Two more bite the dust, and yet....

The BBQ Pit
1

…we continue to elect these same assholes to the state legislature and appoint them to controlling positions in government. In the continuing and ongoing VECO scandal here in Alaska, two more legislators have gone down. John Cowdery, who was accused of accepting $25,000 for his part in the corruption, pled guilty and received 6 months house arrest (because of age and poor health), 2 years probation, and a $25,000 fine this past week. Beverly Masek, an Alaska Native, has just pleaded guilty to accepting money in exchange for her vote on oil tax legislation, asking for more and begging for a job with VECO. Her sentencing will be coming up shortly. This now brings the total to 11 people who have been convicted, including Ted Stevens. And it’s not over yet, as Ted’s son, Ben Stevens, is in the hopper.

And yet, the people of this state still elect these assholes to the legislature, hoping that some shred of honesty will emerge. People have blamed the lapses in judgement and participation in graft on the fact that we insist on citizen legislators. Our legislators are only paid $25,000 a year, which is ridiculous. But every single one of the corrupt bastards is from the righteous right, those paragons of spending cuts and religious zeal, who thought it was perfectly okay to jump into bed with the oil companies and sell out their constituencies for a few bucks. So it’s not the pay that’s the problem; it’s the lack of morality by the “moral majority”.

Alaska has become a pathetic laughing stock, and will continue its decline into the future as the oil companies continue to apply the stranglehold on our economy and Alaskans continue to turn a blind eye to it as long as the dividend checks keep coming. A hard rain is gonna fall.

2

As a recovering Texan, I feel your pain. The people of Alaska would do well to reflect on Texas’ history, with special consideration for what happens when the oil business guys get all cozy with your state legislature. The main difference is that at least some of the money goes right to the people, there’s something bracingly democratic about corruption on that scale.

3

I’m not sure I understand this point. Is it, “Democrats, claiming they have no morality, cannot be called hypocritical when they sell out the public trust?”

If that’s NOT your point, then your blindness to recent items in the news is rather astonishing. The people of Illinois and of Louisiana might shed some light on your implicit claim that corruption finds some sort of welcome home only in the “righteous right.” The unrighteous left is plenty eager to not be outdone.

4

The point seemed to be more like “The people preaching the most piously against an activity are the ones most likely to be engaging in it.”

5

Which, of course, is complete horseshit… if, in fact, that is what the point of the OP is.

6

I’m talking about Alaskan legislators under indictment or already serving time (you may wish to reread the entire OP). They are all Republicans, as it happens. When an Alaskan Dem is indicted, I’ll be the first person to condemn him or her. The national scene requires more space, say three or four thousand pages, I would think, to properly pillory criminality on both sides of the aisle.

Locally, in Alaska (in case you forgot since the last paragraph where this is taking place), when a Democrat had the temerity to challenge the practice of oil lobbyists to pass notes to legislators during crucial votes, one of the now-imprisoned co-conspiratorss stood up in the Senate and condemned the Dem for impugning the character of other legislators. Oh, the righteousness was practically dripping off of him, and it was televised for all to see. Scant weeks later, he was indicted. Former disgraced (but not imprisoned) lawmakers (Republicans all) have been appointed to government positions by our own Sarah, and continue to surface at regular intervals to be reinstalled in our government.

My point is about the stupidity of most voters in this state who keep electing the same tired candidates, while hoping that things will somehow magically change.

7

Is there something about Alaska that makes its political corruption sui generis?

You didn’t just take a swipe at corrupt politicians – you took a swipe at “righteous right” corrupt politicians. The obvious inference is that they’re more likely to be corrupt… and when called on that, you hastily point out that in Alaska, the current crop of elected felons is Republican.

That’s true. But why?

In Illinois, where the vast majority of elected officials are Democrats, we see that the vest majority of corrupt officials are Democrats. In Alaska, we see the vast majority of elected officials are Republicans, and – hey, willya lookit that! The vast majority of corrupt officials are ALSO Republicans.

So I’m suggesting to you that while it’s true that in Alaska the felonious fingers are attached to Republican hands, that’s simply a commentary on the fact that the majority party is Republican, and they produce rascals no better, nor worse, than the Democrats do.

Now, if you have some evidence that Alaska is unique… let’s hear itt.

8

“Vast”? AFAICT, not in the state legislature, which is what the OP said he was talking about.

The 25th Alaska State Legislature had 11 Republicans and 9 Democrats in the Senate, and 23 Republicans and 17 Democrats in the House. (By my count, the current division as per the Alaska Lege website is 10 and 10 Senate, and 22 and 18 House.)

Is there some other distribution of Alaska legislators that you’re talking about when you claim that the Republicans constitute the “vast majority” of them?

9

Which part of “I’m talking about ALASKA” didn’t you understand?

10

On the plus side of this local mess, it was a Republican legislator who initially blew the whistle on all this to the Fibbies. In an interview last night, he said that this is far from over, so we can look forward to more embarrassment on both a local and national level.

11

Indeed. One really has to wonder about him. He seems more inclined to play party politics then worry about the nation’s or a state’s health.

The OP was talking about corruption in Alaska, and how the people up there let it happen. It just happens to be Republicans and Bricker goes off about Illinois.

I guess you can’t expect reading comprehension from a Bush voter.

12

How do you know they want things to change? Aren’t they getting thousands and thousands of dollars from the government every year because of this? They probably don’t care about the corruption, as long as the checks keep rolling in.

13

You’re probably right, although if you’re speaking about the Permanent Fund Dividend, it’s not “thousands” each year, and it’s bounty, while originally derived from the oil profits, now depends on stock investments for the dividend check amount each year. This year should be about $1500 for every man, woman and child who is eligible. Next year it will drop like a stone to probably under $1000, and the following year to around $300 because of the economy tanking (they do an average).

As to change: we had a progressive mayor (now Senator Begich) for six years who dramatically improved the city of Anchorage by using bonds, property taxes and a variety of very smart moves. Ten years ago, the sidewalks and bus stops were impassable in winter, the streets were a mess, and the city’s infrastructure (and schools) was crumbling, due to a succession of “conservative” mayors who put a tax cap in place and refused to spend any money on modernization. It bordered on criminal.

Property taxes have gone up over the years, which is the natural course of things, particularly when there is no other tax revenue base in the city other than parking meters. Still, our property taxes are among the lowest in the country, and with the Dividend check every year paying that tab, we have the documented lowest tax burden in America. It doesn’t stop many from howling like mad dogs about it, of course, and it’s a perennial platform for mayoral candidates who pander to the imagined tax burden woes.

This upcoming mayoral election will likely see Dan Sullivan, a far righty, take over the city and plunge it back into the bad old days. He’s in favor of reinstating the tax cap and lowering existing property taxes. No word from him on how he intends to keep the city running, so my guess is that streets will not be plowed and schools will again fall into disrepair.

Welfare is rampant in Alaska despite the squalling about “handouts” from the very people who receive them. Unemployment in Native villages is astronomical, so they are heavily subsidized by the state and fed. There is no incentive to change who’s running the show as long as the oil companies are running the economy and the checks keep rolling. It doesn’t seem to occur to many that you can have your economy and regulate it too. They’re not going to leave the state until they’ve wrung the last dollar of profit from the fields, so I’m not sure why everybody is so afraid to take them on.

Anyway, it’s all very tiresome. We’ve tilted at a few windmills since our return here, but you get tired of being shouted down by people with no vision. It’s not the only reason we’re leaving here, but it’s one of the contributing factors.