Bob Poe to Address Mat-Su Democrats Friday - and Other Mat-Su Political News

I. Bob Poe at the Egan Dinner:

Friday's monthly Egan Dinner, hosted by the Mat-Su Democrats, will feature Alaska gubernatorial candidate, Bob Poe. According to Carolyn Covington:

We have a very exciting speaker lined up - Mr. Bob Poe, Democratic Candidate for Governor. We are one of the first Democratic groups in the state that gets to talk with Mr. Poe about why he is running and what he is going to do for the state of Alaska. I hope to see you all there, and be sure to invite your friends.

Here's a link to directions to the Canyon Grill, where the dinner will be. The affair begins at 6:00 p.m.

II. Talis Colberg Files for Mat-Su Mayor:

Former Alaska Attorney General and two-term Borough Assembly member, Talis Colberg, announced Wednesday that he has notified the Alaska Public Offices Commission of his intent to run for the office of Mayor of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough. He is the only candidate to publicly announce intent to run. A special election is slated for June 9th, to fill the seat vacated by the death of Mayor Curt Menard. A regular election will occur in October.

Colberg came under intense criticism, beginning in early September 2008, as he sought to delay important aspects of the Alaska Legislative Council's investigation into possible misconduct by Alaska Governor Sarah Palin and her husband in the removal of Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan from that position. Colberg's February resignation as AG, while not entirely surprising (I had been calling for it since last fall), was abrupt. It still is not clear how much pressure Colberg came under from the governor and her family in the weekend leading up to his resignation.

The only other Valley politician whose name comes up frequently for the interim post is current Mat-Su School District Board President, Jim Colver.

Three other names mentioned, but not necessarily from credible sources, are former State Senator Lyda Green, Matanuska Electrical Association Assistant General Manager Tuckerman Babcock and Mat-Su Borough Assembly member Michelle Church. Babcock's name has surfaced recently in some unsavory MEA-related matters that certainly question his professionalism, so I can't see him wanting to raise his profile right now.

III. Which brings me to MEA:

Progressive Alaska will be reporting far more over the next few weeks on the upcoming April 25th MEA Annual Meeting/Election. Meanwhile, current General Manager, Wayne Carmony, seems to be lapsing further and further into his shell, as he fails to deal positively with an assertive board.

The current board isn't progressive by national standards. In many ways they are conservative in the generally understood meaning of that word. Carmony, Babcock et al had been able to run roughshod over the utility co-op's boards for a decade. The board elected last spring and seated last summer is the most activist in the co-op's history, and they are seeking to tighten their grip on the board in the upcoming election.