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Article 01. DECLARATIONS
Sec. 39.52.010. Declaration of policy.
(a) It is declared that
(1) high moral and ethical standards among public officers in the executive branch are essential to assure the trust, respect, and confidence of the people of this state;
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Alaska's Attorney General and the regional District Attorneys, along with all of the Assistant A.G.s and D.A.s, represent the people of Alaska in thousands of court cases and legal matters each year.
These attorneys are public officers. High moral and ethical standards among public officers in the State are essential to assure the "trust, respect, and confidence of the people of this state."
Alaskan Assistant Attorney General Libby Bakalar uses extremely profane and vulgar and mean language in her Blog. She makes fun of people based on their political affiliations (Trump supporters) and their religion (fundamental Christians) and lectures white people on how they need to behave ("Memo to White People from a White Person: Don't be a Shithead" - 6/12/16 post). Take a look at her blog.
Is Ms. Bakalar the type of person we want working as an attorney in the Attorney General's office?
My opinion: NO.
Ms. Bakalar says that she is entitled to free speech and that if people don't like her blog (or her tweets), they don't have to read them. True. But this is also true: We Alaskans don't have to employ her. Her liberal bias, outrageous online behavior and general nastiness does not engender our trust, respect or confidence in her.
Another way to think about this: What if her vitriol was directed at Muslims or Jews or Black people ("Memo to Black people: Don't be Shitheads") ("Memo to Jews: Don't be Shitheads")? [Libby wrote a blog post titled "Memo to White People: Don't be Shitheads.") For some reason, many liberal pundits including Ms. Bakalar think that it is acceptable (and humorous) to attack people who are white, Christian, and/or conservative. However, it is never okay to make fun of people for their race or religion.
And it is not okay for a State official/attorney to be spewing vulgarity and profanity on a blog and other social media platforms. (Plus - as a side issue - was she doing this while on the job?)
These are words she uses on a regular basis: Motherfuckers, MoFos, Fucking, Dicks. She uses these words when she talks about people she disagrees with politically and otherwise.
Just the other day, she suggested that instead of "E Pluribus Uninum" perhaps our country's motto could be something else like, "6. 'Dis Mah House, and if You Don't Laaahk it, GET DAFUQ OUT!
7. If It's Gonna Be That Kind Of Party, I'm Gonna Stick My Dick in the Mashed Potatoes!"
This type of behavior from a public official degrades our government.
I find Libby's vulgarity and profanity offensive. Other people I have talked to find her blog offensive, too. And I don't think it is ethical for a State Government attorney - especially someone who was working in the "Labor and State Affairs" section - to have a political blog.
What if our Governor had a blog like this? What if a legislator used the words that Ms. Bakalar uses to discuss opponents? We would vote them out of office. What if the Attorney General talked like this? She would NOT be confirmed. An Asst AG is also a public official. Why should Ms. Bakalar get a pass for this type of juvenile and vulgar behavior? Why shouldn't she be fired?
Alaskans deserve better.
[NOTE: Ms. Bakalar blogged about local, state and national politics WHILE she was assigned to the "Labor and State Affairs" section of the AG's office in Juneau. As an Asst AG in that section for many years, she was involved in many politically sensitive cases (recalls, ballot initiatives, recounts) because that section represents the Gov, the Lt. Gov and the Division of Elections among other entities in legal matters. Very recently, Ms. Bakalar was transferred to the Transportation section (perhaps as a result of my ethics complaint but I have not been able to confirm this.) Why did the top brass at the AG's office think it was A-okay for a prominent liberal political blogger to be working as an AAG in the "Labor and State Affairs" section and doing things like drafting AG opinions on very sensitive matters such as Ballot Initiatives? Please see the other lengthy posts explaining this conflict of interest. ]
