Sullivan's Plan Sacrifices Military Families to Financial Criminals Sullivan would eliminate Office of Service Member Affairs and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ANCHORAGE: At the United for Liberty campaign debate, Dan Sullivan said there was only one federal program or agency he would eliminate: The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Sullivan's plan would eliminate the Office of Service Member Affairs and lay off Holly Petraeus, wife of General David Petraeus. The Office of Service Member Affairs educates service members about how to avoid financial scams and it cracks down on financial criminals who target the military.
"It is beyond outrageous that Dan Sullivan would eliminate consumer protections for military families," said Kevin McGee, a veteran and 1ST Vice President of the Anchorage NAACP. "Sullivan's proposal would let criminals off the hook and expose military families to predatory loans, hidden fees, and other financial crimes." The NAACP strongly supports the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's work, including Holly Petraeus' Office of Service Member Affairs. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Mark Begich both voted to confirm the head of the agency so it can work to protect consumers. Their vote overcame Wall Street lobbyists who have worked relentlessly to gut consumer financial protections and restore the very abuses that caused the 2008 recession. The fate of the Office of Service Member Affairs is critical in Alaska, which has one of the highest concentration of service members in the country and the highest percentage of veterans. Moreover, African-Americans and Alaska Natives serve in the armed forces at a disproportionately high rate compared to the general population, so the Office of Service Member Affairs is important for Alaska's diverse service member population. Holly Petraeus already has visited Alaska as part of her work to boost service member financial literacy and crack down on financial criminals. ###
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August 14, 2014, 9:00 AM Contact: Kevin D. McGee, (907) 441-2137 ANCHORAGE: The Anchorage NAACP is condemning Don Young's vote to block asylum for abused children and to block broader immigration reform. By siding with Tea Party xenophobes, Young cast votes that are the legislative equivalent of open and hateful discrimination against children of color, which is un-American. Young's obstructionism stands in stark contrast to Alaska's Senators' leadership, as both Murkowski and Begich have voted for comprehensive reform that would address both children in need of asylum as well as broader immigration challenges. "Don Young should follow Senators Murkowski's and Begich’s lead and support immigration reform that secures the border and protects vulnerable children from abuse. His votes--which echo his previous statements--have no place in a community as diverse as Alaska," said Kevin McGee of the Anchorage NAACP. Young voted for HR 5272, a bill passed by the House that would stop the federal government from processing children's asylum applications. As a result, children who were enslaved as prostitutes and escaped to the border would be returned to their home country, placing them at grave risk of further violence. Young also voted for HR 5230, a bill designed to speed up deportation of children, even at risk of placing their lives at risk. HR 5230 ignores the fact that President Obama already has increased deportation rates far above those seen under the previous administration. "With these two bills, Don Young is playing racial politics with the lives of children," said McGee. Legislation passed by the Senate with the support of Lisa Murkowski and Mark Begich would address both the children's border crisis and broader immigration challenges. Murkowski also took time to visit the border to learn. ### FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 12, 2014, 9:00 AM Contact: Kevin D. McGee, (907) 441-2137 Anchorage: The Anchorage NAACP is condemning Dan Sullivan's veto of the Anchorage Assembly's AO 37 repeal. "This is just Dan Sullivan's latest assault on Anchorage's middle class," said NAACP 1st Vice President Kevin McGee. Dan Sullivan's top priority as mayor has been undermining Anchorage's middle class by attacking city unions. Sullivan had A.O. 37 drafted in secret, then rammed it through the Anchorage Assembly after shutting down public testimony. Several Assembly members who supported A.O. 37 lost their seats over popular opposition to the bill, including Cheryl Frasca and Adam Trombley. While ousting Sullivan's anti-middle class allies, more than 20,000 Anchorage residents signed to put repeal of A.O. 37 on the ballot, though Sullivan has attempted to delay that election after realizing his signature initiative will be repealed. With his most recent veto of the A.O. 37 repeal, Sullivan once again refuses to acknowledge the public's rejection of his anti-union, anti-middle class agenda. # # # FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 28. 2014, 8:00 AM Contact: Kevin D. McGee, (907) 441-2137 ANCHORAGE: The Anchorage NAACP is calling on Alaska's state Division of Insurance to be an aggressive watchdog to hold down insurance rates. After more than 12,000 additional Alaskans signed up for health coverage, it is critical to keep their rates low and prevent insurance companies from unnecessary price hikes. Vigilance is required because the state has allowed health insurance rates to grow at nearly twice the rate of other costs. "The Division of Insurance should use every tool in the toolbox to stop exorbitant insurance rate hikes, including use of federal funding for more robust reviews of proposed insurance rate increases," said Kevin McGee, 1st Vice-President of the NAACP, Anchorage. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) just closed another round of grant applications that states can use to police insurance rate hikes. CMS has made some $250 million available to states to be more aggressive in pushing back against insurance price increases. According to the Alaska Journal of Commerce, Alaska insurance prices climbed sharply prior to the Affordable Care Act, and Alaskans pay 30% more than the national average for health insurance. The Journal of Commerce also reports that Anchorage health insurance costs grew at twice the rate of other costs during the first decade of the 2000s. Despite the rapid escalation of health costs, Alaskans are less healthy than average. The state must do more to hold down the cost of health care by using consumer protection regulations and grants available from the federal government. ### ANCHORAGE: The Anchorage NAACP is raising concerns about a proposal to eliminate the home mortgage deduction as part of the proposed "National Sales Tax." While this used to be a fringe Tea Party proposal, now two out of three GOP Senate candidates have endorsed it and it is a serious threat to Alaska working families. A 30% National Sales Tax would not just raise the cost of consumer goods but also could put home ownership out of many Alaskans' reach. "The National Sales Tax would pull the rug out from under homeowners paying a mortgage, and would make it impossible for many Alaskans to buy a new home," said Kevin McGee, 1st Vice President of the Anchorage NAACP. "At a time when rent prices are sky-high, it is unacceptable to make home ownership even less affordable." Press coverage of the National Sales Tax has focused on how it would increase prices of consumer goods and shift the tax burden onto the middle class. However, for homeowners the single largest impact would be elimination of the home mortgage deduction. According to State of Alaska statistics, the National Sales Tax would increase the cost of the average single family home in Alaska by $91,000. That cost would be even higher in Anchorage, Juneau, Nome, and other communities with above-average housing costs. # # #
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July 03. 2014, 9:00 AM Contact: Kevin D. McGee, (907) 441-2137 New Study Finds Thousands of Alaskans Lose Medical Care Because of Medicaid Rejection: Medicaid rejection denies care, increases debt, harms Alaska economy ANCHORAGE: A new study by the Council of Economic Advisers shows Alaskans are losing health care, missing out on job opportunities, and becoming more indebted because the Governor rejected Medicaid. The study finds thousands of Alaskans are missing out on mammograms, pap smears, and other doctors visits while Medicaid rejection causes more Alaskans to be in debt as Alaska misses out on new job opportunities. "This new study is a reminder that Medicaid rejection is bad for our state economy, bad for Alaskans' pocketbooks, and harmful to our health," said Kevin McGee, NAACP, Anchorage, 1st Vice President, Chairman, Political Action Committee. As the new economic study shows, Gov. Parnell's decision not to expand Medicaid reduces availability of preventive care while adding to Alaskans' debt burden and reducing the number of jobs in Alaska. Alaska Impacts of Medicaid Denial:
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June 17, 2014, 8:00 AM Contact: Kevin D. McGee, (907) 441-2137 Governor's Report Demonstrates Depth of His Own Insensitivity Parnell Denies Health Care to Thousands with Medicaid Rejection ANCHORAGE: Governor Parnell's own report on Alaskans without health care confirms that he was wrong to deny expansion of Medicaid. Even as it attempts (and fails) to minimize health care shortcomings in Alaska, Parnell's report reflects that thousands will be denied care as a result of his rejection of Medicaid. The report also makes the absurd suggestion that ad hoc charity care is a reasonable substitute for reliable health coverage. "This report suggests Governor Parnell is completely out of touch with the realities working families face as they try to find health care," said Kevin McGee, 1st Vice President and Chairman, Political Action Committee of the Anchorage NAACP. Governor Parnell's report says 12,000 Alaskans lack health coverage, particularly care for serious illnesses which is an apparent attempt to diminish the size of the problem. By contrast, non-partisan data from Legislative Research Services suggests that nearly 1 in 5 Alaskans -- some 140,000 people -- have lacked health insurance between 2008 and 2012. The non-partisan Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium study of Medicaid expansion found that simply accepting federal funding for Medicaid would extend health coverage to 41,500 Alaskans while creating 4,000 new jobs and $2.49 billion of new economic activity. Parnell's study not only underestimates the magnitude of the problem, but also pretends that emergency room services and ad hoc charity is a reasonable substitute for reliable health insurance. The non-partisan Legislative Research report found that nearly 1 in 2 low income Alaskans between 18 and 64 years old lacks health insurance. ### FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
June 2, 2014 Contact: Andrea Antonie, (907) 229-3178 Finalists for the 2014 National Competition in Las Vegas, Nevada The Anchorage Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological & Scientific Olympics (ACT-SO) youth program is pleased to announce the winners of the recent 2014 “Olympics of the Mind” local competition. Local high school students: Armoni Edwards (Performing Arts-Vocal Contemporary); Trinity Colvin (Performing Arts-Dramatics); and Hannah Branch (Humanities-Poetry); will represent Anchorage, Alaska at the National Competition in Las Vegas, Nevada, July 17 - 20, 2014. The ACT-SO program is a major youth initiative of the NAACP. Founded in 1978, by renowned author and journalist, Vernon Jarrett, ACT-SO provides a forum through which youth of African descent demonstrate academic, artistic and scientific prowess and expertise, thereby gaining the same recognition often only reserved for entertainers and athletes. ACT-SO is a yearlong scholastic enrichment program where participants flex the most important muscle - "the mind." Just as an athlete trains before a competition, so must the ACT-SO participant with coaches and mentors in preparing for the local competition. ACT-SO is not a talent show, but an opportunity for high school students to showcase their skills and abilities in the Sciences, Humanities, Performing and Visual Arts, and Business. ACT-SO is where the next millennium architects, scientists, musicians, poets, dancers, artists and entrepreneurs are discovered. The Gold finalists on the local level must score 95 or greater out of a possible 100 points, to earn the opportunity to compete against over 1,000 participants from across the United States at the National Competition held each July. # # # # # Michael P. Boggs supported racist state flag, other extreme policies
ANCHORAGE, AK May 29, 2014: The Anchorage Branch of the NAACP is strongly urging opposition to the nomination of Michael P. Boggs, a controversial judicial nominee of President Obama's. As a representative, Boggs voted twice to keep the Confederate battle insignia on Georgia's state flag. Georgia's legislature added that Confederate battle mark to the state flag in 1956 to protest desegregation of the public school system in the Brown vs. Board of Education decision. "Senator Mark Begich's office stated that the senator has grave concerns about the nomination of Judge Boggs and is paying close attention to the nomination as the process moves forward." "It is unacceptable for the Senate to confirm a defender of racist symbols like the Confederate flag," said Kevin McGee, 1st Vice President, and Chairman, Political Action Committee of the Anchorage NAACP. The NAACP is deeply troubled by Mr. Boggs’ history of disregard for challenges unique to racial and ethnic minorities, the LGBT community, and women. His support to keep the Confederate battle emblem a prominent part of Georgia's state flag, for example, demonstrates an ignorance of, or perhaps a blatant disregard for, the hurt and hatred that the emblem represents to so many African Americans, among others. Given that African Americans make up over 31% of the residents of the State of Georgia, Mr. Boggs’ attitude could be especially hurtful and harmful if he is confirmed to a position serving all or even a portion of Georgians. The NAACP is further troubled by Mr. Boggs’ leadership in the fight to enact legislation in Georgia to ban marriage equality. The NAACP Constitution affirmatively states our objective to ensure the “political, educational, social and economic equality” of all people. Therefore, the NAACP has opposed and will continue to oppose any national, state, local policy or legislative initiative that seeks to codify discrimination or hatred into the law or to remove the Constitutional rights of any citizens. Mr. Boggs’ support of legislation to ban marriage equality further demonstrates his apparent insensitivity to the hurt and harm which can be caused by discrimination. In conclusion, we again urge both of our U.S. Senator’s in the strongest terms possible to oppose Mr. Boggs’ nomination and to utilize this vacancy on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia to further integrate this judicial district. ### FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
May 07, 2014 Contact: Wanda Laws, 301-6041 NAACP Calls on Sullivan to Apologize for Offensive Slavery Remarks Candidate should apologize for outrageous statement ANCHORAGE: The NAACP is demanding an apology from Dan Sullivan, whomadeoffensivecommentsabout slavery at a forum of Lieutenant Governor candidates. “Slavery was about race, human degradation and America’s ‘greatest sin’. To compare it to today’s political issues of the moment diminishes how horrible and tragic it truly was,” said Wanda Laws, President of the Anchorage NAACP. Sullivan compared union membership to slavery as he endorsed "right to work" legislation, saying "I thought we ended slavery a long time ago." Sullivan doubled down on his comments after the candidate forum when talking with local journalist Amanda Coyne. Sullivan's slavery comments are grossly out of touch in Anchorage, which isone of America's most diverse communities. The Anchorage NAACP is proud to work with other organizations in Alaska to promote equality, and applauds recent work, including by business organizations like the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce, to support Alaska diversity. ### |