The right-wing political group Americans for Prosperity has hijacked our state government. Writing a letter or holding a sign doesn’t seem an effective way to protest this malevolent intrusion. Deep-pocket super PACs can contribute unlimited dark money to influence elections, leaving the average voter next to powerless. We have just seen that our loud and vigorous protest didn’t sway the out-of-state super PAC agenda on rejecting the recent budget vetoes.
There are a couple tangible options we can work on to influence this negative imbalance. First, we the people of Alaska can sponsor a referendum to create our own corporation so that the people manage and control our mineral wealth, not the state. The corporation would not be controlled by political shills or corporate greed (hopefully), but by a board of elected experts from our community. This idea has been discussed for years, but doesn’t gain any movement because most politicians and the oil companies are very opposed to the idea. I have heard the name “Alaska Public Minerals Corporation” as a possible name for our new corporation.
The super PAC and corporate response to this idea when it becomes a referendum is predictable. Their technique will be the same one used to win this last governor’s election, and to repeal Alaska’s Clear and Equitable Share Act in 2014. They employ a tactic of “flashcard democracy” in which money is thrown at all manner of media repeating a two- or three-phrase mantra into everyone’s brain until even those of above-average intelligence start to believe it. This media blitz should be anticipated.
Second, we can back the Move to Amend, which supports a constitutional amendment stating that corporations are not people and don’t have constitutional rights. Since the Supreme Court decision in Citizens United vs. the Federal Election Commission in 2010, unlimited spending (including by foreign entities) is allowed to influence elections, making democracy a joke. Sharman Haley has had a couple great opinion pieces in the ADN about this issue.
It’s time we level the playing field and form our own mineral wealth corporation that is based in Alaska, run by Alaskans.
— Jeff Brownlee
Chugiak
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