News from Patrick Flynn

Today I have two exciting developments to announce.  First, the web gremlins inform me that e-mail notification of new blog postings is again working (presuming I remember to click the right box, we’ll test that with this post).  Second, and more importantly, it’s time for our third installment of Assembly insider baseball!

For newer readers unfamiliar with how this works here’s the quick summary; I list 11 facts with varying levels of opacity concerning Assembly members and readers get to guess which fact describes which member.  And, by the way, I still make no apologies if something appears to point to more than one person.  As an added bonus, this time we’ll add our mayor into the mix (those good at math know that means 12 facts).  Here goes;

1. My prediction: this individual is the least likely to publicly insert her- or himself into the recent scheduling conflict at Sullivan Arena.
2. Perhaps surprisingly, recently I received an e-mail from this person asserting that Dick Traini is the progressive choice for the open midtown Assembly seat.
3. Addiction alert: at least one member of municipal government has attended the last two occurrences of the Olympic games.  Seems to be a habit-forming endeavor…
4. During a break at a recent meeting this individual groused to one of my colleagues about how slowly a local bank and its designated assessor were moving, thereby delaying a commercial construction project.
5. This local leader recently acquired a piece of somewhat-heavy equipment to aid in a property-improvement project.
6. Believe it or not at least one Anchorage elected official was related to Juanita Helms, the former two-term Fairbanks North Star Borough mayor.
7. One of my colleagues has surprised even those with shared political philosophy by expressing interest in serving as Assembly Chair after the April election (clue here; Mayor Sullivan can’t be the answer to this one, nor can those retiring from the Assembly).
8. When scheduling appointments recently this individual has offered caveats that they may miss the meeting due to “family events.”
9. Another local official has expressed interest in seeking an Alaska legislative seat this fall.
10. After meeting with a local advocate for immigration reform this official referred the advocate to one of my colleagues, who subsequently referred her to me (there’s a giveaway; obviously the answer to this one is not yours truly).
11. During a private meeting, this official informed me that they have no interest in seeking another elective post (though didn’t rule out running for another term).
12. Yet another elected official has been discussing ways he or she can continue to shape public discourse once his or her elected service is finally over.

So there you have it.  Here’s what happens next:

• You can e-mail me your guesses and I’ll tell you how many you got right (but not which ones), or
• You can post your guesses as a comment, knowing they may aid other guessers to your ultimate detriment, or
• You can write your guesses down and compare them with the results when I post them which, given the electoral nature of a few clues, will be after polls close on April 6.

He or she who answers the most correctly will receive an oblique mention in a future post, as well as a degree of disdain for excessive knowledge about local government minutiae.  As for me, I’m off to write up the answers (before I forget).

Regards,

Patrick