show up. However, they put much of the blame on Attorney General Talis Colberg in advising them that they had the option not to show up, so the Legislature decided not to punish them. (I heard from sources over the weekend that the Legislature "may not be done" with Colberg.)
Governor Palin is claiming that Talis "resigned" because it's a "harsh political environment." Even the Daily News headline states that "Colberg resigns amid legislative pressure over 'Troopergate'"
Let's all be clear about where that "pressure" has come from.
When Alaska Governor Sarah Palin gave her innaugural speech in 2006, she made many promises of "protecting and defending the Alaska Constitution," supporting "free market and competition" and yes, this is the part where she asks us all to "hold her accountable." However, she also says this (at 7:50 on the video):
I'll insist on ethics in your government. **applause**
That all changed after she became a VP candidate and the McCain/Palin campaign decided not to cooperate with the investigation AND to smear and attack Walt Monegan and anyone who dared asked questions:
The Repubublicans also declared war on "Community Organizers."
Since no one else seemed to be standing up against the McCain Campaign people who were taking over the Alaska Government, in rode the community organizers:
-- Alaskans for Truth pushed a "Call to Action" called "Countdown to Truth" where for 10 days, everyone was encouraged to repeatedly contact the members of the Legislative Council, pushing for them to release the Branchflower Report. 2000 emails were sent out and the voice mail and email boxes of the legislators were flooded.
-- Alaskans for Truth had another major "Call to Action" leading up to the legislative session where hundreds of supporters contacted members of the Legislature through the holidays demanding that action be taken against Talis Colberg, the folks who ignored the subpeonas and that the results of the Branchflower Report not be forgotten. Before the "call" there were a number of legislators who had already stated they were "over" Troopergate. After a few weeks of emails, several legislator responses changed from less favorable to more favorable towards action on the Branchflower Investigation.
So, thanks to community organizers, Alaskan bloggers (wearing pajamas or not), and most of all, the passionate public out there who has supported the efforts, two of the things Alaskans for Truth wanted to get done were finished this week.
I encourage Governor Palin to continue to insult, laugh-at and try to discredit bloggers, community organizers, and civic-minded constituents. Believe me, it just makes us all more determined. And it appears that the Palin Administration really can't afford for us to get any more "determined" than we already are.
A rare opportunity to see Governor Sarah Palin actually in Alaska, standin' by her man Todd as he hopes to continue his winning streak.
So, I'm taking wagers about the Governor's wardrobe in this AP photo:
Since Todd's sponsor is "Artic Cat," what do you think the chances are that Governor Palin actually paid for that very expensive, head-to-toe snow machining ensemble? Will we see it on future "gift reports?"
Speaking of the Iron Dog, it was subject to the biting wit of I Eat Gravel.
I have an exclusive source that's following the Davis/Palin team. Let's check in with him now.
*Cut to my top-secret reporter in the field. We'll call him Hollis.
Me: Mr. Fren... err, I mean Hollis. What can you tell us about the team?
*After an awkward 3-second delay:
Hollis: Thank you, Mr. Gravel. It's been an interesting turn of events. The Davis/Palin team had a malfunction with their GPS navigation equipment and strayed way off course. They're now hundreds of miles west of where the course led to the North. They're currently in a village called Emmonak, working on getting supplied up in order to make it back on course, and hopefully back into the race. Let's listen in right now.
You'll have to go to his blog and read the rest. Let's just say it's quite topical...and very funny!
Speaking of topical, CNN is running more of Dennis Zaki's Rural Alaskan video. My blog hates their format so you'll have to go to the link (Dennis's blog) to see it.
Dennis's videos provide an invaluable service to the people of Rural Alaska in getting the information out about their plight.
"Local government specialists in the state Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development continue to crunch numbers and seek creative approaches to finding a statutorily acceptable way to justify a disaster declaration, which would open the door to federal aid, as well," deputy press secretary Sharon Leighow said.
Leighow said Palin is sending her new rural advisor, John Moller, to the area next week, accompanied by representatives of the Alaska Food Bank.
Yet, after all this pressure, she still isn't going herself.
It's an interview with Emmonak resident Ignatius Hootch, talking about the struggle the families there must endure. It turns out that the back story on Ignatius is that he was severely injured at work and was then laid off, which unfortunately seems to be the case with almost every laborer in Emmonak. He also has a child with a chronic medical condition, which adds additional stress to a large family of 7 or 8 children.
There are a few hundred stories just like this in Emmonak and hundreds...even thousands more in villages up and down the Yukon. These families understand the truth...they live with it every day.
Governor Palin can wage whatever war of lies and obfuscation she wishes via her cast-of-thousands in the communication department claiming credit that the state does not deserve. Those of us who have followed the story know the truth. Legislators like Les Gara and Jay Ramras know the truth and have spoken it publicly:
(Fairbanks Rep. Ramras)
"We have Alaskans in a rural area in need of our assistance and have been able to amass needed food but have no way to deliver it to communities," Ramras said. "I am saddened that Governor Palin has created a vacuum of leadership by not making state transportation assets available. Many of the cash donations raised will be needed for transportation instead of being used to purchase necessities for these communities. That is a shame."
" 4,465 lbs of food from the Fairbanks Community Foodbank had to be transported to Anchorage by Lynden Transport. From there, Alaska Airlines flew the food to Bethel, and then, after much pleading, the State of Alaska provided a small plane for transport from Bethel to Kotlik," Ramras said. "Many communities in Western Alaska are hungry and cold this winter and nonprofits and faith-based entities can help cure this situation without state funds. It is the least the state can do to allow use of state-owned transportation assets that are sitting idle while capable, good Alaskans are going hungry."
"I introduced House Bill 114 yesterday. That was the subject of the press release. And I am offended that the governor would call my service into question. I have been organizing food and supply drives for needy Alaska communities and groups for years, and spoke on the House Floor yesterday about the success we've seen thanks to the many groups that have come together over the last few weeks to help. I pointed to her lack of leadership on this issue; I didn't do it politically, I did it because it's true: she has been too silent and her administration has taken too long to help in relief efforts. We are already weeks late."
And Saturday, Palingates brilliantly dug up and recounted a story that just happened back in April...nine short months ago. I'm ashamed to admit I'd forgotten about it:
When an avalanche damaged a major electrical power line near Juneau, Alaska, on April 16 2008, life abruptly changed for the town's 30,000 inhabitants. The line had carried inexpensive hydroelectric power that supplied 85 percent of the Alaskan state capital's electricity needs.
Heavy snow knocked out a substantial section of the primary power line to Juneau on April 16, record snowfalls buried Juneau on the morning of April 17 and the record cold temperatures of April 18 would have prompted Juneau residents to jack up their thermostats. On April 17 Juneau city government declared the loss of its hydroelectricity a disaster, then asked the state for aid.
She recounts the events date by date and point by point and I encourage all to read it, but here's the kicker:
The Governor was distracted with her own personal crisis, which made the headlines in all the major Alaska newspapers for days on end. From the Governor's point of view, this seemed a good time to bury bad news. The joyous event (Trig's birth) and all the drama about Trig having Down's Syndrome effectively buried Juneau under more than just the avalanche.
This story mirrors the Governor's response to the Emmonak crisis nine months after Juneau.
So Juneau knows the truth as well.
Governor Palin's behavior towards Rural Alaska is just one more manifistation of behavior she's exhibited over and over again. Rural Alaska is just one more region that the Governor is throwing "under the bus" because their needs, however dire, are "inconvenient" and don't correspond with her own. It won't be long that the entire state will have experienced this in one form or another.
Hopefully, we'll all know (or at least remember) the truth by then.
Friday night, I attended a meeting of concerned citizens who wanted to be brought up to speed on the crisis in Alaska villages. We met with folks who either spend their time interviewing/meeting with/talking to village residents on a daily basis as well as those who flew out and spent the week with people in Bethel, Emmonak and St. Marys gathering information and making contacts.
Good: Five representatives from the State went to Emmonak and Kotlik this week.
Bad: Five representatives from the State spent a very few hours in Emmonak and Kotlik this week...the wrong five representatives.
There was Tara Jollie from Community and Regional Affairs as well as representatives from the Department of Labor, the state divisions of Public Assistance and Homeland Security and Emergency Management.
1) No one came from ANY agency dealing with the Alaska fisheries.
This crisis is the direct result of the failure of the king salmon fishery this past summer, so folks have been living on approximately 1/20th their normal yearly income. The villages have protested for years about the decimation of their subsistance fishery by huge trawlers from Washington State (all with cute Alaskan names) who either overfish the kings or waste them as bycatch when fishing for other species. Yet, no one from Dept. of Fish and Game, the Dept. of Environmental Conservation or the Board of Fisheries showed up...no one. This sent a message that no one has been listening...that in the years since 2001, when the fishery crashed the last time and none of the promises made by the Knowles administration were ever realized, no one has been paying attention at all.
Tara Jollie actually proved that she does not grasp neither the problem nor the solutions
This is her bio on the state website: "As Director of Community & Regional Affairs, Tara Jollie will lead the division's efforts to provide services that will help Alaska's rural lifestyle thrive."
"We went out there armed with job training information, public assistance and food stamps..."
Dennis Zaki photo of Nik Tucker
2) No one came from the Alaska Energy Authority, the Dept of Transportation or the Dept. of Revenue, and
3) The Governor didn't show up.
The villages have been telling us what they need for a very long time. Former legislature Martin Moore of Emmonak was interviewed this week on KUDO 1080 with Cary Carrigan. He talked about how the barge with their precious stove oil (what they use for heat) became blocked from the villages by a frozen river with its cargo. He talked about the expense of bringing in the heavy oil via airplane and paying for that transport per pound. He then discussed the plan the community had put together for a tank farm to increase fuel storage for Emmonak and nearby villages. He discussed their fully-researched proposal for a new harbor so that they didn't have to depend on river barges and larger boats could provide transport by sea. He talked about the fact that the swampy villages were sitting on a treasure trove of methane...that it was so plentiful that it was constantly leeching out of the ground. Extracting that methane could provide cheap heat to the villages for many years to come. He also mentioned that he met with the Governor's people, fully prepared with cost breakdowns and timelines, and proposed adding these projects to Alaska's list of infrastructure projects for President Obama's stimulus package. As we all know, the Governor rejected all projects that were not gas line or rocket research related.
Let's explore that a little further. Many who read this website scream if infrastructure is not permitted to be put in place in order to further develop resources.
As a matter of fact, the deep-pocket oil companies will frequently build this infrastructure for us because it benefits their business.
It's not that way in the rest of the country. Federal, state and local resources build infrastructure so that the population can thrive and diverse business ventures can be developed. Yet, in Alaska, it's some badge of courage to reject money meant to stimulate our economy through jobs and infrastructure projects, even if this could mean the difference between revitalizing rural Alaska or forcing them to relive this nightmare any year the fishery does not perform.
I think the Administration has picked the very wrong time to "just say no."
Over the last week, I have received many emails from people in rural Alaska and other folks who work in areas that give them direct knowledge of the issues. Many have been clear that Governor Palin is not responsible alone. The lies and neglect can be traced back before statehood and are spread over many agencies and individuals, federal and state as well as both political parties. As one reader said, "This isn't Governor Palin's Katrina...yet."
However, she has ignored the alarm raised by members of her Administration, legislators and private citizens since this past summer. This has fallen into her lap now...no one else's. If she doesn't address this crisis quickly and work towards both short-term and long-term solutions, Emmonak could very easily become her New Orleans.
--The State of Alaska had a press conference where they discussed the trip of the wrong folks to Rural Alaska. According to Kyle Hopkins, the State has promised to do...basically nothing.
State department heads said that they can't justify declaring an economic disaster in the cash-poor Yukon River village.
They're looking to put the focus on existing aid programs - like public assistance, or federal subsidies for heating bills - before they propose any new form of help.
Even worse, the State claims that there wasn't a real "crash" of the King Salmon fishery (even though it DIDN'T HAPPEN AT ALL ON THE YUKON), ignoring what everyone who lives in Rural Alaska is saying about what spawned their present personal, and very real, financial crisis.
Notti - who attributes the current fuel and food woes more to heating fuel costs than the fishing season -- has said that fishermen in the region made only a few thousand less per permit than in the previous year. In other words, the state says that while fishermen made very little money last year, it wasn't enough to dip the region below the federal poverty level.
1) What's "a few thousand" less? $2,000? $10,000?
The most important point was made by Kyle:
The thing is, that federal poverty level the state uses is $26,500 per household and isn't adjusted for the cost of living in Emmonak, or Kotlik, or other villages where milk approaches $10 a gallon.
--Mudflats has a great story on "Shopping Day in Nunam Iqua, Alaska" which will give "outsiders" (and some Alaskans) a better idea what kind of challenges Rural Alaska faces and why poverty cut-offs for Anchorage do not apply. (i.e. We pay between $4.00 and $5.00 for a gallon of milk, not $10.00.)
**NOTE** Most of the footage that EVERYONE is using on Emmonak and several other villages originates from Dennis Zaki of Alaska Report, who spent a week out there doing interviews and gathering information
Alaska Newspapers, Inc have been doing food and supply drops out to the villages since the crisis in Emmonak was revealed. Here is their latest update:
KOTLIK - State officials assessing hardships on the lower Yukon River for a possible disaster declaration said they'll push to create a fuel voucher that could help the poorest families.
After two days of listening to crushing testimony from scores of residents in Emmonak and Kotlik, the team said they would do all they can to help quickly.
"In both communities, we hear loud and clear that the children are going to school not ready to learn, that they're hungry and cold. That's really troubling to me," said Tara Jollie, director of the state Division of Community and Regional Affairs.
"We're hearing that there are families that are hungry and that's not acceptable," she said.
After the team flew to windy Kotlik on Wednesday, a Yup'ik village of 600, local leaders placed a call on the VHF radio and villagers flocked to the meeting in the decrepit bingo hall.
Kotlik residents, like those in Emmonak, said they had been slammed by the lack of a king salmon fishing season. The commercial fishery is the economic backbone of the Southwest Alaska region.
Read the entire article, as it validates everything the "left-leaning bloggers" have been saying about what is going on in the villages.
There was an interesting piece of information (that I received by email before it was reported on the ADN) regarding Emmonak. The story on ADN by Kyle Hopkins, who has been doing pretty good coverage (except for the "left-leaning blogger" comment):
Meantime, an Emmonak city councilman called into Dan Fagan's KFQD show yesterday to warn people about sending money to the village.
"I want to caution all Alaskans to be very cautious sending anything out to Emmonak, because it's just a big scam. There are lots of villages with poverty, but there are a lot of villages that are actually in a much worse economic situation and logistically challenged than Emmonak, that are sending stuff to Emmonak right now," said John Dickens, who says he's been on the city council for two years.
Dickens was generally critical of sending more government money to the Bush. Without a better sense of local politics -- and without hearing from other council members -- it's hard to know what to make of that.
It's certainly not going to sit well with people like Nicholas Tucker -- the Emmonak man whose letter about the plight of the village spurred an Internet outcry and donations of money and food.
I give Kyle credit in saying that it was impossible to know what to make of it all with limited information. However, I took it a step further and consulted "The Google" when it comes to Mr. John A Dickens. Amazing thing, that Google:
Governor Palin appointed Sharron K. Breaker and Dr. Danita N. Koehler, and reappointed Ronald L. Bowers, John A. Dickens and David I. Hull, and to the Alaska Council on Emergency Medical Services.
Yes, that's the right John Dickens:
Dickens, of Emmonak, has been the safety and security manager for Grant Aviation since 2001. He was elected to the Emmonak City Council in 2007...
It seems to me that makes his protests rather late and a little bit suspect. We're eagerly awaiting the arrival of Dennis Zaki, who has been out in the villages most of this week gathering video and interviews to get the inside story.
Here's the interview that has had the folks over at Team Sarah panting with anticipation like a labrador waiting for a bone. It's standard Palin fare, with the adoring media icon telling her what a "hot grandma" she is and with Sarah conjuring the vision of one of her children (this time Willow) to make an economic policy statement.
...and let's not forget the dig at Obama.
However, I have a couple of questions not covered:
1) The background--Interesting that she chose Cook Inlet, that her hair had that "wind-blown" look and that she was wearing a very casual jacket. Did she want to make it look like she was somewhere other than in a comfortable studio in Anchorage?
2) Speaking of that, my friend Dennis Zaki is in Bethel now, investigating how folks are doing there. He will be on a plane tomorrow out to the villages of St. Marys and the now-famous Emmonal. Before he left, he was wondering if Governor Palin was going to be on the Monday morning plane to Emmonak. Those of us who knew that Palin had this interview scheduled also knew that wasn't going to happen. However, if she could have a satellite interview with Glen Beck, couldn't she have scheduled some kind of teleconference with the people of Emmonak today, offering at the very least her encouragement and promise that they are working on a solution?
Today was a big news day...a day when I'd planned on doing a lot of posting.
Nope.
For the third day in a row, my daughter was home from school because the roads were a sheet of ice. We went from over two weeks of sub-zero temps...hitting as low as minus 29 F on my thermometer...to a lion of a Chinook raging in from the South which brought temps up at my house yesterday to almost 50 degrees F.
The winds on the hillside and near the Inlet got up to...I kid you not...100 mph. We had widespread power outages and my internet ran for crap off and on for the last three days.
This is the first time I can remember in the 25 years of living hear that the kids were EVER out of school for weather for more than two days in a row...and that was only once. Snow we can handle...cold we can handle...but freezing rain and ice? I reallllllly didn't want to witness a school bus derby on the back roads...ugly!!!!
Anyway, with my daughter home, that meant I didn't get a moment's peace. Between her, phone calls to and from the contractor and suppliers, my regular daily phone calls, I was only able to do the bare minimum on blog and email.
I did wake up in time to phone into the Governor's press conference on releasing her Energy Plan but was beat out all three times phone-in folks were allowed to ask questions by someone with quicker fingers. I was glad Dave Donaldson from APRN was the first one to ask about Emmonak. I've never heard the words "monitoring" and "evaluating" spoken so many times in the same sentence. I also inwardly cheered when Kyle Hopkins did his modified pitbull imitation as he continued the drumbeat on trying to get an answer out of the State as to whether or not they had ever notified Emmonak officials of any decision of their eligibility for disaster relief.
Yes, I promise I'll blog about it tomorrow.
So, this is an attempt at a long-winded excuse as to why no posting happened today after 3:00 AM in the morning.
Of course, to end the day, I literally had a five hour session with my daughter at the hairdressers where there were tears, laughter, more tears, boredom, pain, disappointment and finally--exhausted, happy smiles all around. See, she is one of those former semi-tom-boys who never cared about taking care of her hair...until now. She's now blossoming/blossomed into a pre-teen/teenager and I'm scared!
She's eleven, dammit! I'm not ready!
Anyway, she has "mixed hair" and we both allowed it to get really matted. (She's been stronger than me since she was 9 so wrestling her down to do her hair like when she was younger is now out of the question.) It took hours of cutting, relaxing, conditioning, more cutting, flat-ironing, blow-drying, more cutting, hair-spraying, etc...to end up with a wonderful cut for a pre-teen (psssst...Liza (pronounced "Leeza") at Regis in the Sears Mall is WONDERFUL!!!!!!
So, we got home at 10:00 PM and wolfed down food while we watched the Third Mummy installation from Netflix. Was that EVER disappointing!
Anyway, I finally slogged through the second wave of my email, catching up on blog comments and cruising around to see what more Emmonak news is out there. And it's everywhere...except for one place...
...can you guess?...
...I'll give you a hint, it rhymes with "ream Sarah!"
Yup, nothing on Emmonak at Team Sarah. But are we at all surprised?
I promise you...the plight of the Alaska villages will be Governor Palin's "Katrina."
OK [yawning] I need to go to the new house tomorrow to try out some of the new paint and make some decisions. If I go to bed now (2:15 AM) it will be the earliest I've been to bed all week. Then I can actually post in the morning!
Have a good rest!
P.S. REALLY GOOD STORY tomorrow written by a wonderful labor and delievery nurse/friend on Palin and her "Trig issues"
Think Progress did a story during the campaign discussing Governor Palin's infamous long absences from the State Capital. Legislators became so frustrated with her that they retaliated with humor, wearing "Where's Sarah" buttons.
Today, I'm not laughing.
Alaska bloggers and media are all talking about the story of Nick Tucker and plight of the people of Emmonak. An effort by Alaska Newspapers Inc is underway to put together pallets of food and other necessities to be airlifted to Emmonak this Wednesday. Dennis Zaki, videographer, has raised to date over $6,000.00 which he will use to fly to Emmonak and distribute where it's needed. He's hoping that CNN will decide to use the footage of our Alaska villages in trouble so he can then donate his reimbursment for travel. Other non-profit organizations are finalizing plans to do online fundraising for those who need the help.
So what have we heard from Governor Palin about this terrible crisis? What words of comfort did she share with the suffering people of Emmonak? Heck, what acknowledgement have we heard by this time, 12:10 AM on January 16th that she even knows or cares what is going on?
Nothing...we've heard absolutely nothing.
Governor Sarah Palin has said nothing about the crisis in the village of Emmonak as well as potentially within their neighboring villages. The Governor has not commented on the failures to act which led to this sad state of affairs.
Paul LaBolle, spokesman for State Rep. Richard Foster, who represents the area, said that immediate government assistance would have to come by way of an emergency declaration, which comes from the governor's office. He also said that Foster is aware of the problem and is working with the native corporation of Emmonak and with the executive branch to come up with a solution.
Former Emmonak city manager Martin Moore said that he's been asking for help since October, when a fuel barge couldn't reach the village due to an early freeze. But he's had no luck.
"When we have a disaster, coupled with high cost of energy, government has an obligation to do what it can to help people who are hurting," he said.
So, state aid would be released to the villages along the river if the Governor acts and declares a disaster.
This week, the people of Emmonak are crying out to the world for help. Heating fuel costs $7.83 a gallon. The people of Emmonak now find themselves in another crisis. They've paid the high cost of fuel and now they have no money to purchase food. Food or heat. That is the choice they've been facing.
Representative Young sent a letter trying to get a waiver on the production cap for Petrostar. It will reach the cap in mid-March due to the state-wide cold snap.
And Senator Begich continues to gather information on infrastructure projects from Alaska community leaders. (See previous story)
However, it may be that Sarah Palin's "do nothing" mantra is not only hurting Emmonak in the present, she may be threatening the very future of their village. And strangely enough, this story seems to be overlapping with another.
Another Alaska Village in Trouble--by Writing Raven
When I spotted this in the ADN Newsreader, I had a sinking feeling becoming very familiar. I've talked about a few dying villages, and villagers just trying to make it this winter. This story is one of the more heartbreaking.
Originally in the Bristol Bay Times, the article is actually about a letter written by an Emmonak resident, asking for help for his village. Short of fuel, short of money, short of food, he talked to 25 of the 200 households in the area, and every one of them had a grim story to tell. Just one:
P. R: Single, separated, with five children. (He chokes occasionally, holding back crying.) He and his children are staying in the same household with his brother's family. Cost of fuel is so high and everything else and we're able to get just a few things at a time. We have no other subsistence food left. Only thing we're surviving on moose meat alone and it is almost gone. Everything is so high - only able to get little bit. We can't catch up on our bills. We're really hurting even we are given some from other people. Right now, we can't eat during the day, only at supper time. And, it is still not enough. If there had been no school lunch, our kids would be starving. It is going to get worse in two weeks when our new heating fuel supply is airlifted in. Price of fuel will go way up again. I am lucky that the Women's Shelter is able to give me some coffee.
Yes. This is America today.
I was privileged to meet with a family from Emmonak last month, getting to know them. Although going through a tough time, a death, I had no idea of the rest of this. This also makes me wonder how much the economic situation is affecting the alarming news of the suicides in the area. Although the area, and the area just above, are the two highest in Alaska for suicide rates - and Alaska the highest in the nation - lately there has been even more than usual.
This is just one village. I wrote before about a village on the Aleutian chain being told they should leave because the village couldn't power itself. Despite an article proclaiming that it's not as bad as people have said... it seems pretty bad.
The letter left some information on where to go to help. As he says in his letter though - these are just the ones he was able to talk to - how many more are remaining silent?
--Writing Raven
************************************************
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
To help, please call:
City of Emmonak, (907) 949-1227/1249 (They will take donations by credit card. Please specify the donation is for heating oil!)
Emmonak Tribal Council, (907) 949-1720
Emmonak Corporation, (907) 949-1129/1315/1411
Emmonak Sacred Heart Catholic Church Pastoral Parish Council Chairman, (907) 949-1011.
Also, send a check to this address and make it out to Emmonak Tribal Council.
Emmonak Tribal Council
ATTN: Christine Alexi
P.O. Box 126
Emmanok, AK 99581
OTHER LINKS **UPDATED**
KTUU story from December with good background information. This didn't just "happen" all-of-a-sudden:
Forgive my sentimentality, but I feel very much the comment a woman made to me when she heard the drumming of our group - drumming not typical to this region:
"When I heard the drums, I could feel it in my heart, and my heart felt good."
I have remembered what she said for so long, because at times like this, it is the only way I can relate what I feel.
Gunalchéesh, hó hó.
Gryph (on this story from the start) at Immoral Minority:
Phil on Progressive Alaska AND on Firedoglake (where he describes how donors are sending videographer Dennis Zaki up there to get footage that, hopefully, CNN will use)
