Rep. Harry Crawford is from Louisiana and for a number of years now has been hosting a crawfish boil with fellow Louisianan Jenny Dawson and her husband Kent.
The Yacht Club is pretty low brow.
Here's Rep. Crawford cooking up another batch of crawfish.
Politicians of both parties were there to enjoy the food.
Dawson, Jenny
PO Box 20790 Juneau, AK 99802
Kent Dawson Company, Inc.
Contract Lobbyist; monthly fee $1500.00
Legislative and administrative issues regarding the clients of Kent Dawson Company
Dawson, Kent
P.O. Box 20790 Juneau, AK 99802
Alaska Recycling Energy
Contract Lobbyist; annual fee $75000.00
Waste to energy and coal to liquids technology; Alaska energy issues
City of Galena
Contract Lobbyist; annual fee $40000.00
City of Seward
Contract Lobbyist; annual fee $77000.00
Regulations and laws impacting municipalities. Capital budget projects.
Council of Alaska Producers
Contract Lobbyist; annual fee $75000.00
Laws and regulations pertaining to mining including taxation, and coastal zone management.
Doyon, Limited
Contract Lobbyist; annual fee $75000.00
Oil and gas exploration, taxation and tax credits, higher educational/vocational education tax credit legislation.
Galena City School District
Contract Lobbyist; annual fee $51750.00
School District finances, capital projects, distance learning and issues relating to the boarding school program.
Kodiak-Kenai Cable Company, LLC
Contract Lobbyist; monthly fee $3000.00
Construction and funding of airport and dock facilities; energy generation projects
NANA/TECK
Contract Lobbyist; annual fee $20000.00
Northwest Arctic Borough government/school district support. Capital projects and school funding.
Northwest Arctic Borough School District
Contract Lobbyist; annual fee $15000.00
School district finances including capital projects.
Princess Tours
Contract Lobbyist; annual fee $78000.00
Legislation relating to the cruise industry initiative; administrative and legislative action as requested
Sequestered Solutions Alaska, LLC
Contract Lobbyist; annual fee $72000.00
State of Alaska technology projects and data hosting services
Teck Resources Limited
Contract Lobbyist; annual fee $72000.00
Mining and resource development issues.
Usibelli Coal Mine. Inc.
Contract Lobbyist; annual fee $84000.00
Legislation and regulations pertaining to coal industry taxation, export, transportation and port development
The other name on the poster is Wendy Chamberlain. Here's the list of her clients:
Chamberlain, Wendy
224 4th street juneau, AK 99801 PH:
Alaska Association of REALTORS
Contract Lobbyist; annual fee $50000.00
Alaska Auto Dealers Association
Contract Lobbyist; annual fee $26000.00
auto industry issues. emissions, frachise laws, fuel tax, booster seats, regulatory oversight
Alaska Cruise Association
Contract Lobbyist; annual fee $50000.00
All issues relating to the cruise ship industry
Alaska State Home Building Association
Contract Lobbyist; annual fee $37000.00
All building code issues, housing standards, contractor licensing, fire standards, fire sprinklers, AHFC funding, construction academy funding
Anchorage Neighborhood Health Center
Contract Lobbyist; annual fee $60000.00
Anchorage Neighborhood Health Center is seeking capital funding for a new health center.
Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc.
Contract Lobbyist; annual fee $50000.00
All alcohol related issues, taxes, distribution legislation, underage drinking etc
Calista Corporation
Contract Lobbyist; annual fee $125000.00
mining issues, local government issues, native and tribal issues, capital and operating budget
City of Nome
Contract Lobbyist; annual fee $75000.00
Local government issues, revenue sharing, capital budget
Geohedral, LLC
Salaried Employee; monthly wage $7000.00
Mining interests
Marathon Oil Company
Contract Lobbyist; annual fee $90000.00
Issues relating to oil and gas, land, enviromental issues, taxes, permitting etc.
Matanuska Telephone Association
Contract Lobbyist; annual fee $60000.00
All issues relating to telecommunications
NANA/TECK
Contract Lobbyist; annual fee $20000.00
All issues relating to mining, mineral taxes, environmental issues, land claims, native resource issues, capital budget, operating budget, regulatory issues, Red Dog mine.
Northwest Arctic Borough
Contract Lobbyist; annual fee $15000.00
Northwest Arctic Borough School District
Contract Lobbyist; annual fee $13333.00
School district funding, capital budget, operating budget, school foundation formula, cost differential, pce, preshcool funding, headstart, local school match requirements
Pebble Limited Partnership
Contract Lobbyist; annual fee $120000.00
All issues relating to mining, mining taxes, permitting, environmental, water quality, water rights, mixing zone, etc
Providence Health & Services Alaska
Contract Lobbyist; annual fee $72000.00
All issues relating to health car
People who get paid this much money obviously know what the laws say. So I have no doubt that this event was perfectly legal. I'm also sure that this is not at all unusual. But I can't help but think that this is more than two people from Louisiana throwing a party. But these lobbyists represent a lot of people who are paying them a lot of money. Should legislators be this cosy with the lobbyists?
Uh, I am not really into marine food. :P
ReplyDeleteWell, crayfish (or crawfish, or crawdads) aren't really *marine food, that is to say, they're not found in the ocean. They're freshwater creatures. More than half of the more than 500 species occur in North America.
ReplyDeleteMy brothers and I used to catch them in the agricultural irrigation canals of southern California.
I occasionally make crawfish for my husband, but I can't eat them, myself. A Big Bug from the ocean or freshwater is still a big bug.
ReplyDeleteIn answer to your question, Steve-- I don't think that the lawmakers should be this cozy with the lobbyists. In theory, it would be great if they gathered restaurants where everyone pays their own way or at tailgate parties before some athletic event. Fundraisers are too easy for lobbyists to buy tickets for friends or whatever.
KC, let me clarify. This was not a fundraiser. There was no fee for people who came and ate. As I've watched the Alaska political trials carefully and been here in Juneau, and I've done research on ethics, and I'm working on paper on it now - it's all not nearly as simple as disclosure laws and forbidden acts. People are humans with emotional connections to ideas and people that no laws can erase.
ReplyDeleteI think an event like this could be perfectly friendly and separated from politics. Or not. At the very least, the cumulative effect of these things has to take a toll. If you look at how much money these lobbyists are getting to represent various interests, it has to mean something.
But I do think it is beyond individuals. When people run for office, this system is there waiting for them. I don't know that any legislator can be completely separate from all this.
With the ban on corporate spending in political situations lifted by the US Supreme Court, the vulnerability of non-compliant politicians could go way up. We'll see in November.