Hook, Line & Sinker

OK, so what big deal that Bill Walker's first day on the job as Alaska's new governor found a duty of payback and keeping a campaign promise for his Fairbanks “Cronies”, and today the “Corrupt” in the “CBC” has been replaced and we now have the “Cronified Bastard Club”. I don't know if that is a giant-step forward or a baby-step backwards, as it did start out a long time ago as a club benefiting “cronyism” that soon after enlisted corruption – because for awhile political crime in Alaska did indeed pay out! And remember, Walker has been at it for a long time on the sidelines of Alaska's political scene, has pissed many off, so time will tell if Alaskans will be awarded for “Walker IN” and “Parnell OUT, and so depressed is the Sean, so refuses to write a book. But this recent payback, if Walker declares a “State of Emergency” by issuing a “Disaster Declaration” for Fairbanks due high fuel costs, this “symbolic” tactic will fall right into the “Seek & Destroy” mission of the Department of Defense - as an invite to cut costs and we may find the aging military bases in the interior, well subject to the wrecking ball schedule once again. Hope Senator Dan realizes what he got himself into, as this is what hit Begich head-on and he received no help from the other delegates, but somehow single handedly has been able to keep that schedule at bay. But that may have been a short-lived victory. Military bases around the nation were once-upon-a-time the pride and joy of commanders well versed in “warfare and threats”, so understood well what we needed and where we needed to deploy troops and equipment for training and protection. Today though, base location and funding is under control of a state's Congressional delegation, so bases are in competition and “Warfare” has created an entire “cottage” industry to support such stationed details, which brings even more burden to the planning stage due everybody wanting a piece of the pie once so lucrative. With Don Young out to pasture, MoanaLisa MurCowpie MIA and a new kid on the block taking over for Begich - who is also depressed so will not be on a book signing tour - Alaska is not in a very good position when it comes to the tenacity of guys like Orrin Hatch, for a “prized” piece of that limited military budget pie. Nor are we any longer in a position of readiness and fit to butt heads with John McCain, as it has been the “Madman's” misery to get even with Alaska with respect to “Military Pork” spending, a grudge match that started many years ago when Ted Stevens was Alaska's “Bounty Hunter”. So funding for a military base today, it really has nothing too do with military preparedness, but an all out effort at keeping voters happy by keeping locals gainfully employed regardless of the fact not fiction that many of the jobs today are the “Do Nothing” type of work, just show up and get paid by Uncle Sam. Look, due to political pressure, we maintained snow removal crews in Galena for 15-years after the Air Force “Brass” said that base wasn't needed, once upon a time during the Soviet threat a “Forward Lookout” with “mission ready” jet fighters, but with a runway that has not seen a jet landing or take-off since 1996. Yet the “Uncle Ted” civilian contract was in effect until 2008, so it meant pay up or else and during the shutdown period which broke a record for the slowest “last one out turn off the lights”, well the ranks of the civilian employment increased by 50% - from 20 to 40, for what nobody knows as this place was closing down? This cost the U.S. Taxpayers and money that could have been used by the brass where it was needed, well you get the point. See, we shoot ourselves in the foot due greed, as this is what the “Brass” remember and it doesn't go away as the military keeps some pretty damaging reports – especially when “abuse” is encouraged by a state's delegation. Look, the military has nothing to hide. This type of “wasteful” behavior is not what the “Brass” wanted or condones as it has an all important job to do, but it was money wasted away due powerful political hypocrites for useless jobs – for the votes aspect come re-election! See, the “Brass” asks for the money needed to keep the “War Machine” running, it is Congress that approves the funding and attached to what we really need for national security we find a whole lot of nothing – political payback. One of the things that arouses the “Texas Tea-Party Mentality” is this type of “waste”, so we have that faction also to contend with with respect to Daddy Warbucks' generosity no longer “generous”! And the military has been under the gun to cut costs going back to Clinton, the reason there came an attempt to “Privatize” many functions necessary to keep a base running, like occurred in Alaska at many of the military bases with things like power generation and water & waste water requirements. There is already an overwhelming concern here in Alaska about the future of a military presence like we have seen for the last 50-years and a “Disaster Declaration” can have side effects that may be that shot-in-the-foot, or the straw...See, Fairbanks has two major concerns that could in effect lesson future interest by the DOD to keep troops stationed here - high cost of fuel and air quality problems. The EPA has already declared Fairbanks and North Pole, “Air Quality Disaster” zones. And it is based on the kind of fuel that is used to keep people warm, wood along with high BETX heating fuel and rotten-dirty coal from Joe's mine down south. By signing an “Executive Order” for disaster relief that really provides nothing but a scare tactic, this is what the military brass are looking for, evidence that can help them make a decision about the future of the military infrastructure here in Alaska – namely Fort Wainwright and Eielson Air Force Base. With limited “Daddy Warbucks” due protracted litigation the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, there is limited appropriations. Look, the best thing this nation could do and should do is pull out of both regions, let the United Nations take the role in policing world conflicts for a change. Then we can keep that money here in the “Homeland”, to rebuild not only our “public infrastructure”, but if you are concerned about road bridges floating away because the steel pilings have been dissolved to rust, take a look at the military bases in Alaska – aged is not even close a description, as these humongous structures were built in the 50s and basically falling apart! With limited loot, it appears that the “Brass” is once again taking back control over political “payback”. So with the air quality problems and high fuel cost problems now declared as “Disasters”, let's add another wrinkle to the map that makes it easy for the “Brass” to start turning off the lights here in Alaska – especially in the interior. When “Privatization” was introduced into Alaska, it was supposed to save money for the U.S. Taxpayers. Since inception back in 2010, the military brass “JAG” and local “private entity” attorneys have been duking it out, as Doyon Utilities - which operates all the utilities at the major bases in Alaska - they want more then what they signed up for, through negotiated contracts and hoping to double dip the original $1-billion award upwards to twice that amount. Which means the base utility infrastructure was cheaper to operate under civil service – which was the biggest joke and the reason we started looking for cost effective ways to do it cheaper! See, you don't mess with the U.S. ARMY and they have taken Doyon to task with this contract – but it has tarnished this state's relationship with Uncle Sam! And it has cost the U.S. Taxpayers $millions$ in litigating Doyon, so that adds into the equation, of an “unfriendly climate” to do military business. And let us not forget that the major refinery in the interior that at one time supplied jet fuel for military operations, it is today 99% mothballed. Yes, the Koch has packed up and left town due “ground water contamination” problems, which means we will never see another owner-operator of that world-class refinery in North Pole until such time that disaster is no longer a threat – and the way the plume is moving towards the Tanana, it will never be free and clear. So by Governor Walker declaring this “Disaster” for his friends in Fairbanks, it could be that "Sinker", “We're OUT”! There is a whole lot of pressure on the brass to relocate troops down south, to UTAH and California, as when it was realized that states must take some ownership of military presence for reasons of business necessity, some states decided to provide incentives to the “privatization” efforts – like eliminating “property taxation”. See, when under jurisdiction of the Federal government, no property taxes are paid to local governments for the military infrastructure – as it goes with the territory and that property remains under the ownership and jurisdiction of Uncle Sam – until the “Privatization” hits home. As soon as Ft. Wainwright went officially “Privatized”, the Fairbanks' tax assessor sent Doyon a bill, which was in the “$millions$, and the U.S. Taxpayers ended up paying even more for “Privatization”. In a recent report by the GAO, it is evident that in Alaska “Privatization” has failed in reducing the costs associated with military operations under “Privatization”, another blow to what will happen in the future with respect to keeping a troop presence. And an easy out for the brass, health effects for the troops when training in areas of Alaska with “Bad Air Quality”. And the air is so bad at Eielson due a power plant that is out of compliance, in efforts to keep that base in operation to support a questionable future which is now once again on the “maybe” list the day after Begich was unseated, well there ain't $300-Million to build a new power plant and to get a coal burning permit, keep dreaming - not when there are bases strategically located elsewhere that have cleaner fuel and associated costs along with a business climate that invites competition. So this “Disaster Declaration” may sound good to Bill's cronies, but it may have devastating side effects and be exactly what the “Brass” has been waiting for, "Catch On" – and it will come so fast and furious we will have no time to retreat! And when one considers how many in and around Fairbanks rely on a paycheck from Uncle Sam for a military base job, this is wherein we may see “Cronyism” backfire and payback amounting to, well may as well put the “Corruption” back in the “CBC”!