There appears to be a grave and growing sentiment that the United States Congress is on a crash course – especially the 112th! The approval rating of Alaska's delegation, Mark Begich in nose-to-ass formation with MoanaLisa MurCowski in nose-to-ass formation with Don Young, it is breaking new ground and could end up in the negative and make the 80th – the Do Nothing Congress – look brilliant. Wasn't Don part of the 80th? For wanderers, Nose-to-Ass formation priority is a seniority thing. Now the only action accomplished so far half way through this congressional session's terms of endangerment is the fact that all members of the 112th are getting richer, so the “insider trading” option is not broke and working too their advantage. Why should they care about their constituents, its money that counts after the votes are counted. I believe that Latin ritual, the Congressional swearing in ceremony, it must have a subliminal message of “get rich quick”. It is agreed upon by most of us hard working Americans that Congress is nothing short a complicated mess, at the same time testament that “politics” in America is broke - maybe beyond repair according to the Tea-Party aficionados. GOP candidate Perry advocates Congress meet once every two years, to save money, as this everyday assembly accomplishes nothing in return – in actuality a sitting session lasts about 150-days a year and costs the American taxpayers a whooping $175,000 per member, not including air-time on corporate jets. The “extended” time off for bad behavior allows free-time, to lobby, or in John Boehner's case, tanning time. Went off focus, as I am supposed to stay on track Alaska's delegation. For Begich, the time off means “insider trading” time. For MoanaLisa, land dealing swindling. For Don, managing his Coconut Grove account. Look, name one representative that didn't leave the Hill better off? On the mark they are “better off” for a single reason, they side with the other side, the lobbyist. If one sides with the “People”, it means the end! And in Simple Simon talk, what is good for the few equates to a travesty upon the rest. So it is not due the fact that our elected officials are overworked or underfed that causes panic and stalemate progress on the Hill. Ron Paul wants to abolish the IRS and the Congress. The list of American rage upon American governance goes on and on. These are fighting words, and to voice such discontent during the Hoover years, it would have meant confinement. Things are different today, we love the 1st Amendment. Congress is indeed inept, impotent, maybe Viagra would help. But Congress - upon its true visionary mission - is not broke, it is the membership that is broke, through corruption. Ethics is outweighed, over-ruled and over-hauled by corruption. Every elected representative is infected by “corruption”, as if it is a bonafide trait to follow. If the latter were not true, this “every”, then the Sargent of Arms would have arrested by now this corruption – but he has his hands tied up in his own cuffs. So to simplify things, to get a glimpse of the “Big Picture” mess from a “snapshot” like bird's eye view, one needs to look no further or deeper then the Alaskan political scene. Alaska has always been a bellwether indicator of injustice with respect to “politics”. Now low and behold, this “snapshot” does not include Sarah Palin, only true to the bone corruption! Palin actually tried to sort out some of the Alaskan corruption, maybe not for the good and something aspired by her own ambitions, regardless, she did attack the GOP. So for today, it is Alaska's Bill Sheffield as the one individual that personifies the heinous mentality and dereliction of duty bestowed by political officials, which has sent this country down a dead-beat road. And since Bill is once again in the news, I can pick on Bill, as idiots need friendship. To start off, Bill's memoirs will be but a blank cover with the contents “Intentionally Left Blank”. Bill was at a fund raiser the other day, for closet bigot Dan Sullivan – like father like son Mayor of Anchorage. Boy, would his dad be not proud! Now talk about nose-to-ass formation with Bill and Dan in the same sweat-shop! Turncoat Bill thinks he represents the democratic view, as he is a registered liberal, but he still maintains the VECO barbecue at his multi-million dollar home, and that thing has Don Young's finger-prints cast all over in pork grease forever. Now Bill is a unique crock. Yes crock and is front and center the “Corrupt Bastards Club”. See, many think this “club” and its bonafide membership - including once upon a time U.S. Senator Pro-Temper Ted Stevens - was taken down by the FBI when several Alaskan legislators woke up out of a stupor and realized what “Most Wanted” mugshots were all about, when Bill Allen turned rat-fink so he wouldn't have to face pervert charges and go down in Alaska's history as another Josef Boehm. But the “Club” lives on, as there were many that didn't get caught. Those caught may have merely signaled the tip of the iceberg, the easy pickings, the scapegoats. Now Anchorage Port Director Bill was once upon a time Alaska's governor, until he found himself on the impeachment run. With the “throw the bum out” fallout, Bill found himself unemployed and was mysteriously named chief of the so far failed Alaska Railroad, and that is why we have a depot wearing Bill's namesake out at the airport that wasted a bunch of taxpayer money and remains “Closed for Business”. It would make a good jail! Now for those not in the know, Bill is rich, as he owned a bunch of hotels before political aspirations conceded his ethical thinking. So he doesn't need the money and there were more deserving individuals that could have resumed the helm control at the rail yard. Once again, this is Alaska and we are far and removed from ethics, just ask the Alaska delegation. How much did Begich make on “insider trading”? Now the ARR never made much money, so Bill settled on a salary that was mediocre in comparison to what a real Casey Jones CEO would have enjoyed – it goes with the territory. And since the ARR was a train wreck to begin with, there is only so much to go around. Yes train wreck from the beginning! When the state was forced to divest the 100% Federally subsidized railroad, as part of this state's statehood weening agreement, there came only one interested party. Now due the fact that the railroad property from Seward to Fairbanks is considered eligible for Super-fund oversight, there came no guarantees from the state that a new owner would be exempt and find immunity from past environmental crimes – due hundreds of miles of contaminated soils, from years of coal dust spoils, DEET spraying and fuel spills along the tracks. So the interested bidder walked away and with no other interested takers, it meant the state soon found itself wearing an engineer's hat and in the rail business. For years the only way the ARR could stay afloat was through subsidies courtesy the U.S. Taxpayers, and that “pork” continues on to this day. Without it the railroad would sink, which means it would cease to exist, go bankrupt and the major environmental cleanup chore would begin. See, as long as the railroad is still in business, there is no rush to clean up the mess. It is estimated that cleanup costs would swallow up a good portion of the Constitutional Budget Reserve, the main reason we cannot use that money to build a natural gas pipeline to deliver low cost energy to this state's major cities, like Fairbanks and Anchorage. So the railroad subsidies continue, and that is the reason in summer you will see empty coal cars, hundreds of cars long, traversing the rail line from Anchorage to Whittier, just so they can book subsidy value. One of those loopholes, wherein it doesn't specify the cars have to be loaded, just counted. So it takes a little fuel, a little loot for labor and the state can garnish millions in income from the U.S. Treasury. Don't you just love loopholes? Are loopholes intentional or driven by pure stupidity? Anyway, Casey Jones never saw a profit, until the year when under Bill's refinement there came a train wreck – a bad train wreck. Now the railroad bosses responded and cleaned up the mess, spilled diesel fuel in low lying salmon rearing stream-beds, using insurance money to cover the cleanup costs. But this wreck was declared a disaster, so the state applied for FEMA relief. Now come the end of the year, that $15-Million request was honored and was listed as a profit for the railroad, as the cleanup was complete and the insurance gift covered the costs, so the FEMA check wasn't necessary. Another loophole is the fact you cannot give the money back, just save it for something else! Wow, finally the ARR yearly financial report showed a profit. So Bill decided to retire, not due to pressure because of the spill, remember the railroad ROW was already a polluted mess, but resign, I mean retire because his CEO position's golden handshake was tied to the year end profits! So here is a state entity, incorporated so it can hide things from public scrutiny, an entity that never once showed a decent profit, and Bill gets a windfall going away present courtesy the U.S. Taxpayers. That profit was from FEMA relief! That is my money! That is your money! So Bill skated off with millions, while CEO of the railroad's worst environmental nightmare since the 1st rail spike was pounded south. Loophole? Just pure unadulterated corruption and testament some more as to why Alaska is “King” when it comes to rip off con artists filling the ranks of “statesmen” supposedly. Now one of the best calls from Bill occurred when he was vacationing down in Mexico. Bad weather was causing several days delays at the airport, for many Alaskans trying to get back from the beach to Alaska during the holidays. Not to worry, as Bill had a premium insurance policy, courtesy the state - so used this loophole to get out of Dodge. According to such “Gold Plated” policies only affordable by crocks, if in a foreign country, if the MD staff did not meet expectations, then Bill had the option of calling for a private medi-vac and taking a freebie back home - supposedly to see his family practitioner. All for a damn nosebleed! Yes indeed, Bill and the Mrs. hoped aboard a private jet and jetted back to Alaska – because of a nosebleed! See, Bill had important business back home, what that amounted too is still questionable when at the same time thousands of Alaskans that lose pay if not at work went stranded. But now Bill is under pressure, to resign as the Anchorage Port Director, not because of OSHA violations and death of a worker or for exorbitant cost overruns engaged upon during his crookedness reign, but due he was given a job he couldn't refuse - from Mayor Dan Sullivan. And it's the end of the year, wherein the state has already forked over zillions to finish this Bill Sheffield Abortion. I wonder what's in his wallet, what kind of contract did he have? And with resignation retirement comes a $60,000 consultant job, to oversee the same damn ruins at the port! See, Sullivan is giving away these $60k's gigs like wildfire, just ask Coffey as he resigned his assembly seat for the same damn reason. It's money saved by cutting down on sidewalk maintenance and cutting the People Mover schedule, the transportation network utilized by the low income – basically it is Sullivan's way to limit the majority from voting come the next election. What goes on in Alaska is a crying out loud shame, yet those that shame decency, like Sheffield, like Sullivan, like the Hickels, they continue on basking in corruption – for greed. Sure Hickel was corrupt, just look into why a new courthouse was built on downtown land that was in the “red” zone, defined as earthquake unstable ground. It was worthless property, fit only for a dog crap. But low and behold, have the Stanford University scientists design a super-expensive floating foundation, and as governor just OK such an expenditure, then your property becomes the most valued piece of property in downtown Anchorage. From dog crap city to mega-millions. It happened, this Alaskan style corruption, on Sheffield's watch, on Hickel's watch, on Sullivan's watch and it continues today. The “Corrupt Bastards Club” is alive and well, so well armed that it has infiltrated the lower-48 states. There must be a coaching manual, with Ted Steven's endorsement. This snapshot, capturing a few individuals in the political landscape, it is testament to what is going on all over this country. Take this little crookedness and multiply it a million-fold, and you start to see the “Big Picture Show”. This is the 1% faction dismantling the 99%'s nest egg. When will ethics once again enter the picture? When will there once again come a time wherein individuals stop and listen before acting with selfishness, when they once again police their own actions, when “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country” rings out more then just a warning and instills a heart felt warming message we can all take ownership upon - wherein it doesn't include treasonous activity. Yes treason, so defined as this: “Betrayal or disloyalty of country; a violation of the allegiance owed by somebody to his or her own country.” Name a single sitting Senator or Congressmen that is not guilty this “disloyalty” clause? They are guilty by association, even if not getting rich. There is a thing called “Handcuffs”! And loopholes have treason written all over. I am sick and tired of the bastards, like Bill and Dan, taking advantage our heritage. Yes, just a snapshot of what goes on, but a simple snapshot of what is going on when the hen-house is told and sold one thing, yet receives vomit in return! And here is the press release wherein Bill finds a convenient way to retreat his failed project, yet continue to benefit with income:
In a letter to Mayor Sullivan, Port Director Bill Sheffield announced his plans to retire from his position effective January 15, 2012. “My service over the last decade at the Port of Anchorage, Alaska’s Port, represents some of the best years of my life” stated Sheffield. “It has been an honor to continue my commitment to the Municipality, the State and to Alaskans. Serving Alaskans in multiple capacities over the past 30 years has been one of the highest honors of my life.” I am confident that I leave the port a more profitable, vibrant, and thriving facility. It is the lifeline for nearly all of Alaska. It is our lifeline for today and the key to economic growth for tomorrow.” “I hope to enjoy more time with my dear friends while investing in the philanthropies and non-profits that mean so much to me.”
The wording, like “My service”, “best years of my life”, or “confident that I leave the port more profitable” then ending with “investing in philanthropies” is just another showing that some are totally out-of-touch what is going on today, or creative accounting to sift out their egregious behaviors. Look today the word “philanthropy” is tainted, as it is blood-money that is given away, given away not out of respect the true “mission” that of a philanthropist, but as a tax shelter benefit. Bill is far removed a true philanthropist. Then bigot Sullivan adds his 2-cents:
Mayor Sullivan stated, “I join Alaskans from all over the state thanking Governor Sheffield for his many years of public service. His passion for the Port of Anchorage is unmatched and his recognition and vision that we must plan for the decades ahead by improving this critical facility is solid. He is a true gentleman and has been a great part of our team.”
“A great part of our team”, yes indeed, the 1% alive and well and growing strong, on our dime when they deserve doing some time. What do you mean the bus isn't coming?
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