It seems the governor’s office must like country music. Can’t argue with that choice. The lyrics speak of American dreams and heartbreaks.
What makes the songs so popular is that they tell stories, believable or not, such as the famous line: “That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.”
Sadly, that same line is essentially all the public is getting from the governor’s office to explain his decisions behind a dozen executive orders that will take effect unless rejected by the Legislature before mid-March.
While some of the orders are not controversial and some make a lot of sense, several have prompted a lot of questions from legislators and the public.
But rather than provide actual details of the whys and how comes, the governor’s office is pretty much sticking with its story: “One of Governor Dunleavy’s priorities is to make state government as efficient and effective as possible. Several executive orders transfer functions from boards and commissions to the relevant state department, which is in the best interest of efficient administration.”
That certainly doesn’t address the specifics of any of the orders. The public deserves more information.
One of Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s executive orders would remove from state law the Legislature’s authority to appoint members to the Alaska Marine Highway Operations Board, giving the governor sole authority to appoint the entire nine-member advisory board.
While consolidating the appointment authority entirely with the governor may be more efficient than sharing it with the Legislature, it seems to miss the point that the advisory board was created to provide oversight and a second opinion, not second the motion of whatever the administration wants to do.
Another of the executive orders would abolish the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve Advisory Council, which the Legislature created in 1982 to help guide management of the popular attraction that draws visitors from around the world to see hundreds of eagles feed on late-fall salmon runs near Haines. Diminishing community involvement in management decisions may be efficient, but it seems contrary to collaborative management of the state’s resources.
Another of Dunleavy’s orders would eliminate the Wood-Tikchik State Park Management Council, which provides local advice over nearly 1.6 million acres of land at the headwaters of Bristol Bay. Council members include representatives from the towns, villages and tribes surrounding the park. The council’s functions would be turned over to the Department of Natural Resources. Efficient, maybe, but insensitive to locals, possibly.
The governor’s office should provide more explanations for the executive orders so that legislators can decide whether to block or accept the actions.
And the public deserves to hear more of the governor’s story so that they can decide whether they like the song.
— Wrangell Sentinel
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