Dec 16: The Creamery Board's Oliver Twist. More please....

On December 7th, the bid deadline for aquiring the assets of Matanuska Maid produced no suitors. On December 14th, the Creamery Board took yet another step backwards in their attempts to limit the state's exposure for failing to shut down the money losing venture months ago.

The Creamery Board decided Friday night to ask state lawmakers for a $200,000 check to help four dairy farms stay in business until a new dairy opens early next year. This action proves the Creamery Boards main reason for continuing to operate the dairy and absorb tremendous losses wasn't a legitimate reason.

Both Creamery Board Chair Kristen Cole and Governor Sarah Palin have said publicly that by keeping the dairy open, yes they have lost money but they have given local milk producers time to come up with a transition plan.

In a statement released shortly after the announcement that no bids were received for Mat Maid's assets, Governor Palin stated that a review "concluded that the state should get out of the dairy business and it also allowed ample time for dairy farmers to make plans."

In an interview with KTUU News, Creamery Board Chair Cole stated that they were successful in providing local milk producers the time needed to transition to a new business plan.

Well, it now seems this transition plan includes asking lawmakers for more money on top of the help they've been getting as a result of the Creamery Board forcing a cash hemorrhaging Mat Maid to pay a much higher price for local milk.

In hindsight, everything the previous board predicted -that was fired by the governor for incompetence and mismanagement-has come true; record losses and no viable bidder for Mat Maid's operations.

And to add insult to injury, now the board wants even more money from the state.

Shouldn't the Creamery Board make sure that Matanuska Maid's vendors are paid off in full before they start handing out cash to the only folks who have been making money on this fiasco for the last six months?

This is an insult to any Alaskan industry that actually pays state taxes.