By AlaskaWatchman.com

In one of her final acts before relinquishing the title of “acting mayor,” Austin Quinn-Davidson has asked the Anchorage Assembly to approve nearly $8.8 million in federal grants to a handful of non-profits for services “related to COVID.” The money comes from federal funds that the State of Alaska issued to the Anchorage Health Department to address COVID.

The purpose of the grants is to improve COVID testing and vaccination and decrease health inequities. It also contains a catch-all purpose of funding “other COVID-19 related recovery and prevention strategies.”

Quinn-Davidson requests will be considered at the Assembly’s June 22 meeting, just nine days before Dave Bronson takes over as mayor on July 1. If approved the money would go to the following groups.

Alaska Literacy Program

  • $238,937 to work with English language learners to “increase trust of the COVID-19 vaccine,” to assist with vaccine access, and to provide “accurate health information.”

Alaska Black Caucus

  • $1,154,500 for community outreach, education, data collection, vaccine clinics and “other services” related to COVID.

Anchorage Neighborhood Health Center

  • $2,447,984 to support staff training, facility renovation, equipment and technology upgrades, client engagement to improve COVID vaccine, testing and mitigation efforts.

Conquer Covid Coalition

  • $1,260,000 for public engagement campaigns and increase testing and vaccinations.

United Way of Anchorage

  • $3,682,417 which the group can regrant to other organization that it deems in need of COVID related funding.

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Outgoing acting mayor aims to give $8.8M to 5 Anchorage groups for services ‘related to COVID’

Joel Davidson
Joel is Editor-in-Chief of the Alaska Watchman. Joel is an award winning journalist and has been reporting for over 24 years, He is a proud father of 8 children, and lives in Palmer, Alaska.


22 Comments

  • Michael S Totten says:

    Basically she intends to rob the taxpayers for programs that we really don’t need. This is called SPECIAL INTEREST groups. You better be bullhorning the assembly anchorage!

    • SYK says:

      This is called Federal Grants. Yes, ultimately taxpayer money but money that must be earmarked and used. Personally I don’t have a “beef” with the groups she’s chosen. They probably already had grant proposals submitted. The United Way had better think of some creative ways to connect the money to Homelessness and Covid!

      • Michael S Totten says:

        I worked for PCHS in soldotna and I personally witnessed fraud. The operators at the bottom were recording time with clients that they never spent and charging Medicaid for it and the board members were getting rich. Eventually the IRS sent a undercover investigator in and they got caught. MOST of these 501c outfits squander money this way. Thats why I’m opposed to federal grants. And most of the females that work there have the exact mindset as this idiot Quinn. They all scratch each others backs. Investigate ALL of her associates and I guarantee you that what you will find will piss you off. She’s dirty

  • Jmk says:

    Most of this is bogus and a waste of money, give up, the pandemic is over and people who want the vaccine have it, leave the rest of the people alone.

    • SYK says:

      Really? It’s over? So just because mandates have been dropped DOES NOT equate to Covid being over. LOL oh to have such simplicity in my life to be able to draw straight lines to A, B, and C!

    • Neil A DeWitt says:

      I got covid after it was over! I wore a two layer mask with filter from the start. Stayed 6 feet apart from people everywhere! Washed hands till they were almost raw. And I still got it. I say they lifted the mandates because people would of rebelled if they didn’t. One summer was bad enough two would of been disaster. Look at Canada, their people are hot enough to fry eggs on them. They can’t get out to America and buy things cheep. It’s a real goat rope but they think they will kill it and never get it again. Little do they know. How about tge cruise ship with all vaccine people aboard, two of them have covid last I heard. So proof it’s not going away, AND the vaccine isn’t worth beans.

  • Ralph says:

    She wants to turn Alaska in Comyfornia.
    If I am not mistaken, that’s where she is from. . . Cali ain’t doing so good… but not in her opinion =/

  • Vonda Sanders says:

    Unbelievable! Covid has run its course.

  • JD says:

    The acting-so called mayor needs to leave all available and remaining funds for Mayor-elect Bronson to decide how to use and spend. She, just like Dunbar, and their closest assembly associates are extremely sore losers.

  • Sammy says:

    How was the Alaska Black Caucus affected by COVID? This money should be going to people who were actually displaced, lost jobs, etc. due to the lockdowns.

    • MICHAEL HUGHES says:

      amen, just more anti-white racism. I’m starting to use my “white privilege”, just kidding. But I have been discriminated against since college because of “affirmative action”, including here in Anchorage. Don’t get me wrong, it hasn’t been a lot, but I have experienced it. This country has spent trillions of dollars since the “Great Society” started in 1964 (I think) on helping minorities, especially black people. And now this communist is ramming more tax monies down our throats for “equity” not equality. Dr Martin Luther King must be rolling over in his grave.

    • Joyce Wylie says:

      Alaska Black Caucus also got a house bought for them in the last round of money delivery from Assembly! They are going to use the house and cash to hide their voting fraud/ballot printing in the next election. By the way, when a house is purchased for you through the assembly do-gooders, who pays the monthly costs and yearly property taxes?

  • Neil A DeWitt says:

    She’s setting up a new job for herself after she gets booted down and out!

  • John Mathew says:

    Why not direct these funds to Anchorage businesses negatively affected by the Assembly’s COVID restrictions? IF they were legitimate decisions, their impact is clear nd direct.

  • david Boyle says:

    The Alaska Black Caucus is behind the pushing of the Critical Race Theory in the Anchorage School District. So, the citizens of Anchorage are funding racist policies that teach racial hate/divide to children. Bottom line: the Assembly/acting mayor support racist policies and indoctrinating children in hate.

  • Mo says:

    At this point and time any person in Alaska who wanted the vax injection has long had the opportunity to do so. Throwing money at those who don’t want the vax is a clear waste of time, effort, and 8.8 million dollars that could be better spent on projects deemed necessary by the new Mayor. I can only assume that the folks who have made this hasty decision are uneducated in statistics and basic economics.

  • Js says:

    There must be a review of the criminal infractions this acting (like when someone fakes a part for a movie) mayor. Every one of these political stunt tax thefts needs to be halted

  • NP Adam says:

    We all vote for our oppressors in most cases, but in this case it’s a bit different. It’s obvious everyone else in the assembly agree with her decisions, “right” and left, or else they’d put an injunction on her edicts. As I’m not a member of this community, I have no say in the matter. I do hope there’s enough people down there that remember the actions of this body over the last 18 months and help to judge them publicly.

  • Michael S Totten says:

    Just remember alaskans. There are far more of you than there are unelected officials. Don’t submit to the collective conscience. Just decide right now that you’re not going to allow 13 little idiots tell the other 100 thousand of you how to live. And if their jackboots meet you out in the streets. Don’t take any crap from them either. If enough of you get off your butts and go ANTIFA style on all these people they will eventually leave you alone. And by the way I do not endorse any hate group. I’m just saying those tactics seem to work. Turn it inward on them.