[note: This letter ( sent to Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell early Thursday, August 6th) is a followup of communications with rural affairs advisor John Moller, in April and May, 2008. After agreeing to an interview with Progressive Alaska, advisor Moller failed to either follow through, or to respond to a number of emails and phone messages to his office on the issues addressed below, or to other issues]Gov. Parnell,
I called your office today, requesting the following information, which I had requested from rural affairs coordinator Moller back in April, but from whom I have not gotten an answer:
1) Who is currently on the rural affairs sub-cabinet.
2) Who chairs the committee?
3) When did it last meet?
4) When will it next meet?
5) Does the sub-committee take minutes?
6) Are minutes of previous meetings available?
7) Are agendas given to members at meetings?
8) Is public input to the agendas for sub-committee meetings allowed?
When I asked for this information from your office Wednesday, I was referred to a Nancy Korting at the Department of Law. She stated that the information I am requesting might or might not be publicly available.
It is my hope that you will respond to my query, and that the reply will come soon.
Regards,
Philip Munger
7 comments:
Excellent questions, and I hope you get answers soon.
OK, I'm from out of state, so I guess it's really not my business. But how on God's green earth could this information not be publicly available? That's outrageous!
CGinWI
Phil-
Here's hoping you get an answer soon.
Given that this subcabinet was formed to advise the governor on rural matters, your questions are of concern to all of us here in Alaska.
If our new governor finds this particular committee composition or form unacceptable or lacking in ability to adequately advise I hope we hear what other methods he is looking to ...
Winter is too close and conditions in the bush are worrisome again this year.
Short term issues are too pressing to be messing about for very long...
Long term solutions keep getting backburnered ...
Hi Phil:
I was told by the Department of Law that the Alaska Rural Action Subcabinet will have a meeting on August 17. I have encouraged them to make that meeting public and to invite public input.
My concerns about the Alaska Rural Action Subcabinet are: I don't see any public notices past or present announcing their meetings, I don't see any public notices inviting public input, I don't know when they have met, I don't know what business they have covered, I don't know if they have taken minutes of their meetings, and I don't know if they are willing to share with the public their meeting minutes or other information about their business.
My concerns about the Alaska Rural Action Subcabinet's advisory panel are: I don't see any public notices past or present inviting Alaskans to apply to serve on the panel, I can't find out who was selected to serve on the panel or how they were selected, I don't see any public notices inviting public input, I don't know when they have met, I don't know what business they have covered, I don't know if they have taken minutes of their meetings, and I don't know if they are willing to share with the public their meeting minutes or other information about their business.
Unfortunately the Rural Affairs Advisor may not have been the best resource answering these questions, but I'm hopeful we will know a lot more about this operation by the end of August. If they refuse to work transparently and embrace and incorporate public input, then I think they should be modified or shut down.
Phil:
John Moller responded to my inquiry. Here are the members of the rural subcabinet advisory panel.
Andy Baker
Baker Aviation
P.O. Box 116
Kotzebue, AK 99752
#442-3108
bakerotz@otz.net
Billy Charles
General Delivery
Emmonak, AK 99581
#
bacydfda@yahoo.com
Tom Mack
President
Aleut Corporation
4000 Old Seward Highway, Suite 300
Anchorage, AK 99503
#561-4300
tmack@aleutcorp.com
Dorothea Adams
P.O. Box 24067
Beaver, Alaska 99724-2013
#659-7782
N1857@conocophillips.com
Dewey Skan
ANB Executive Committee
P.O Box 34
Klawock, AK 99825
#209-1244
deweyskan@hotmail.com
H. Robin Samuelsen
President
Bristol Bay Economic Development Corporation
P.O. Box 1464
Dillingham, AK 99576
#842-3309
robin@bbedc.com
George Cannelos
Federal Co-Chair
Denali Commission
510 L Street, Suite 410
Anchorage, AK 99501
#271-1414
gcannelos@denali.gov
Mary Pete
c/o University of Fairbanks, Kuskokwim Campus
PO Box 368
Bethel, AK 99559
#543-4500
Mary_pete@bethel.uaf.edu
Kathie Wasserman
Executive Director
Alaska Municipal League
217 Second Street, Suite 200
Juneau, AK 99801
#586-1325
Kathie@akml.org
Jacob Adams
North Slope Borough
P.O. Box 521
Barrow, AK 99723
#852-2611
jadams@gci.net
Gloria O’Neill
President
Cook Inlet Tribal Council
3600 San Jeronimo Drive
Anchorage, AK 99508
#793-3600
goneill@citci.com
Merlaine Kruse
Acting State Director
USDA Rural Development Alaska State Office
800 W. Evergreen, Suite 201
Palmer, Alaska 99645
#761-7700
Merlaine.kruse@ak.usda.gov
SOA STAFF
Michael Black (Chairman)
Deputy Commissioner
550 W. 7th Avenue Suite 1770
Anchorage, AK 99501
#269-4578
Michael.black@alaska.gov
Tara Jollie
Director
Division of Community and Regional Affairs
550 W. 7th Avenue Suite 1770
Anchorage, AK 99501
# 269-7959
Tara.jollie@alaska.gov
Jim,
Awesome!
Good for John for responding.
Good start, but what are the answers to #2,3,5,6-8? If there are no minutes, no actions, no nothing but a roster--then this group is just a sop,meant to distract attention from the administration's intent to do nothing to solve critical, serious problems.
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