Attorney general concocts flimsy budget claim, hoping to give Dunleavy veto material

The memo is a weak attempt to give Dunleavy leverage in forcing the Legislature to advance his constitutional amendments. Holding schools hostage will do harm to Alaskans. It will do nothing to boost the governor’s plan.

Dermot ColeApril 11, 2019 Comments

Internal memo shows how state could have informed public about pollution levels

The state has implemented a double standard on providing drinking water to Alaskans living in areas where PFAS pollution has been detected.

Dermot ColeApril 11, 2019 Comments

Dunleavy administration signs off on higher pollution levels in drinking water

The state Department of Environmental Conservation says that it will now measure pollution levels from only two PFAS chemicals instead of six, meaning that the state will accept higher pollution levels in drinking water. Bad move by DEC Commissioner Jason Brune.

Dermot ColeApril 10, 2019 Comments

State Farm Insurance agent Dick Randolph insults Cole Brothers, defends Koch Brothers

What follows is the attack that State Farm Insurance agent Dick Randolph wrote about my twin brother and myself in the Daily News-Miner today. Dick’s insults don’t bother me. They encourage me.

Dermot ColeApril 10, 2019 Comments

Dunleavy changes story again on radical budget Senate GOP rejected two years ago

At a press conference Tuesday, Gov. Mike Dunleavy changed his story once again on his 2017 plan to cut $1.1 billion from the budget. The fiscal fantasy show goes on.

Dermot ColeApril 9, 2019 Comments

Right-wing group claims credit for Dunleavy effort to get 'different perspective' on budget

The right-wing Alaska Policy Forum was not enthusiastic about a recent column of mine in which I predicted that the right-wing Buckeye Institute in Ohio will give Gov. Mike Dunleavy exactly what he wants—research claiming that Alaska can’t afford a tax increase of any size or any kind.

Dermot ColeApril 9, 2019 Comments

DEC Commissioner halted PFAS regulations, but state website says it hasn't happened

There is uncertainty about this because it appears that Commissioner Jason Brune has yet to officially reject the PFAS regulations. Until that happens, all we have to go on is what DEC says on its site—that cleanup levels have been set for six chemicals in Alaska.

Dermot ColeApril 8, 2019 Comments

Still searching for the 2,000 funded but unfilled jobs

Pick your favorite number about unfilled positions—1,500, 2,000 or 3,000—and the hundreds of millions to be saved. The Dunleavy budget has proven that all of them were wrong.

Dermot ColeApril 8, 2019 Comments

Dunleavy keeps peddling false statistic on education expenses for instruction

Gov. Mike Dunleavy keeps spreading a false statistic about Alaska public school spending, unhindered by the facts.

Dermot ColeApril 7, 2019 Comments

Alaska DEC nominee misrepresents Alaska's standing on international mining survey

No one who reads this report can honestly conclude that “Alaska ranks behind the Congo on predictability of our permitting regime.”

Dermot ColeApril 6, 2019 Comments