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Saturday
April 08, 2017
Sunset: Tongass Narrows
Front Page Feature Photo By PATRICIA KUHN ©2017
Alaska: Senate Passes Budget, Back to Alaska House for Concurrence By MARY KAUFFMAN - The Alaska Senate Majority passed what they say is a sustainable operating budget Thursday, reducing state spending by $276 million after a precipitous drop in the price of oil left the state with a multibillion-dollar budget shortfall. However, Senator Berta Gardner (D-Anchorage) says the Senate Republican Majority is choosing to balance the budget on the backs of kids, public health, foster kids, veterans, and working families.
And the Alaska Senate Majority states their savings were largely achieved by reducing spending on the state’s four most significant cost-drivers by five percent, including the Department of Health & Social Services, Education, the Department of Transportation and the University.
Rep. Dan Ortiz (I-Ketchikan) wrote in a letter to SitNews, "Their education plan cuts $69 million to the Base Student Allocation (BSA). This action doesn’t solve our fiscal crisis, but merely passes the burden to our local municipalities. Ketchikan schools would lose $1.4 million, Annette Island schools would lose over $260,000, and Wrangell schools would lose almost $200,000. Pupil transportation reductions would put another $226,000 on the chopping block in Ketchikan alone."
Rep. Ortiz wrote, "The Senate budget reduces funding for Pioneers Homes by $6.5 million or 12.7% in addition to reductions made over the last two years of $3.3 million Unrestricted General Funds. Staff position eliminations would be inevitable, and with less staff, fewer beds would remain open. As beds remain unfilled, revenues associated with an individual’s care – whether private insurance, individual assets, or Medicaid – will also diminish. The true reduction may be closer to $9 million. According to our local Pioneer Home director, this would result in the closure of two of our six Pioneer Homes throughout Alaska."
The Alaska Senate Majority’s version of the operating budget, House Bill 57, proposes $4.1 billion in unrestricted general fund (UGF) spending, which is down from a high of $8 billion in Fiscal Year 2013.
“If a family loses north of 60 percent of their income, they are going to have to tighten their belts,” said Sen. Lyman Hoffman (D-Bethel), co-chair of the Senate Finance Committee. “To help address the fiscal problem, we asked the state’s largest agencies to cut a nickel on the dollar.”
“Cutting is never easy, but it is necessary given our current fiscal situation,” said Sen. Anna MacKinnon (R-Eagle River), co-chair of the Senate Finance Committee. “The Senate Majority prioritized the needs of Alaskans in this budget. We will continue to look at legislation to reform the way government operates in order to further reduce spending through efficiencies and restructuring.”
The Alaska Senate Majority said in a news release, their budget, coupled with Senate Bill 26, will provide protection to the Permanent Fund. They said the Alaska House’s version of the budget, in contrast, proposes to draw $4.2 billion from the Permanent Fund’s earnings, totaling $1.7 billion more than the Senate’s $2.5 billion draw.
“The Senate made good on its promise to make further reductions to the budget and reduce the size and scope of government,” said Sen. Pete Kelly (R-Fairbanks), President of the Alaska Senate. “The Senate’s fiscal solution will protect the dividend, protect Alaskans from an income tax and protect the private sector.”
Senator Berta Gardner stated in a newsletter on April 7th, "After hours of debate, I voted no on this budget, because the Senate Republican Majority is choosing to balance the budget on the backs of kids, public health, foster kids, veterans, and working families. We need to think about our future as a state. We need a fiscal plan with new revenue that prioritizes education, health, and public safety. Until such a plan makes its way to the Senate, I cannot support it."
Gardner wrote this "Republican Majority’s proposed budget makes dramatic and damaging cuts to: Pre-K for at-risk children, K-12 public education, efforts to decrease domestic violence and sexual assault, frontline social workers for abused children, public health, the University of Alaska, and - no surprise here - holds harmless oil company subsidies. Obviously, not everything is on the table, just our children, the poor and sick, victims of sexual assault, our already stretched-thin teachers and social workers, and our university, most of which have already experienced significant cuts. Meanwhile, there is no consideration of oil tax subsidies for which next year’s bill will be a cool $1.37 BILLION when the state will earn production taxes of just $87 MILLION. While schools are denied the funding they need, the oil and gas industry rolls along untouched by cuts. The contrast could not be more stark." - More...
Saturday PM - April 08, 2017
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Fish Factor: Electronic Monitoring systems (EM) can officially replace human observers By LAINE WELCH - Automation is coming to Alaska fishing boats in the form of cameras and sensors to track what’s coming and going over the rails.
Starting next year, Electronic Monitoring systems (EM) can officially replace human observers as fishery data collectors on Alaska boats using longline and pot gear. Vessel operators who do not voluntarily switch to EMS remain subject to human observer coverage on randomly selected fishing trips.
The onboard observer requirement originally included vessels 59 feet and larger, but was restructured in 2013 to include boats down to 40 feet and, for the first time, was applied to the halibut fishery.
“Those smaller vessels have had a hard time accommodating human observers so we have been focused on that,” said Bill Tweit, vice-chair of the North Pacific Fishery Management Council which oversees the program.
Smaller boats also had a hard time with sky-rocketing observer costs under the restructured program, which in some cases, went from less than $300-$400 per day to over $1,000.
Starting in 2013, 15 pot cod boats aligned with the Homer-based North Pacific Fisherman’s Association and Saltwater, Inc. of Anchorage to field test EM in the Gulf of Alaska.
“We saw EM as a tool that could address many of the issues we had with the observer program. It has moved at a glacial pace, but it is finally moving and much more needs to be done,” said Malcolm Milne, NPFA president.
The EM systems were purchased with funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and proved they could track and identify over 95 percent of species required for fishery management decisions.
“Overall, the reception of EM by participants in the pot cod fishery has been positive,” said Abigail Turner-Frank, NPFA project coordinator. “Fishermen have expressed their enthusiasm about the potential cost effectiveness, not having to worry about an extra person onboard and the utility of the cameras showing hi-def deck views of their crew and gear while fishing.”
Testing EM on longline vessels has been ongoing since 2011 via the Sitka-based Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association, in collaboration with NFWF, the Alaska Fisheries Science Center in Seattle and Archipelago Marine of Canada. The trials showed the costs, including data analysis, were $198 per day for six Sitka vessels and $332 per day for Homer boats.
The EM system most often used costs about $3,500 for hardware and installation, plus an additional $1,000 a year for data transfer fees from Alaska to Seattle.
Nancy Munro, Saltwater president, suggests that the data review could be done in Alaska to “create a tighter feedback loop.” She also strongly advocates that instead of losing their jobs, many fishery observers can be integrated into the EM program as data analysts to “keep their talent and experience in the fisheries.”
There are currently 458 fishery observers deployed in Alaska’s fisheries.
The public has until May 22, 2017 to comment on the EM program to federal policy makers.
“We want to hear how well we did at tailoring this and secondly, we want to hear what their next priorities are,” said Bill Tweit. - More...
Saturday PM - April 08, 2017
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Alaska: Health Care Price Transparency Passes Alaska House - Friday, the Alaska House of Representative passed legislation to empower consumers by requiring health care providers and facilities to post a list of the prices for the most commonly provided procedures.
House Bill 123, sponsored by Representative Ivy Spohnholz, requires health care providers to post health care price information in their public reception areas and online. They would also be required to provide that information to the State of Alaska, which will make it available on the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services’ website.
“Health care is one of the only services where consumers have almost no idea how much it will cost,” said Rep. Spohnholz. “This lack of price information prevents one of the fundamental tenets of capitalism, which is the power of the consumer to make choices about what they do or do not purchase. This bill makes price information available to the consumer before they receive the service so they can make informed decisions.”
Specifically, HB 123 requires health care providers (individual doctors and practitioners) to provide the undiscounted price charged individuals for each of their 25 most frequently performed health care services; and health care facilities (hospitals, clinics, etc.) would be required to provide the same information for the 50 most frequently performed health care services provided at the facility. - More...
Saturday PM - April 08, 2017
Alaska: UA Regents to hold special meeting to discuss potential budget cuts - The University of Alaska Board of Regents will hold a special meeting on April 13, 2017 to discuss potential budget cuts by the Alaska Legislature.
The University of Alaska Board of Regents will hold a special meeting on April 13, 2017 to discuss potential budget cuts by the Alaska Legislature.
“While we probably won’t have a final legislative budget number before the board convenes,” UA President Jim Johnsen said, “it’s important that the regents begin considering the devastating impact an additional $22 million cut will have on our ability to serve our students and the state. This impact is compounded by the lack of capital funding to maintain our 400 facilities and unfunded fixed cost increases.”
Johnsen is continuing to advocate for the $325 million unrestricted general fund appropriation endorsed by the governor and the House of Representatives. The chancellors at each of the three universities have been working with Johnsen on contingency plans in the event next year’s operating budget is reduced. - More...
Saturday PM - April 08, 2017 |
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COLUMNS - COMMENTARY
CHRISTINE FLOWERS: On Addiction, Don't Forget Victims of the Addicted - The other day, I was riding on the subway when I heard a commotion behind me. People started running around in the car, and a young girl slammed into my seat as if she was fleeing some kind of murderous thug. The reason for the panic was a crack-head who had decided to beat up on a young, innocent man who happened to be riding on the same car.
The poor young man who just happened to cross paths with the addict was bleeding from the forehead, but was helped off of the train and seemed to be okay. Physically, at least. I can't vouch for his peace of mind, or discount any nightmares he might have well into the night.
This incident, though brief, stayed with me long after the train doors closed and we were safely home. I posted about it on Facebook, and the way that people reacted had a lot to do with the way they approached drug addiction.
Those who had either suffered from addiction and then recovered, or who had family members who were in the throes of addiction, were angry. One old friend from grade school posted some searing criticisms, a few of which were unnecessarily personal and vitriolic, and unfriended me. - More...
Saturday PM - April 08, 2017
DAVE KIFFER: Let's Hear It For Hibernation Nation! - Wow, wasn't it great to just spend the last several months "hibernating?"
I mean it truly has to be the BEST part of living in Alaska. After all the fish die in the creek and the berries wilt and fall off the bushes, you get to curl up in your bed and take "October to April" completely off.
I'm telling you nothing, absolutely nothing, beats a six month siesta. It's the one time when I can actually say that "enough sleep" isn't just "five minutes more."
This year was particularly restful because we slept through that awful late spring snow that inundated Our Fair Frozen Salmon City.
That would really have sucked if we had to actually shovel that mess, eh?
Of course, now that you mention it, there is a nagging soreness in my shoulders. Perchance I was sleep-shoveling? - More...
Saturday PM - April 08, 2017 |
Editorial Cartoon: Syria Chemicals
By Steve Sack ©2017, The Minneapolis Star Tribune
Distributed to subscribers for publication by Cagle Cartoons, Inc.
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 Budget Proposals; Let your voice be heard By Rep. Dan Ortiz - As expected, it’s been a challenging legislative session, and from here on, the budget will be the forefront of every discussion. Both the House and the Senate are creating Alaska’s budget, but it’s clear that the bodies have differing approaches. - More...
Saturday PM - April 08, 2017
Thomas Basin, Spruce Mill Sheet Pile Fix By Charlie Freeman - It is my understanding that the proposed fix for the rusted out sheet pile in front of the old Spruce Mill property is to dump rock and fill in front of it, on the basin side, to contain the sluff. This, if true, may well be the worst idea since the T-pier. - More...
Saturday PM - April 08, 2017
Private Health Insurance is gouging us By Michael Spence - According to Alaska Dispatch News, Premera Lifewise of Alaska recently announced it had profited $18 Million from Obamacare plans last year, and another $20 Million in Individual Health plans. These figures were sharply higher than what the company officially predicted which was $2.7 Million.During the same year, it was reported, the deficit-bound State of Alaska subsidized Health Insurance industry in Alaska to the tune of $55 million dollars. - More...
Wednesday PM - April 05, 2017
Walker's big take from economy By James Dornblaser - The Ketchikan Borough Assembly faces a dilemma! Sales tax issues are foremost on their agenda. Same is true with most of our state's local governments. They face the question of how to make up the shortfall caused by our governor's brainchild of confiscating 1/2 of all our permanent fund dividends last fall. - More...
Wednesday PM - April 05, 2017
Think About It By Donald A. Johnson - I noticed with interest that Lisa Murkowski voted with the Democrats to fund elective abortions thru Planned Parenthood. This is just one example (and there are many) of why we have excessive taxes and the average working man cannot make ends meet. - More...
Monday PM - April 03, 2017
HB 159 is a State Government overreach By John Suter - In regards to HB 159, prescription pain medications are regulated by the Federal Government and Medical Professionals. HB 159 is a State Government overreach, which will consequently cause harm to seniors, the chronically ill and those who are recovering from surgery. HB 159 is treating monitored prescribed pain killers as if they were illegal drugs. Taxing prescribed opioid drugs is attacking the weak; those who are undergoing treatment for pain. Limiting prescribed opioid drugs will make it more difficult for those people who are ill because they will have to rely on others to take them to the pharmacy on a weekly basis vs. a monthly basis. Right now under Federal Law people who need prescribed pain medicine must see their doctor on a monthly basis. If HB 159 passes then, those who are in need of pain management will need to see their doctor on a weekly basis. - More....
Monday PM - April 03, 2017
What’s obvious to Alaskans continues to bewilder legislators By Curtis W. Thayer - Decisions regarding the size and funding of government impact all Alaskans so it’s important to have current, comprehensive information to help make wise choices. Each year, the Alaska Chamber asks Alaskans a broad range of topics. When it comes to funding State government, we find issues like taxation and use of the Permanent Dividend will forever be contentious. Alaskans are evenly split on restructuring the Permanent Fund to pay for state spending. How these overarching issues color Alaskans thinking is obvious when you look at the numbers. - More...
Wednesday PM - March 29, 2017
Oil companies bought Alaska legislature back By Ray Metcalfe - In 2004 I speculated in an ADN op-ed that several members of both houses of our legislature were taking bribes from oil companies with Bill Allen and VECO acting as their surrogate. While I only had a smattering of hard evidence, my real confidence in risking that the most powerful people in Alaska would not sue me for saying it stemmed from my confidence that bribery was the only logical reason any legislator would pretend to believe that profits to the big three producers needed to be increased at our expense or they would leave. Over and over I had documented that oil company profits in Alaska dwarfed oil company profits in other parts of the world. Over and over I documented that other countries kept a much larger share of the profits than we were keeping. Over and over seated legislators would pretend to believe and act on oil company rhetoric that I knew that they knew had to be false. - More...
Wednesday PM - March 29, 2017
Alaska Income Tax By Lance Clark - Here we go, a nice new income tax to punish anyone who is even a little successful. All an income tax does is take money away from private businesses and service providers and feed it to the government greed monster, which will always need more. Unlike the state, when our income goes down we spend less. The less we spend the more businesses suffer and either lay off or drop out. - More...
Wednesday PM - March 29, 2017
Invitation to Welcome Interim Pastor By Steve Kinney - Please join us at the Ketchikan Presbyterian Church on April 2nd to welcome our interim pastor, the Rev. Dr. Robert Nicholson. He is eager to share God’s Word with us! Worship is at 11:00 followed by coffee and conversation. - More...
Wednesday PM - March 29, 2017
Fake News Prevalent in Alaska By Bethany Marcum - During this legislative session, fake news has been prevalent in Alaska. We’ve heard our state budget cannot be balanced without an income tax; we must cap the PFD and restructure the Permanent Fund to create a long-term budget plan; Alaskans don’t understand enough about our fiscal situation to be able to vote on a solution; and state government has already been cut to the bone and more reductions are unreasonable. Well don’t believe it - it’s all fake news. - More...
Monday PM - March 27, 2017
An Open Letter to the Legislators, Councilmen and Assembly of Ketchikan By Terri Wilson - Friday morning I read the article about changing the way you tax senior citizens, and I've had enough of the idiocy of the State of Alaska, City Council and the Borough Assembly! Every one of you should resign, get REAL PEOPLE in to make wise decisions -- like housewives who have to budget! - More...
Monday PM - March 27, 2017
Stop Cash Payments to Oil Companies By Dan Ortiz - It’s time to roll back the high cashable credits we pay to oil companies. House Bill 111 is a bill which amends the current oil and natural gas tax structure to remove or edit pieces of the current oil tax system that do not benefit Alaskans. - More...
Monday PM - March 27, 2017
The American Health Care Act Is What Repeal Looks Like By Ghert Abbott - As the American Health Care Act was the best possible repeal legislation that House Republicans could create, we’d do well to consider the full significance of last week’s debacle. What would repeal have meant if it had been successful? And what does its total political failure mean for American healthcare? - More...
Monday PM - March 27, 2017
WHY I LOVE KETCHIKAN By Laura Plenert - On a recent Friday night when my power went out – there were strange noises – crackling, crashing etc. I sprang out of bed to check the house. Everything seemed in order. When I got up on Saturday morning, parts of my home had power, parts didn’t. I smelled a burned wire smell in my living room and noticed the porch lights on – and wouldn’t switch off. The switch was very warm. I went to the breaker box to shut off that breaker. I noticed 5 other breakers had “popped”. I called a friend who is an electrician – Wayne Walters. He advised that the first step was to get in touch with KPU to make sure the power into my home was ok. I called KPU and spoke to a very tired employee who said he would put me on the list. Afraid to turn anything on, I went outside to start shoveling. During a “shovel break” – Mark Adams – from KPU (who lives a few doors down) came to my door and said he heard I had problems. There was a bucket truck in the area – so the 2 KPU employees in that truck stopped and checked the power to my home. Everything checked out OK. In the meantime, Wayne called me back – he had an employee (Art from Channel Electric) who was nearby and would come to check on interior electric. A short time later Art showed up – he replaced the burned switch and checked out the breaker box. - More...
Monday PM - March 27, 2017
Town crier By Rodney Dial - I think most are starting to come to grasp with the state budget deficit and what it means; Ketchikan is a smart town. - More...
Wednesday PM - March 22, 2017
"THOSE PEOPLE" ARE YOU AND ME By Janalee L. Minnich Gage - My blood pressure is high, even though it's going on 21 years since May 31st 1995... I still get worked up, it still brings tears to my eyes, not for the reasons you might think, nor out of regret or anger, but out of the harsh lesson I witnessed. - More...
Wedesday PM - March 22, 2017
How Will Don Young Vote? By Ghert Abbott - On March 14th I spoke on the phone with a staffer for Congressman Don Young’s Washington office about my concerns regarding the Trump-Ryan American Health Care Act, which will repeal the Affordable Care Act. If this bill becomes law the Medicaid expansion will be rolled back and Alaskan Medicaid cut, an estimated 1,000 Ketchikan residents could lose their healthcare, Federal subsidies that help Alaskans buy insurance will be cut by 75%, Alaskan insurance premiums will go up and coverage quality down, and elderly Alaskans will be forced to pay more. When all of these effects are taken together, I believe they will greatly harm rural Alaska and result in people dying for lack of affordable care, and I told the staffer this. - More...
Wednesday PM - March 22, 2017
The Age of Propaganda By Michael Spence - In the 1970's scholars dubbed it the Information Age , a future in which computers would increase all levels of communication between humans. It was widely believed then that such an increase in access to knowledge would transform our world for the better. Where isolationism and illiteracy were once common, there would be a trans-formative shift towards education, democracy, and prosperity. - More...
Wednesday PM - March 22, 2017
Rebuilding Our Military By Donald Moskowitz - As a Navy veteran and a strong supporter of our military I commend President Trump for initiating a program to rebuild our military with a defense budget increase of $54 billion, but it should be decreased by $1.3 billion and the $1.3 billion added to the Coast Guard budget within the Department of Homeland Security so it is not cut by $1.3 billion. - More...
Wednesday PM - March 22, 2017
SAY NO, PROTECT TAKU By Chantelle Hart - I am a Taku River Tlingit (TRT) woman from Atlin BC and I have lived my entire life in fear of “the mine” that might come to my home territory and cause disastrous impacts to my community and the surrounding environmental areas. Even as a young child, I lived with terror and unarticulated fury over the various investors that have come to capitalize off the Tulsequah Chief mine. First there was Redfern (later called Redcorp Ventures), and they went bankrupt – but the long and drawn out legal battles my First Nation became embroiled in was a tremendous financial sacrifice we have not yet recovered from. My people have never been able to breathe easy for long, because there is always a wolf at the door, attracted by the possibility of profit. - More...
Saturday AM - March 18, 2017
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