Admittedly, I assumed this was an ad for Sarah. It sums up her experience as a Wasilla councilmember and mayor, as an oil and gas policy administrator, and of course as the state’s elected governor. Sarah Palin has worked in all of these sectors as a local policymaker, local and state executive, and industry regulator.

But as I continued to listen, I realized the ad isn’t for Sarah despite essentially summarizing her credentials.

The ad is for Nick Begich, Mark Begich’s nephew, of all people.

The guy who challenged former Assemblymember Amy Demboski in Eagle River and lost by almost 20%.

As far as candidate Nick Begich is concerned, his latest radio ad is unbecoming of a wanna-be congressman because not only does it list attributes he doesn’t possess, but also the second half of the ad is highly disrespectful towards Sarah. The ad reeks of desperation.

Nick has very little experience in anything, from what I can gather. It’s laughable he highlights policy sectors in which he has zero experience. His ad is misleading to the public.

Then there’s the line about Alaska needing a fighter in Washington DC.

Ever met Nick Begich?

He’s a bureaucrat like the rest of his family. He’s certainly not a fighter because of a mailer with him holding a shotgun. I’ve owned some pretty rough-and-tumble bars in my day, like in Valdez during the Alaska Pipeline build. I’ve seen really tough people fight. I’ve also dropped my share of wild game as a longtime hunter.

To my knowledge, Nick Begich is neither a fighter (in the physical or policy-centric way) nor a hunter. Don’t let radio scripts and posed photos make you think any different. He’s a tech guy.

Further, Begich hasn’t protested the onslaught of negative diatribes from Americans for Prosperity against Sarah over the last three weeks. AFP has wasted so much money on mailers that are being tossed into the garbage and are unnecessary against a superior Republican (Sarah Palin) candidate to Nick. Who is deciding on this expensive and counter-productive AFP messaging in Alaska? They should be fired for incompetence and bias.

Ever heard of former President Ronald Reagan’s use of the “11th Commandment”?

Thou shall not speak ill of any fellow Republican.

I have to hand it to Sarah and her campaign manager, by the way. I haven’t seen any negative ads from the Palin team. Sure, a response to mudslinging, but otherwise 100% positive.

That’s a true Alaskan for you.

So tomorrow, Tuesday, August 16th, it’s Primary Election and I’m voting for Sarah Palin for Congress because, without question, she actually has the credentials, experience, aptitude, and tenacity to get the job done and move Alaska forward.

Sarah is the best fighter we have on the ballot for Alaska’s next U.S. Representative.

And when it comes to filling the titan Don Young’s shoes, do you want a poser – or the real deal?

Reject “Negative Nick” and vote your conscience for Congress.

For me, that’s Sarah Palin.

Senator Joe Manchin praises Senator Lisa Murkowski on energy and Arctic policy leadership

 

As over 600 policymakers, advocates, dignitaries, and diplomats launch the 2022 Arctic Encounter Symposium in Anchorage, Alaska, at center-stage stand West Virginia U.S. Senator Joe Manchin and Alaska’s senior federal delegation member, U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski.

Particularly over the last decade, Arctic policy has gained the attention of the global community as sea ice melts and Democracy-hostile nations like China and Russia inch their way into the region with intent to assert jurisdiction claims. Along with Antarctica, deep space, and our oceans, Arctic ecosystems and geography are one of the few remaining frontiers of discovery. National defense concerns along with resource development opportunities, deep-water ports, and supply-chain routes are foundational topics on the Symposium agenda.

Alaska is the only Arctic state in the U.S. so its nexus to international policy is inextricable.

When asked about the importance of Arctic policy to the U.S. on the Tom Anderson Show, Senator Manchin noted the connection he has with Senator Murkowski. “I’m now Chairman of the Energy and Natural Resource Committee which Lisa has been the chair of quite a few times,” said Manchin. “She was the chair two years ago and I was the ranking member as a Democrat, and she was the Republican chair because they were the Majority. When the Democrats were the Majority, I became the chair. And together we have done so much and worked in a bi-partisan, unbelievable way, that got things accomplished.”

When asked about the importance of this year’s Arctic symposium, Murkowski noted the robust attendance as an indicator of the event’s impact. “All you need to do is look at what is happening at the Dena’ina Center this morning with the level of interest, not only around the country – this is not just a state event – this is an international event that is convening here (in Alaska), and the level of interest about the Arctic and all that is going on – this is something that I have been singing from the roof tops for years now,” she said.

Heather Reams, President of Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions (CRES), is a participant of the Symposium. Reams and her organization have been making the case for Republican leadership on clean and renewable energy, particularly in areas of critical mineral development, streamlining permitting, and efforts to pursue market-based innovation rather than top-down harmful policies that eliminate certain industries.

In his interview on the Tom Anderson Show, when asked about his respect for Senator Murkowski, Senator Manchin sung high praises. “I’ve been there for 11 years now in the Senate. I was the Governor, a two-term Governor before. I was Secretary of State in my state before. I was a State Senator and in the House of Representatives, so I’ve been in all different aspects of the government. I’ve never had a colleague – as Lisa Murkowski has been with me – that’s willing to meet me in the middle every time. To find the middle, not to defend the position. Not to say, ‘Well this is my position, I’m sorry – you’re going to have to agree with me or we just can’t come to an agreement!’”

Manchin added, “I have never in my experience of over 40 years being in the political arena found anybody that would always say ‘Let’s see if we can make this work, Joe. Let’s see what we can find out. How do we make it better? Who all can we bring on board? And then basically let the facts take us where it goes.’ She’s the best of the best and I’m just saying, Alaska – and I mean this – Alaska is very, very fortunate to have a Lisa Murkowski with her knowledge, background, and her common-sense approach of working together for the betterment of our country.”

President Lincoln, back in 1864, felt it “not best to swap horses while crossing the river”
when it came to his nomination for a second term as President.

 

He never suggested himself the epitome of greatness, but his efforts and notable management of the nation and command of the Union troops were skillsets that kept the North stable enough to ultimately win the Civil War.

Lincoln’s phrase is apropos today, as Alaskan Republicans face a looming shadow of Independent and Democratic candidate challengers, polemic political blogs and social media content undermining our goals, and a new electoral Non-Partisan Top-Four Primary and Ranked Choice Voting process that is both confusing and concerning.

Now, more than ever, our state’s GOP must prepare for 2022’s campaign battles with leadership intact and momentum unfettered.

It is no easy task to keep all of our “wings” flying in the same direction.

Ann Brown is the Alaska Republican Party’s Chairwoman.

Ann is not only getting the job done for our diverse membership, but she is also bringing together a formidable team of supporters and fundraising assets.

Admittedly, the first time Ann was a candidate for the Alaska Republican Party (ARP) chairmanship, I supported Tuckerman Babcock, who I knew for decades. Tuckerman later transitioned into Governor Dunleavy’s Cabinet, and Pastor Glenn Clary took over the ARP as Ann rose to Vice-Chair. During this time I observed her work ethic and organizational skills and realized Ann has both aptitude and intellect to help grow and protect our Party.

When Glenn moved to Virginia to help his mentor, Dr. Prevo, at Liberty University, Ann became the Party’s state chair.

And ever since, I remain impressed and pleased at her success.

One of Ann’s most notable accomplishments has been to create a stable donor base to fund state GOP operations and get-out-to-vote (GOTV) efforts. She’s made sure supporters and campaign volunteers are trained to use GOTV tools while increasing the GOP’s state email recipient lists. She helped establish and increase digital fundraising while targeting a concerted effort to increase social media followers and engagement online. Ann helped establish the template for the election day operations hub, and most recently ramped up recruitment and training of poll watchers.

When I last spoke with Ann and asked her about her vision for 2022 and beyond, she expressed the goal being to make sure fellow Republicans have a shared sense of purpose and esprit de corps to carry out the Party’s two main purposes:

1. 1. Generating consistent fundraising streams for GOP messaging and voter communications.
   2. Ensuring Republican majorities are secured in federal, state, and local Alaskan elections.

At the end of last year, retired Alaska Lt. Governor and General Craig Campbell, Anchorage District Chairman Mike Robbins, and our new state Finance Chairman Jason Warfield forged a fundraising game plan to recruit a group of  GOP supporters committed to consistently donate to help cover GOP administrative costs. Ann championed the idea. These donors are in addition to the Freedom Club roster of monthly supporters. Our Party’s finances are stable now, and our bank account continues to build. Ann deserves credit for this, under her watch.

The list is long of Ann’s service above self and accomplishments to our cause, with no income or expectation of compensation.

Chairwoman Ann Brown puts the Alaska Republican Party and its members first, with courtesy, professionalism, and an intent to generate solidarity when it comes to the underlying reason we have a Republican organization in the first place: To elect Republicans!

I encourage GOP members planning to participate in the April 2022 Alaska GOP State Convention in Fairbanks to connect with Ann and get to know her. Consider her record of success.

This is not the time to change leadership as we cross the river.

Alaska’s GOP is moving in the right direction thanks to Ann Brown.

It’s time to get real, Anchorage. We cannot withstand another liberal running our beloved city. They’ve run it into the ground economically and culturally. So many who grew up here tell me that Anchorage is nearly unrecognizable to them.

The fact of the matter is we still have time to stop the horrible trajectory we’ve endured if we make the best choices right now. If you haven’t already cast your ballot in the upcoming Municipality of Anchorage Election, and you voted for Donald Trump for President, this letter is for you.

Mike Robbins and Dave Bronson are both Christian conservatives. That is not debatable. Substantial groups of influencers on the Anchorage right have endorsed both, and for good reason. The community-saving, fiscal and social policies they have each talked about and would advance, largely, are essentially the same.

Although I’m not a big baseball fan, I love this quote from Billy Sunday, the professional outfielder and prominent preacher during the first two decades of the 20th century – “Stopping at third adds no more to the score than striking out. It doesn’t matter how well you start if you fail to finish.”

The most pressing question is simple, “Who can beat the Left’s anointed one in a head to head race?“ Forrest Dunbar, who makes Berkowitz and Quinn-Davidson look like moderates, is an ideologue and he has a wave of “progressive” support behind him that can’t wait to put Anchorage on par with San Francisco, Portland and Seattle as the next left coast trophy city.

It is a fairly common understanding that those leftists, and their willing media puppets, can’t wait to have Dave Bronson going head to head with Dunbar. Why? It’s all about emotional intelligence.

Emotional intelligence has been defined as the ability to understand, use, and manage your own emotions in positive ways to communicate effectively, empathize with others, overcome challenges and defuse conflict.

The viewpoints on hot topics matter and, as I noted earlier, Robbins and Bronson are essentially the same on most every issue. In reality though, how you express those views matters deeply as well.

In November of last year, 48% of Anchorage residents cast their vote for Donald Trump. Joe Biden received 52% of the votes in our city. 1) Think about that. It will be very, very difficult for a conservative to win the Mayor’s seat unless that candidate can move some voters in the center or undecided column over. That will be the difference.

When Dave Bronson ran against Elvi Gray-Jackson in 2011 for the Anchorage Assembly, a time when Anchorage was actually more conservative, Bronson received just 40% of the vote in a winnable district compared with liberal Gray-Jackson’s 55% total. That is a big margin. link

There is no doubt conservatives right now in Anchorage are fired up over burdensome COVID shutdowns, homelessness run a muck, crime statistics off the charts, and economic opportunities dwindling. There is a great reawakening in our city to bring it back to where we all know it can be.

But to get there, we need some emotional intelligence. We need to reach beyond our base. Beyond those already sitting in the pews. Conservatives are fired up as they should be to turn our city around but in order to do that, we have to get voters to come over from the middle. Simply put, Robbins is better positioned to do that.

The Robbins Campaign has been reaching out to the faith community and encouraging them to consider Mike’s candidacy. It’s been an honor for us to speak truth into this important slice of our city and share Mike’s story of a difficult upbringing, true repentance, and victory in reconciling with his Creator.

Mike and his wife Tetyana are passionate about their faith and about Anchorage. As a successful business owner, Mike has created jobs for conservatives, liberals and people without a label. He can reach beyond our base. He can finish the job. He can right this ship.

We don’t need to strike out on this one, and we certainly need someone who can get to home plate.

Voting is going on now in the Anchorage Mayor and School Board election and by mid-summer, Anchorage will have a new mayor. I’m supporting Mike Robbins.  Mike knows that the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.  Too many sideshows have occupied our time recently.  The main thing our Municipal Government must do is we must do our core jobs better — from roads to schools, policing to building the economy, libraries to permitting to parks — we must do these things better.

Mike’s no-drama campaign contrasts with others who think city government is all about catching your attention with big drama, from mask fights to psychiatry fights.    Mike’s focus is on real, long-term issues.  He has promised a safer Anchorage, a cleaner Anchorage, and a more prosperous Anchorage.   I trust him to help us succeed in those goals because I’ve known him as a business leader whose focus has always been customer service and building community.

Why must we push for a safer Anchorage?   Despite the fact the last Mayor’s race was focused on crime, and more police were hired (and a pending bond issue would provide more equipment), Mike believes crime is out of control.   Sadly, I must agree.   Our downtown family home has been hit with two breaking and entering attempts this year alone – one which left a huge amount of damage; the other, apparently by a repeat offender (whose picture we caught) who has been jailed for other crimes in the area.

From these miserable experiences, I can’t say anything but good things about our police, except they need more support.  Judging by the case numbers assigned to incidents at our home little over a month apart, Anchorage police get over 100 new crimes a day to investigate.  It is a challenge for detectives, crime labs, prosecutors, and victims to keep up, catch the crooks and bring them to justice.  Customer service for victims, from access to police reports for insurance purposes, to even having phone calls answered and returned, is surprisingly low.   Use of the best available technology is lacking.  Our new Mayor will coincide with the choice of a new Police Chief, and there’s no better time to get the resources and set higher performance standards across the city.

I’ve also learned from working with our charitable caregivers, that programs for better re-entry into our community need more support.   It makes no sense to just release people from jail without a plan to avoid falling back into patterns of drug dependency and crime that would send people back to jail.   It seems that too often, people are back on the street with no means, no warm clothing, no place to live.  Moreover, some of our state’s parole and child support requirements and policies may encourage homelessness and joblessness.   I want our Mayor to be focused on the root of the problems we have, not just the symptoms, and Mike will do just that.

Why must we push for a cleaner Anchorage?   At a Mike Robbins event recently, with former Mayor Rick Mystrom present, I quipped we’ve moved from Rick’s “city of lights and flowers” to a “city of fights and glowers.”  From the roadways our visitors ride from the airport and the cruise ships, to the tolerance we seem to have for trash everywhere, our hometown has gotten too seedy.   Vagrancy and panhandling and public inebriation should not be tolerated.  Other cities have shown that when you clean up the city, it’s also a safer city… and a city more people want to visit.

Mike’s campaign also focuses on a more prosperous Anchorage.    Too seldom, I believe, does our Mayor and our Assembly go to work to bring more jobs to Anchorage and to save the jobs we have.   North Slope jobs are, for a large part, Anchorage jobs – but what has the city done to support our energy and mining industries?   We are a huge transportation hub, employing thousands at our airport, and more jobs will come from shipping and freight handling if we expand our port and connect the Alaska Railroad to the Lower- 48.  Tourism employs thousands, and we must build our way out of COVID this year with support for independent travelers.   When our city pays more attention to climate change or psychology practices rather than to bringing jobs and building a tax base, something has to change.

Among the candidates, Mike Robbins is a business leader.  His radio stations and other ventures have had to focus on community and customer service, or they would not have survived.   He’s someone who keeps his word, and tells the truth even when things don’t work.    His campaign hasn’t focused on waving picket signs, staging shouting matches and sideshows – he’s focused on solutions.   That’s the kind of Mayor we need.

I first came to Alaska in the late 1950s in the U.S. Army after getting recruited in Minnesota where my family farmed. Post-military, after a few years on the Seattle Fire Department I was recruited to join the Alaska State Police (which would become the State Troopers) within which I retired as the Colonel and DPS Director after 22 years. After the Troopers, I served as the General Manager for Ogden Allied for 17 years. Ogden held the management contracts for Anchorage’s Sullivan Arena and Egan Convention Center, among other facilities statewide, and during which time we operated in the black and with robust concerts, trade shows, and sporting events including the ACES and UAA Division I Hockey.

I’ve overviewed my employment experience because I believe the next mayor of Anchorage needs to understand the dynamics of many of the municipal operations and management I was involved with, and also be cognizant of the importance public safety, fire protection services and our military base connectivity has on the direction into the future. These layers of bureaucracy will be relevant in the next steps for city planning and success.

When Mike Robbins decided to file as a candidate for the mayor’s job in Anchorage, he reached out to me. The first question he asked revolved around municipal facilities. He wanted to learn the history of Sullivan and Egan operations and why they successfully thrived in tandem with tourism. I offered my insight and he listened. He also asked the right questions and even offered some goals through a private-public partnership. His insight on the Sullivan Arena as a homeless shelter, local and national statistics on indigency and panhandling, and future alternatives including Alaska Native regional corporation collaboration is intriguing.

Mike asked about the nexus of city and state law enforcement and how that relationship can be cultivated. He dug into my experiences with tourism planning and JBER relations, both of which are inextricably linked to the community. I served on the Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau Board of Directors and also as the Ombudsman for the DOD Employers Support of the Guard & Reserve Program so tried to offer insight where appropriate. He was a sponge and a quick learner of what he didn’t know. Where he shared insight from his work experience, it was applicable and thoughtful.

At one point in a conversation Mike reflected on his youth in the Spenard neighborhood back when I was the colonel and we still assigned Troopers to patrol routes in Anchorage. He presented a genuine interest in making a discernible difference as mayor, particularly with innovation within fire and public safety services, public facility management, tourism and hospitality, and even military communications. Mike also conveyed an affinity to farming and community-urban garden alternatives that connect neighborhoods, farmer’s markets, and sustainable agriculture models.

I was especially encouraged when Mike brought up East Anchorage, where my late wife and I raised our boys who attended Muldoon Elementary, Clark Junior High (now a Middle School) and Bartlett High School. Mike’s knowledge of the Anchorage School District and areawide neighborhoods is encouraging. He really has a bearing on municipal-wide demographics. I believe engaged parents can feel the pulse of community sentiment more than most people. As mayor, these attributes will resonate with the electorate, many of whom are parents, too.

From the folks at CHARR in the restaurant and bar industry like my friend Frank Dahl, to the Home Builders Association and community leaders like Rich Carr, to John and Sandy Powers who are dedicated charitable gaming operators, to faith-based members across the city, Mike is making the rounds to listen – and learn, and secure support from respected advocates. The fact he met with the Fraternal Order of Alaska State Troopers executive director, Eugene Harnett, to contemplate ways to support and build the organization and promote the Law Enforcement Museum is pleasing to me as I’ve served on the FOAST Board for decades and recognize that continued MOA administrative support is critical. Mike appears to be listening, gathering insight, applying his own experience and ideas, and forging a constructive plan for Anchorage.

To the voters still undecided, I recommend you choose a mayoral candidate who is a fiscal conservative while also compassionate to the causes of social issues facing Anchorage. Housing insecurity and addictions may be going hand-in-hand, which then transitions to our homeless numbers and elevated crime. Mike is showing a determination to learn about these problems, craft solutions in a team-effort approach, and deliver results. Having a plan to get the city back on track and past the pandemic is necessary – and without polarizing rhetoric. Being supportive of our police and fire personnel and military members and veterans, as Mike commits, is also an expectation by many of us while the national spotlight illuminates disregard in other cities.

Mike Robbins, based on my conversations with him, fits this direction and mentality. He has the heart and intellect to lead, humility and wherewithal to listen, and the organizational skills to manage a bureaucracy the size of the Municipality effectively. That’s a great start for a new mayor.

I think he can pull the city out of its hole and lead responsibly, and inclusively, into brighter days.

And he listens more than lectures. We need more of that from our leadership.