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Kyle Hopkins
Kyle Hopkins writes about Anchorage city government and politics. He covered last year's campaign for governor, and has blogged extensively about Alaska politics for the past year. He grew up in Southeast Alaska and was a reporter at the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner and Anchorage Press. E-mail Kyle at khopkins@adn.com
Sean Cockerham
Sean Cockerham writes about Alaska state politics. He spent three years based in Juneau for the Daily News before joining the Tacoma News-Tribune two years ago to write about Washington state politics. He went to Iraq twice for the News Tribune, and previously wrote about Alaska government and politics for the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. Now he's back in Anchorage. E-mail Sean at scockerham@adn.com
Erika Bolstad
Erika Bolstad covers Alaska issues, including the congressional delegation, from Washington, D.C., for McClatchy Newspapers. Before joining the bureau this summer, she spent seven years as a reporter at the Miami Herald, where she covered politics, government and the state legislature. E-mail Erika at ebolstad@adn.com.
Browne withdraws - 5/13/2008 12:33 pm
Larry Bird vs. Georgianna Lincoln - 5/13/2008 11:39 am
An Alaskan VP? - 5/13/2008 7:48 am
ANWR vote...sort of - 5/13/2008 6:57 am
Palin to call special session - 5/12/2008 6:06 pm
Campaign season - 5/12/2008 5:32 pm
Gara's fundraising - 5/12/2008 5:10 pm
AK superdelegate update - 5/9/2008 3:56 pm
'Fairbanks what!' - 5/9/2008 10:19 am
Jackson Q&A - 5/8/2008 7:15 pm
Health commissioner resigns - 5/8/2008 4:17 pm
Surreality recap - 5/8/2008 2:50 pm
The prosecutors - 5/8/2008 1:14 pm
Full Kohring statement: 'I refuse to cower ...' - 5/8/2008 12:30 pm
A ride home - 5/8/2008 11:53 am
The judge - 5/8/2008 10:46 am
42 months - 5/8/2008 10:32 am
Hitchhiking to court - 5/8/2008 10:00 am
'I'm here to proclaim my innocence' - 5/8/2008 9:24 am
'Old Valley' - 5/8/2008 9:07 am
At the courthouse - 5/8/2008 8:39 am
Where they make their money - 5/7/2008 5:42 pm
Posted by Alaska_Politics
Posted: May 8, 2008 - 7:15 pm
From Kyle in Anchorage --
The Health and Social Services Department’s duties include looking after the young, old and needy. It runs the state Pioneer Homes for seniors, distributes food stamps and oversees Medicaid programs.
Karleen Jackson, the commissioner since 2005, resigned this week.
Below are excerpts from a quick Q&A I had with Jackson this afternoon about her resignation. While Jackson said she and the governor’s team disagreed on where the Department should go over the next two years, she declined to give details.
I wasn't able to reach Gov. Sarah Palin.
Meantime, you might want to check out Economist Gregg Erickson's column from February, where he described tension between Jackson and some legislators.
Here’s the Q&A:
Why are you resigning?
Jackson: Well, I sat down with the governor and some folks in her office, and we chatted about where things have been, and what we’ve been doing the last couple years, and looking ahead and moving the department forward in the next couple years, because we’re sort of at the half time of the four year administration. And there were some differences of opinions between myself and some of the governor’s office staff on how to get where we’re going ...
You said you had a difference of opinion. On what, specifically?
You know, really it was just on how to get where we’re going in the next couple years and what’s important is the governor’s vision, and the way that she and her folks want to move forward, is what needs to be primary. And because those weren’t totally aligned, then we need to make sure there is total alignment.
...
We’re getting into about two years that the governor's been in office. I mean, have you been frustrated in this past year or two?
No I wouldn’t say I’ve been frustrated. It’s certainly been a wild ride. There’s been a thousand moving pieces going on, and I wouldn’t, I wouldn’t change having gone through the process of this last couple years at all. It’s been a very interesting learning experience and uh, a former commissioner used to say that commissioners age in dog years, and I think that’s absolutely true.
It’s a good time to assess, halfway through the administration, where we’re at, and it’s a good time for me to make a change and for the governor to make a change, and I think it’s going to have a positive outcome all the way around.
...
I don’t mean to belabor it, but the health department obviously is responsible for a lot of important things. You’d think people would want to know if there are problems within the department, or if you feel like the state’s headed in the wrong direction or has the wrong priorities … that’s a valuable thing for the public to know.
I hear what you’re saying, but you know the department as you said is so big. The frustration everyone feels, from the governor's office to the department to the citizens of Alaska -- is how do you balance all those needs against all the rest of the needs in the state for infrastructure, and all the other pieces and parts of what we want in our life in Alaska against the budget and revenues and the resources that we have of all different kinds.
It’s a constant balancing act, and so no, I don’t think there’s some big story there that the world needs to know about what’s wrong or what’s missing. It’s simply a matter of everybody trying to balance all the pieces.
...
You said you asked for the meeting, did she at any point ask you to resign?
No she did not. Nope. We had the meeting on Monday. I offered to give her my resignation. She said she appreciated that I was willing to put that on the table. We discussed lots of issues…
It was a thoughtful process. I know it probably seems really fast, but these are fast-paced jobs.
...
This comes soon after the chief of staff stepped down. Are those two things in any way related?
No they are not … I didn’t have a conversation with the chief of staff before or after he resigned about what he was doing. It was a different event.
May 10, 2008 - 9:48am | inawe1
Dogone couldn't agree with you more,
And while they are putting in the new administration lets have an investigation concerning the usage of funds previously given to this department. Follow the money and hold them accountable.
8 May 9, 2008 - 10:27pm | Black3
DHSS is fundamentally unmanageable.
Perhaps the greatest improvement that could be made in the department is to disqualify anyone with a social sciences background from any supervisory or managerial position; those people are absolutely incapable of making a critical judgement or making a firm decision.
It is fundamentally a money laundry for all sorts of non-profits and quasi-governmentals. Janet Clark, longtime Admin Svcs. Director and Deputy Commissioner, kept the monetary balls in the air and nobody was ever really brave enough to ask her where the money went; Janet asked for money and the Leg gave it to her. Somebody smarter than me can figure that out. Well, Janet is gone now and I suspect you'll see a lot more wheels go clattering to the curb over the next few months.
May 11, 2008 - 6:07pm | TheSdog
You are certainly right on this one.
A whole lot of money being circulated around for unclear purposes. Of course, plenty of it goes for paying salaries of people who it is unclear what they do.
It is one department that should be torn apart and rebulit with many people being given pink slips.
May 12, 2008 - 7:32am | Black3
It is one department where all the bad things
people say about government are generally true. It fairly screams for delivery of service workers, CNAs, Eligibility Techs, LPNs, RNs, Social Workers, etc, but has more administrative and "managerial" overhead than a coal mine. Only DOT&PF is in the same league with having Deputy Assistants to the Assistant Deputy; every manager and appointee has a retinue of briefcase toters and door openers. Last I looked, when you could still identify them, DHSS had tons of "temporary exempts" on exception pay, the preferred way of giving somebody's pet a nice job they're not qualified for and paying them more than those paltry salaries in statute and the labor agreements.
All that said, any Governor that tried to seriously muck it out would be excoriated by the Left and the media. As soon as you started cutting the drones and pets, there'd be a drumbeat about how terrible you were to cut loose these "dedicated public servants" in the name of nasty stuff like efficiency and economy. After all, "the most vulnerable among us" shouldn't be subject to things like efficiency and economy.
I never knew Jackson well, so I don't know what kind of manager she was, but it really doesn't matter. If you do anything that the congenital 'crats over there don't like, they start leaking, thwarting, and sabotageing, so you'll be perceived as a failed manager. The surest way to be criticized as a State manager is to actually do something. Murkowski's first DHSS Commissioner had it right: move some furniture, redraw some org charts, do a lot of happy, happy press releases about what a wonderful job you're doing and parlay it all into a real good job somewhere else before anybody figures out that you haven't done a thing.
May 9, 2008 - 11:21pm | Cartman3_15
Are some of those nonprofits and
quasi-governmentals the organizations that "manage" the in-home adult-care services? I've heard that system is rife with mismanagement and backward priorities.
May 9, 2008 - 10:37pm | dogone
They didn't get thru the 8th grade for nothin...
Right you are B3. Could DHSS pleeze implement a professional dress-code for these money-rider managerial level bullies. I can hear the clicketty-clack as the ivory towers crumble.
7 May 9, 2008 - 2:09pm | sgitrak
This is my favorite line from Kyle's post...
"I wasn't able to reach Gov. Sarah Palin."
Try this....next time you leave a message for the guv, tell her that you are writing a story about her great management skills.
I bet she'll be on the phone with a return call by the time you hang up from leaving the message.
May 10, 2008 - 10:19pm | dogone
Well, she is beautiful, inside and out. That always poses jealousy issues for those who are not.
May 12, 2008 - 3:55pm | _Syrin
It does seem like you did have an intimate encounter with Sarah, you wouldn't be the only one. Right? jealous of being a 44 year old with an infant... Sure. She is ugly and quite an inept individual. Your observation is quite false......To support Sarah's inability to work with others, her lack of understanding of legislative issues, and the fact that she is totally devoid of fiscal understanding is perpetuating fraud, a lie of the century upon the state and country.
May 10, 2008 - 10:39pm | haut_monde_ak
Do you have intimate experience with the Governor...
since you know she's beautiful on the inside?
So does a person's relative attractiveness automatically make them competent? If so, that would exclude thousands and thousands of successful people who would not be viewed as attractive.
Claiming one to be jealous is just such a ridiculous notion utilized by individuals like yourself who cannot come up with a single argument otherwise.
Governor Palin attractive? Yes. Competent, knowledgeable and experienced, suitable for the job she is in? No.
Would you have voted for her if she wasn't attractive? What is she looked like Frank's daughter instead? Will you support her as she ages, which she will?
I want a leader who can assure economic security for my children's futures. Period. Don't care one iota what they look like.
And, oh by the way, I'm a very attractive female, blond, size 6, 5'9" tall, athletic, but best of all- intelligent. I was raised by the mantra: looks are fleeting but your brain is always with you.
Now can we move on to real issues here?
May 11, 2008 - 9:03am | lotsofpipe
So you call Franks daughter a dog
Then you tell us all how pretty you are, beautiful you describe yourself and you call yourself smart actually a genius. Ok Ok. If it makes you feel better to insult Lisa by calling her a mangy old skank and yourself a genetic wonderkind fine. I happen to think Lisa is not a dog but you sound like a Self centered nasty B. Grow up. Being mean to women like Franks daughter who you ridicule for looking like she fell out of the ugly tree hitting every branch on the way down won't make you prettier or smarter. It just makes you look small and petty and I don't think it's any of our business whether your bigger than Lisa in the Bra department. Keep it to yourself.
May 12, 2008 - 4:17pm | JakeW
Actually lotsofpipe, read the blog again. Haut never says Lisa Murkowski is unattractive. She asks you whether you would vote for Palin if Palin was unattractive. Then she asks if you would vote for her if "she looked like Frank's daughter instead"? While the implication is that Palin may be MORE physically attractive than Murkowski, she doesn't at all say that she's unattractive.
It is in fact YOU who mentions Lisa Murkowski in the same sentence as "a mangy old skank", something that was never suggested. If you spend all your time concentrating on who's falling or not falling out of the ugly tree, then that apparently says a lot about your priorities and what's important to you. I think you will find many people who don't share your values.
May 11, 2008 - 9:39am | haut_monde_ak
I actually quite like Lisa Murkowski, though I didn't care for how she was appointed by her father. I think she has proven herself over time to be effective at what she does. My opinion of her has changed with time- all for the better. Just wait though, when Palin goes up against her in 2010 this will end up a beauty contest- shame! (I've never watched one ever- get my point?)
You missed the point, pipe. People pick on Frank for his looks, and glow about Sarah for hers. Referencing Palin as a daughter of Frank had nothing to do with Lisa, just looks in general.
The whole point of my post, which you again missed, was for people to get off the whole "Palin is so beautiful" thing which we have heard ad nauseam. I only highlighted myself to prove a point about the stupidity of jealousy; I don't care for Palin but that has nothing to do with being jealous of her.
So Palin fans can go on and on about Palin's looks yet a blogger can't discuss hers and how it's not the issue???
"Keep it to yourself." I agree. I think everyone should stop with the looks comments and get on with discussing the issues only.
If being a straight-A student all the while working through college with sometimes 2 jobs (during the summers), paying 100% of my education makes me a genius- hey, I'll take it! Thanks! That's a nice thing to say on Mother's Day.
PS> "Wonderkind" is actually "Wunderkind"- German in origin. Child prodigy or super successful at a young age? Not me.
May 11, 2008 - 9:40am | _Syrin
at this point Lisa was voted into her current position by Alaskans. I do feel that all should get over the appointment. A governor had the right to do so at that time. She of any currently serving in this state, is a real Alaskan and quite competent to handle the job, any job.
May 11, 2008 - 9:51am | haut_monde_ak
Didn't like it at the time but my opinion of her has changed. She's proved herself, unlike our Governor who has proved only one thing....she's attractive.
Gas pipeline, energy issues, high heating costs, health care, crime/safety, long-term economic outlook... those are the things I want to hear about. None of these can be affected by any amount of Botox.
And from the sounds of it so far, she was a much better appointee than some of Palin's are proving to be!
6 May 9, 2008 - 9:37am | Stags_Leap
interesting piece in the Juneau Empire, which illustrates the inherent problems with Palin's inability to run a government.
http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/050908/sta_277395924.shtml
Halcro's blog also has a copy of Elton's newsletter quoting some DOT emails. Very interesting. This is all factual information.
5 May 9, 2008 - 9:24am | juno
How many communications people does it take to screw in a light bulb? The bs hit the fan on Monday when Jackson met with Palin. Here it is Friday and still no word from the 3rd floor. Lack of leadership and communication? Blackberry not working?
May 9, 2008 - 3:29pm | _Syrin
Blackberry On? Helllooo Sarah way up in the heavens...do you hear us down here? Not DC-In Alaska.. Do what is proper and nobel...Sarah RESIGN- Everyone in Juneau says you are a one term kinda guv.
Juno
That is funny and true
May 9, 2008 - 9:27am | AK_Lady
How many communications people does it take...
to charge a Blackberry?
4 May 9, 2008 - 8:45am | Valley_Dude
Palin's vision of health care:
Don't get sick.
Her health care task force meets for a year, has one concrete recommendation - to increase Denali Kid Care to 200% of federal poverty level. Senate passes that recommendation, Palin refuses to support it, bill dies in Republican House.
3 May 9, 2008 - 7:21am | dab
Jackson will move on to other thing--So will Alaskans.
We thank you for your time spent--and wish you well.
The administration will make many changes as all of them do--I think everyone has been very professional.
Good luck to all and to the replacement, you will also have the support of Alaskans.
May 9, 2008 - 8:07am | Stags_Leap
Jackson is just one of a growing number of senior managers abandoning the listless Palin ship. Jackson wasn't the first, and she won't be the last.
2 May 8, 2008 - 10:39pm | lotsofpipe
Her resignation will have positive results
Gov. Palin is a class act. Allowing a commissioner to resign who is clearly not able to perform the job rather than face the humiliation of being fired is the mark of a strong executive. Hats off to the gov. Best of luck to Jackson.
May 9, 2008 - 8:10am | sgitrak
but you'll need to sell that at the corner store because no one is buying it here.
Jackson quit because Palin has no plan for health care and refuses to exercise any leadership in addressing real problems.
Repealing the CON (the only health care policy that Palin pushed) does nothing to help more Alaskans afford health care coverage and the attempt fell flat in the legislature.
Palin's health care task force that spent an entire year looking at issues offered no real solutions and they didn't even include critical stakeholders on the panel.
HHS is a tough enough position, but having no direction or commitment from your boss makes it worse.
May 10, 2008 - 10:25pm | dogone
KJ screwed up the Imaging groups in Fairbanks and Valley. Didn't get along with the legislature. Let OCS have a bully attitude. Seniors were dropped on the floor, figuratively and literally. She wasn't able to handle the job, and there are many others who can ! Top down clean-out, at last !
May 9, 2008 - 10:06am | akhalfwit
She was hired by Murkowski and reappointed by Palin to do a job
She didn't do the job so she quit the job. What's the governor supposed to do with a Commish that isn't doing the job? Make her stay on the job and continue not doing the job when she could go do a job someplace where she has the ability to do the job? You need to quit hanging around the corner store doing whatever job it is you do there.
May 9, 2008 - 1:24pm | sgitrak
Looking at Palin's Corrections Commissioner...
the correct answer would be to keep them around if they can't do the job.
May 10, 2008 - 10:38pm | dogone
I am glad she was fired and quit the job
AK Halfwit, you are hilarious.
May 9, 2008 - 9:28am | Stags_Leap
earth to akgen, come in akgen, can you hear me?
any high profile position that wants future employment in the same state isn't going to publicly criticize their boss on the way out the door. But if you listen to the numerous people who actually work in the administration -when the press isn't there, they will collectively tell you that Governor Palin hasn't been providing any leadership or vision, since she took office. The job of governor is more than a photo shoot and media spin. You actually have to oversee multiple departments -to esnure that state services are functioning well. You can't just ignore your day-to-day responsibilties -and delegate it out.
May 9, 2008 - 10:13am | akallegro
has never heard of Tom Irwin.
"any high profile position that wants future employment in the same state isn't going to publicly criticize their boss on the way out the door"
May 9, 2008 - 1:21pm | sgitrak
you paid for with that guy.
Hey Tom, now that you've killed any hope of a gas pipeline are you going to Disneyland?
1 May 8, 2008 - 9:57pm | juno
Palin's vision on health care? Fly by the seat of your pants
That was her vision in 2006. Nothing has changed. Check out Palin's Alaska Health Care Strategies Planning Council. On the top of the member list here is Sara's very own trusted "fly the frendly skies" doctor.
May 9, 2008 - 5:24am | just_a_note
FYI , Dr. CBJ is a very trusted and talented OB GYN. She SHOULD be on that council as she contirbutes far more than many. Have YOU ever heard her speak? JUNO might not be able to understand her, but those of us who deal with her trust her judgement and find her to be a leader in her field.
May 9, 2008 - 9:23am | haut_monde_ak
CBJ is not an OB/GYN, she is a family-practitioner who delivers babies in addition to all of the other aspects of health care she has to manage. She has a very good reputation in her community as a family practitioner.
If you truly dealt with her as you stated then you would have known that.
May 11, 2008 - 4:14pm | just_a_note
I stand corrected. I have never been a patient of CBJ's but I knew she delivered many babies in the valley. Made an assumption, I guess. BUT, I have worked with her and know that a very many people hold her in high esteem. She is very intelligent and her concern for children, especially those who haven't gotten the best deal in life, is impressive. You can knock her all you want about her involvment as Sarah Palin's Dr. and the delivery of Trig but YOU were not there and are not privy to more than minimal information. Do you really think those whose mission in life is to find fault with Palin know more than her doctor? Oh, I forget, you are one of them!
May 11, 2008 - 5:08pm | haut_monde_ak
CBJ is highly regarded- agreed.
However, the facts surrounding the delivery of Palin's son were made public by the Palins themselves. They should be afforded privacy for their private lives; however, that wasn't their choice.
Of course I was not privy to the aspects of Palin's delivery; however, having had years and years of L&D experience I can assure you there are standards of care established by ACOG (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) that ALL physicians are expected to comply with (in the case of an FP they are obligated to the standards of the particular situation they are dealing with, ie. obstetrics or pediatrics, etc). The situation with Palin's delivery, again put out for public consumption by the Palin family, has many in the medical community concerned.
When one becomes a public figure one can expect their private life to carry over into their public life, otherwise, why is it any of our business if a politician has an affair, etc. when adultery isn't a criminal act? I'm not condoning this, but isn't that the business of the couple? No, it leads one to question the politician's morals and values.
There's one question everyone should be asking Governor Palin: what was the reason you chose to travel trans-continentally without a hands-on medical evaluation to ensure the baby's well-being via fetal monitoring? After all, isn't she pro-life? If she can knowingly risk her child's life, what else is she capable of? Please don't question my experience, after all, babies have been coming out of women the same way for centuries. The difference is we know more now and have the technology to improve outcomes.
If in doubt I would encourage you to ask you or your wife's OB/GYN if they would recommend air travel if you have preterm premature rupture of membranes. My OB/GYN advises against ANY air travel after 28 weeks. It's simply not worth the risk. I have been involved personally with numerous inflight emergencies and shudder at the thought of how to resuscitate a newborn with the equipment available on board.
May 11, 2008 - 4:11pm | just_a_note
I stand corrected. I have never been a patient of CBJ's but I knew she delivered many babies in the valley. Made an assumption, I guess. BUT, I have worked with her and know that a very many people hold her in high esteem. She is very intelligent and her concern for children, especially those who haven't gotten the best deal in life, is impressive. You can knock her all you want about her involvment as Sarah Palin's Dr. and the delivery of Trig but YOU were not there and are not privy to more than minimal information. Do you really think those whose mission in life is to find fault with Palin know more than her doctor? Oh, I forget, you are one of them!
May 8, 2008 - 10:02pm | akallegro
just because Tony gave you and your husband jobs and let you spend the state into a 10 billion dollar hole doesn't mean his plan was good.
Some folks think not paying more than you have is a bad idea. Going way out on the limb some think paying a little less then you have is a good idea.
Your a (exposed) political hack and have no clue on developing a plan. To you it just means give every one that can improve your political position what they want regardless of costs exceeding revenue.
Try to lose the bitterness, cling to the memories you have of the good old days when Tony would let you do whatever you wanted as long as it didn't get bad press.
Keep chucking your rocks at least your entertaining.
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9 May 9, 2008 - 10:29pm | dogone
James Steele, Josh Fink and KJ all had to go
The old regime,old boys, and old skull-duggery days are over. OPA and OCS need over-haul & new in-house training, start with firings in the Valley OCS. The Imaging group was a huge Oooops, right KJ. OCS is not lifting up families. The bully days are gone and done. The circle is complete and Lady Justice had her day with the corrupt legislators and these incompetents too. Thanks to the new Admin.
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