Gattis claims are mere “puffery”

It is a political season and the “puffery” from those seeking re-election is overwhelming. Rep. Lynn Gattis, District 7- Wasilla, has sent two newsletters recently (on state funds) to the voters. In them she asserts credit for obtaining quite a number of things for Wasilla, which is without merit. Among them are $1 million-plus for police dispatch upgrades, $900,000 for water utility and $180,000 for a Lake Lucille weed harvester.

Not true Lynn Gattis.

The police and water utility improvements dollars stemmed from a long-past appropriation for Wasilla, which was never spent on the original project. These dollars are a re-appropriation pre-dating the creation of District 7 and Rep. Lynn Gattis, meaning they are dollars considered budgeted and spent by the State several years ago. The city of Wasilla pushed the re-appropriation and legislative legal writes the request.

The money for the lake weed harvester was again a re-appropriation. In 2011 the city, when the legislature was not in session sought help from the governor to replace the wooden dam at Lake Lucille, which was threatening to breach. The governor from his direct discretionary funds granted the city $500,000 dollars. The city re-placed the dam with a steel construction and brought it in way under budget. The city saved $183,000 dollars and asked that the balance be placed against a weed harvester not only for use at Lake Lucille, but also Wasilla Lake. This again pre-dated Rep. Lynn Gattis.

Gattis asserts other “claims” to successes for this district too numerous to list here, but again her claims are mere “ puffery.” The dollars that Wasilla sought for two years and have been at the top of the Library Grant List of the state is actually $8.2 million. Gattis only secured $1.7 million of the total amount. Both Juneau and Anchorage made the grab at the dollars. In the Anchorage matter the citizens in that city wouldn’t pass a vote for re-model dollars for the Loussac Library, but somehow they managed to snatch $10.5 million for libraries and they are not even at this point qualified for that special grant.

What happened Lynn Gattis? It is probably high time you practice the maxim “to get equity you must do equity” instead of serving your political handlers and self-interest. You are supposed to serve the people of District 7 of which the city of Wasilla is a large part, not us serving you.

Verne Rupright, Mayor, city of Wasilla