Background for the images: Alaska is in deep trouble these days. To put it simple the new governor, Dunleavy during his election campaign promised no cuts to the University and a number of other essentials in Alaska. As one of his first actions he presented a budget with 40% cuts to the state funding of the University system, cuts of a similar magnitude to K-12 education (Kindergarden to 12th grade), cuts to public health support, elderly support, shelters for the homeless, art organisations including photographic art and other culture and museums. This comes on top of necessary 30% cuts to the University and other organisations over the last several years with low oil prices (but then under a more responsible governor). While the elected representatives in the Alaska House and Senate agreed upon a budget with a mild cut of only $5 million, he vetoed that budget, reintroducing his own. An attempt to overturn that veto failed as it requires 75% of the representatives votes.
This is a crisis that the governor introduced by claiming that the permanent fund check that all Alaska residents receive each year now should be $3000 vs. the normal payout of about $1000 (we do not pay state tax...). The 100 year old university will have to fire thousands of its faculty, who will be able to take their strong federal funding with them when they have to move to the lower 48 states. This will be a sequestering of intellectuals from Alaska, and all the cuts will bring Alaska into a deep recession it might never recover from.
There have been enormous protests from widespread groups, including many of his republican fellows, but he does not seem to listen. Thus an organisation has been formed to force a recall of the governor. These images are from the first round that will require signatures from about 25000 registered voters (10% of the number of votes at last election), then round two will require about 75000 signatures, and then a new election can be held (details here:
https://recalldunleavy.org/ , also Dermot Cole's editorial page gives some background:
https://www.dermotcole.com/).
