November 21, 2005
Monday

I have heard some of you think opinion letters like mine have hurt the bridge funding or brought others to think we really do not have a good plan in place to make this work. To me it looked like greed. You are now going to have to convince the rest of the state how much we really need this bridge. I looked at building the bridge so differently than many others. It could be a gift to all the unfinished projects we have.

Let's say we just get enough funding to build two new ferries, maybe even electric that do not have cabins in the middle of the deck, or even to modify the ones we have so a loaded log truck and others can get off as easy as possible. A little longer ramp to lessen the grade as there might be sometimes the tide is not right. The terminal on the airport side is in the wrong spot and needs to be turned the other direction to point to where you put your new road. To keep traffic away from the terminal, your new road should have gone around the other end of the runway - but you paid the engineers. With that said, I would really like to see the highway project finished up Second. They have really done a good job - there are no more bumps. The state needs to quit trying to deal with property owners and pay the price - let's get this moving. The west side of Roosevelt drive has needed to be finish to lessen the traffic speeding through the 35 MPH  zone at Mountain Point. Then maybe the ones who drive up that road will not be losing their loads in my yard. Talk about trash Jerry.
 
One other real important project is getting the road out of town started by hooking up Shelters Cove, Shoal Cove, Carol River, Neets Bay and then we're set to ask for the money to go to the mainland. This should have been done way before the intertie project ever went in. By god things sure would or been easier, and cheaper to build the intertie and we would be using that power instead of raising our rates. We would be on our way out of town, and our future would be quite bright.

We keep talking about these things but nothing ever gets done. We say we don't have the land to expand. Bull! Look around. Extend South Tongass to White River so people from North Tongass or town could work at mills and things up that way. Cape Fox could tie Mahoney into the power lines. We could be taxing them for their property that otherwise is just going to sit there for a another hundred years till new trees can be cut down. You say new mills but you tore one down that was working fine and built another that has not even moved but are told next month - forever. Locate mills on White River where all the logs would be coming down. Our new road out of town we don't have to look unless you live up George Inlet which would be opened up for homes instead of only recreation cabins. And I am not even going to touch on the recreational value this time.
 
For some reason I felt all this could be done for what the development and the bridge is going to cost us and it would go over with the rest of the state much better. Have you ever tried to listen to your youth and your neighbors, or are you gust content on being the grump scrooge that all your neighbors dislike. In a recent event in my life I have came to the conclusion things do change but you need to help them move in the right direction. So I am now going to start getting involved in a few community things and I really ask others that feel the same to join in and let's make living here a special place - not some place where we all hate our local government - and I've heard many of you say that. Even the good old boys. I just hope your hearts can take a different thought concept. I really do not want to go back out in the big mess and lack of control that has taken over the rest of the world.
 
Jerry, the only way you can improve the trash is to get the dump open on Sundays, at least for half a day. But I do not think any one really cares about trash because no one even talked about my recycling idea, and I heard the borough stopped taking scrap iron and cars.
 
That's enough, so let's see what you do with my opinion. Just one more thing if we do ever build the bridge and it never gets finished, I am going to hang a sign that says "nowhere" on it for all to see.
 
Robert McRoberts
Ketchikan, AK - USA

 

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