In a split decision, the Anchorage Assembly narrowly voted to erase all historical references to the famous Captain James Cook from the city’s official seal.
The controversial 7-5 vote on Dec. 16 ditches the 50-year-old seal, which included a ship associated with Captain Cook’s 1778 exploration into Cook Inlet to search for the Northwest Passage, as well as an airplane honoring Anchorage’s long history as an aviation hub for Alaska.
The new logo is a stripped down version, which keeps the old image of an anchor and the sun, while adding a new Alaska Native-designed border that includes a Dena’ina quill-work pattern to honor indigenous peoples that inhabited the region.
Assemblyman Jared Goecker Blasted Assembly members who voted for the change, calling them out for misleading the public.
“They did a survey asking the public’s opinion on the options,” Goecker said in a Facebook video post. “Option C was to keep the current seal. That option overwhelmingly beat every other option by margins sometimes as big as 15 to one. So naturally, they added an additional option that wasn’t part of the survey and then picked that option.”
He said the last minute introduction of an option that wasn’t even included in the public survey undermines public trust.
“You just can’t make this up,” Goecker said. “I honestly don’t even understand why they even pretended to ask the public for their input. This sort of stunt undermines trust in our public process, and it was a complete waste of time. You know, we have a lot of real issues in this town and people expect us to be focused on that, not dog and pony shows about graphic design.”
During the Assembly meeting, Goecker criticized his colleagues for wasting time on the whole project at a moment in Anchorage’s history when residents want the governing body to focus on safety, taxes, affordable living, old infrastructure and struggling businesses.
“And were burning oxygen on a logo redesign that the public clearly rejected,” he said. “That’s not what our priorities should be on. That’s not where our focus should be at.”
25 Comments
Too bad the MOA is not like choosing to buy Bud Lite or not. Hmmm.. Maybe the MOA can hire Dylan Mulvaney as Anchorage’s new ambassador?
No need.
They have Constant and Rivera.
Vote in April to restore common sense to City Hall. Only one different Assembly Member and you would have had a six to six rejection of this debacle. Your vote counts and can make a difference. I would have voted no and I am running for the open Assembly Midtown seat to replace Rivera in April.
Dave Donley
Candidate for Anchorage Assembly Midtown District 4
Well no surprise there. Most of elected and appointed muni officials represent the worst party of Anchorage.
Agreed!
Agreed, Please get out of that Woke, Sickening city they call Anchorage/Portland. While you can, before a fence is put up around the city to keep you in and control your every move. And to keep the sickos in.
Back in the day later 70’s and early 80’s Anchorage was a Beautiful city.
Thank you Jared for representing Eagle River well. Sadly our assembly is determined to be as useless as possible.
More ideots trying to change history. This is really remarkable actually.
Distract the masses. Let them have games and bread! Ignore the rot that is the anchorage assembly, most of whom are diabolical far left extremists. Look over here at this new seal!! You better look for what the other hand is doing.
All leaching fields have one thing in common, they all run down hill. From the governor’s job to the anchorage assembly, we have the sludge report to the public.
so nice to see the left in the Assembly has the city priorities in focus. Half the cities retail space is empty, bums are everywhere, crime at all time high, etc. but crispy poo focuses on the city logo. No I get what he is doing, just one more piece of erasing the old, bringing in the radical mis-guided left. So when WE win the Assembly and Mayors office back, we’ll spend the money to bring back the old logo.
Erasing history. A power and control action. This is another step forward for the Great re-set.
The entire Municipality and the assembly need to be disbanded. The Municipal system is not in the US Constitution. It should be reverted to the county system, as set out in the US Constitution, with a Sheriff as the head of law enforcement, not some DA with lots of NGO money behind them shaping their decisions and politics.
Tell us you’re a transplant without telling us you’re a transplant. Local government isn’t mentioned at all in the U.S. constitution. Therefore, per the 10th Amendment, it falls to the states. Article X, § 2 of the state constitution states in full: “All local government powers shall be vested in boroughs and cities. The State may delegate taxing powers to organized boroughs and cities only.” Congress actually prohibited Alaska from establishing counties when it made Alaska a territory in 1912, meaning there was no entrenchment existing when the state constitution was written. Unified municipalities (currently, Anchorage, Juneau, Sitka and Wrangell) are legally considered to be boroughs, in spite of journalistic style which constantly refers to them as cities. That’s why it’s called the Anchorage Assembly, not the Anchorage City Council (Article X, § 4). Here’s a suggestion: if you want counties and sheriffs, work to change the state constitution. Otherwise, why don’t you contact Don Smith and ask for insights as to why unified municipalities were created? During his sole term in the state House, he was the committee chair responsible for shepherding the legislation.
Thank you, Jared Goecker! Please continue raising your voice on our behalf -even those of us who don’t live in Eagle River.
Jared G for Mayor of Los Anchorage.
In honor of his stand I’m visiting Kona and will hike to the Capt. James Cook Memorial and pay homage to the great explorer.
All conservatives in anchorage need to vote to take back the city in April elections! Problem is
Most sit home and gripe!
The modus operandi of Democrats rewriting historical facts that they despise. Once they get enough fools to vote them into office; then in their view, listening to constituents is no longer necessary.
I have no issues with adding the native border design (or something elese) to recognize the native people’s culture and contributions to the area/city. We’re all in this together, we are all brothers and sisters in the great state of Alaska. BUT, at the same time removing the historical references of the Cook and the great aviation hub the area came to be appears to be done out of racism and self-identity loathing, purposely excluding/removing the huge influence of Western society as it advanced into Alaska. History is history. In the truest sense of the word racism as I understand it, those 7 assembly members who voted for reference removal are the worst offenders of race relations, and the disconnect or problem is think they are the most virtuous. Their vote is not how you bring people of different cultures together, in fact it’s quite the opposite. Euro’s (not sure anymore what the acceptable term is for white people) are trying to atone for their exclusions and wrong doings of the past, I get that. Conservatives as well want to right the many historical wrongs to a point and MOVE ON, but not this radical left-wing way of exclusion. If we continue to accept these lefty radical ideologies and actions, they will never relent their divisive, controlling ways. Historical shame used as a club has been very effective for them to harness power. E pluribus unum.
They got rid of the plane and the boat, but left one”white man” thing …… the Anchor.
These grifters are so lame they can’t even implement their own anti- America agenda correctly.
(don’t they realize we need boats & planes to bring their lib voters up & supply our ‘camps’ w/ more rural Alaskans)
If conservatives got out to vote in every election, we would win every time. Please vote your values. We need to rescue our wonderful city.
Watch when The King, C. Constant, adds particular Woke symbols in the blank areas. There’s no doubt about it. He just can’t help himself, so mentally fractured is his sense of self.
One more reason for Eagle Exit.
No! Just a complete clean up job once the sick apir on the assembly is gone from service in a few months.
Every member of the assembly who voted for this should go to jail for wasting taxpayers money. This is a total incomplete waste of money.