Alaska

Alaska Interior Democrats Monthly Meeting

When: Wednesday, May 28, 2008, at 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Where: Interior Democrats Headquarters
507 Gaffney Street
Fairbanks, AK 99701

Host: Interior Democrats
Contact: davidwvalentine_at_yahoo.com
Info: Interior Democrats meet regularly at 6:30 pm on the 4th Wednesday of every month at our new headquarters at 507 Gaffney Street (the Stone Soup Community Center building).

All interested persons are invited.

Alaska Interior Democrats Monthly Meeting

When: Wednesday, April 23rd 2008, at 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Where: Interior Democrats Headquarters
507 Gaffney Street
Fairbanks, AK 99701

Host: Interior Democrats
Contact: davidwvalentine_at_yahoo.com
Info: Interior Democrats meet regularly at 6:30 pm on the 4th Wednesday of every month at our new headquarters at 507 Gaffney Street (the Stone Soup Community Center building).

All interested persons are invited.

The University of Alaska Anchoraage Alaska Native Oratory Society Statewide Competition or AkNOS will be held on Saturday April 12th on the UAA campus in the Social Sciences Building (SSB), room 119. Pre-event activities will be held on Friday April 11th.

AkNOS is open to all Native and Non-Native college and High School students who are registered at least part-time. Eligible students can participate in one or more of four speaking categories: Oratory, Declamation, Storytelling, & Native Languages. These four categories award prizes to the top three contestants in each category. This year we're also happy to include for the third year a new category, Traditional Introductions. This category is a People's Choice award category. We've included it to encourage students to learn how to formally introduce themselves in the style of their communities and regions.

To register for the AkNOS Statewide Competition click here and fill out the online form.

I met Diane Benson, Congressional Candidate in Alaska, about a month ago and was very impressed. But only got to hear her speak as a candidate tonight. Again I was impressed. Diane is a genuine American who has worked hard all her life to get an education and to better the life of her son. Often she and her son have worked hard for our country and for their community. She has the confidence of someone who worked their way through school driving trucks while raising her son. She has the confidence of a woman who worked in the male dominated workers camp on the Alaskan pipeline. She has the confidence of someone who has had to work for everything, being given nothing easily. The contrast with the spoiled brat who inhabits the White House is about as striking as you can get.

Among those who came out for Diane was as diverse a group of Democrats you can find. Avid Hillary supporters rubbing shoulders with avid Obama supporters, both writing checks for Diane and THANKING her for her running. Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney was among the strongest voices supporting Diane with both enthusiasm and a bit of awe. Also there were former US Attorney General Ramsey Clark, our next Public Advocate Norm Siegel, Captain Jon Soltz, Veteran of Kosovo and the Iraq War and founder of VoteVets.org, fellow Daily Gotham writer Dan Jacoby, and City Council Candidate Steve Behar (if I left anyone out, please let me know!). I also saw members of two Brooklyn Democratic clubs, IND and CBID, and the current CBID president, Chris Owens, was on the host committee. Quite an interesting collection of Democrats.

I have recently covered Republican corruption in Alaska, focusing first on the VECO scandal that seems to involve a big chunk of the Republican Party in Alaska, then on Don Young, the corrupt Republican Congressman from Alaska. Don Young may be one of the most endangered Republicans in Congress today, dogged by the FBI, a Republican Primary...and Diane Benson: (video and much of the below info compiled from her website)

Diane Benson is very strong on important and progressive issues such as ending the Iraq War, veteran's benefits, developing and conserving the environment and extending quality health care and insurance to all. She is also a staunch supporter of the SCHIP program and of legislation to control the pharmaceutical industry. She would be a kick ass addition to the Democratic Congress and does not represent business as usual.

Juneau Democratic Party 1st Annual Jefferson–Jackson Day Dinner

When: Thursday, March 27th 2008, at 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Where: Treadwell Room, Baranof Hotel
127 N Franklin St
Juneau, AK 99801

Host: The Greater Juneau Democratic District
Contact: rflis@acsalaska.net
Info: Honoring Alaska Democratic Party Lifetime Achievement Awardees Margaret Pugh and Frank Barthel.

Special Legislative Guest Speakers

Cocktail Hour - 6PM
Dinner - 7PM

Tickets are $75

I have volunteered to be on the Host Committee for a fundraiser for one of the most amazing women I have ever met: Diane Benson running for Congress in Alaska. And she has been outraising her Republican opponent! Yes, folks, we have a real shot at getting rid of yet another corrupt Bush/Abramoff Republican and replacing him with a true working class American patriot.

Join me on March 18th for a fundraiser to benefit Alaska Congressional candidate Diane Benson. The event will be held at the home of Barbara and Morris Pearl, 1020 Park Avenue (corner of 85th Street) from 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM.

Our special guest speakers for the evening will be our local Congresswoman, Rep. Carolyn Maloney, and Jon Soltz, Co-Founder and Chairman of VoteVets.Org and a veteran of the Iraq War.

Diane Benson is a true American from a working class background, a former teamster and commercial fisherman, whose son lost both his legs serving in Iraq.

Diane Benson is very strong on important and progressive issues such as ending the Iraq War, veteran's benefits, developing and conserving the environment and extending quality health care and insurance to all. She is also a staunch supporter of the SCHIP program and of legislation to control the pharmaceutical industry.

I recently I wrote a piece on the very, very nasty corruption among Republicans in Alaska. Specifically, I wrote about a scandal involving an oil services company, VECO, that involves bribery and buying of favors involving four Alaskan Republican State Legislators, one US Senator from Alaska (Ted Stevens) and the lone House Representative from Alaska (Don Young). The single Democrat, a state legislator, initially investigated was never subsequently accused of wrongdoing. In other words, the VECO scandal is exclusively a Republican scandal.

But when I wrote that piece, I hadn't realized I had only scratched the surface. Turns out, one recipient of VECO's alleged bribes, Rep. Don Young, may well be the poster boy for just about every kind of Republican corruption this nation has been seeing.

Here is a rundown of Don Young's sleaze from The Muckraker:

It's hard to keep track of all of Rep. Don Young's (R-AK) scandals. But we're here to help. Here's a snapshot of what we know about all the ways Young has managed to get into trouble.

Coconut Road
McClatchy reported last week that investigators have begun scrutinizing Young's now famous $10 million earmark for a Florida interchange. Whether the earmark was a quid pro quo for a big time contributor is only half the story. Young also appears to have changed the bill's language after it passed Congress in order to make sure that the money went where (or to who) he wished.

Healing to Wellness Courts and Tribal Court Responses to Substance Abuse

Type of Event: Training
Hosted By: Tribal Judicial Institute
Event Dates: 5/15/2008 - 5/16/2008
Event Location: Anchorage, AK
Contact: Melissa Johnson
Email: mjohnson@law.und.edu
Contact Phone:701-777-6306
Contact Fax:701-777-0178
Website: http://www.law.und.edu/npilc/judicial

Course Description:Partners will assist Tribes to develop and implement Healing to Wellness Courts to respond to a burgeoning drug and alcohol problem including methamphetamine.

How to Register: Visit the Tribal Judicial Institute website to download a registration form at: http://www.law.und.edu/npilc/judicial/downloads.php

Tribal Court Development and Administration

Type of Event: Training
Hosted By: Tribal Judicial Institute
Event Dates: 5/15/2008 - 5/16/2008
Event Location: Anchorage, AK
Contact: Melissa Johnson
Email: mjohnson@law.und.edu
Contact Phone:701-777-6306
Contact Fax:701-777-0178
Website: http://www.law.und.edu/npilc/judicial

Course Description:This session will include record retention, developing a court clerks procedures manual, grant management and related issues.

How to Register: Visit the Tribal Judicial Institute website to download a registration form at: http://www.law.und.edu/npilc/judicial/downloads.php