Who does the Alaska Legislature Really Represent? The Alaska Economy is staggering like a weakened 11th round boxer, from a half-year Coronavirus Pandemic bout, but the Alaska Legislature made no attempt in Juneau to stop the move of $4 Billion from the Permanent Fund Earning Reserve Account (ERA) to the untouchable principal of the fund […]
Sen. Shelley Hughes Speaks Out (2020 Interview) Read More »
(2020©donnliston.co) The latest financial study is in. It brings good news to the communities of Chugiak, Birchwood, Eagle River, Eklutna and Hiland Road in the goal to form their own local government. The study, conducted by Northern Economics, shows there is more than adequate tax base for a new city to be born. Old timers
Eaglexit’s New Validation: Financial Study by Northern Economics Read More »
Who Can Afford to Live in Alaska? Alaska has always had a tenuous economy, buffeted by winds of boom and bust. Most economic winds are generated by capacity for natural resource extraction. And, for more than 40 years, income from any other industry has been a bonus. This fragile economic reality means government sector employees
Alaska’s Economy Down from China Virus Read More »
Alaskans in confinement due to the Corona virus may take this chance to reflect on more than day-to-day minutia of chores related to winter becoming spring, perhaps even considering the reality of Henry David Thoreau’s (1817-1862) statement that the mass of men live lives of quiet desperation.1 Another classic American author, Albert Camus (1913-1960) expanded
Alaska Reflections on The Plague: The Contagious Disease of some Elected Officials Read More »
Muni Election Hopes and Fears (2020©donnliston.com) The Municipality of Anchorage is going to have another election on April 7, 2020 which will be determined by a mail-in ballot. This is depressing on many levels; 1) the low caliber of people currently holding a majority of Muni Assembly seats, 2) the need to again hold the
#AncVotes by Mail Read More »
Alaska Recall Madness (2020©donnliston.com) Mike Dunleavy spoke to Alaskans in Eagle River during his campaign for governor. Children often must be taught the disgrace of a sore loser. I have done it on the playground, helping the crying child know that losing is part of the fun of playing competitive sports. In most games somebody
Recall for Dummies: Read More »
The Failed Impeachment of Gov. Bill Sheffield (2019©donnliston.co) Governor Bill Sheffield grins as he walks back to the Capitol building in Juneau flanked by his attorneys John Conway and Philip Lacovara in 1985. (MICHAEL PENN / Anchorage Daily News) William Jefferson Sheffield was another father figure governor of Alaska. Elected in 1982, he was the
Old Time Alaska Corruption Read More »
Battle Dawgs take Combat Veteran Care to the Next Level (2019©donnliston.co) The Battle Dawgs base camp near Talkeetna. It is only those who have neither fired a shot nor heard the shrieks and groans of the wounded who cry aloud for blood, more vengeance, more desolation. War is hell.                                                       –William T. Sherman In 1836 the Pilgrims
An Alaskan Way to Repay Service Read More »
First Published January, 2016; A story from Gov. Dunleavy’s former Mat-Su Senate District. A new student in my Wasilla, Alaska, Adult Basic Education (ABE) class recently expressed wonder in how much he had progressed in just a few days of math study here, and, further expressing himself told of the public high school he had
Alaska’s Government School Failure: What will it take to fix them? Read More »
 (2019©donnliston.co) The yard signs and billboards are all over Eagle River and Chugiak urging area voters to consider detaching from the Municipality of Anchorage (MOA). As a community we are having a discussion about the meaning of local government. Another informational meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, October 3 at the ER
2019 EaglExit Overview: Can Local Government be better for Us? Read More »
