Actions fall short of education rhetoric

March 10, 2006

Editor's note: The following are excerpts from the weekly Juneau Reports of Wasilla resident and Legislature watchdog Myrl Thompson.

&#8220The feeble tremble before opinion, the foolish defy it, the wise judge it, the skillful direct it.”

- Jeanne Manon Roland (guillotined 1793)

Ready to Read, Ready to Learn Task Force

In a March 1 press release by Rep. Mark Neuman, R-Mat-Su, headlines claim &#8220House Education Committee to hear Presentation by Ready to Read, Ready to Learn Task Force.” Nancy Murkowski chairs the task force.

About 20 task force members flew in for the presentation and to meet with legislators. The meeting featured presentations on the economic return of investing in early childhood education. Statistics from Alaska 20/20 show a drop in emergent reading, writing and problem-solving during the last four years.

The presentations stressed the importance of early education, and how investing in young minds has a huge payoff later. Not just for individuals but for society in general. Less criminality, welfare and remediation at school are just some of the many benefits.

Alaska is one of only 12 states that doesn't have state-funded pre-kindergarten programs.

At almost the same time, a House Finance budget subcommittee reduced the governor's FY 07 request for the Department of Education and Early Development by 12 percent. Democrats tried to raise the allocation numbers through various amendments, but they all failed on a 4-2 party-line vote.

I suppose that our children are not our most important resource, at this time. The children may be ready to read, ready to learn, but the majority legislators may not be there quite yet.

HB 344 DMV &#8220business partners bill”

The proposed bill by Reps. Vic Kohring, R-Mat-Su, and Jay Ramras, R-Fairbanks, was hit with too many good questions and had to do some re-shuffling. Monday, a new committee substitute was scheduled to be heard in House State Affairs.

The guise is still the reduction of waiting lines at DMV, but the sponsors have offered to make the business partners disclose to their customers any fees that they charge them. This doesn't change the fact that $2.8 million in five years will leave the state coffers and land in the cash registers of the &#8220business partners.”

The business partners still get to double dip, from the looks of things.

The new bill also has a new attachment in the packet. This connects the need for this bill to the war on terrorism. Yes, you read that correctly! … The advanced business partners are a frontline of defense for our protection against terrorists. Maybe the $2.8 million over five years is small payment for all the protection that the car dealerships will provide us.

SB 186 Executive Ethics

Well, maybe strike three is not an out for big league slugger, Sen. Ralph Seekins, R-Fairbanks. It appears that House Rules Chair Norm Rokeberg might give Seekins an extra swing. He wouldn't be the first umpire to do that.

Instead of scheduling the revised ethics bill for a vote on the House floor, it seems Rokeberg has scheduled the bill for a March 14 hearing in his Rules Committee. If that turns out to be the case, then those nasty penalties could be added back on the good citizens of Alaska.

Rokeberg's record on ethics legislation is as shady as Seekins'. He is the legislator that entrenched closed-door meetings into Alaska statutes, and also allowed lobbyists to legally be behind those closed doors with him and his ilk. We will have to wait and see, but it doesn't look good from here.

Oil and Gas Committee

This is Rep. Kohring's committee. Bills he was scheduled to bring forward at his committee hearing Tuesday were:

€ HB 372 Exploration Incentive Credits;

€ HB 386 Extend North Slope Severance Tax Credit;

€ HB 223 Natural Gas Pipeline Incentive/Gas Tax

Do you notice a pattern here?

Myrl Thompson is a citizen lobbyist and former independent candidate for the state House. His Valley Voices guest column appears here every four weeks. Excerpts from his Juneau Reports appear sporadically.