Off the record - a VIP policy letter from Senator Kim Elton

      George Bernard Shaw observed "if all economists were laid end to end, they would not reach a conclusion." Using this GBS theory, I know I'm not an economist because I've actually reached an economic conclusion: this administration is still hurting Juneau's economy.
      About 200 state positions left Juneau in the last couple years. The majority of those transferred positions are Range 18 (about $52,000 a year starting salary) or above. Conservatively, the payroll from those positions is in the neighborhood (though not our neighborhoods anymore) of $6 million a year. That money can't be spent on Juneau homes, in Juneau restaurants, at Juneau gas stations, or in Juneau stores.
      At the beginning of this year, after the first 136 positions skedaddled, I asked the governor's office to freeze transfers from Juneau unless the governor herself signed off on the transfers. That didn't happen. Since then another 62 jobs bled out of town. (I'd be unfair if I didn't note some jobs have capital transferred to Juneau but, for example, jobs from Juneau to Anchorage beat out jobs from Anchorage to Juneau by almost a 2.5 to 1 ratio.)
      After the 136-job hit sustained in Juneau at the start of the year, I passed on the list of Juneau jobs 'renditioned' to Anchorage to the Juneau Chamber of Commerce and others in the local business community. Juneau's public sector jobs provide much of the protein for the private sector. But the steady drip of about two jobs each and every week from Juneau has not been part of the business chatter.
      That's too bad because the business voices add significant weight to the jobs debate--the mayor and the legislative delegation cannot be perceived as the only ones in Juneau concerned about job attrition. It's too bad because the drip can become a waterfall.
      And let's be clear, we cannot be comforted by the notion we remain the capital city. The Washington Post reported just a few weeks ago that Todd Palin called Speaker of the House John Harris to argue for moving the capital to Anchorage. That phone call prompts this niggling thought: failing to get legislation to move the capital, is the plan to move it by erosion in Juneau and accretion in Anchorage?
      I offer as grist for that disturbing thought: seven commissioners, eight deputy commissioners, and 13 employees in the guv's office are outta here since Gov. Palin was elected. Then the governor spent 312 days of her first 570 days in office collecting per diem while living in the Mat-Su and we don't even get the benefit of Palin's per diem checks--she collected them while living at her home in Wasilla so those checks, along with her salary, are mostly spent up north.
      All this leaves me thinking along the lines of George Bernard Shaw: if all the employees leaving Juneau were laid end-to-end, do they point toward Anchorage?

Highballing--During a recent NBC interview with evening news anchor Brian Williams, Presidential hopeful John State Office Bldg.

McCain said Gov. Palin managed a state with 24,000 employees while restating her qualifications for the vice-presidency. Gov. Palin nodded in agreement. The actual number of state employees is closer to 15,000. If there really are plans by the governor to add another 9,000 employees, we need to start work now to make sure some come to Juneau and Southeast (see the column in this newsletter).

Say it ain't so--Sticking with the jobs and Juneau theme of this week's column, at least one of my staff members is now worried the governor will also want to move her favorite shoe store (Shoefly), and reportedly the governor's favorite, to Anchorage.

Post(erboard)card from New York--An anonymous critic mailed a hand cut 12x20 inch postcard this week. In block printing on the front it reads: "You can't fool the real Judge." On the back were three handwritten Bible verses regarding false witness, lying lips and slanderers. Of the thousands of emails, phone calls, and cards and letters I've received pro and con about the Legislative Council investigation of Troopergate, this is the most memorable. FYI, it only took four first class stamps to get it here.

What if?--A constituent emailed a noodling thought: "It would be fun if state employees, summoned to meet with Todd Palin, sent their spouses instead." He was, of course, referring to the now infamous January 2007 meeting the first gentleman had with then Public Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan to discuss the future employment of Trooper Wooten. It's an amusing thought and leads to the obvious question of what would Sarah have thought if Walt actually had sent his wife to meet with Sarah's husband?