Progressive Alaska's Endorsements

My hand-modified huge Diane Benson sign is ready. I've got my Carrharts, XTra Tuffs and Hellys ready to don, along with some waterproof gloves. I'll be down at the junction of Palmer-Wasilla and Trunk, standing next to the Alaskans for Clean Elections sign, until even the borough employees are at their desks, sipping their first cuppa.

With up to 200 visits per hour at PA recently, maybe this site's endorsements will help:

U.S. Senate: Mark Begich. The coat had little to do with swaying me. Mark convinced me back in May. Sorry, Ray, my good friend......... too many dots left unconnected for you to sell your case to me on Mark. Keep on doing what you're doing! You're my hero. Mark will be our Senator.

U.S. House: Diane Benson. Having worked closely with this remarkable Alaskan over the past 26 months, I've come to think of her as both a needed next step in growing beyond the faulty state legislative paradigm of the post-Hazelwood era, and think of her sometimes as the little sister I never had.

Ethan, for all the chutzpah he showed for 45 seconds during that notorious special session in 2006, was and remains too similar to old-school, 20th century political loyalty politics for what I believe to be necessary. His current fundraising, and the way it has elevated him to the status of "inevitable," is the best example on the Democratic Party side of the aisle, of why we need a Clean Elections initiative.

Diane Benson's growing awareness and grasp of the issues facing us, especially in the realms of women's & civil rights, health care, and ties to lobbyists, shows she is more than capable of both representing Alaskans, and of helping take the U.S. Congress in a new, more progressive direction.

The Ballot Measures: I'll let Kodiak Konfidential's Ishmael Melville's recommendations stand on their own merits:

Ballot Measure No. 1, Establishing a Gaming Commission: NO. I'm all in favor of gambling, but this is putting too much power in the hands of too few (three of the seven commissioners make a quorum!). Let the Legislature create what gambling the people see fit, then let a commission or department run it. This is just a thinly veiled attempt to create big gaming in Alaska without public input.

Ballot Measure No. 2, Adding grizzly (brown) bears to same-day airborne hunting ban and requiring all predator control hunting be done by state employees: YES. Just makes sense.

Ballot Measure No. 3, Clean Elections: YES. This will create a wholy voluntary system to provide public funding for elections. Best way I've ever heard to keep Corrupt Bastard Big Oil/VECO-style money out of politicians' hands. Remember it's totally voluntary.

Ballot Measure No. 4, the Clean Water Initiative: Big Hell YES. Salmon over gold, any day. Save our streams, help keep Pebble Mine in check and the lives and livilihoods of thousands of Alaskans safe and intact. Voting for Clean Water and Salmon is the real vote for jobs.

Gotta go out, get soaked, get my arms tired.

Go out there yourselves, folks - AND VOTE!