News from Patrick Flynn

As you may have read backers of ballot measure 1, the so-called anti-corruption initiative, recently announced a cessation of their campaign.  That hasn’t stopped foes of the initiative, who refer to it as a gag law, from continuing their campaign.  In fact, a friend of mine associated with coalition opposing ballot measure 1 sent me an invitation to a fundraiser & education event taking place on Thursday, June 17, at 5 pm in the Snow Goose restaurant, and asked that I make mention of it on my blog.  So, mission accomplished.

At the conclusion of this post I’ll present the opposition’s analysis of this initiative but first a couple other points:

1. If remnants of the organization backing this proposal wish to send me similar information I will happily post it.
2. The Assembly, including yours truly, did support a resolution opposing this ballot measure.  My reasoning, in part, was the restrictions it would place on family members of those involved in public life.  My family makes plenty of sacrifices that allow me to serve on the Assembly and it’d be unfair to burden them further.

With that, I leave the decision to you.  Read on if you for the aforementioned analysis.

Regards,

Patrick

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The following analysis of the proposed “Clean and Open Government” ballot initiative has been provided so that you can understand how this cynically named proposition affects you, your business, and your family.

You: It is asking you to support an unconstitutional, poorly worded initiative that would result in you voting away your neighbor’s political rights.

Business Owners:

• Prohibits any Alaskan who had a government contract larger than $500 from making political contributions.  The ban extends to the citizen’s ‘immediate family’, including parents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.
• Would not apply to large multi-national corporations whose contracting offices are out-of-state.

Non Profits:

• Board members of non-profits who receive city or state funds would be prohibited from advocating for their non-profit and making contributions to certain candidates for office.
• May endanger the future of Pick.Click.Give.
• Dwindling of public support for non-profits could make winning grants that require a local match nearly impossible.

Our communities:

• Outlaws municipal-funded lobbying which is how our local government communicates our needs to the Legislature in Juneau.

Our electoral process:

• Prohibits elected officials from soliciting funds from anyone who holds government contract larger than $500 as well as their immediate family.  Consequently creating a huge bureaucratic mess trying to determine which Alaskans are allow to give.
• Will increase negative campaigning as candidates dig for connections to government contracts.

Silences our public servants:

• Public employees like firefighters, police, nurses, and teachers would not be allowed to talk about their jobs unless summoned by an elected body. This attack on speech endangers us all as they will not be free to talk about the impacts of cuts to their departments.

Our opponents think this is clean and open. We disagree.

This unconstitutional attack on our free speech rights is not ‘clean’ or ‘open’, it is just an attempt to gag and muzzle regular Alaskans and stifle our political rights.