June 11, 2013
Tuesday PM

It seems to me, as well as a growing number of community members, that our fiscal responsibilities have been hijacked by an unknown source. As the budget skyrockets continuously year after year, what does our historical community have to show for it? After careful consideration over the past decade, noticeable discrepancies have not only grown in number, but also in size. The audacious actions pursued by a collective of individuals in this town have left us taxpayers hanging out to dry!

Connecting the dots has taken numerous years but the evidence is black and white. Money is being siphoned out of Ketchikan's hard working pockets and going god knows where. Countless projects going 100% or more over budget with no regard or explanation. Unacceptable! As a mechanical and electrical engineer for many years, not only are the projects going over budget, but they are going over budget consistently. Its as if they’ve planned on going over budget!? It is about time our community rallies together, joins generations, remembers are heritage, and takes back our town's livelihood once and for all!

Wouldn’t you know that the the Borough of Ketchikan leaders lobbied for 76 million dollars for our non-profit hospital, that made 1.2 billion dollars profit last year... On top of that the Community of Ketchikan is also giving the hospital $550,000 for medical supplies. This just does not add up and yet nobody is even raising an eye? Currently the Community of Ketchikan will be giving away more than 110 million dollars away to non-profits over the next two years. A little on the excessive side of charity don’t you think. To think that they wanted to raise taxes again this year adds to the calamity of fiscal error we have allowed our board members to get away with.

In the 2012 Community of Ketchikan Fiscal Year Budget the South Tongass Volunteer Fire Department asked for $225,000 for an emergency generator ($150,000 for unit, $25,000 for switching gear, and $50,000 for installation.) There is also a request for $234,000 in the 2013 Community of Ketchikan Fiscal Year Budget for yet again another emergency generator? What really twisted things for me was when I went down to the South Tongass Volunteer Fire Department in April of this year and saw an emergency generator in working order, a Northern Lights Emergency Generator. I read the ID number and contacted Northern Lights closest dealer in Seattle to find out its only about a $10,000 dollar unit. Im not sure if this is perjury, lies, or corruption but something definitely smells fishy here folks. Not to mention it does not cost $50,000 to install one of these units, maybe $5,000 at that! Why has no one questioned this or addressed the board about these discrepancies?

Here's one that makes me chuckle every time i drive by. Our wonderful community and its tax dollars purchased this $300,000 shack to train our firefighters in (Located behind City of Ketchikan North Station Fire Department.). Somehow or another I don’t understand how this could cost more than $100,000 and thats pushing it. Either my engineering is a bit rusty or buying rusty parts in Ketchikan actually costs you more money! The three story house below is for sale on 2nd Ave with a wonderful view from multiple porches as well as patios for a whopping $265,000 and no rust!

Let's do a little investigating into our proposed Bar Harbor Drive Down Float Facility. The 2014 Community of Ketchikan Fiscal Year Budget is requesting $9.4 million dollars to build a 17ft x 140ft Drive down ramp, to the existing float (which will be refurbished), as well as to rebuild 2 more floats (1N and 9). Now after some careful research i became aware of a company from Seattle that could do it for less than half the price. So are the rich just throwing around huge bid numbers to make things look expensive or are they really that uneducated?

With money like this put to actual necessary spending this town could have infinite stories to tell the world. Unlike the view our tourists get from Birth IV, I have an extraordinary view of what our town could be if we were to begin evolving our current systems to be more sustainable, less taxing, and provide more freedom financially as well as physically. Countless renewable energy resources are becoming available to us, yet here in America we remain clueless due to our own government. It's time to stand up once more for what is right and fight for our Freedom Ketchikan!

The Fiscal Year budget 2013 & 2014 has little to no oversight by the public, and the individuals running our local government are aware of that. They have taken complete control of the system (so they think) and bamboozled this town for years. We can not wait for these issues to arrive at everyone's door, by then it will be too late! As a concerned citizen and admirer of Ketchikan these subject matters need to be addressed, AND NOT BEHIND CLOSED DOORS. With annual budgets costing more than the RMS Queen Mary II, what do we have to show for it? (Ketchikan 2013-2014 proposed budget of 1.1 billion) (Queen Mary II cost $800 million plus) I don’t know but the wells drying up fast and the pigs just don’t know when they’ve had enough to drink.

The public records are readily available both online as well as in the finance offices at city hall (links included below.) (As well as hard copies are readily available at Daves Red Anchor 1935 Tongass Ave.)

And a great thanks to Rodney Dial for taking a leap to tell the community that there is a great concern about administration involved in Ketchikan. This is an ongoing process that will continue until we have accountability or new officials.

How can you tell when a politician is lying?

His lips are moving.

God Bless, God Speed, and Thank You for Your Time!

Ed Plute
edplute@gmail.com
Ketchikan, Alaska

Received June 11, 2013 - Published June 11, 2013

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