February 7, 2025, Community Happenings

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Category: News

Created on Friday, 07 February 2025 15:11

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Carl Dominicks
Dies at Age 88
Longtime Sitkan Carl Theodore Dominicks died Thursday. He was 88.
An obituary will be published later.

Climate Connection: Buying Elections
According to the nonpartisan, nonprofit research group Open Secrets, the fossil fuel industry spent $219 million to elect our new federal government that has just taken office. The overwhelming majority of this money, $151 million, was through “outside spending,” which includes the money contributed to the various kinds of political action committees (PACs) and direct contributions from corporate and union treasuries. Of this money, $23 million of oil and gas money went to the Trump campaign and the PACs supporting him. For the politicians taking office in 2025, the oil and gas industry supplied $7.7 million for Senate candidates, 92% of them Republicans; and $16.3 million for house candidates, 85% of them Republicans. Of the fossil fuel money spent in last fall’s election in outside money, 88.6% went to Republicans.
Corporate influence in elections has not always existed. In 1907, all corporate contributions were banned in legislation signed by Theodore Roosevelt. In 1935, public utility company contributions were also banned. But in 2010, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission that the first amendment of the Constitution protects political spending of corporations and labor unions, which became unlimited. Money was classified as speech. The oil and gas industry has multiplied its political contributions 75-fold since this 2010 ruling in soft/outside spending. In contrast, individual donations are limited to $3,300/candidate. However, wealthy individuals can combine individual contributions and contributions to PACs and state and national party committees to a total of $180,000/election.
There used to be bipartisan agreement that air pollution and wasting energy were bad and that renewable energy was good. However, our current polarization precludes such agreement. Data from 28 years of elections (1990-2018) demonstrate that oil and gas companies invest in legislators who have a prior proven record of anti-environmental voting, with little evidence of their contributing campaign monies in advance to influence voting in upcoming elections. With our current polarization about environmental policy, there is virtually no opportunity of negating oil and gas industry impact on our election outcomes.

The profits of the oil and gas industry remain huge. Our financial institutions remain heavily invested in the fossil fuel industry because of their profit margins. Divestment initiatives by universities, pension funds, and individuals concerned about greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels face an uphill battle in the current administration. As CO2 levels and global average temperatures continue to rise, our attention must increasingly turn to adaptation to an earth and deteriorating environment captured by corporate influence on elections. A focus on local action is our best bet on reducing CO2 emissions to curtail climate change.
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Kay Kreiss, Transition Sitka

Public Library
Closes Feb. 10-12

Sitka Public Library will be closed Feb. 10-12 for routine annual maintenance.
The library said patrons can return books through the book drop.
Regular business hours will resume  10 a.m. Feb. 13. Regular hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m.-8 p.m.  Tuesday and Thursday. Call the library with any questions at 907 747-4020.

Unitarians Discuss
‘Universalism’
Bruce Gazaway will present “The Triumph of Universalism” to address recent changes in the Unitarian faith at Sunday’s meeting of the Sitka Unitarian Fellowship.
The program begins at 10:45 a.m., with gathering and coffee at 10:30 a.m.  Soup and bread follow at noon. All are welcome. SUUF is an inclusive humanitarian community with shared values including: justice, equity, generosity, pluralism, interdependence, transformation and love, organizers said.
The Fellowship Hall is located at 408 Marine Street. Entrance and parking off Spruce Street.

Chair Yoga Class
Offered by STA
Chair yoga sessions, taught by Melonie Boord, certified yoga instructor, are being offered through Sitka Tribe of Alaska.
All are welcome to join STA’s Social Services department 11:30 a.m.-noon Tuesdays starting Feb. 18 at STA headquarters. Sessions are offered at no cost and will last half an hour. Contact Melonie at 907 747-7221 with any questions.

Vigils Resume
At Roundabout
All are invited to join the vigil noon-1 p.m. Saturday at the roundabout ‘‘as we protest actions by the Trump administration that profoundly threaten people and democratic principles we hold dear,’’ organizers Sitka Voices for Peace and Democracy said in a news release.
‘‘We stand in solidarity with those caught in the crosshairs of this administration. Just showing up and being there is important and makes us stronger,’’ the group said.

Banff Film Festival
Tickets on Sale
Explore the globe and its natural beauty in a collection of mountain and adventure films from the Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival 7 p.m. Feb. 21 at the Sitka Performing Arts Center.
Tickets for $20 are available at fineartscamp.org/shows or by calling 907 747-3085.