tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1139984483223200112024-03-14T01:13:51.403-08:00A Bodenstown PerspectiveJust one Alaskan's comments on things in the Great Land... and perhaps Elsewhere.Wolfe Tonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582205751385964204noreply@blogger.comBlogger238125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-113998448322320011.post-31684501900420070222011-10-23T07:27:00.004-08:002011-10-24T09:34:50.470-08:00The Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor Runoff Election: Just What Do You Mean By "Change?" (with a correction)The Runoff Election is Tuesday, October 25th.
As we're coming down to the wire, if you are a rational individual, please ask yourself this - What IS "change" in this election?
Over the last few weeks, I have heard people who are considering (or plan on) voting for Fred Sturman for Borough Mayor proclaiming they want "CHANGE."
I have some news for those people. Fred Sturman isn't "Wolfe Tonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582205751385964204noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-113998448322320011.post-82981061697571170142011-10-08T12:46:00.001-08:002011-10-10T10:25:40.208-08:00(Potential) Nightmare On Binkley StreetIt’s been a long time since I last posted anything. There are a variety of reasons for that, and most of them not worthy of discussion.
Suffice it to say that I’ve decided that finally, something has come along that has compelled me to once again spout off:
The October 25th Runoff Election for the Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor.
Background: Kenai Peninsula Borough code requires any Wolfe Tonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582205751385964204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-113998448322320011.post-84737512983050047832010-11-02T06:02:00.000-08:002010-11-02T06:02:20.753-08:00Alaska (and America) Needs You To Vote Your Values Today.My posts have been rather sporadic of late, but in the last few weeks, if anyone has been reading, one thing should've been made be clear to you:
This is a very important election for Alaska, and the nation.
Every pundit out there has been echoing the same thing, over and over: A GOP sweep of the House and possibly the Senate as well.
It's just a matter of how big a sweep.
We Wolfe Tonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582205751385964204noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-113998448322320011.post-23504121870280677382010-10-27T12:36:00.000-08:002010-10-27T12:36:03.985-08:00Violence: The GOP/Tea Party Tactic Du Jour For The Mid-terms.By now, unless you've been living in a cave (or "Dancing With the Stars" is your only television fare) you are no doubt aware of the numerous incidents recently where GOP/Tea Party candidates have had engaged in the use of unwarranted physical force and violence against those they perceive to be "the enemy."
On October 17, Alaska Dispatch editor and reporter Tony Hopfinger was "arrested" and Wolfe Tonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582205751385964204noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-113998448322320011.post-41868214942462477522010-10-24T11:41:00.001-08:002010-10-24T12:39:53.869-08:00RE Lisa Murkowski Endorsement: The Anchorage Daily News Editorial Board's Problem Is Obvious
Today, the Anchorage Daily News editorial board endorsed Lisa Murkowski, write-in candidate for the US Senate seat she now holds.The editors listed their reasons, which seem to consist mostly of loving them some "good old days Lisa," when she behaved like a political moderate. She isn't anymore.
In what cave have these ADN "political pundits" been living? It's apparent they've Wolfe Tonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582205751385964204noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-113998448322320011.post-73686694962022142532010-10-23T09:20:00.004-08:002010-10-23T11:27:14.273-08:00Lisa Sméagol/Gollum Murkowski: IT'S MY PRECIOUSSSSSS! MINE MINE MINE!
In the general election Tuesday, November 2, there will be two major party candidates for United States Senate on the ballot:
Joe W. Miller, Rebublican, and Scott McAdams, Democrat.
As we grow closer and closer to the election, Joe Miller's candidacy is in the throes of a self-induced melt-down. He has demonstrated that he is a fraudulent, lying, hypocritical grifter with an ethics problem. Wolfe Tonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582205751385964204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-113998448322320011.post-4642501058135274512010-10-19T12:11:00.003-08:002010-10-19T12:45:36.275-08:00The Curious Case of Joe MillerOver the last few weeks I've watched (admittedly, with some glee) the US Senate candidacy of Joe Miller unravel.
Mr. Miller shocked the powers that be in the national GOP, and all the election-watching pundits, when in the August primary election, he wrested the Republican party's nomination from Lisa Murkowski.
Miller's victory also stunned many Alaskans, myself included.
With a huge "gulp," theWolfe Tonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582205751385964204noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-113998448322320011.post-27892630598271289152010-10-04T07:56:00.001-08:002010-10-04T11:02:42.082-08:00"Job Killer" Joe Miller: Let's Abolish The Minimum Wage Law!We all know that Joe W. Miller believes that Unemployment Insurance is "unconstitutional," because the power to collect for it and pay it is not specifically "delegated to the United States."
Back in the primary election, Carpetbagger Joe also noted in the Project Vote Smart Survey that he opposed "increasing the federal minimum wage."
Pretty standard Republican - keep rich folks rich and poor Wolfe Tonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582205751385964204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-113998448322320011.post-44969548297488456892010-10-02T10:49:00.002-08:002010-10-02T10:52:02.801-08:00The Municipal Election is Tuesday, October 5. A Few Words About Voting, Candidates and IssuesVoting is a responsibility not enough people take seriously.There's an old saying - "ALL politics are local.." And they are.
Well, there's a local election on October 5th, and your participation will help to determine what future course our local governments will take.
In the 2009 municipal elections, the voter turnout was 19.16%. Less than 1 in 5 registered voters bothered.
Now, even if Wolfe Tonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582205751385964204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-113998448322320011.post-52265022554070608242010-09-29T13:24:00.009-08:002010-09-29T13:46:14.452-08:00Another From Miller Lie: Ethics Laws Don't Apply To Him, EitherJust in from Think Progress: (all emphasis mine):
Miller’s campaign endorsement page features Alaskans praising him for having higher ethics and a greater commitment to transparency.
However, ThinkProgress contacted the Senate Ethics Committee and the Senate Office of Public Records yesterday and discovered that Miller has not filed a personal finance disclosure as a candidate for the U.S. Wolfe Tonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582205751385964204noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-113998448322320011.post-70931447256864468502010-09-27T10:17:00.000-08:002010-09-27T10:17:41.792-08:00Miller Lie? Whatever He Thinks You Want To Hear. After All, Joe Thinks You're Stupid.In the primary race, US Senate candidate Joe Miller said lots of things. Things straight out of the corporate giant Koch brothers-funded Tea Party Express playbook.
They were fraudulent, jingoistic positions he espoused, quite simply, to solidify his ultra-right wing base, and wrest the Republican US Senate nomination from Senator Princess Lisa Murkowski.
It worked.
The problem is that now,Wolfe Tonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582205751385964204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-113998448322320011.post-63927244122892459892010-09-26T12:13:00.001-08:002010-09-26T12:30:30.937-08:00Stephen Colbert, Comic Genius, Testifies Before Congress. Steny Hoyer, (D-Tight Assville), Doesn't Get It. No Surprise There.There was a lot of hoopla the last couple days concerning the fact that Stephen Colbert, the comic genius who anchors "The Colbert Report" on Comedy Central testified Friday before the House Judiciary committee's subcommittee on immigration.
Over the years, Colbert has brilliantly created a character that is a scathingly sarcastic, over the top portrayal of tone-deaf, extreme-right news/Wolfe Tonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582205751385964204noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-113998448322320011.post-90536612582624754542010-09-25T08:24:00.005-08:002010-09-25T08:36:11.516-08:00The Princess Seeks Clarity On Write-In; The Carpetbagger Follows Sarah To California For BucksIn today's Anchorage Daily News, write-in candidate Senator Princess Lisa Murkowski seeks a clarification as to whether or not a misspelled version of her name on the November ballot will be counted as a vote for her.It's a valid concern for the princess, because according to Ben Smith at Politico, even her own campaign staff can't get it right. Check out the web address at the bottom of Wolfe Tonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582205751385964204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-113998448322320011.post-79191641691976236952010-09-23T06:02:00.000-08:002010-09-23T06:02:08.736-08:00Per The Mudflats' RequestWhy the DSCC Loves Sarah PalinIt’s mind-boggling how the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee hasn’t shown up for Scott McAdams, Alaska’s Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate.They’ve had weeks to help secure a now open seat they didn’t think they had a prayer to take. Why aren’t they fighting for Alaska? Lisa Murkowski asked McAdams where his DSCC support was. When it didn’t show, she Wolfe Tonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582205751385964204noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-113998448322320011.post-28437907896338799262010-09-20T11:25:00.002-08:002010-09-20T12:21:42.158-08:00"Dunce Cap of the Week" Award Winner: NEA-Alaska! Representing Educators? I Must Have Missed Something.NEA-Alaska proudly proclaims they are "More than 13,000 teachers and education support professionals are working to create a bright future for Alaska’s children… and all Alaskans."
NEA-Alaska cheered when Congress passed H.R.1586 - the "Education Jobs and Medicaid Assistance Act," a measure that will send some $23.5 million to Alaska to help support education jobs.
Then, on Friday, NEA-Alaska, Wolfe Tonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582205751385964204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-113998448322320011.post-3339985368539398492010-09-19T11:40:00.002-08:002010-09-19T12:55:27.953-08:00Coming Soon To An Election Near You: The Princess, The Carpetbagger, and the Small-Town Alaskan MayorAfter a lengthy, self-imposed hiatus, I’m back.
Recent political events have spurred me to once again wade in and offer my comments, on the outside chance that in some small measure, it may sway rational individuals out there to give the upcoming Alaska US Senatorial election some serious thought (yeah, I know I’m kidding myself, but I have to give it a shot) THE PLAYERS:
THE PRINCESS: Wolfe Tonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582205751385964204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-113998448322320011.post-85880894273790323572010-05-29T09:05:00.002-08:002010-05-29T10:18:02.210-08:00Back By Her Own Demand: Sarah Palin!Joe McGinness is a well-respected author. A writer of both fiction and non-fiction, McGinnis is known for his thorough research and documentation. His body of work includes:
* The Selling of the President (1969), about the marketing of Richard M. Nixon* The Dream Team (1972)* Heroes (1976)* Going to Extremes (1980)* Fatal Vision (1983)* Blind Faith (1989)* Cruel Doubt (1991)* The LastWolfe Tonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582205751385964204noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-113998448322320011.post-48088767347826138302010-05-28T11:25:00.004-08:002010-05-28T11:46:41.952-08:00Was I Unfair To Senator Mark Begich? No, I Don't Think So.Last week, I posted a piece critical of Senator Mark Begich.
The original thrust of my post was Begich’s comment about his fellow Democratic Senators (and by inference, anyone else) angry over Senator Lisa Murkowski’s single-handed blockage of a bill which would have raised the oil spill liability cap from its current pittance of $75 million to $10 billion.Begich's cavalier aside was the source Wolfe Tonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582205751385964204noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-113998448322320011.post-8717687104585306362010-05-23T06:37:00.004-08:002010-05-23T07:08:21.690-08:00British Polluters Seeking Settlement On '06 Prudhoe Bay SpillsFrom this morning's Anchorage Daily News:
Lawyers for BP and federal regulators appear to be working hard to settle a civil lawsuit the government brought against the oil company in connection with the 2006 pipeline spills in the Prudhoe Bay oil field.
You see, the continuing oil catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico (something of this magnitude can't reasonably be called a "spill" anymore) Wolfe Tonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582205751385964204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-113998448322320011.post-4229488140847805522010-05-20T17:01:00.002-08:002010-05-20T17:02:49.252-08:00Begich: Some Dems 'Don't Like Oil and Gas, Period.' WTF, Mark?Dear Senator Begich:
It's not the oil and gas we don't like.
It's the fact that the industry, and in particular BP, places profit ahead of everything else.
It's the fact that those who are regulating the industry are either incompetent, or they are in industry's hip pocket.... where it appears that you and "Lease A Murkowski" are both comfortable residing.
It's the fact that the current Wolfe Tonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582205751385964204noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-113998448322320011.post-62169065941842002622010-05-20T07:33:00.005-08:002010-05-20T11:32:10.492-08:00Rainbows and Cholcolate Milk, Indeed.How's that "Rainbows and Chocolate Milk" thingy working for ya, Representative Gene Taylor?
You can assign your stalwart assistant, Brian Martin to let us know. Maybe the people of Louisiana, including Governor Bobby Jindal, will be comforted.
Now that the oil from the still-gushing BP Spill has entered the loop current, pushing oil up the eastern US seaboard, are you still going to continue Wolfe Tonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582205751385964204noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-113998448322320011.post-88512192144244562162010-05-16T10:44:00.002-08:002010-05-16T12:40:59.666-08:00BP Succeeds In Inserting Siphon Tube Into Leak... Kinda. UPDATEDAccording to NPR, BP today announced success!
Kinda sorta (all emphasis is mine).
BP officials say they were on the verge of a breakthrough stemming the gushing oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico, but another accident has set them back. Officials say they successfully inserted a new pipe into the broken pipe spewing oil into the Gulf. That new pipe started sending oil to a ship on the surface, Wolfe Tonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582205751385964204noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-113998448322320011.post-78609181123409150842010-05-15T20:13:00.001-08:002010-05-15T21:18:13.743-08:00Like I Said... It's Gonna Get Much, Much Worse... For A Long, Long TimeFrom today's New York Times:Scientists are finding enormous oil plumes in the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico, including one as large as 10 miles long, 3 miles wide and 300 feet thick in spots. The discovery is fresh evidence that the leak from the broken undersea well could be substantially worse than estimates that the government and BP have given (emphasis mine).The article goes on to Wolfe Tonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582205751385964204noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-113998448322320011.post-8271870367626218702010-05-15T09:56:00.003-08:002010-05-15T09:59:52.311-08:00BP Spill... This Still Isn't Going Well.Back to the drawing board. Again.
US Interior Secretary Ken Salazar told the Associated Press that BP's efforts to staunch the flow of oil into the Gulf of Mexico "had a problem Saturday with the latest effort to stop the leak," but didn't elaborate further.
But there's nothing to fret about, is there? It's all chocolate milk and rainbows, according to Congressman Gene Taylor (Wolfe Tonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582205751385964204noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-113998448322320011.post-32449251783318960642010-05-14T09:39:00.004-08:002010-05-14T13:09:24.964-08:00Our Senator "Lease A Murkowski" Protects BP's Profits... And Her Campaign War ChestA bill that would increase the liability cap for oil spills from the current $75 million to $10 billion was defeated Thursday by our own Sen. Lisa Murkowski.
Lisa maintains that anyone with a damages claim against an oil company for a spill can "go to court" to collect it.
That worked out real well in the Exxon Valdez case, didn't it, Lisa?
A couple of facts:
BP's profits are $93 millionWolfe Tonehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00582205751385964204noreply@blogger.com1