Approaching the 2nd half of the 2nd special session, the legislature has found a compromise on the operating budget, preventing a government shutdown. Now it appears there is some consensus on HB 111 (oil & gas credits) which the governor added to the call. Subsidizing the oil industry on the North Slope with tax credits […]
June 6, 2017 Dear Alaskans, For years, Republicans in the legislature have stonewalled all efforts to create a stable, durable fiscal plan. This must stop. We cannot accept a plan simply because it averts a government shut down this year, while all but guaranteeing one next year. The can has been kicked […]
We should be working hard on the budget, not playing games with voter emotions over abortion. While many of us are trying to work to find consensus on solving a nearly $3 billion budget gap, one of our colleagues unthoughtfully started an ugly battle on a woman’s right to choose this week. Here’s what I […]
At CIRI, when we sit down to consider changes to the way we do business, besides keeping our shareholder’s best interests in mind, we usually look for one of two things: • Does this change reduce the cost without reducing the quality? (Increased Efficiency) • Does this change increase the quality without increasing the cost? […]
Few places in the world maintain a stronger connection to hunting, gathering and eating well from the land than Alaska. Here, the harvest of wild foods is part of a generations-old way of life for some, while for many others the tradition extends back thousands of years to define them culturally and as individuals. The […]
Dear Neighbors: On Saturday Senator Ellis and I will be in Anchorage to hear from you and discuss the legislative session. We’ll have pizza and time to listen to your thoughts. We hope you can come from 3 to 5PM at the Fairview Recreation Center, located at 1121 East 10th Ave. Now, sit down. Here’s […]
The Sitka Tribe of Alaska (STA) is alarmed but not surprised at the recent press release by Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) that the Sitka Sound herring stock biomass is in sharp decline. The projected biomass of 44,237 tons is a 50 percent reduction from the 2013 post season biomass estimate and a […]
On September 2, 1945, V-J Day, the funeral-like solemnity of the Japanese surrender aboard the USS Missouri was shattered by the thunder of 400 B-29 bombers flying overhead, accompanied by an additional 1,500 carrier aircraft. In a bay packed with 260 Allied warships, the effect of such an overwhelming demonstration of power could hardly fail […]
Recently Alaskans watched horrific images from a tailings dam failure in British Columbia that released a flood of millions of gallons toxic water and sludge into an important watershed, just in advance of the salmon return. We witnessed the devastated landscape and heartbroken people facing terrible unknowns about the future of their communities, their food, […]