Alaska Village News

Mat-Su Borough imposes new COVID directives By  Joel Davidson  November 6, 2020 AlaskaWatchman.com Members of the public in the Mat-Su Borough are now required to wear face masks in all borough owned facilities. A new directive issued on Nov. 5 by Acting Borough Manager George Hays notes that the Nov. 3 directive requires borough employees to wear masks. The latest directive claims that it is “reasonable and therefore now required” that all members of the public wear masks in borough buildings to “help prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus.” Exceptions are made for those who are “not moving” and who are more than six feet away from anyone else. Those with medical or mental health conditions that make mask wearing contrary to their health or safety are also exempted. Other provisions in the directive urge residents to keep six feet away from others where possible and to wash their hands. People who show COVID symptoms are banned from borough facilities. This includes people with feve

 AlaskaWatchman.com Alaska’s Constitution needs some major overhaul , and the citizens will have the opportunity in 2022 when they are asked: “Shall there be a constitutional convention?” The Alaskan Independence Party’s website has an embryonic and incomplete constitutional offering posted for Alaskans to study. One of the biggest concerns is the state’s runaway judiciary. ‘Impeachment’ means ‘to accuse’ and once accused, a state official can defend themselves in a process that is much different than a criminal or civil trial. Conventions are an excellent way for a “meeting of the minds” to hammer out a consensus. It is long and arduous. The 1955 Fairbanks convention went on for weeks at the personal expense of the delegates. Collective wisdom, perhaps guided by an inspired genius, can still make mistakes. This is most clearly seen in the way Alaska set up the impeachment process for state officials. “Impeachment” means “to accuse” and once accused, a state official can defend themsel

Concerns about democracy in the digital age By    JANNA ANDERSON     and   LEE RAINIE https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2020/02/21/concerns-about-democracy-in-the-digital-age/ An internet pioneer and technology developer and administrator  predicted, “My expectation is that by 2030, as much of 75% of the world’s population will be enslaved by artificial By intelligence-based surveillance systems developed in China and exported around the world. These systems will keep every citizen under observation 24 hours a day, seven days a week, monitoring their every action.” Technology can improve or undermine democracy depending on how it is used and who controls it. Right now, it is controlled by too few.                                                                                       KEVIN GROSS Miguel Moreno,  professor of philosophy at the University of Granada, Spain, an expert in ethics, epistemology and technology, commented, “There is a clear risk of bias, manipulation, abusive