Sorted by date Results 776 - 800 of 1101
Recently I took a small survey "What do you like best about Wrangell?" The universal response was "the people." Because I personally felt something of the spirit among us weakened, I questioned some steady returnees on the 4th of July. They too, had experienced a change of feeling about town. A new coldness. Yes, lots of new folks have come. Their jobs are of a totally different type than our original loggers and fisherfolk. These jobs are mostly inside type; not challenging one's strength, or s...
The strike called for by the Inlandboatmen's Union of the Pacific (IBU) this week defies all logic. Talk about giving the governor exactly what he wants at a most expeditious time - the script couldn't be more perfect. Instead of shutting down the ferries in October, the IBU now insures the ferries shut down in mid-summer. And in summer, visitors are impacted rather than state residents who are busy working seasonal jobs like construction and fishing. Of course, this will not endear members of...
To the Editor: How can it be that we are knee-deep in tourist effluent and Medicaid is being cut? Why isn’t the State Treasury fat with income from the tourist industry? Southeast Alaska is being exploited by tour ships. We need to, A: set a limit on the number and size of tour ships allowed in state waters; B: issue permits with contractual obligations; C: get compensated for their use of the state resources, including monitoring costs. Is anyone in the state taking any action aside from cutting programs to state residents? Is it hard to b...
As we look forward to our family and community celebration of the 4th of July, Independence Day, it seems appropriate to reflect on the strength of the people that gave us the opportunities that America offers, the signers of the Declaration of Independence. Can you imagine being one of 56 individuals to sign a document that would be your death sentence if your fellow countrymen didn’t stand behind you and endanger their lives in a war against the mighty British empire? Upon where did they draw that strength to be so vulnerable? It is i...
To the Editor: Hello people of Wrangell; this is the latest update on my lawsuit against the hiring managers and some members of the city council. This week I have been inundated with several bundles of filed information from their lawyer in Anchorage. These I have filed answers to, however the city of Wrangell has insisted upon joining the defendants. So it is my question to we the people, the taxpayers of Wrangell, is this wise? The best use of our tax dollars. They bought a boatlift from the EU ignoring a competitive bid from an American...
The Alaska State Legislature adjourned last week, but before adjourning, the most significant accomplishment was the agreement to transfer $10.5 billion from the Earnings Reserve Account (ERA) to the Corpus of the Permanent Fund. For the majority of legislators, including Senator Stedman and myself, it is a top priority to protect and enhance opportunities for the Permanent Fund to grow so that there will continue to be PFDs for Alaskans well into the future. The Permanent Fund is comprised of the Corpus (also known as the Principal) and the...
To the Editor: Wow, the small town politics is oh so... The latest news in my ongoing solo battle to drain the Wrangell swamp is. A certain upstanding citizen came into a certain store and gave away some comments and opinions that now have me at a disadvantage. This I can only see as the swamp’s demand that I submit to their collective will and surrender. Being that now I am unemployed in from what was my main source of income, this is a starve-out tactic. They want to deny me unemployment and vacation pay after seven years of service. So n...
Earlier this month, the House passed House Bill 49, which is a collaborative bill between the House, the Senate, and the Governor’s administration to improve public safety. After the Conference Committee process last week, the Senate passed the bill on Tuesday, May 28th. The bill now heads to the Governor’s Office to be signed. The bill has most generally been referred to as the “SB91 Repeal” and contains the following provisions: Keeps in place the pretrial services program and the pretrial risk assessment tool, while making them subject...
To the Editor: Demand destruction is a phenomenon that is often referred to when oil prices rise high enough to harm the economy and reduce its ability to purchase fuel. I have another example of demand destruction; getting rid of ferry service to Alaskan communities because the State budget has been mismanaged, which will result in a self inflicted wound to the economy. These small towns have ferry docks, how much was spent to build these docking facilities? Should that investment be, in...
To the Editor: It was 84 degrees near the Arctic Ocean. Severe weather threatens eighteen states. Antarctic is losing its ice fields and Nome is ice free. Deadly California fires. Ninety-four degrees in Omaha, Nebraska. Earthquakes in Oklahoma, Alaska and Texas due to fracking and our politicians who were put in office by the oil companies deny…deny and tell us that there is no climate change? Really? The sea is rising due to the North and South Poles melting. Just look at the Mendenhall and LeConte Glaciers which are slowly retreating as t...
To the Editor: I wonder what has happened to fiscal responsibility in state government? We no longer have statesmen representing Alaska, but more outsiders that don't understand our way of life. And, this mismanagement of the Alaska Marine Highway System is holding Alaskans hostage. Whose idea was it to compete with the cruise industry? Now the M/V Columbia broke down. When you talk to the terminal agents, wipers, engineers, pursers, stewards, and ABs, it has been mismanagement, no funds for...
As the State of Alaska grapples with our current fiscal situation, legislators are considering ways to balance the budget while protecting our savings and preserving the PFD. I urge my colleagues to focus on an important part of the discussion: oil taxes. Alaska is the only state in the US that taxes oil based on net profits, yet we are also the state that relies the most on oil revenues for government services. Unique among states, Alaska is also the owner of the resource: most of our oil has been produced from state owned lands. This also mea...
To the Editor: Demand destruction is a phenomenon that is often referred to when oil prices rise high enough to harm the economy and reduce its ability to purchase fuel. I have another example of demand destruction; getting rid of ferry service to Alaskan communities because the State budget has been mismanaged, which will result in a self inflicted wound to the economy. These small towns have ferry docks, how much was spent to build these docking facilities? Should that investment be, in hindsight, a waste of resources? People bought land...
Last week, the Alaska House of Representatives passed a budget for the State of Alaska. As a member of the Finance Committee and the Chair of the Education & Early Development, Fish & Game, and Environmental Conservation Department Finance Subcommittees, I am a part of the budget process from the beginning until the end. For the past month, we have dug into each department budget, asking critical questions, and analyzing impacts of potential cuts. The budget was an intense collaborative effort;...
To the Editor: Only 15 seconds into my April 12, one minute public testimony for the state operating budget, my microphone was abruptly muted by finance committee co-chair Senator Stedman. His justification explained afterward was, "We are talking about the operating budget." If freeing up $32 million dollars to put toward genuine transportation needs is an invalid suggestion toward relieving our state's fiscal crisis, then Alaska residents have no hope for honest fiscal conservatism. Sen....
From helplessness to optimism Changes in feelings and behavior are not easy. So how can we change how we think, feel, and act? Here are a few things anyone can do. Listen to what you are saying to yourself. If you are saying I'm a failure you can convince yourself you are. Tell yourself you are valuable and cared about. You can choose to think about something different. Recall happier times. Visualize positive experiences. If the problem is overwhelming, deal with it later. It is better to...
To the Editor: I try very hard to keep my budget balanced and pay my bills, so when I hear that a city employee is getting a substantial raise and the Wrangell City Assembly hasn't even passed a budget, I become concerned, especially when I see my Inner Harbor electricity bill skyrocket from $18.00 in the cold month of November to $42.63 in the warm month of April. Then I realize we have the highest sales tax in Southeast and that we may call this electrical overcharge wrongfully charged and don...
This past weekend, I had the opportunity to host three Community Meetings in Juneau, Sitka, and Ketchikan to hear input on the governor's proposed budget for the next fiscal year. First and foremost, I'd like to thank everyone who took the time to attend, especially those who had the courage to speak. In Ketchikan, almost 130 people attended, and 51 people spoke during the 2.5 hours allowed for public comment. In Sitka, over 200 people attended and 61 people spoke. I'd like to share some...
To the Editor: Alaska was well represented by so many communities in Alaska finding common ground by working together with Alaska's Council on Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault (CDVSA). Executive Director L. Diane Castro was delighted to see Wrangell's BRAVE (Building Respect and Valuing Everyone) representatives there: Kay Larson, Joan Sargent and Loretto Jones who attended numerous workshops and shared with other agencies the common thread to provide advocacy for healthy relationships in all...
Many of the strongest and best memories from my childhood growing up in Juneau revolve around riding Alaska's ferries to swim meets to communities like Petersburg, Sitka, and Ketchikan. And later, as an adult, I have traveled across Southeast on ferries dozens of times for family trips, to deliver orthopedic clinics and surgery to remote communities, for hunting, and for basketball games. Those trips opened my eyes to the astounding beauty and breadth of our state, and they introduced me to...
To the Editor: When I walked into the Legislative Information Office to testify in support of the ferry system, I was so proud to see many friends and neighbors sitting at the long table, coming up the stairs, filing in to Sarah Merritt’s small office, ready to let the State of Alaska’s Department of Transportation Committee know how important the ferries are to coastal Alaska. Each individual from Unalaska to Ketchikan testified on why the ferry system is critical to Alaskans. The thread that connected each story was the divesting impact of...
To the Editor: My recent letter to the editor seems to have been a hit, for at least some. I received an invitation to be interviewed to clean the grade school bldg. So being that I will never know their process of hiring, due extensively to their mind set. I have some observations and evaluations of my own. First off the door I sat next to in the office waiting area is hitting the steel frame too hard and loosening in the wall. This can be repaired, not replaced. One of the downfalls of maintenance people is they do not follow building codes,...
To the Editor: Do you know who is running the Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS) into the ground? Captain John Falvey, the General Manager of AMHS, a graduate of the Maine Maritime Academy spent 25 years operating offshore deep-sea oil tankers for the Union Oil Company of California and went on to operate fast ferries for 5 years as a high-speed code type rated Captain in both New England and South American waters. Two northern Alaska Republican Legislators pushed for the fast ferries even though British Columbia and Hawaii told them fast...
Last week, Governor Dunleavy unveiled his amended budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2020. As expected, there were substantial cuts to government agencies, all of which will affect Southern Southeast. Some of the cuts that will be most noticeable here in District 36 are the Marine Highway, services to our seniors, education, Fish & Game, public safety, and access to information. Governor Dunleavy proposed 68.3% cut to our ferry system, including an 80% decrease in funding for fuel. The intent of such a steep cut is to eliminate the ferry system...
To the Editor: I recently read the story of the new maintenance director, Josh Blatchly’s, report to the (COF) School Board. This is the type of nonsense I expect from an unqualified, “just going to spend your money to justify my possession” type of person. Full disclosure, I was supposed to be in the running for this job, however, the (COF) didn’t even attempt to interview me. With over three decades of construction, remodeling, and building schools, the (COF) just passed me by. So these faulty doors open, close, and lock but need replaci...