The biggest beneficiaries of the unorganized Alaska House of Representatives are Governor Mike Dunleavy and his hired gun temporary (VERY temporary, I'll wager) Director of the Office of Management and Budget, Donna Arduin. This means she only has one Committee to face, SFIN. The House has met with her, but not in a "Regular Order"Finance Committee fashion.That prospect should terrify her.
She's a contract employee, make no mistake. Its just that noone has seen her contract yet.
Although Mike Dunleavy seemingly campaigned on a platform of restoring trust in government, has has already broken that trust by hiring an Outsider to "write a budget" with a supposed $1.2 BILLION reduction. This is the same guy who abandoned his Senate seat and although he was on the Finance Committee for a while never seemed to learn anything about the State Budget.
He and his hatchet wielding (can we quit saying hatchet? She has a blue McCullough with a 24 inch bar) OMB Director (who doesn't deserve view from her office in the Spam Can) have broken trust with Alaska School Districts with the $20 Million "Supplemental" disappropriation, with some of our States most vulnerable people through the abandonment of API to greedy outside private correctional interests and, coming up Wednesday, with ALL Alaskans as they unveil a budget that will shock, dismay and sicken people around the State.
Enjoy Public Radio? Too bad. Use the Internet.
Your UA Degree will be a collectors item once University of Phoenix takes over.
The already over regulated oil/gold/timber industries will be pleased with the demise of DEC.
Seniors? Let their "communities" take care of them.
Substance abuse? Faith based programs, baby.
Libraries? Museums? That stuff is all on the Internet, right?
Highways? Watch for the orange jumpsuits (and I dont mean DOT guys, either). Plenty of free labor in those jails, and more to come.
Are we at $1.2 billion yet?
Okay, lets sell the Ferries for scrap or bring in a big Norwegian outfit to run them.
We can privatize airports. I'm sure Bechtel Corporation will be happy to take them over. They LOVE privatized infrastructure.
AHFC? Public Housing? Sell it off.Same with the Aerospace Development Corporation. Can you say "Elon Musk"?
And then their the gem of our infrastructure, the The Alaska Railroad. I wonder if she is friends with Warren Buffet?
TheThe Dunleavy/Babcock temporary OMB Director took umbrage at questioning during a recent meeting with House members.
As reported in the Alaska Ledger (and as Seen on Television), the exchange kinda went like this:
" Rep. Dan Ortiz (I-Ketchikan) took up the charge.
“You do understand that these monies — the $20 million — were planned for by each of the individual districts in their budgets? You do understand that?” he asked.
Ortiz said that, with this approach, districts won’t even be able to budget until the end of the fiscal year.
“That just doesn’t work for districts throughout the state. Do you understand that?” he pressed.
“Representative, I’d appreciate it if you discontinue asking me if I understand things. It’s a little pejorative,” responded Arduin, her patience gone. "
Well, as I have Tweeted (@markspringer) for the stupendous amount she is being payed for what is essentially a "short call" she should smile and take it like a big kid.
She doesn't work for the Alaskan People, but our Legislators do.
Their representation is described in this article in the Alaska Ledger by Craig Tuten. And that was just the beginning.
Here are a few questions I'd love to hear House Finance ask, once they are organized:
1. Who do you consider that you are working for?
2. Did you go through SOA New Employee Orientation?
3. Name three or four Alaska Census Districts
4. Who approves your timesheet?
5. Did you negotiate your employment terms with SOA? If so, with whom?
6. Who are the taxpayers in Alaska?
7. Do you agree with the notion that 'taxes are the price we pay for civilization?
8. What is your precise relationship with GEO Group?
9. Do you or have you discussed your budget development with any individuals or parties outside of Alaska since you have come to work here?
10. Describe your academic credentials for the People of Alaska.
11. Describe your experience in government budgeting, its long term implications for your previous clients, and project the long term implications of your work here on our State.
12. Do your employment terms require you to provide support to Commissioners when they come before us to defend the budget you are writing?
13. Have you had any discussions with any Commissioner during this budget development process?
14. Describe your personal philosophy on taxation in general.
15. Do you understand Governor Walter Hickel's concept of Alaska as an "Owner State"?
16. Do you expect or have you been promised to be able to collect the full amount of your "salary" upon your departure from Alaska, whether its on Valentines Day or in a year?
She has no idea of the buzz saw she will face once HER budget is released. I don't think she is going to stick around. Dunleavy hired her "to do a job" and once the budget hits the table she is out of here.
Make no mistake, She is a philosophical water carrier for a very extremist view of how government should work. She isnt even a theoretician. She's a lackey for people most of us have never heard of. And that should terrify everyone in this State. Beta Testing has already taken place in Kansas, Florida and a number of other Republican states.
Alaskans need to draw a line in the sand, Republicans, Democrats and Independents.
The State of Alaska is not a business to be merged, acquired and diposed of.
Shareholder value is not a concept to apply to public services.
GEO Group, Warren Buffet, Boone Pickens and all their ilk can just STAY THE FUCK OUT.
And Donna, catch a plane. Leave us alone to deal with our own problems.
Thanks for ripping us off, though. Good move.
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