Ted for Alaska
410 Mellow Place
Anchorage, Alaska, 99508
Contact: ted4ak@gmail.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 28, 2022
Ted Eischeid Responds to Opponent’s Extreme Bullying Tactics
Anchorage, Alaska — On October 25, 2022, the law firm of Holmes Weddle & Barcott sent our campaign a formal cease and desist letter demanding we stop telling the truth about her client, my opponent Stanley Wright.
The letter asserts that Stanley Wright “has no engagement with homelessness in his role as an employee of the Municipality of Anchorage,” a breathtaking statement if only because it is categorically false. As an employee of the Anchorage Health Department (AHD), Wright has been involved in the Bronson administration’s disastrous homelessness response.
In a May 10, 2022, press release announcing Wright as AHD’s new Community Systems program manager, disgraced former Anchorage Health Director, “Colonel” Joe Gerace, stated that “a cohesive affordable housing strategy must be a key element of any plan to address homelessness in Anchorage.” In the same paragraph, Gerace claimed Wright would make an “excellent asset” to his team.
As principal administration officer, Wright leads AHD’s Community Systems team, coordinating with the Aging and Disability Resource Center, Housing & Homeless Services, the Housing, Homeless & Neighborhood Development Commission, and AHD’s external housing partners.
Documents readily available on the Anchorage Municipal website show that Wright attended Housing, Homelessness and Community Development Committee (HHAND) meetings in his official capacity as an AHD staff member on July 6, 2022, and August 3, 2022.
Documents obtained via records request by the 907 Initiative organization show 99 Plus 1 Shelter Director Cesar Ramirez sent a text message to Wright on Sunday, June 12. The text reveals Ramirez asked Wright a series of questions related to grant applications that might help secure funding for when the Sullivan Arena closed and homeless individuals would be forced to vacate the premises.
Five days later, Wright responded to Ramirez, telling him he would send “something soon.” We know that Wright did not follow up on Ramirez’s request for grant information, as no apparent record exists showing Wright provided the requested information.
On July 1, 2022, the Sullivan Arena mass shelter closed, and city officials encouraged individuals experiencing homelessness to take provided busses to Centennial Park campground, which had been converted into an outdoor homeless shelter fraught with public safety issues such as a lack of oversight & supplies, and unsafe conditions.
Wright did not attend a single community meeting related to Centennial Park’s use as a homeless response. Instead, he cowered in silence with his boss Mayor Bronson. He watched as news reports documented fights and shootings at the campground, resulting in multiple Anchorage Police Department officers being injured.
“Stanley claims he will “fight for your family,” but where was he when it mattered the most? He was hiding until coming out from under a cloak of darkness to send our campaign a cease-and-desist letter intended to bully, intimidate, and silence Ted,” said Ted for Alaska Campaign Manager Hedy Eischeid. “Stanley refused to answer the Alaska Beacon’s state house candidate questionnaire. How will voters know who Stanley is if we don’t inform them?”
“Understandably, Stanley doesn’t want to be associated with former Anchorage Health Director Joseph Gerace or want the public to know he was involved with Mayor Bronson’s homelessness response,” said State House candidate Ted Eischeid. “I don’t appreciate being threatened with frivolous lawsuits. I will not be bullied, nor will I stand down. Voters want leaders willing to tackle the challenges we face head-on, not someone with a proven record of ignoring them.”
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Download (PDF)For media regarding Ted’s campaign, visit TedForAlaska.com/media