December 09, 2013
Monday PM

This is one of the hundreds of things that are so wrong with the 2013/2014 budget. In a town this small, why are we even paying taxes?! With so much income from tourism, we are being dumped on! Now a loss of public trust, and a complete waste of tax payer's money. It's one thing to SAY something, it's another to DO something about it! Do you recognize truth when it's staring you in the face? You need to see it, instead of those who are hiding it.

Downtown on the Front Street docks, before the summer of 2013, we had the dock rebuilt, or so we thought. The planks however, were just "flipped over" giving the illusion new wood had been laid down. The simple answer to your questions will most likely conclude with "money", saving it, spending it, and hoarding it!

Pictured above, it seems very clearly the planks have been “flipped” Once again we’re going to get soaked! Their response to this will be, “We just wanted to recycle the wood/planks.” REALLY?! How much did this cost us? Oh, and by the way, let's raise taxes for schools, or the fire department, a bunch of crap and they know it! It’s about time to hold these people accountable for there actions!

Before being nixed by the Ketchikan City Council, the new rain gauge's cost was approximately $95,000. However, the museum of downtown, has buckets laying all over for leaks. But there’s not money to fix that? So are we getting soaked once again?!’  

So many other contracts are over budget by 100%, ad here we find $12 million to pay extra on a few projects. But where did the money come from? We find more money, we have it in our possession, we spend it!

The tourist industry will not last forever. The industries will NOT move here, and there is no support that could be given to help that. If you don't get the picture now, wait, you will!

At the rate of money that this town brings in, there’s no way that you should have to pay taxes. Look at our resources, we have tons! Why? To pay over cost and construction... NOT!

When you take a minute to actually think about it, we need funding for schools. But no, we spent all the money on crap! With a total of $2.2 million on city hall, and a $300,000 on a new break room/tin shack.

Photos to the left are fire training center, nothing more than a tin shack, cost 300k. As well, the new break room was 300k, each separately shouldn’t have cost more than $10k. These are just a couple of the projects that are of over cost.

Why have a face lift on the city, that costs $1.4 million? They re-did the air conditioning in 2006, and again in 2013, for more efficiency. In City Manager Karl Amylon's office, they spent 350k for office patricians... A bit excessive don’t you think?!

City in disarray, and you wonder why the state won't give us anymore money... Currently as of today's date, between KPU and Ketchikan General Fund, the city is now in a whopping debt of $311 million! With principle and interest, it will be over a billion dollars, and you want to KEEP raising taxes?! Thank you very much Karl Amylon for helping this town, now, go home to Watertown, NY where you came from!

You can join our group, it's a fiscal responsibility group. Your name can either be displayed or anonymous. We need YOUR help to fight city hall! We ask that the mayor and city council members relieve Karl Amylon of his duties, effective immediately.

By the way, Karl Amylon's salary as City Manager PER YEAR, is over $200,000 including benefits. That’s 1/3 more than any governor makes, what are we thinking department?!

You can contact us at 1935 Tongass Avenue Suite A, of Ketchikan. or edplute@gmail.com. Contact number 907 254 5445.

Ed Plute
Ketchikan, Alaska

Received December 04, 2013 - Published December 09, 2013

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