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Alaska: Governor's Budget Proposes Economic Recovery Payment to Alaskans, Job Creation & Infrastructure Development; Overall Budget Cut $290 Million Posted & Edited By MARY KAUFFMAN - Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy announced his Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22) budget package Friday, A Path Forward, with the goal of stabilizing the state’s economy in the wake of a devastating global pandemic which he says honors his commitment to Alaskans. According to the governor, the FY22 budget creates efficiencies within government, implements the basis for a stable fiscal future, puts money into Alaskans’ hands, and prioritizes job creation and infrastructure development.

Governor Dunleavy said, “This year has presented Alaskans with challenges unlike any we’ve experienced in this lifetime. The widespread global pandemic led to economic devastation for every sector of Alaska’s economy. In the face of this, Alaskans adapted and overcame many hurdles, successfully completing a construction season and a safe fishing season. The state and federal government partnered to distribute $2.3 billion of Federal CARES Act funds to Alaska businesses, $1.3 billion to Alaskan workers, and $568.6 million in community assistance.”

“A key piece of my proposal is the economic recovery payment – the remaining portion of the 2020 PFD. This would provide Alaskans with $1900, driving $1.2 billion into the economy. Alaskans and the private sector need assistance now. Businesses that have been devastated, and Alaskans that are suffering, will benefit from immediate action by the legislature placing money into the people’s hands by March,” said Dunleavy.

 “To put Alaskans to work, I am proposing the first statewide bond proposal in nearly 10 years. This $300-350 million package would fund roads to resources, renewable energy projects, ports, harbors, runways, bridges and other essential projects. I will work with the Legislature and take this to a vote of the people this spring. Projects mean jobs now, and critical infrastructure for all Alaskans.” 

Dunleavy said, “For years, the PFD has been used as a political football supporting an unstable budget. Now is the time to act, to eliminate this instability and provide fiscal certainty for Alaskans.”

 “This budget is a call to action for all of us. Everyone in this room and across Alaska. It will be tough, but I have no doubt that together, we can do it. Even when we disagree, and we will, the goal remains the same: a stable and prosperous Alaska. Let’s dream big – let’s move forward together”

Senator Democratic Leader Tom Begich (D-Anchorage) released a statement in response to the Governor's proposed budget.

Begich said, “Today, I am cautiously optimistic about the direction of Governor Dunleavy’s budget. But, as with all legislation, we will have to dig into the details to ensure we do what is best for Alaskans. As Alaska begins to come out of this pandemic, an overall budget cut of $290 million, and significantly overspending the earnings reserve, could damage our economy. We will continue to reach out to all members of the Senate to identify consensus with the budget proposal and where we have disagreements."

Begich said, “This year’s historical level of earnings from the Permanent Fund could very well represent Alaska’s last opportunity to build a sustainable Alaska future. Reinvesting some of these earnings directly into the constitutionally protected Permanent Fund must be a critical component of any budget plan. During the budget process, our caucus will stand firm in protecting a quality public education, health care, and building a vibrant economy that Alaskans will be proud of.”

In response to the Governor's proposed budget announcement last week, House Speaker Bryce Edgmon (I-Dillingham) said Gov. Dunleavy has unveiled a budget proposal that features cuts to essential services and overdraws the earnings of the Permanent Fund.

Edgmon said, "Each individual line of the budget will be vetted by state lawmakers during the upcoming session. Until a thorough legislative review is completed, because the governor did not engage with lawmakers and other stakeholders in advance of releasing his proposal, the exact target of his roughly $300 million in cuts remains unclear." 

"However, it is apparent that K-12 public schools and the Department of Health and Social Services – both grappling with the ongoing pandemic – are slated for reductions, even as the governor suggests spending a large portion of the Permanent Fund earnings reserve account," said Edgmon.

“The governor’s proposal calls for spending $3 billion more than what the Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation considers sustainable, and there is no plan for how we will make ends meet beyond next year. However, the inclusion of a general obligation bond package is promising," said Edgmon.

"We hear loud and clear that parents expect the State of Alaska to operate schools at pre-pandemic levels as soon as it is safe, not make it more difficult to re-open because of budget cuts. We are also committed to making the most of our limited resources to help those who need it the most, and we will continue to promote accessible healthcare and preserve critical infrastructure. Finally, we flatly reject the idea of spending down Alaska’s investment fund to avoid tough decisions," said Edgmon. "These are our long-standing values and will be reflected in our effort to create a budget that helps rebuild Alaska.”

A Path Forward: Governor Dunleavy’s FY22 Budget

The FY22 operating, mental health, and capital budget totals $4.3 billion Unrestricted General Funds (UGF), $950 million Designated General Funds (DGF), $948 million Other State Funds, and $4.1 billion Federal Funding. The FY22 budget was developed in cooperation with all state agencies and reflects a total reduction of $294.6 million (UGF), achieved by efficiencies, modernizations, and better delivery of government services. While the proposed budget does not currently reflect allocated cuts, discussions must begin to address underlying cost driving statutes and policies that increase spending year after year.

Key items of interest in Governor Dunleavy’s FY22 budget:

• Funds K-12 education with no current changes to the formula
• Prioritizes Alaskans by increasing funding for public safety by $13.5 million
• Funds the Alaska Psychiatric Institute to operate at full capacity
• Restores school construction financing to FY20 level
• Represents an overall reduction during the Dunleavy administration of 10%

Stabilizing Alaska’s Economy

Governor Dunleavy’s Path Forward includes key legislation as part of a concentrated effort to stabilize Alaska’s economy. In addition to the Operating, Capital, and Mental Health budget, the package includes: More...
Tuesday PM - December 15, 2020

Ketchikan: Alaska receives its first COVID-19 vaccine shipments; Ketchikan EOC is hosting a Covid-19 Vaccine Discussion - Alaska received its first shipment of COVID-19 vaccine last night via UPS plane. Delivery and transport of the vaccine to health care facilities across Alaska will be happening today through Wednesday, leading to the first vaccinations of Alaskans this week. 

“The COVID-19 vaccine is going to help Alaskans put the worst behind us,” said Governor Mike Dunleavy. “We will begin the process of finally getting the upper hand of this pandemic and getting our lives back to normal.”

The vaccine, made by Pfizer and BioNTech, was authorized Friday by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) through an emergency use authorization (EUA). 

“Alaska’s Vaccine Task Force has been preparing for many months to receive these first shipments and to guarantee safe vaccine handling according to the vaccine’s unique requirements,” said Tessa Walker Linderman, co-lead of Alaska’s Vaccine Task Force. “The task force, led by DHSS and the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, continues to coordinate with diverse partners across the state on logistics. We’re ready and excited to begin.” 

Initial vaccine supply is limited. Vaccine will first be available to:

• Hospital-based front-line health care workers at highest risk for COVID-19 infection 
• Long-term care facility residents and staff (defined to include skilled nursing facilities, assisted living homes, and Department of Corrections infirmaries providing care that is similar to assisted living) 
• EMS and fire personnel providing medical services 
• Community Health Aides/Practitioners 
• Individuals who are required to perform vaccinations 

Determinations for vaccine allocation are made by the Alaska COVID-19 Vaccine Allocation Committee and are informed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). With regular shipments of vaccine, the vaccine will be made more available and the Alaska COVID-19 Vaccine Allocation Committee will continue to identify additional groups to receive vaccination. Eventually all Alaskans who wish to be vaccinated against COVID-19 will have an opportunity to do so.

UPS and FedEx started transporting the vaccine Sunday from Pfizer’s plant in Michigan to 636 locations across the United States. In Alaska, some hospitals and health care facilities have ordered the vaccine directly from Pfizer through the State of Alaska’s Immunization Program and the CDC. Those orders are being delivered directly to those facilities. The remainder of the allocation will be received by the DHSS Immunization Program which will store the vaccine at ultra-cold temperatures pending further distribution of the vaccine across the state. - More...
Tuesday PM - December 15, 2020

Fish Factor: Seafood E-commerce Success; Young fishermen get federal nod; & Southeast does Dungies! By LAINE WELCH - The Wild Alaskan Company  based in Homer has taken “mission based” seafood e-commerce to a whole new level.

While many Alaska fishermen and groups sell boxes of seafood directly to customers and can claim several hundred monthly customers, Wild Alaskan has notched more than 140,000 seafood regulars since 2018 and since Covid hit, the company is adding 100 to 200 customers every day. The average order for their subscription service is $160 per month.

Founder Arron Kallenberg calls it a “three generation overnight success,” referring back to 1926 when his grandfather moved from New Jersey to fish at Bristol Bay.

“My dad grew up fishing with my grandfather, I grew up fishing with my father, but that being said, I was the nerdy kid that took his laptop out to sea in Bristol Bay,” Kallenberg said, adding that his grandfather, Robert, served on the Alaska territorial Board of Fisheries, as an adviser to the International North Pacific Fisheries Commission and wrote his Master’s thesis  at Cornell University on conserving Bristol Bay’s red salmon fishery.

Arron Kallenberg went on to work in the internet startup field for nearly two decades, mostly in New York City. A few years ago he chose to walk away and create a tech-enabled marketing and logistics company to sell Alaska seafood directly to subscribers. He assembled a team of data driven strategists and systems builders to create a company that now puts 40 people to work remotely across the U.S.

“We’re a tech company that sells seafood, a digital fishmonger,” he said with a laugh. “We have the ability through social media and digital based, data driven advertising to attract members to the membership service. And we have an incredible amount of proprietary software that manages a very complex, nationwide frozen fulfillment network that allows us to ship fish across the country at very reasonable rates. So it was those two aspects of the business that did give the company quite a bit of early success. And then recently we've sort of reached critical mass,” Kallenberg explained.

Wild Alaskan sources salmon, cod, halibut, pollock and more from large and small Alaska providers, and the mix of frozen portions in three boxed options is dictated by supply. The seafood is sent to fulfillment centers across the country, and a software network manages the inventory and orders to minimize both cost and shipping distance. The reduced shipping time also allows the company to use biodegradable packaging instead of Styrofoam.

“Our software has some pretty sophisticated technology that will curate a box of fish for a member in one part of the country based on the availability of certain species inside the supply chain. But the flexibility that the software provides us allows us to decentralize this supply driven model in different regions. That's something that's pretty unique from an e-commerce perspective. Typically, e-commerce companies will have to maintain the same level of inventory across one or two facilities,” Kallenberg said.

Reducing the carbon footprint from shipping is a primary goal of what Kallenberg calls his “mission based company.”

Our goal is to expand our warehouse network to the point where we can achieve one-day ground transportation to 99% of the country,” Kallenberg said, adding that Alaskan Wild plans to open a fulfillment center in every major metropolitan U.S. area.

“Our mission is to accelerate humanity's transition to sustainable food systems,” he said. “And I believe that Alaska can set an example globally. In order to do that, Wild Alaskan has to become a big business so that we can shift the consumption habits away from these unsustainable options into America's own backyard. The carbon footprint implications of fish going round trip to another country and back, or farmed salmon coming in from another country are ridiculous,” he said.

Kallenberg believes the U.S. has “unknowingly downgraded its seafood supply” by importing up to 90% of its seafood, and exporting most of its own to other countries.

“We export the best and import the worst,” he said.

Wild Alaskan Company intends to change that pattern.

Young fishermen get federal nod:

U.S. fishermen will soon be eligible to receive training and financial benefits long enjoyed by farmers and ranchers .

The Young Fishermen’s Development Act sailed through Congress last week with a simple voice vote because of bipartisan support, according to Congressman Don Young’s office. - More...
Tuesday PM - December 15, 2020

ARTISTS STUDYING OLD SPRUCE-ROOT HAT DISCOVER NEW WEAVING TECHNIQUE
The Wilbur hat and the hat made by Debbie Aanutein Head
Photos by Sydney Akagi and Lyndsey Brollini respectively

Southeast Alaska: ARTISTS STUDYING OLD SPRUCE-ROOT HAT DISCOVER NEW WEAVING TECHNIQUE - Two artists participating in Sealaska Heritage Institute’s (SHI) spruce-root mentorship program have discovered what is thought to be an old weaving technique that was lost to time.

Haida master weaver Delores Churchill and her apprentice, Tlingit and Haida artist Debbie Aanutein Head, made the find while studying an old spruce-root hat housed at the Alaska State Museum.

Through the mentorship program, Head was tasked with weaving a spruce-root hat similar to the museum’s so-called “Wilbur hat” (above left). The piece was collected by Dr. B. K. Wilbur, who was the physician at the Sitka Industrial School in the 1890s and early 1900s, said the museum’s Curator of Collections Steve Henrikson.

“The Wilbur hat is one of the most finely woven spruce-root hats I’ve ever seen,” said Henrikson, adding it was likely collected in Sitka.

When Head reached the brim’s border of her hat (above right), which is the most difficult part to execute, she traveled to Ketchikan seeking guidance from Churchill. The women, referencing close-up photos of the old hat, didn’t recognize the weaving technique used on its border.

Churchill studied the hat and, through trial and error over four days, eventually wove a border that appeared to be a replica of the old hat’s pattern (right), which was an ending she had never seen before. Churchill, a scholar who has studied spruce-root weaving techniques the world over, and Head, who has spent years specifically studying borders on hat brims and baskets in collections across the country, realized the importance of the moment.

“It was like finding a giant gold nugget that’s been buried for thousands of years. I got to watch Delores dig the trench and pull it out of the ground. It’s been one of the highlights of my year, period”! Head said to SHI’s art director, Kari Groven.

As a teacher, Churchill has been instrumental in revitalizing the endangered ancient practice of spruce-root weaving throughout the region. Her contributions in the field are considered to be so significant that the artist-in-residence space at Sealaska Heritage in 2015 was named in her honor. Through her work, she has mentored many weaving students and is privy to much of their work, but if there are contemporary weavers using the technique seen on the old hat, she is hoping they will reach out.

“To the best of our knowledge, this technique is not being used, but if it is, please let us know,” Churchill said.

This is not the first time Churchill has discovered a lost weaving technique. In 1999, the remains of a Tlingit man and a spruce-root hat thought to be around 600 years old were discovered in a melting glacier in British Columbia. SHI sponsored Churchill to study the old hat, and through that research she discovered a weaving technique that had been lost. Churchill made a replica of the hat, which now resides in SHI’s collection.

Head’s hat, which is inspired by the Wilbur hat, also is now in SHI’s collection. The hat is known as a shadakóox?’ — which translates as “woven root hat with a stack of basket-like cylinders on top.” Churchill says this is likely the first Tlingit shadakóox?’ hat made in more than 100 years or perhaps even 150 years because George Emmons, an ethnographic photographer who collected Alaska Native pieces in the late 1800s, had a difficult time finding any Tlingits who made them, Churchill said.

“People just stopped teaching it because it was too difficult,” Churchill said. - More...
Tuesday PM - December 15, 2020

What’s killing killer whales? Orca report covering a decade of necropsies identifies threats
Southern resident killer whale J50 follows her mother, J16, in the Salish Sea in August 2018. ß
Photo Credit: Katy Foster/NOAA Fisheries

NE Pacific: What’s killing killer whales? Orca report covering a decade of necropsies identifies threats - Pathology reports on more than 50 killer whales stranded over nearly a decade in the northeast Pacific and Hawaii show that orcas face a variety of mortal threats - many stemming from human interactions.

A study analyzing the reports was published today in the journal PLOS ONE. The study findings indicate that understanding and being aware of each threat is critical for managing and conserving killer whale populations. It also presents a baseline understanding of orca health.

The study was conducted by a team of marine mammal and orca specialists led by the British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture and coordinated through the SeaDoc Society, a Washington-based program of the University of California, Davis’ School of Veterinary Medicine. The lead author, Stephen Raverty, and coauthor, John Ford, are adjunct professors at the University of British Columbia Institute of Oceans and Fisheries and Department of Zoology.

The whales include those from healthy populations as well as endangered species, such as the southern resident whales regularly sighted off the coasts of British Columbia, Washington and Oregon.

Of 52 whales stranded between 2004 and 2013, causes of death were determined for 42 percent. For example, one calf died from sepsis following a halibut hook injury. Another starved from a congenital facial deformity. Two whales died from the blunt force trauma of vessel strikes. Additional causes of death include infectious disease and nutritional deficiencies.

Despite there being no singular common cause of death, the study found a common theme: Human-caused deaths occurred in every age class — from juveniles to subadults and adults.

“In British Columbia, we lost nine southern resident killer whales: 2 adults, 2 subadults and 1 calf died from trauma; one was a confirmed propeller strike, with one adult and two subadults from suspected ship strikes,” said lead author Stephen Raverty, a veterinarian pathologist with the BC Ministry of Agriculture and adjunct professor at UBC’s Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries. “One of these iconic species passed away from an infection secondary to satellite tagging. Another death was due to natural causes and the other two undetermined. Half of the southern killer whale deaths identified in this study were caused by human interactions.”

“Nobody likes to think we’re directly harming animals,” said co-author and SeaDoc Society Director Joe Gaydos, a wildlife veterinarian with the Karen C. Drayer Wildlife Health Center in the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. “But it’s important to realize that we’re not just indirectly hurting them from things like lack of salmon, vessel disturbance or legacy toxins. It’s also vessel strikes and fish hooks. That humans are directly killing killer whales across all age classes is significant; it says we can do a better job.”

In 2004, Raverty and Graydos co-developed a standardized killer whale necropsy protocol. Revised in 2014 with help from Judy St. Leger, a pathologist working for SeaWorld, this guide helped improve examinations of deceased whales.

“The results from systematic necropsies of dead killer whales in this review is unique and will establish critical baseline information to assess future mitigation efforts,” Raverty said. “This work contributes to a better understanding of the impacts that ongoing human activities and environmental events have on killer whales.” - More...
Tuesday PM - December 15, 2020

FINANCIAL FOCUS: Consider These Year-end Financial Moves Provided By Ben Edwards, AAMS® - We’re nearing the end of 2020 – and for many of us, it will be a relief to turn the calendar page on this challenging year. However, we’ve still got a few weeks left, which means you have time to make some year-end financial moves that may work in your favor.

Here are a few suggestions:

• Add to your IRA. For the 2020 tax year, you can put in up to $6,000 to your
traditional or Roth IRA, or $7,000 if you’re 50 or older. If you haven’t reached this limit, consider adding some money. You actually have until April 15, 2021, to contribute to your IRA for 2020, but the sooner you put the money in, the quicker it can go to work for you. Plus, if you have to pay taxes in April, you’ll be less likely to contribute to your IRA then.

• Make an extra 401(k) payment. If it’s allowed by your employer, put in a little extra to your 401(k) or similar retirement plan. And if your salary goes up next year, increase your regular contributions. - More...
Tuesday PM - December 15, 2020

DAVE KIFFER: I Go To The Hills.....well, not really. - A while back one of my non-Alaskan friends asked me when the last time I went camping was.

Clearly, she has this image of all Alaskans as being "outdoorsy" types. You know, out there everyday hunting and fishing - or selling our stories to Reality Television. Just a bunch of rugged folks "living off the land" or at the very least living off our story of it.

I guess it does kinda define the person you are. You know the phrase. Some one looks you in the eye and says - with all the gravitas of a Cabela's commercial - "I am an outdoors person." 

Well, I like central heating. I like mattresses. I like indoor plumbing. I like having 783 channels on the cable, even though 782 of them have nothing on that I want to watch.

Push comes to shove, I am an "indoors person."

But I digress.

Anyway, my friend seemed surprised when I said 1984. After all, that was before she was born. Heck. that was before the Internet was born. That was before most of the digital world as we know it was born.

 How do I know? - More...
Tuesday PM - December 15, 2020

JASE GRAVES: ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS THE NEW VACCINE! - Now that we are well into the month of December, my three teenage daughters have provided me with their extensive Christmas lists – both electronic and hard copies – in triplicate. Full of the typical objects of adolescent desires like designer clothing, electronics, jewelry, and luxury vehicles, their lists read like the inventory of Elon Musk’s next yard sale.

My list, on the other hand, is simple. All I want for Christmas is for life to return to the way it was in the good old days of 2019 – and not just because I had less ear hair then.

Like virtually every other human on earth, other than toilet paper manufacturers, I want the COVID-19 crisis to end. And God willing, the end is on the horizon with the emergence of several vaccines.

Now, I realize that there is great debate about the safety of the vaccines and whether Americans should roll up the sleeves of their hazmat suits and take them.- More...
Tuesday PM - December 15, 2020

Political Cartoon: Scientists Rock
By Bruce Plante ©2020, PoliticalCartoons.com
Distributed to subscribers for publication by Cagle Cartoons, Inc.

Political Cartoon: COVID shots for Congress
By Dave Granlund ©2020, PoliticalCartoons.com
Distributed to subscribers for publication by Cagle Cartoons, Inc.