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Saturday
June 14, 2014
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Ward Lake: Beavers
Front Page Photo By JIM LEWIS ©2014
(Please respect the rights of photographers, never republish or copy
without permission and/or payment of required fees.)
Alaska: New Study Lists Alaska Among Top 10 Most Corrupt States By MARY KAUFFMAN - A 2014 study in the Public Administration Review looking at the impact of government corruption on states’ expenditures lists Alaska as among the 10 most corrupt states -- leading to the Alaska Democratic Party to allege members of the Alaska House Majority are corrupt.
The new study, “The Impact of Public Officials’ Corruption on the Size and Allocation of U.S. State Spending" by The American Society for Public Administration, identifies factors that have been correlated with higher levels of corruption. These include isolated state capitals, legal systems with resource constraints and even those with abundant natural resources.
Defining corruption as the “misuse of public office for private gain,” the authors of the study, John L. Mikesell of Indiana University Bloomington, and Cheol Liu of the City University of Hong Kong, note that public and private corruption can have a range of negative effects: lower-quality work, reduced economic productivity and higher levels of income inequality and poverty.
The authors argue that public officials’ corruption should cause state spending to be artificially elevated. Corruption increased state spending over the period 1997–2008. During that time, the 10 most corrupt states could have reduced their total annual expenditure by an average of $1,308 per capita—5.2 percent of the mean per capita state expenditure - if corruption had been at the average level of the states. Moreover, at the expense of social sectors, corruption is likely to distort states’ public resource allocations in favor of higher-potential “bribe-generating” spending and items directly beneficial to public officials, such as capital, construction, highways, borrowing, and total salaries and wages. The authors use an objective, concrete, and consistent measurement of corruption, the number of convictions.
In their analysis, Mikesell and Liu examined more than 25,000 convictions of public officials for violating federal corruption laws. Factors weighed included states’ population, employment and income levels, as well as legal resources, degree of fiscal centralization, political structure and election cycle. Based on this method, the the most corrupt states according to the study are: - More...
Saturday - June 14, 2014
Fish Factor: Where does the seafood industry rank among the major candidates? By LAINE WELCH - You’ve heard it before and you’ll hear it again: The seafood industry is Alaska’s largest private employer, putting more people to work than mining, oil/gas, timber and tourism combined. The annual revenue the seafood sector contributes to State coffers is second only to Big Oil. So where does the seafood industry rank among the major candidates running for Alaska Governor and the US Senate?
Here’s what a thorough look at each of their campaign websites reveals, starting with the race for Governor (all in alphabetical order) --
Byron Mallott (Democratic candidate) only mentions fishing commercially in Southeast in the “About Byron” section. www.byronmallott.com/
Gov. Sean Parnell (Republican, incumbent) only mentions fishing in the “Issues/Standing Against Federal Overreach” section, saying he “fought off the federal government’s attempt to implement “ocean zoning”—known as marine spatial planning,” and “To protect the livelihoods of our fishing fleet in Southeast, the State of Alaska petitioned to de-list the Eastern stock of Steller sea lions that had been protected by the Endangered Species Act.” An article about “Wal-Mart to keep buying Alaska salmon” appears in the Blog section. www.parnell2014.com/
Bill Walker (Independent candidate) has a complete section listed under “Issues/Fish Management” saying: “Having spent 30 years in Prince William Sound, I am familiar with the importance fisheries play in all aspects of the economy…. Furthermore, I will protect, maintain and improve the fish, game and aquatic plant resources of the State, and manage their use and development for the well-being of the people of the State, consistent with high-sustained yield principles.” www.walkerforalaska.com/
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Candidates running for US Senate need to be aware that nearly 85% of Alaska’s seafood harvests fall under federal jurisdiction –
Senator Mark Begich (Democrat, incumbent) lists fishing resources under the “Priorities/Economy and Jobs” section saying: “In Alaska, fishing isn’t a hobby or a sporting event. More than 76,000 jobs in our state are directly or indirectly linked to the fishing industry. Our fisheries bring in $5 billion to our state’s economy. For us, fishing is a way of life.” Begich also mentions his ongoing fight against genetically modified salmon called Frankenfish. www.markbegich.com/
Joe Miller (Republican candidate) has no mention of fisheries on his site. http://joemiller.us/
Dan Sullivan (Republican candidate) posts a picture of a fishing boat in the “Issues/Jobs and the Economy” section but does not mention anything about fishing or the industry. Under “Improving Lives & Opportunities in Rural Alaska” Sullivan says he “continues the time-honored activities of his wife Julie’s family at their fish camp on the Yukon River.” There is no mention of fish in his “Natural Resources” section. www.sullivan2014.com/
Mead Treadwell (Republican candidate) – lists “Fishing industry” in the “Issues” section and says “Alaska’s fishing industry supports thousands of jobs and produces billions for our economy.” http://www.treadwellalaska.com/
For candidates running for the US House of Representatives –
Forrest Dunbar (Democratic candidate) – mentions two summers fishing commercially at Cordova. www.forrestforalaska.com/
Rep. Don Young (Republican, incumbent) does not appear to have a 2014 campaign web site. www.alaskansfordonyoung.com
I fish, I vote!
Seafood Harvesters of America (SHA)is a newly launched group that has garnered coast to coast representation in a united voice for “accountable and thriving fisheries.”
“There is no national organization that only represents US fishermen here in DC,” said Brett Veerhusen, a lifelong Alaskan who serves as executive director for the group. “If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu here. So it is important that we as fishermen lend our voices in a united way on key federal issues affecting fishermen.” - More...
Saturday - June 14, 2014 |
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Ketchikan: AmeriCorps NCCC Serving in Ketchikan - Green 4, an AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) team of six young adults is in the Ketchikan area working with the Ketchikan Youth Initiatives (KYI), Tongass National Forest and Southeastern Alaska Independent Living (SAIL) from June 3 to July 16, 2014.
Green 4 members pose with their sponsor Bobbie McCreary at her home in Ketchikan.
All three organizations have a similar goal to better their local community. Ketchikan Youth Initiatives (KYI) listens to and empowers youth and young adults and guides them in youth-directed and adult-mentored community initiatives. Green 4 will be working in Ketchikan to relocate a paintball field for KYI.
Tongass National Forest is hosting the team at a local campsite. In return, the NCCC will be doing some trail building and campsite maintenance. They will also work with SAIL whose mission is to empower elders and people with disabilities by providing services and information and support in making choices that will positively affect their independence and productivity in society. Green 4 will be working with SAIL as helpers on beach days, hikes and for fundraisers such as the Only Fools Run at Midnight run.
“We are so excited to have another AmeriCorps NCCC team in town to work with KYI. When Cape Fox advised we would need to move from our original paintball field site and suggested we rebuild across Revilla road, NCCC came to mind immediately as a potential solution to a Big Problem. Talk about a solution! Just four days after landing in KTOWN the team has been trained for trail work with the Forest Service, put a primer coat on the new skate park equipment shed, and has already explored and identified an excellent site for a field in the woods” said Bobbie McCreary. - More...
Saturday - June 14, 2014 |
Science: 55-year old dark side of the moon mystery solved - The Man in the Moon appeared when meteoroids struck the Earth-facing side of the moon creating large flat seas of basalt that we see as dark areas called maria. But no "face" exists on farside of the moon and now, Penn State astrophysicists think they know why.
Far Side of the Moon
This is a composite image of the lunar farside taken by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter in June 2009, note the absence of dark areas.
Credit: NASA
"I remember the first time I saw a globe of the moon as a boy, being struck by how different the farside looks," said Jason Wright, assistant professor of astrophysics. "It was all mountains and craters. Where were the maria? It turns out it's been a mystery since the fifties."
This mystery is called the Lunar Farside Highlands Problem and dates back to 1959, when the Soviet spacecraft Luna 3 transmitted the first images of the "dark" side of the moon back to Earth. It was called the dark side because it was unknown, not because sunlight does not reach it. Researchers immediately noticed that fewer "seas" or maria existed on this portion of the moon that always faces away from Earth.
Wright, Steinn Sigurdsson, professor of astrophysics and Arpita Roy, graduate student in astronomy and astrophysics, and lead author of the study, realized that the absence of maria, which is due to a difference in crustal thickness between the side of the moon we see and the hidden side, is a consequence of how the moon originally formed. The researchers report their results in today's (June 9) Astrophysical Journal Letters.
The general consensus on the moon's origin is that it probably formed shortly after the Earth and was the result of a Mars-sized object hitting Earth with a glancing, but devastating impact. This Giant Impact Hypothesis suggests that the outer layers of the Earth and the object were flung into space and eventually formed the moon. - More...
Saturday - June 14, 2014 |
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 The Word Parnell Refuses to Say…"Deficit" By Bill Walker - Alaskans take pride knowing we are the largest state with the most lakes, tallest mountains and longest summer days. But there are other extreme facts we aren’t boasting about, nor is our governor willingly discussing. Under Parnell, we have blown through 35 percent of our savings and are saddled with the largest budget deficit in state history. Moreover, the U.S. Department of Census recently announced that Alaska is one of only two states with declining revenues in 2013. - More...
Saturday PM - June 14, 2014
Fate of the TLMP revision By Gretchen Goldstein - Doomed from the start. That’s the fate of the TLMP revision recently announced by the USDA. The revision faces controversy and legal challenges because, of the 15 revisers appointed to the Tongass Advisory Committee, not one represents subsistence. Yet California, Washington, and Oregon each have a voting representative; the timber industry, Native corporations and the government all have multiple representation. - More...
Saturday PM - June 14, 2014
UNITED AS ONE By Diane Gubatayao - Last November, outstanding Kayhi students Eimy Anzueto, Roselyn Cachero, Benz Guillermo, Mikala McKim and Omar Mendoza, attended the statewide LEAD ON! conference in Anchorage. They met students from all over Alaska and learned about issues facing young people. Each community chose a goal, and our Kayhi youth decided to sponsor an event to celebrate the wonderful diversity of Ketchikan. These wise young people recognize that many groups lead parallel lives in Ketchikan and rarely do their paths cross or come together. - More...
Saturday PM - June 14, 2014
The Declaration of Independence and The U.S. Constitution By Rex Barber - The Declaration of Independence is America's creed. The absolute belief that the only legitimate form of Government is Government by consent of the people.(Republican form of Government) That they (We the people) are endowed with certain unalienable rights. Rights that are sown in the very nature of man. Rights that exist in the wine dark deep recesses of our DNA. - More...
Saturday PM - June 14, 2014
Plan addresses workforce needs of Alaska’s maritime industry By Kris Norosz, Julie Decker and Doug Ward - With our massive land endowment and bragging rights as the largest state in the nation, it’s easy to lose sight of an important fact – Alaska is a maritime state. - More...
Wednesday - June 11, 2014
My kid is not fat! ... no really. By Linda Beaupre - Ah my friend Kevin, thank you for writing a thought provoking letter. I am going to have to respectfully disagree with your argument. I have heard of these letters before reading your letter to Sitnews. My child is not yet school aged, but let's pretend he is. - More...
Wednesday - June 11, 2014
Thank you Sen. Begich By Willard S Jackson Sr - My friend Mark Begich, thank you for all you are doing for the veterans. - More...
Wednesday PM- June 11, 2014
Police foot patrol By Helga Ohmer - Years ago there were Ketchikan police on bicycle and on foot present during the summer months. I wished they would continue to do so . I'm tired of pot smokers and abusers of other drugs in the ally and doorways downtown. - More...
Wednesday PM - June 11, 2014
Marijuana legalization By Frank Rodgers - The federal government still holds that marijuana is a drug with no medical benefit, whatsoever. Apparently the federal government has not googled "medical benefits of marijuana" lately. there are tons of benefits, too many to list here, but one big one is that it cures cancer, if taken orally, in quantities sufficient to the cause, without horrible side effects. It helps people who suffer from PTSD and helps some of our veterans who, without a little pot, might harm themselves and others when they enter into depressive episodes. - More...
Wednesday PM - June 11, 2014
TIME ZONES & OBESITY By Chris Elliott - While I was not in any way in favor of the time zone change, I don't believe another hour of daylight would change the level of obesity in Ketchikan children. Referring to Uncle Al's admonishment, I believe changing what we feed our children (Big Mac v. Big Salad) would be considered an inconvenience by some parents just as helping an overweight, out-of-shape child improve would be inconvenient. - More...
Wednesday PM - June 11, 2014
RE: My Kid is not fat By Ken Lewis - In response to this subject of child obesity and how Ketchikan turned down a chance to have Big Brother show us the way to healthier life styles for our children... Please, not just Ketchikan, but SE AK wake up. Bill Sheffield, the worst governor in AK history, consolidated time zones for the railroad that he worked for. In so doing, he stole an hour of afternoon (according to the clock) recreational daylight from SE AK's families! The sound science of time zones was ignored for the convience of a few. And nobody asked our kids if they would prefer to do less after school, nor did SE Alaska voters, vote to give time to this PHAT CAT. - More....
Friday - June 06, 2014
RE: My Kid is not Fat! By Chris Elliott - Bravo, Kevin! I've discussed this health issue many times with the person funded by the grant. There was certainly never any intent to tell parents that their children are "fat." Americans have a real problem with obesity, and all of us should do our best to eat healthy foods and exercise. That starts at home. - More...
Friday - June 06, 2014
Un-necessary consequences for Marijuana By Anthony M. Johnson - I am writing this letter in response to Mr. Seibert. As mentioned in my previous letter, I am a Ketchikan resident and parent of two children. For my children's sake I do support the legalization of Marijuana, please read on. - More...
Friday - June 06, 2014
Surveys By Charlie Freeman - Do I call you dear Sit News? Anyway, I just got off the phone talking to another know nothing conducting a "blind" survey for some unknown group or person interested in either getting elected or getting someone unelected. Considering the questions asked, what kind of idiot would put any faith in the results? I'm sure you've all have gotten at least one. What was your take on the questions? Did you feel the answers you gave represented what you really thought or were you frustrated that none of the little boxes fit your feelings? Moreover, did you know more than half the people mentioned? Bet not. Pretty much an Anchorage show and, outside of Anchorage, nobody much cares about Anchorage but Anchorage, but they care a lot. Sorry about the rest of us. Don't mention we're here. - More...
Monday PM - JUne 02, 2014
MY KID IS NOT FAT! By Kevin Staples - At the beginning of the school year, Ketchikan was lucky enough to receive a grant that was aimed at helping our youth live a healthier and more active life style. All of our children were measured for BMI, and after all of the data was collected letters were sent out letting parents know that some should be concerned about very real risk factors. - More...
Monday PM - June 02, 2014
Unuk River fishery changes By Victoria McDonald - Recently, the Ketchikan Daily News reported that ADFG is concerned about king salmon not meeting escapement goals for the past 2 years on the Unuk River. King salmon fishing in northern Behm Canal is closed from May 27-June 30 and only one king can be harvested per day in eastern Behm. Meanwhile the rest of Southeast has a limit of 3 kings per day. Restricted fishing is bad news for a community that markets itself as “Salmon Capital of the World”. - More...
Monday PM - June 06, 2014
A mother's pride By Bonna L. Booth - I wrote this comment into a review online after having tried civilly to deal with Ketchikan-based airline people via telephone. The situation began on May 16th, after our having had a beautiful flower bouquet of roses and sunflowers (the yellows being part of the school colors) hand-delivered to a Ketchikan-based airline company's freight department and told that they would be on the 3:00 p.m. flight to Metlakatla for our high school graduate to have for her walk of promotion. You could imagine our excitement in anticipation of handing my daughter (and granddaughter to the other two ladies involved in this transaction) this floral arrangement, unexpectedly, for her special night. - More...
Monday PM - June 06, 2014
Name that Team By A. M. Johnson - In these glory days of political correctness the opportunity to poke fun at the absurdly displayed lack of common sense is over whelming. Take the latest waste of stupid. - More...
Monday PM - June 02, 2014
Response to Jail for processing Marijuana By Marvin Seibert - I would like to respond to Mr. Anthony M. Johnson on the prospect of jailing our children for procession of Marijuana. No one is suggesting that some youngster who makes a mistake because he is young and foolish be sent to a penitentiary. I am also for making kids accountable for those actions. Currently in the State of Alaska procession for less than 1oz of this poison named marijuana is a maximum of 90 days and a maximum of $2,000 fine and is listed as a misdemeanor. Now if you are caught with Intent to distribute or selling or distributing and you have more than an ounce it is a felony punishable by a maximum of 5 years and $50,000 fine. The selling of this poison should have stiff penalties. If you can't do the time don't do the crime. - More...
Monday PM - June 02, 2014
Marijuana and addiction By Marie Zellmer - Legalization? It is weird for me to say that i am a former pothead, most people who know me would be shocked. But it's true. In college I tried it for the first time and discovered that it helped me deal with all the stresses I was faced with, and kept me on track to getting an AA with a gpa of 3.75. My grades improved because i smoked, but I was concerned that if i got arrested for it I would lose everything - my scholarships, my grades, my respect. I was fortunate to never get caught buying or selling it because I grew it myself. - More...
Monday PM - June 02, 2014
Repeal the 16th Amendment By Wiley Brooks - I have an answer to the below listed revelations: Repeal the 16th Amendment which will end the income tax and close the IRS doors. Replace the income tax with a consumption tax which will be transparent to everyone who pays for needs and wants at point of purchase. There are now approximately 140 million individual/family income tax filers with only one-half of them paying taxes. Under the proposed consumption tax legislation all 325 million inhabitants on our shores will have skin in the game (legal and illegal residents, foreign visitors, those that prosper in the underground economy and those who never file a return). The proposed legislation in Congress is known as the “FairTax” designated as H.R. 25 in the House and S.122 in the Senate. - More...
Monday PM - June 02, 2014
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