Posted on 10/31/2011 10:24:16 PM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
Crony capitalism thrives in Alaska, center stage held by the Alaska Native Corporations (ANC).
From the pending shakedown of taxpayers through a wholesale land grab (S.730 and H.R.1408) to recent arrests of four people in one of the "most brazen federal contracting scandals in our nation's history," there seems to be no end to the scams, a consequence of an ANC system run amok.
It's not enough that over $29 billion of taxpayer money has been transferred to the ANCs under the 8(a) minority no-bid federal contracting scheme. The state's seemingly permanent political class has recently orchestrated sister bills in each chamber of Congress (S.730 and H.R.1408) to extend the literal reach of a single, billion-dollar ANC – Sealaska. Anyone concerned with the rampant growth of corporate giveaways in D.C. should be outraged over this land-grab legislation.
Lisa Murkowski, beneficiary of millions from ANCs for her write-in campaign last fall, sponsored S.730 that was introduced barely four months after her improbable write-in victory was finalized. This bill has just one co-sponsor (besides Alaska's junior senator), and the House version, voted out of committee in July, has just five voting co-sponsors.
Sealaska is one of 13 ANCs that were set up under the 1971 land claims settlement, originally conceived with a unique and noble idea: profit-making enterprises to create economic independence for the native populations. However, they have failed miserably to improve the lives of the vast majority of natives, while at the same time enriching the executives who then brazenly support the politicians who grease this cozy arrangement. It seems anyone who speaks out against the corruption is promptly silenced, whether it is a concerned native or a politician.
(Excerpt) Read more at wnd.com ...
I used to live in Alaska. One would think, that in the largest state in the union BY FAR, that someone would have no trouble finding a cheap tract of land off the highway somewhere, even ONE acre, to have a low-cost recreational getaway spot.
If you do think that, you'd be wrong. Almost any rural land accessible by road is either owned by the feds, the state, or the native corporations. Private accessible land in Alaska is no more available there than it is in the lower 48, maybe even less so, and it's a damned shame. Especially for a state with as much practically limitless land as Alaska.
They were supposed to give the Ak Natives independence and replace the Tribes. They have taken all the good available land and won't let anyone else trespass on it. They cry Native Rights and subsistance as they ride around on the White Man's snowmobiles, shoot the White man's rifles, and eat the White man's food along with his alcohol. Then they get all the smaller Govt contracts (no bid), to help them to equality?
He!!' without the white man they would still be in the stone age.
Pretty good bunch, the Indians in our village, even a few Republican Indians who are Viet vets and a bunch more who vote fill out their absentee ballots for Republicans; so don't be hatin them all. I know as I witness them.
Ya know, they have lost everything they started with. They didn't have the financial or legal where with all to stop it. When they stood up and tried to fight it, they took all their kids off of them and sent them to orphanage/schools and they didn't see their kids until they did as they were told, no joke. Wife and I have taught in a few Villages, ugly no good dirty hated white boy teacher; but they treated me better than we have treated them.
So when I see a new village hall being built, or a new clinic, or a new day care center or new church, or even a new steambath; I don't get upset. I see all the Whites using their same services, even though the Indians don't have to permit this. Indians ain't quite as greedy as us Whites and haven't lost their sense of sharing what little they got.
Much of this grant money, corp money does filter down to local community and benefits the entire community, Us Whites be lost if we couldn't access their services, being 500 miles from nearest clinic and the road closed for winter.
Anyway it shakes out the Indians have lost way more than they have gained from our govt. I really think the Indians think it's how the system just works. You have to be the only White Boy in Nativeland, go through that reverse racism for about a year and then figure them Indians out and understand what we have taken off them.
No offense, living a couple miles from a village, you see the truth of the situation.
There's native land for sale all over the place and it's priced cheap if yu don't act like a fool to them; then it wouldn't be for sale.
They have their problems with the booze, like Indians everywhere, but I'd never judge them on that as I have seen the good in them as a people too.
I plant 3-4 hundred lb seed tatoes every May. I sent over 1500 lb to Indian friends from Canada to Anchorage. I wouldn't do this except it's a way I can repay what they have done for me. I get along with them fine.
After reading that the only Offense (being a White Man) is that F%^$ing Government has squat to do with anything other than collecting Taxes ... face it ... not a lot of shovel ready jobs .. bridges, roads etc are going to happen in your neck of the woods...
You have (and I am so Jealous)the most perfect reason to tell the Govt to F#$% Off and leave you alone and you INVITE THEM IN?
DUMBEST thing I think I have ever seen or heard of (second only to the 43% that still support 0bama)
TT
They didn't lose Murkowski.../s
Ya, and I didn’t vote for her either and I know over a half dozen Indians in our village who voted for Miller too; I witnessed and mailed their absentee ballots. Murkowski promised them all the gold they could eat and she won by 10K votes over it. Rather than shower the Indians with grant money, we should follow Canada’s plan. In Canada, they provide training and jobs. Most Indians screw up 2-3 times due to the alcohol then straighten out and are productive citizens. In Canada, it’s the carrot & stick. In order to get welfare they must work 20 hours a week for govt. Most decide pretty quick to get it together and have a real job. In the USA, we just practice the genocide with alcohol and wait for thee problem to go away, been watching it for 20 years. Thats why I don’t get upset when I see clinics built with corp money and such.
We taxpayers own 69% of Alaska.
But the remaining portion is still 1-1/2 times the size of Texas.
I don’t doubt that the remaining portion is 1-1/2 times the size of Texas, but good luck getting to it by motor vehicle.
Seriously? Do you really believe that as a mere taxpayer, that you have a real ownership stake in *anything* in Alaska or anywhere else?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.