SB 131-NAMING PACILLO PARKING GARAGE  CHAIR MCGUIRE announced the consideration of SB 131. SENATOR DONNY ELLIS, Alaska State Legislature, said he introduced this bill at the request of the friends and family of Carolyn "Linny" Pacillo. It is also supported by the Anchorage assembly. He said that Linny was a positive force for change in Anchorage, and it is fitting for a parking garage to bear her name. She was honored by the Alaska Legislature with a citation. A parking garage has not been named before, he noted. Linny represented the regular folks, and had blue collar jobs around the state. In Anchorage she ran a family-owned gas station with the best prices in town, which always had a sign promoting a charitable activity. He said the family was very much involved in helping the community and people in need. Her greatest claim to fame was as a "parking fairy". She and her sister often dressed as fairy godmothers and moved around Anchorage to talk to people about the parking authority. The citizens rose up to say the Anchorage Parking Authority went too far with its heavy- handed tactics. The fairies were the voices of the common folks, he added. Regardless of what side a person was on, he or she could respect the stick-to-it-ness of her activities. 9:10:28 AM CHAIR MCGUIRE said she was a wonderful woman and wore many hats in the community. SENATOR GREEN asked if the name can be shortened. SENATOR ELLIS said that could be considered. Linny was always helping other folks. It was very inspiring. SUSAN PACILLO, Sister to Linny, said shortening the garage name to Linny Pacillo is appropriate because she didn't use the name Carolyn. She stated that Linny was fun, full of life, and did a lot of things for many people. You never worried about what she was thinking, because she would let you know. She helped people and stood up against bureaucracies and big government. Keep the parking authority out of it, she said jokingly. 9:13:29 AM ANDREA MCCLOUD, Anchorage, said Alaska is a unique state where a resident can make a difference, and Linny was such a person. She and her sister were the catalyst for a paradigm shift of parking in Anchorage. Madison Avenue could envy their campaign to transfer the balance of power from an over-zealous government bureaucracy back to the people where it belongs. Linny wanted to rein in the parking authority's activities that bordered on harassment, she stated, and she did it dressed in tutus and fairy wings. The parking fairies addressed numerous governmental bodies during countless meetings on policies that had gone awry. Linny's integrity was displayed in her many philanthropic activities. She persevered as she survived the slings and arrows pointed at her from the institutions as their actions were scrutinized. Exercising her rights was a model for other citizens. She endeared herself on an international level through the National Enquirer, National Examiner, the Letterman show, and the Mike and Maddie show. Her death made international media, she noted. Naming the new parking garage after Linny will point to her as a model citizen. Anchorage is proud to produce citizens like Linny. The garage will remind people that we are all in this together, she concluded. 9:16:41 AM SENATOR FRENCH moved Amendment 1 to strike the word Carolyn and the parentheses and apostrophes around Linny on line 5, 7, and 8. The title would be the Linny Pacillo parking garage. Hearing no objection, Amendment 1 carried. 9:18:00 AM SENATOR STEVENS said it is fascinating that a garage named for someone who believed in civil disobedience will be across from the Atwood building. The dichotomy is appropriate for Alaska. SENATOR ELLIS said he had the same thought. It is typical and appropriate for government to honor titans of industry and politicians by the naming of grand government facilities. This is a parking garage-a utilitarian, basic structure--and it warms his heart to put Linny's name on it across from the Atwood building. Folks of all stripes can make a contribution and be recognized, he noted. SENATOR BUNDE said Tip O'Neil said politics are local, and the Alaska version is politics are local and personal. 9:20:27 AM SENATOR ELLIS said Linny was not a perfect person, like himself, "but we're celebrating the positive here." He stated that it was controversial to plug meters for people. Its legality can be argued, he stated, but passing SB 131 would say something unique and positive about our state. CHAIR MCGUIRE said Linny took a purposeful step just about every day to make the lives of people better. She was often effective without all the fanfare. It is nice to talk about people like her, not just the people with big titles, she said. 9:22:53 AM SENATOR ELLIS said the bill honors her qualities. The name will live on, and it will be a chance to talk about what she represented. He doubts it will be a no-ticket zone. SENATOR GREEN moved SB 131, as amended, from committee with individual recommendations and accompanying fiscal notes. Hearing no objections, CSSB 131(STA) passed from committee.