What's Keeping Me From Blogging?

So much . . .

Weekly trips to pick up our CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) [It's a USDA website so go quick before the regime either takes it down because it's too 'woke' or it crashes from neglect or incompetence.]

They use salt - some Alaska salt - and mix it with things for use in cooking, eating, and making your house smell better, like in the simmer pots.  

I've highlighted soap artist (seriously, what she does is art!)  Kit before.  She showed me a prototype of a soap she's working on that will have a Rorschach test on it.  I asked if there are psychiatrist interpretations included.  Those, she assured me, would cost a lot more.  Learn more at MirthAlaska.com. 

There was a long line at the WIC table.  This market is in the lowest income area of Anchorage and the Grow North Farm here - sponsored by RAIS (Refugee Assistance and Immigration Service), a part of Catholic Social Services - is an urban farm worked by refugees.  

It was gray and threatening, but not raining all that day, but it finally came down on the ride home.  It was so light it really only got my clothes slightly damp.  And my odometer with drops.

I've gone past my 1600 km goal for the summer - one reason I guess I haven't blogged as much.  All that biking along Anchorage's green bike paths has been good for my physical and mental health during this disastrous time in US history.  

The picture below was on an earlier ride on the Campbell Creek south trail.  And I'm delaying today's ride to get this post up.

The mushroom isn't connected to anything else in this post, but of course mushrooms and fungus in general are connected to everything underground.  You can't really tell but this one was five or six inches across.  Growing right next to the compost pile.  

  
                                                                      

Again, a somewhat random picture here.  Walking down the steps after a routine doctor visit at Providence, I was greeted with the lovely sounds of live piano music.  The acoustics in the huge atrium entrance are great and the notes pulled me over to listen to the end and thank the musician.

Our power, phone/internet went out during the windstorm a week ago Friday.  This downed cottonwood was the culprit.  Chugach Electric had the power back on the next morning when we woke up.  Alaska Communications took until Tuesday or Wednesday to come out and then they didn't have the equipment to fix it right, so while the phone line and internet are back on, the wire is lying on the ground and about two feet off the ground in some places I have to walk.  In what world is that acceptable?  Alaska Communications is so terrible!  The techs I have to call now and then and those who come out to the house are generally very good.  It's just the management that has promised me fiber every summer since 2023 and not delivered that pisses me off.  And the website that has the circle of death spinning hopelessly when I try to pay online, and then they charge me a %25 late fee because I couldn't pay online.  With no grace period.  None.  Visa emails me three days before to remind me to pay my bill.  ACS emails three days after it's due to say, "We screwed you again."  I'm ready to cut that cord forever.  

Got that off my chest.  

Our neighbor did hook us up to his power with a series of extension cords to power the refrigerator since we didn't know how long it was going to take to get the power back.  We decided to go to Queen of Sheba for dinner that night.  Here's David, the owner and chef, chatting with us after our meal.  

Ethiopian food is truly special and delicious.  Anchorage folks, go eat there and keep them in business.  The prices are reasonable for this day and age.  

It's between Northern Lights and Benson - on Dawson.  

So, probably this should have been three or four blog post spread over the week.  

But I'm not done.  I've been reading several books at once, but I'll just highlight Caraval.  This was a recommendation from my 12 year old granddaughter.  When I told her I was number 25 on the waiting list at Loussac Library, she said, "I told you that you'll never get it."

But I got an email saying it was mine to pick up.  I understand why people read it.  Each chapter ends with a cliffhanger of sorts.  And I think the author has synesthesia, because every feeling is associated with a color, some vibrating.  Lots more descriptions of odors than you normally see too.  And I don't think Nancy Drew ever had chills from the touch of a young man's bare chest leaning against her. 

I'd say this teen fiction is the gateway drug to adult romance fiction.  

Moving along - I'm still overwhelmed with the barrage of outrageous statements and actions spewing from the White House.  Here are a few images that I've saved as I try to find new ways to ask my junior US Senator how long he thinks he can wade in this filth before he is sucked under completely.  He gleefully points at what he sees as 'wins' for Alaska, while the president tramples the constitution by kidnapping people off the streets, invading US cities with our military, ignoring judge's orders, bombing boaters in international waters, gerrymandering Texas to squeeze out Democratic house seats, and on and on and on.  I didn't even mention Epstein.  And Dan Sullivan turns a blind eye to all of that in exchange for some oil drilling permits.  

My previous post was on the normalization of the word normalization.  Nothing could illustrate that point better than this post by His Travesty.   

What previous president could have done something like this and not been impeached?  Some say it's just 'a humorous bit' but I did a paper on government humor once.  What I learned was that government humor that is self deprecating is fine, but government humor that punches down is NOT fine.  

And then his Vice Travesty defends another military operation off the coast of Venezuela:

Has anyone seen any evidence that these are cartel members (just like we haven't seen any evidence that Kilmar Abrego Garcia was a member of Tren de Aragua gang)?

I copied this one for Labor Day.  We're back to the time when business owners could call on the government to bring in troops to break up labor unions.  And when I say 'break up' I mean that literally.  But they stood in solidarity until they won their rights which have benefited most of us.  (You know, 40 day weeks, paid overtime, health benefits, the right to grieve bad treatment, etc.)  We have to be as brave and persistent now to prevent what's happening today.  

I don't believe ignorance is greater now than it was.  But the propaganda forces of the fascists have powerfully taken advantage of that ignorance, and the latent fears of white America.  They've taken all the damage to the working classes done by exporting jobs and increasing the income gap and blamed it on Black people and immigrants.  

 I remember when the first polio vaccines became available and we got poked at school.  My small pox vaccine scar no longer really shows, but I was inoculated.  

Public health programs have saved more lives than medical treatment of individuals.   As I look for good links to explain the importance of public health to society, I see that some of the most important public health initiatives - clean water and sewage systems - are so taken for granted that they aren't even mentioned.  But we haven't always had clean water and sewage systems.  And parts of the world still don't have them.  

President Nixon famously had an enemies list.  But no president has ever, so blatantly used the powers of the federal government to go after his perceived enemies.  The president is publicly telling the Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute people who oppose him.  And as a blogger, I found this cartoon a bit close to home.  

I tell myself I'm just a tiny voice out in the wilderness and they have much bigger targets than me.  But I also notice that Google says my recent posts have way more hits that I usually get.  Stat Counter has always shown far fewer hits than Google, but they also track individual visitors.  I can't tell if I really have more hits or whether there are more bots.  In times past when there were lots more hits, it looked like someone scraping my blog for content, and more recently for AI.  But when that happens you can see a single user going to thirty or more different pages per day.  So many hits on a single page is different.  

In any case, I want people to stay strong and be engaged in fighting this regime to preserve our democracy (not to mention our health and economy and general well being.)  Do what you can.  And take breaks to laugh, enjoy nature, good friends.   Find like minded people.  And know your rights.  

And a teaser for a post I hope to put up this week.  

From Animalspot.net

Anchorage Comes Out For May Day Protest (Photos Added)

 The May Day protests in Anchorage were organized by local unions.  It was hard to judge the size - we were on a flat area and I could get a position that let me look over the crowd.  You could see the people around you but it was hard to tell how far back they went.  Walking around I saw lots and lots of people and lots and lots of signs.   I'd say at least 2000, probably a lot more. Close to 1% of the Anchorage population.  Considering this is the third major rally in a month or so, it was a big crowd.  It was also a Thursday afternoon, temperature in the high 40s F, threatening to rain (which it starting doing just after most people had left.)  

Unlike the previous one I went to, this one was more than just a mass of people.  There were booths of organizations involved in setting this up - various unions, particularly NEA and AFL-CIO.  

You could get information about volunteering, about services offered, how to sign up for emails about future rallies.  

A key group - along with the unions - was Stand Up Alaska.  

One thing I've been thinking about is how these various organizations are coordinating with each other, how they are dividing tasks, how they are contacting the public, and what they are doing beyond having big rallies.  

How are they letting people know what kind of action they can take?  How do they determine what's most effective?

Are they tracking the kinds of questions people are asking?

My sense is that if things are going to change, the huge block of people who simply did not vote, needs to be mobilized.  

As I look at these pictures, I see they're kind of dark and not terribly sharp.  These are the ones I took with my telephoto lens.  My phone pictures are still on my phone as the AirDrop is being balky again after a couple of weeks of quick and easy AirDrops.  

Just trying to get this up.  Trying to do too much has kept a number of posts from not making it at all.  

Went trouble shooting and found that my MacBook Air Drop was set to "receiving off."  Changed that to every ten minutes (not sure what that means in this case) and suddenly AirDrop worked like a charm.

ADDED  So here are pics I took with the phone.  

The Doormat Dan signs - referring to US Senator Dan Sullivan have been around and are professionally printed.  But this display of the sign is someone's personal project.  

I tried the Air Drop with just three pics and it worked.  But then when I went to add the rest, the old problem came back.  Airdrop failed.  

I have to figure this out.  

UPDATE May 6, 2025:  I got Apple Support to help.  I've uploaded a few more pictures in a new post.  

Anchorage Stuff - Garry Kaulitz Art, Highway Proposed Over Chester Creek, Film Festival Coming Soon

from Fog 24 Gallery

Garry Kaulitz was a long time University of Alaska Anchorage artist and professor.  His works are still alive and available online.  Here's the link.   Worth a look.  

A letter from the Rogers Park Community Council alerts neighbors of a Department of Transportation proposal to put a highway above Chester Creek.  There's a meeting at the Senior Center - which would, if I read the map right, be under the viaduct.  

Meeting to discuss is  

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2024 

FROM 4:30PM TO 6:30     

SENIOR CENTER

And I'd be remiss if I didn't remind folks that the Anchorage International Film Festival begins Friday, Dec 6, 2024 and runs through Dec.15.  

This image is from the page labeled 'FILMS'.  It keeps going well below this screenshot.  

There are always great films as well as some that are not so great.  But everyone has different tastes so there will be something for everyone.  Films will mostly be at the Bear Tooth and the Museum.  

There is also a change in the festival organizers this year.  I described that a little bit back in September and you can see that post here.

I'll cover more about individual films soon.  

There's a new tab up on top under the orange banner for AIFF2024.  That will be an overview of the Festival and an index of my posts about the festival.  

Alaska Redistricting Board: State Wide Testimony Today Overview And Rough Notes

The Alaska Redistricting Board met in a Statewide call-in to take testimony today on the six maps that were adopted in September for consideration.  They have been gathering feedback across the state before submitting the finalized maps.  

I took running notes, which are really rough.  In 2011-12 I posted such notes because there were no other ways to get the information.  This time round the Board is doing a pretty good job of getting the testimony posted on the Board’s website within a week or so.  

Today Board member Nicole Borromeo chaired the meeting and Board member Bethany Marcum sat in as well.  Board chair John Binkley also listened in and occasionally made comments.  They had scheduled times when different parts of the state could call in and get priority.  When there were no more callers from that area, they took calls from all over.  

Some of my quick impressions:

 Fairbanks callers overwhelmingly preferred Board version 4 (v4) and the AFFR maps.  And disliked v3.  They particularly opposed putting North Pole and Fairbanks into the same district.  

Southeast callers still have a bad taste in their mouths about the original maps that cut out Rep. Story from her district and put her against another Democratic incumbent. 

There were a couple comments from the Homer area that wanted Fritz Creek to be part of Homer.  This reflected a lot of testimony at a previous meeting.  

The meeting also got me thinking about the whole issue of what things really are important to be together in state House districts.  What’s important and what is merely cosmetic or emotional?   I’ll flesh that out in a later post.  I’m still thinking it through and trying to bore down to the key elements and not have a lot of fluff.  

So, here are my notes.  Some caveats first:

 GIANT APOLOGY ABOUT PEOPLE’S NAMES!!!  I’m listening in via the phone. The Board has the list of people who have called in and want to talk, so they aren’t asking people to spell their names.  Leave corrections in the comments or email me (see upper side bar right)

I type as fast as I can and while I once was a pretty good typist, my fingers are getting slower.  Also, my ears aren’t as good as they were.

So, what you should expect here is the gist of what people were saying and if there is something important you can look for it when the Board posts the Oct. 30, 2021 testimony.

Assume errors and omissions.  

 

Some Abbreviations
SEI = Socio-Economic Integration  FB= Fairbanks;  NP = North Pole v3 and v4 = Board maps versions 3 and 4 FNSB = Fairbanks North Star Borough AFFR = Alaskans for Fair Redistricting (3rd Party) AFFER = Alaskans for Fair and Equitable Redistricting (3rd Party)

About 10:15 am   Nicole Borremeo:  

James Squire = Delta, Gulkana - we should be connected with Eilson - they have missiles and so do we.  Drainage, geographic features should be part of this process.  I sent a map that does a much better job.

Up highway to Eilson, Denali Borough, Clear Air Force - moves the needle of SEI (Socio-Economic Integration) and compactness.  Koyukuk drainage.  

Directed to use the census numbers.  Our area has more PFD applications than shown in our Census Count.  No reason to deny them.  Privacy.  Boundaries in wilderness, not on highways.  If you can see campaign signs on both sides of the road, then that’s a problem because those people should be in same district.  

Nicole, Marcum - questions?

Fairbanks Area - AFFR Map

[Here's a link to the Board's Map Gallery]

Casey ?Cafort - Fairbanks.  Grown up in FB and NP and two distinct communities, shouldn’t be in one district.  FB oriented along river.  FMeyer.  V3 follows boundaries, but no reason to redistrict. Don’t follow those things precisely in Anchorage.  As recent UAF graduate.  Hope you keep UAF together - only AFFR map does that now.  UAF critical part of our community and economy.  Appreciate opportunity to be heard.

Nicole:  Thank you.  

Kelvin Rogers - Support AFFR and preference for version 4 over 3.  V3 makes no sense to me - puts us with NP a place I’ve been a few times over my 6 years in FB.  V4 splits up FB along lines that makes sense.  

10:19

?Bretta  McAdams - grew up in FB, schools here.  Learned to drive here.  Alaskalands, Blockbusters.  Like John Binkley.  V3 is political map by former politician that gerrymanders FB.  Also divides FB by n-s which is against the Chena River that goes east west.  Both AFFR and V4 give us better representation.  

10:22

Alissa Franklin? - FB community organizer here for about 21 years.  Raised and school and now work as organizer.  Really know the community.  Others my points as well.  Definitely not v3, unnatural to neighborhood, work, etc.  V4 and AFFR better job capturing that natural orientation.  Why v3 so bad?  D31  Ester, Fox, Goldstream, Farmers Loop - that’s a good hours drive to get to Two Rivers.  Completely different communities.  Talking about neighborhoods - how is this fair to any of these communities.  Eilson completely different needs from University.  How people compete with each other.   Not fair and equitable.  How do we best represent these needs without cutting district in half.  Majority of POC live in these areas.  Access to voting, have to cross two different districts to get to their voting place.  AFFER/AFFR? do better job of how we’re laid out, not competing with each other, but picking person who represents our communities/  Wish I could drive you around

Leo Hippert?  - Needlessly under represents FB  Treated FB differently from other places.  Things oriented east west.  As U student feel connected to U and Goldstream, Ester, similar values and have one voice on issues.  AFFR and v4 represents these, but v3 is bad.  AFFR has racial ???  NP and FB different interests.

Nicole - any SEI issues in AFFR maps that you’d like Board to consider.  A:  Not really didn’t do research on that.  

Stuart Chapin - FB for last 50 years.  Appreciate importance and glad listening to testimony.  Strongly prefer AFFR or v4 and feel v3 divides FB in ways that are not in the best interests.  Prefer AFFR for two reasons.  V3 under represents FB in state.  V3 doesn’t represent various communities that make up FB area.  FB along east west along Tanana River.  People who share values and service area interests should be grouped together .  AFFR much better than v3.   Hope you take the FB testimony into consideration because we all agree.

North Pole - Barbara Kendall?  50 years in Alasak.  Any plan for NP should include Eilson and Salcha.  Where we do shopping, churches, housing.  Some adjustment to AFFER plan, but concur that AFFR and v4 would do best.  Would increase population a bit - but in NSFB and better aligned.

Q:  You like AFFER.  Yes.  Prefer over v4.

Allison Cafort - lifelong FB resident, grew up in ?? And NP.  Now west FB.  Distinct communities and shouldn’t be in the same district.  V3 does that not good.  Also overpopulates.  V4 and AFFR follow east west orientation.  As current UAF student - keep U and Fox etc. together - where many faculty live.  AFFR map.  

Lori Huffer?  15 years FB.  And unique NP area.  Thanks for listening.  Support competitive fair and equitable map.  NOT v3.  Interested in AFFR and V4, better represents our communities.  FB and NP seen as separate communities.  Thanks for insuring we’ll have appropriate representation by not using v3 and focusing on AFFR and v4.  

Q:  Any SEI issues?  I guess we lost her

Gary Kendall - NP- overview comparisons of versions.  Balance several criteria - pop.  Compactness, SEI.  In interest of representation give more weight than just population .   AFFER map seems to be the best balance of factors under consideration.  NE corner of D6C - portion goes north of the river and down toward NP, that would be better placed with 9E, NP Moose Creek, based on where people are and work and interests  D8D, westward with Badger Road border- move it up and make border along the river better than the road itself.  AFFER map does better job of bringing in North Creek Salcha and Eilson .  Thank you.

Martha Roberts - final FB in queue for now.  50 years in FB mostly in University and now just north of Farmers loop.  Agree with others v3 shouldn’t be used.  FB in5 districts all the others have 6 districts.  Also separates NP from Eilson.  Main testimony is against v3 map.  I prefer the Senate minority map which puts my area with ??  Which seems better than with Fox.  

Nicole:  FB has 5 districts in both v3 and v4.

Martha:  Oh, I miscounted.  When release Senate pairings?

Nicole:  Not yet, plan to do closer to Nov 10.  These are still draft form.  

Move outside of interior - 

Sen. Tom Begich - State senate minority leader, here because Wednesday you asked views on constitutionality.  Touch lengthy.

Alaska Court have focused on lover deviations of house districts over time.  But Board seems to be moving to maps with higher deviations.  Many 3rd party plans have said there can be lower deviations without sacrificing the other criteria.   Likelihood v3 and v4 lawsuits because 

of deviations.  Those decisions March 21, 2002 Court - priority must be given first to Federal Constitution, VRA, and then to Alaska Constitution.  1.  Contiguousness and compactness, SEI, Community boundaries, geographic boundaries.     Representation over SEI.   Overemphasizing  SEI over others is inconsistent.  

First you draw the map with Alaska Constitution, then 

Reynolds and Brown - federal considerations — Alaska SC found Alaska should have narrower standards.  Newly available tech advances make it easy to meet lower deviations.  10% deviations in Anchorage meet federal standards, but burden shifted to board that lower deviations impracticable. If districts can be created with our technology.  Boroughs and cities are defined as SEI, then Board is compelled to lower the deviations.  As you heard from FB.  

All FB and Matsu districts and 16 Anchorage districts are all .14???   And Kenai and SE also .

Focus on deviation emerges from Hickel and 1998 - AK constitution requires relatively SEI - means we compare to proposed districts to previous districts and alternative districts.  

Board reduces FB representation and gives extra FB to other district.  

Hickel - excess pop shouldn’t be given to other districts.  It may be necessary to divide a borough, however where possible all the excess population should go to one district.  You want to give representation to those who deserve it.  Board maps don’t that   Proportional representation.  

Board’s counsel has interpreted this differently.  Kenai Peninsula Borough ….   Recognizes that it shouldn’t divide the municipalities, was open for legitimate non-discriminate polices.  In that passage, court conclusion honed in on MOA and Matsu B’s together because fractional seats.  That’s important.  Underscores how interpreted by the courts and how interpreted now.  

Footnote seven:  2002 case Matsu 3.8 and Anch - .? Would support 20.4 seats.  But Board gets 17 and Matsu gets 4 for 21 seats.  Saying because way board did it, created an additional seat.  Today, the over pop 5.8 for Matsu and 15.8 of Anchorage would create total of 16 + 6.  Excess then 2001 combining excess would be excess of ??? Seats and would have to look north or south to do that excess.   West was not excluded as an option.  Can’t be absorbed - 2001 told board to take hard look at north.  Now, today Board trying to do that.  Kenai, Matsu, Anch. And FB need low deviations meeting standards.  AFFR maps do this.  Board is compelled to meet standards of 3rd party maps.

Cordova with SE?  Court acknowledged to Baranof Island would be compact, but further would not.  Including Cordova in D5 to reduces deviation.  That ruling allows Board to consider Cordova with SE to reduce deviation.  

ER and Anch - part of SEI of Anchorage, but compelling testimony should ER be separate.  2 districts from ER and Peters Creek.  Might be compelling to combine house districts in this area into single Senate seat.  Anchorage neighborhoods substantial dispareity.  SEI - multiple compact continuous districts.  In Groh we considered ….   

If low deviations can be met without sacrificing AK constitutional criteria, it’s important.  

Kenai-  less disruption to overall map, should be considered.  Multiple ways to do Anch and FB under 1.4% deviation  SE   - more mathematical precision in urban areas.  Limits opportunities for gerrymandering.  

AK court has ruled that Delta Junction (2001) has no constitutional right to be in a single house district, as long as each portion is integrated.    Board should take hard look - Saxman is part of borough, more connected to Ketchikan than with other Native districts in SE.  

How you arrived at higher deviations is what matters.  

Lengthy answer - hope it answers your questions.  

Nicole:  Thank you.  Board did ask for clarification and apology.  Clarification - Board chose John Binkley to chair meeting but we are all equals.  

Returning to Fairbanks:

Darla Hudson?  - short comment.  Don’t support v3.  No sense to put FB with NP.  Been here for ??30 yers. Listening to Mr. Squires - not grouping Delta with Koyakuk.  Natural borders.  ??

Eilson and Salcha do most shopping in FB, not in Delta.

Christina Buckington??  - After reviewing maps, Doyon coalition along with aspects v4 and Minority Senate map.  Do not support v3.  Donut shape Doyon keeps contiguous urban and rural areas together.  Also integrate tribal communities.  Minority map keeps communities together though I haven’t reviewed the map beyond FB area. 

Mindy O’Neall - Presiding officer of FNSB Assembly - voted - stayed away from comments about one map.  Biggest concern - general underpopulation of overpopulated districts.  FB has right to 5 plus districts.  Ask that extra population be put into a single district.  Due to urban nature it’s unnecessary to require to go through other districts to get to other side of districts.

Neighborhoods that share values and common - Excess pop into one district rather than spreading among five districts. 

Nicole:  clarify - testify on behalf of  NSB Assembly A:  Yes

Ellen Murray McKazy? - Live -   2007 retired from teaching at UAF.  AFFR map best for us.  Binkley map out of balance.  Would have me with NP.  Not my community.  Overpopulates us. Underprepresented and Matsu and Anch overrep.  Does not match east-west orientation of FB.

V4 and AFFR maps respect east west divide.  First choice is AFFR map.  Second v4.  Thank you for considering my opinion and for your work.  

Nicole:  switch to SE, Kodiak, Kenai

???   I wanted to voice opinion of Kachemak, Homer on Kenai.  I oppose v3  spell my name: 

No thanks Terry, we have info already.  Board proposed maps v3 and v4 strongly oppose.  Seperating Fitz Creek from Homer makes no sense.  

Don’t understand Doyon map very well - Sen Minority looks very logical to me as well as the AFFER Kenai Peninsula looks logical.  Alll the others including AFFR makes no sense.  Separating Frizt Creek is out of the question.

Nicole:  We did Homer area weeks ago and others made same point.  

SE callers:

Mr. Witte???  I can’t do better than Sen Begich, but would add minimizing deviation so opposed to v3 and v4 and support Doyon, AFFR, and Senate Minority because they have smaller deviations. Oppose AFFER because of Mendenhall - and v3 because of obvious intentional carving out rep Story.   

Nicole:  For the record, the Story was corrected early on the map.  Can I ask a question about the deviation.  United Ketchikan Wrangell borough - keep Prince of Wales?

I’m in Juneau and I’ll leave that to SE people.

Nicole - divide between Juneau and Valley?

Mr.  Valley homogenous in terms of economics  AFFR and Sen Democrats have minor differences but keep valley as one district.  

Jaeleen Kookesh - Sealaska Corp - thank Board for their service.  Appreciate opportunity to comment.  Sealaska proud to work with Coalition with Doyon- urge to consider this map.  Specifically to issues of importance.  Borders of house districts inSE.  Rural Alaskan communities and support of Doyon around FB and NSB.

SE:  Compact, contiguous and SEI population 3.89 districts - two senate seats and four districts.  Preferred SE Alaska Island district.  Angoon, Kake, Sitka.  Key feature of SE is islands.  With exception of Admiralty Island in north.  Some options for Juneau.  [Can’t keep up with details]  Many rural communities with areas that do not share concerns and culture.  We support our coalition partners for rural communities

3.  Concerns about FB v3 map.  About 800 people more in each district.  Will submit written testimony.  Want to thank you.  History my late father lost his seat in rural Alaska. 

Nicole:  can PofWales Island be split?

Kookesh:  We didn’t look at breaking up communities.  Looking at PoW - at least the traditional Native communities stay together.  Don’t want to speak for the island.  

Nicole:  If you of PoW contacts, please have them contact us.

11:40

Jim Ayers- Thank you for service, maps and tables.  Worked in Juneau for most of 40 years - Douglas, Auk Bay.  Worked with some of you and respect you very much.  Our community is wonderful place to live, work, raise a family.  Community works well.  Talked to you a few weeks ago.  Community naturally meeting the fair, balanced, non-partisan way - Valley flow together.  Downtown flow together.  V3 and v4 bring divisiveness.  Board says they corrected concerns about line cutting out Story.  I heard that - if that correction you referred to mean you are no longer pursuing that?

Nicole:  yes it was corrected.  Unfortunate software glitch. No intention to pit current elected representatives.   Board has no knowledge where representative live.  No intention to pit incumbents against each other or protect them.

Ayers:  State suffers from continuing strife and divisiveness. Imperative you consider whether you actions increase that divisiveness in our state.  I worked with Bill Hudson.  He was elected in Juneau several times and he likely would be elected again.  If there is a reason or motivation of some to change the representatives we’ve elected, they should choose a candidate and not change the district to achieve your goals. Support Doyon, and ?? maps.  Urge you to do right thing for us.  And thank you again for your public servie.

Nicole:  Question from John Binkley

Binkley:  I have Borromeo’s comments - I believe the architect of that area in v3 and v4 have - there was an appendage and what you’re suggesting it was ??  [hard to understand I think he’s emphasizing it was accidental.]  We decided not to formally make those changes.  Just making maps - public hearing process  [can’t understand, bad connection]  

Ayers;  30 second Response?  Thank you so much Sen.  We’ve known each other a long time and great respect for you.  And firmly believe in your forthrightness and what you’ve said. I’ve looked at maps.  I don’t support v3 and v4.  I do support Doyon and irrespective of politics, I do believe you’ll look at the best aspects of the redistricting.  

John:  I’ll call back in and try to get better connection.

Nicole

Susan Warner in Gustavus.  Thank you for your work to fairly redistrict and for offering Doyon map that retains connection with Juneau and Haines.  Please consider D33 boundaries to have a say in our inside waters adjacent to our community.  

11:58am  Nicole:  that includes all the callers we have in queue.  

Juli Lucky:  We will be available until 4pm to call in.  

Calls will be prioritized by time for areas, but anyone can call. 

12:34   Caller from Juneau

?? Lyman - some maps left me horror struck.  Most favor Senate Minority map.  Don’t know how ? Harbor put together - or putting representatives together, clear gerrymandering.  My preference is Senate minority map. 

Nicole:  comments from Board.  Ms. Lyman, the board is committed to a fair map and no intentional gerrymandering.  

Times for certain regions:  SE currently, PWS and Kodiak, but no calls in line so anyone can call now.  

1pm Kenai Pen. Anchorage Matsu

2pm Northwest (I think that’s what she said)

3pm Statewide

12:43

Caller from Fairbanks

Leslie Peters - live just south of Chena Pump Road, since 1975.  Past redistricting.  This time since I’m retired I had time to look at maps carefully.  Don’t agree with v3 or v4.  I prefer plan forAFFR, less community division and less deviation.  Allows North Pole to have its own rep.  I’ve worked and taken class at University and don’t have that much in common with other places.  More in common with peoples over the ridge.  Mr. Binkley know that.  Putting districts in direct conflict.  Should look at AFFR maps.  Thank you for your efforts, has to be tough task.  

Binkley:  thank you Leslie for coming out and testifying and paying attention. It is hard, daunting putting all the pieces together statewide. To get the best possible map.  We share a district, we’re neighbors.  Do we keep the district as a whole or take the extra .2 population.  Which part of FB do we send to that extra district?  West side?  Eilson?  Or the North side?  Or keep it altogether even tho overpopulated.  

Leslie:  Thank you.  I looked at deviation numbers and I understand that.  Biggest reason tried to find those that have less deviation.  Thanks for listening.  

12:48  Andrea Dewees - calling from SE Lifelong Alaskan.  In support of map proposed by the Senate Minority, best for SE.  Appreciate your considering interests of voters not incumbents.  I like how Juneau is grouped.

12:52

Catherine Heinz?   Thanks for having this on a Saturday.  I live in Two Rivers, a pretty gerrymandered district and I hope this will change.  I think you know what I’m talking about.  I looked at proposed changes and want to throw my support to v4 or Doyon.  Want to see the communities united and not spread out - like Chena Hotsprings.  That’s all.  

Binkley:  Thanks for participating.  I appreciate what you’re saying over past cycles - your current rep is from Tok and that’s difficult for someone in NSFB is difficult. 

Catherine:  I realize that represent statewide issues as much as when my neighbors talk about what’s important to us and whether this person in Tok knows anything about our neighborhood, schools, etc.  A huge district that person has to carry and canvas.  Not useful.  

Binkley:  I appreciate that.  Question before us really is do we keep the whole Borough together in five overpopulated districts or do we break it apart and send a small portion to a rural district.  

12:59

1:05  Anchorage Chelsea ??  Support the AFFR map.  Only one that fairly represents the diverse communities of east Anchorage, Mountain View and downtown.  Not connected to ER.  Although the board may prefer one of their own maps, I’m hoping they consider AFFR.  I live in South Anchorage.  AFFR doesn’t pair hillside with East Anchorage. 

Nicole:  Any SEI criteria to consider?

Not at this time, but I’ll get back to you if they come up.  

1:33  Christopher Constant - speaking personally.  Not as chair of Assembly redistricting committee.  PreferAFFR map.  ER kept separate.  ER has own perspective.  Govt Hill connected with ER is several maps that are politically opposite with how we live and organize our lives.  ER prides itself on large maps, wells and sewer system.  In my neighborhood small lots, city utilities.  Listen to ER they have been clamoring for their own city.  They have unity of demographics and economics that is very different from our community.  So strongly urge you to use AFFR map.  

2pm - Alaska NW Districts now

John Sowell??? Juneau  Concern with redistricting maps.  Against each other.  Takeoverof the country.  Adding  districts to make up imbalance.  We’ll be in SC.  Hope we do.  I am aware the intention is to have story.  I think there is something untoward about redistricting.  Maintain our representation .  That’s about it.  Thanks.  Not much business this afternoon.  Do want to be more specific.  Can’t give.  Representation here in Juneau.  Thank you.

2:12 

Kotzebue - John Lincoln - President of NANA regional corporations.  15,000 shareholders in NW Alaska including Buckland And Deering.  Keeping our SE Integrated  together.  Clear evidence of 

Roads, ancient social ties and more.  All testifiers in Kotzebue want to keep Buckland And Deering together.  

3:09 - John Rasmon?  - FB  would like to keep Salcha, Wainright, and ??  together.

Nicole:  Thanks for your clear preference of v4.  

3:15 back  Anchorage

Diane Preston - After navigating your website you did a lot of work.  AFFR and AFFER maps hard to navigate.  AFFR map seems the best.  AFFER pairs me with Chena Hot springs road and separates me with my across the street neighbors.  Senate Minority also splits my neighborhood too.  V4 keeps me with my neighbors. AFFR looks the best for Fairbanks.  

3:29 Anchorage caller

Laura  ??  AFFR plan shows all neighborhoods equally represented no district varying more than 36 people.  Only one that fairly groups downtown, mt. View, Fairview.   Doesn’t group downtown with JBER.  Follows community council districts as much as possible.  Has Chugiak and ER form own Senate district.  Eagle Exit wants to separate so they should have their own Senator.  

3:47 pm caller from Fairbanks

Mary Elizabeth ??? - here over 30 years.  Important to all of us.  My issue concern with v3 not fair for the Borrough.  According to the Census, we should get 5.23 house seats.  Five seats for the borough and then one other seat with the excess population.  Should go to an adjoining district to meet one person one vote standard.  

Binkley:  What part should be put into an adjacent district?

Mary Elizabeth ??  - West side - they have their own style.  

Binkley - where do we put the extra 4000 people - go into a district with representative far away - people complained about being represented by someone from Tok.  

4pm

Nicole Borromeo, also online Bethany Marcum and Chair John Binkley have been online and we are signing off now.  Adjourned.  

 

While There's Chaos At The Assembly Meeting, People Testify Calmly And Respectfully At Redistricting Board

Yesterday afternoon, about 50 or 60 people showed up at the Dena'ina Center to look at maps lining the walls and to testify about what they liked or didn't like about the maps.  

 

These were state maps and Anchorage maps mostly, created by the Board (versions 3 and 4) and by the four 3rd party maps that the Board voted to show around the state.  

There was also testimony by 18 or so people.  Everyone wore masks, though most folks took them off while testifying which they did a long ways from anyone else. They were required and there was a supply available at the sign in desk.   There was a lot of room, though people did get fairly close in some cases to talk about the maps.  Here's a brief version of the kind of things people said. Excuse me if I don't get all they said, or worse, if I mix it up a bit.  

 Gil Stokes talked about the removal of a polling place where he lived and how difficult this made it for the many people who were older and that he hoped they would reinstate this place to vote.  Board member Nicole Borromeo said she'd refer his message to the Division of Elections who made those decision.

Alex Baker complained that in the Board's maps (I think) his neighborhood - Fairview - had been split into three different districts.  This would mean common issues for the neighborhood, like problems with Merrill Field wouldn't get the attention they need if they were represented by one person.  There were also issues about the businesses along Ingra and Gambell being split into different districts.  He generally favored the AFFR map.

Alex Jorgerson also favored the AFFR map.  In one map (the Board's?) Taku-Campbell area was split up in ways that did not reflect the neighborhood.  There was something about 3 different schools.

Kim Hays said she was from the Raspberry-Dimond area also preferred the AFFR map.  And if not AFFR the Board's v4 with AFFR's version of her district.  

Steve Colligon, one of the AFFER map makers, said there was a new version of the map they wanted to submit for the record.  

Then Randy Ruedrich, also from AFFER, expanded on Steve's comments.  He said they'd found a unique way to deal with the excess people in the  north Fairbanks area. [Excess people just means that when you divide the population into equal 18,335 districts, Fairbanks ends up with left over people who have to be paired with people from elsewhere to make another whole district.]  In the past he said they'd put them into District 5 that wrapped around Fairbanks and took up much of the Interior.  Now he'd found an ingenious way to create a good district out of them.  He also mentioned that the Alaska constitution requires maps pay attention to natural geographic boundaries like rivers.  

Normally, if someone is facing left, I'd try to put them on the right side of the post, like with Ruedrich above.  But everyone was facing left, from where I was.  So I figure moving the pics around is more interesting.  But they were all facing the front table where Board member Nicole Borromeo was listening and  taking notes.  

She told Steve and Randy that they weren't going to accept any new official maps, but would take the changes into consideration.  In the picture here, the person to her right is staff member TJ Presley.  He quickly moved over to near where the mic was so that he could change mics between speakers and clean off the one just used.  

The other Board member at the meeting was Bethany Marcum who stayed near the maps so she could answer questions from people looking at the maps.  

Retired dentist Jason Rampton, gave his coming to Alaska with the military story and wanted to emphasize that many active and retired military live in Eagle River and so connecting the bases with the ER area made good sense.  He said half of Eagle River was active and retired military and I'm still wondering how to fact check that.  

Jason Lesard from District 23 was next and I just forgot to take his picture.  He suggested that the Board include copies of the current districts at these presentations so people can compare them to the maps on the wall.  

Emily Becker complained about the constant references to the Supreme Court ruling that all of Anchorage was one Socio-integrated unit and so neighborhood considerations didn't need to be taken into consideration.  She argued that there were lots of diverse populations and their community voices were lost by dividing them into separate districts.  [This is not different from what Dr. Rampton was saying about ER.]

At this point, the Board's administrator pointed out that the Board's office in the University Mall was open and people could call and order paper maps and then pick them up.  Or drop in, but if they called first, they wouldn't have to wait for someone to put a packet of maps together.  

I think this is Stanton Moll.  (If not my apologies to Moll and to this speaker.)  My notes say he preferred AFFR particularly because it heeded the advice that JBER should be divided according to the gates, because those locations are where people on the base interact most with the community. 

Jordan Harary began reciting the motto on US currency - E Pluribus Unum - Out of Many, One.  He emphasized that today this was no longer true.  We are a divided nation.  He said there are political players trying to make the maps more Democratic and more Republican.  He urged the board not to let that happen and said he favored the Doyon map.  

[I pulled out a $5 bill to check the spelling of E  Pluribus Unum.  I figured that was faster than googling.  Only the E Pluribus part was showing. The Unum was covered by a seal.  I couldn't find the words anywhere on a $1 or a $20.  I'd also note that despite all the rhetoric about being divided, I'm convinced that a relatively small percentage of the population is seriously divided from the rest.  But they are really noisy.  I base this on the fact that 57% of US adults are fully vaccinated and 66% have had at least one shot. That means only 34% haven't been vaccinated. Some for legitimate reasons, and the rest because . . . But conflict gets clicks and eyeballs and most media can't resist using alarming headlines.  And after a while they believe it.]

Kevin McGee, from the local NAACP, was concerned that the diverse populations of Anchorage not get divided and are fully represented.  He emphasized the one person one vote standard and the other three key requirements.  He preferred the AFFR map.  Didn't particularly like the AFFER map or the v3 and v4 maps.  He was against the minority votes of Government Hill and Muldoon being lost by pairing them with Eagle River.  He liked that the Doyon maps gave Doyon members power in their own districts and didn't match them with North Pole.  His final words were to use AFFR and Doyon maps. 

Nora Morse (I hope I've still got the names and pictures matching) preferred AFFR map because it follows community council neighborhood boundaries.  [That's not true in my district.  I'll try to use their map as an example of the problems of balancing deviation, compactness, contiguity, and socio-economic integrity in another post.]

I took advantage of being there and shared that at the previous round of redistricting, the board didn't do the Senate pairings (indicating which House districts would be paired into Senate seats) until the last week before final approval  there was no public testimony  taken at that point.  So I was recommending that the current Board make sure there's opportunity for public testimony about the Senate pairings before the new plan is finalized.  [I'd note also that in looking up that post from last time, I saw that in that last week of the 60 Board process before approving the plan, June 7- 12, 2011 they also discussed metes and bounds and truncation.  Two arcane processes that are discussed in those posts that week in 2011.  You can use the links to prepare ahead for those actions.  Metes and bounds is more technical mapping and describing the boundaries.  Truncation is deciding which current Senate seats will be shortened or lengthened to maintain staggered terms - 1/3 of the Senate is up for election every two years.]

I couldn't take my own picture while I was testifying and then forgot the next two.

Kimberly Collors(sp?) is involved in her community council.  She wanted to know what the Senate pairings would be.  Something about the Muldoon curve and the East Anchorage Community Council being split.  Appreciates v4 ???  Likes that AFFR map respects downtown.

Tasha Holeh from Mt  View liked the Doyon map.  

Louise Donhauser talked about Mt. View and the large homeless population.  

Lois Epstein, from downtown Anchorage, pointed out that if you start mapping from the north you end up with a very different map than if you start from the south.  Instead, she said you should  start with neighborhoods.  She also said that leaving out incumbent information doesn't really prevent gerrymandering.  The Board should be transparent and put that information in.  On the assumption that house districts would be paired in order, she said District 23 should be 22 so that Government Hill would be paired with East Anchorage. And that AFFER was unacceptable.  

Finally Don More said that as he testified before he's from West Anchorage and he thought v4 did a good job of West Anchorage.  He also mentioned AFFER following drainage patterns.  

To the folks who testified, I hope I didn't distort your words or meaning.  And hope you are upset with your pictures or lack of pictures.  If you do have a problem, please leave a comment so I can fix it.