For a better tomorow

This channel presents a collection of YT videos and internet links that are of relevance and interest when it comes to the Alaskan Native Culture. The channel tries to be a good mix of educational and entertaining material.
Particularly of interest as of 2010 is:
Alaskan Native Corporations and 8(a) related revenue and dividend improprieties.

An 8(a) Contractor is a business that meets the criteria for Small Disadvantaged Business qualification and is certified with the Small Business Administration under Section 8(a) of the Federal Small Business Act. To take advantage of the "8(a) Contractor" a business must be registered with both the GSA and the SBA. A great deal of paperwork and time may be required to obtain 8(a) status but the reward can be that a business is placed in a relatively small pool of businesses entitled to federal GSA procurement set-asides.

THE ALASKAN NATIVE CORPORATION 8(a) PROGRAM IS NOT A PREFERENCE AS SOME WOULD CALL IT. THE PROGRAM REPRESENTS AN IMPORTANT POLICY DETERMINATION BY CONGRESS TO RECOGNIZE THEIR HISTORICAL OBLIGATIONS TO NATIVE AMERICANS WHO ARE ONE OF THE MOST SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED GROUPS IN AMERICA.

ANCs are diverse in their very nature, having been created under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971, and include over 200 village corporations and 13 regional corporations. As with any industry that is so diverse, the companies span the entire spectrum of viability: Some corporations are less economically successful, while others have done better and are able to bring back to Alaska more benefits for their shareholders, with the economic boost felt by all Alaskans. For instance, ANCs are the second largest tax base in Alaska, second only to the oil and gas companies.
During the course of the ANC 8(a) program over 31,000 jobs have been created nationwide. In 2005 alone, Alaska Native Corporations issued $33 million in dividends to shareholders and awarded $9.5 million in scholarship funds for Alaska Natives. In addition, ANC's employed more than 9,700 people in Alaska, 30 percent of whom were Alaska Native.

ANCs have qualified for the 8(a) program but are in some cases being misused with the result of low dividend returns to the native shareholders of their respective Native Corporation.

Lately it has come to light, that revenue mainly generated by ANC subsidiaries involved with federal defense, and intelligence contracts -worth over twenty billion $- does not reach (as dividends) native shareholders.

These dividends would greatly improve the living conditions in remote native villages of which some are reminiscent of living conditions in 3rd world countries. Instead it seams that some individuals have diverted the money flow through inappropriate accounting and "self issued" large bonuses.

In some cases the whole idea to empower the native cultures of Alaska through 8(a) is thereby turned on its head and this deserves to be corrected!!

If you have any suggestions please contact the channel.

Links:

http://fairbanks-alaska.com/alaska-native-corporations.htm

http://www.ago.noaa.gov/ago/acquisition/docs/alaska_native_contracting.pdf

http://www.alaskool.org/projects/ak_military/men_of_tundra/imageindex.html

http://www.andrewhalcro.com/the_truth_about_alaska_native_8a_contractors

http://www.unbossed.com/index.php?itemid=1743

http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d071251t.pdf

http://mccaskill.senate.gov/newsroom/record.cfm?id=314924

http://www.whorunsgov.com/Profiles/Claire_McCaskill

http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-07-1251T

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/lifestyles/2010/nov/06/i-alas0930-ar-632459/

http://primebuzz.kcstar.com/entries/mccaskill-proposes-alaska-contracting-bill/

http://www.native8aworks.com/index.php

http://www.nativecontractors.org/pages/media/response-statements.php

http://www.indiancountrytoday.com/home/content/McCaskill-promises-tribal-contract-crackdown-105523378.html

http://alaskadispatch.com/dispatches/alaska-beat/88-alaska-beat/7005-washington-post-looks-at-alaska-native-8a-contracting

http://alaskadispatch.com/projects/investigating-8a-contracting/5317-native-corps-subsidiaries-threatened-with-8a-ban

http://alaskadispatch.com/voices/tundra-talk/1847-native-8a-federal-contracts-the-real-story

http://alaskadispatch.com/dispatches/rural-alaska/5131-native-businesses-face-financial-ruin-after-8a-suspension

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/need-to-know/video/in-alaska-a-promise-unkept/4312/

http://live.washingtonpost.com/alaska-natives.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/07/AR2010100704859.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/03/AR2010100303717.html

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