
Report: Alaska school districts need to improve transparency
By Sarah Montalbano – Alaska Policy Forum The Heritage Foundation recently released its inaugural Education Freedom Report Card for the U.S. Alaska ranked 45th in the nation and ranks in the bottom ten states for a lack of conventional school


Breaking down how the State of Alaska spends its money
By Quinn Townsend – (Alaska Policy Forum) Alaska Policy Forum’s annual Budget Blocks are a simple, straightforward way to visualize how Alaska is spending its money and from which funds that money is coming. The size of each block corresponds to the


The looming ‘brave new world’ can still be redeemed with prayer, penance, sacrifice
Nations and cultures that have become communist never win over “the hearts and minds” of the vast majority of the people. No amount of incessant propaganda can do it. The hoi polloi learn, sooner or later, how to read between the lines and lies. Clever,


Peltola wants ‘repercussions’ for certain media outlets, while Begich welcomes robust debate
In a recent debate featuring U.S. House candidates Sarah Palin, Nick Begich and Rep. Mary Peltola, the latter candidate suggested that certain media outlets should suffer consequences for printing or broadcasting information that she labels


State Senate candidate Doug Massie says he doesn’t need to ‘grandstand’ on pro-life issues
Like many news outlets, the Alaska Watchman accepts political advertisements. For several weeks, incumbent Alaska State Senator Mike Shower ran a political ad on our website which stated that he was the “only pro-life candidate” in his race. At a recent


The ‘Volkmer Effect’ on Alaska’s lone U.S. House seat
(EricN Publications) – Who is Harold Volkmer and why should it matter to Alaskans? This past August, in a special election completed through a new ranked voting system, a Democrat was elected to be our representative in Washington. This, in a state,


Priest urges Alaska Christians to boldly bring faith into the public square on Nov. 8th
Father Frank Pavone, founder of the national Priests for Life organization is once again weighing in on Alaska’s upcoming midterm elections. In August Pavone wrote a column for the Watchman in which he urged pro-life and Catholic voters in Alaska to vote


Confusing Ranked Choice Voting overburdens Alaska voters & may dampen turnout
By Quinn Townsend and Sarah Montalbano – Alaska Policy Forum The ideal election ballot makes choices clear and preferences easy to express. In Alaska, unfortunately, the state’s new ranked-choice voting (RCV) system can be a complicated disincentive.


We must admit abortion’s cause and effect to provide hope and healing.
I receive a Google alert each day for news events dealing with the issue of trauma. There are many on the list each day! Trauma centered care is big industry and has grown immensely over the past two decades. None of the alerts, however, talk about


What is true freedom? Former Soviet turned Alaskan recalls poignant conversation
Recently, I had a conversation with an American in her late 20s about current events in our country. Let’s call her Rebecca in order to protect her anonymity. “What is freedom?” Rebecca asked. “What is it for you, Rebecca?” I responded to her

