Vehicle Tax
Dear Editor: Pot, potholes and tricycles – an odd alliance.
Since 2012, I have voiced opposition to the method our city Assembly is using to generate roadway maintenance funds via a vehicle tax. These city planners would have us believe our roads can no longer be maintained without instantly levying a tax on special-use, passenger, and commercial vehicles registered in Sitka. Their approach, reinforced at the Aug. 26, 2014, Assembly meeting, leaves me profoundly disappointed in their rationale and timing; as well as fearful as to its impact on Sitka families and businesses already coping with exponentially rising costs.
Contrary to the Assembly’s vocal majority, the proposed tax is no small matter. It would penalize an average (two-car) household with a recurring $400 burden and extra fines for each trailer ($100-$200), motorcycle ($50) and commercial vehicle ($400) owned. This tax is a penalty for vehicle “ownership” versus “usage.” Further, it approaches a value equal to half the annual property tax on my home which is neither an opulent Taj Mahal, nor a minimal outhouse with a locking door. I know I will be challenged to find money to pay this new tariff but the impact on young families, fixed income elders and single-parent households is despicable.
These city reps seem to believe a hasty, poorly researched and sloppily fielded tax is needed to offset “20 years of funding shortfalls” for local roads. Somehow I have difficulty reconciling taking no action “in 20 years” with the chosen madcap process, without wondering who failed to exercise past due diligence in regard to stewardship of public trust and monies.
They have been willing to repeatedly ignore all public requests to complete a detailed strategic assessment, provide the taxpayers with viable alternatives, and field an astute solution. Somehow, they are still able to vote favorably for this new tax despite qualifying their vote with statements like, “The way we’re going about this doesn’t sit well with me,” and, “I’m not sure what I’m voting for here.”
Apparently the Assembly has chosen a reckless approach that disenfranchises Sitka residents while obligating them with all tax burdens associated with roadway costs. They continually have ignored the 36,000 annual Sitka visitors, seasonal hires, and governmental employees (30 percent of all local workers) that pay no property tax and soon will not pay their share of roadway usage fees if their vehicles are not registered in Sitka.
Having watched Assembly members publicly suggest bicycle and marijuana taxes as potential fixes to roadway funding shortfalls seems to suggest that Little Bobby now needs a newspaper route so that he pays his share of road taxes. Rapidly fielding and implementing a lame solution to this “20-year problem,” suggests city planners are unfamiliar with the saying, “Two wrongs don’t make a right!”
We can, and must, do better on resolving this issue. City Assembly, please pump the brakes or Bobby will be forced to pedal faster.
David Durham, Sitka
Sullivan
Dear Editor: This is an open letter to all Alaska voters.
In the 2014 Alaska primary state election, I was registered as a ‘‘U,’’ undeclared voter. In 2012, I voted for Lisa Murkowski as a ‘‘write-in’’ candidate for the Alaska U.S. Senate seat. She was on the Republican ticket.
This year, I voted for the current U.S. Sen. Mark Begich in the 2014 Alaska State Primary. What I didn’t know at the time I was voting was that there were two people named Dan Sullivan running for two different state offices – Alaska U.S. Senate race the Alaska lieutenant governor race – during the primary on Aug. 19.
The Dan Sullivan who will run for the Republican U.S. Senate seat in the November Alaska state election is from the state of Ohio and was appointed as the Alaska state attorney during the former Gov. Sarah Palin’s term. During his term as Alaska’s state attorney general, the state of Alaska sued against the Katie John case (Native subsistence issue). As almost everyone knows, the Katie John case won and was a big victory for the Alaska Native people throughout Alaska because it protects our aboriginal, traditional rights to harvest all of our native foods, from the land, sea and sky.
The other Dan Sullivan, who won the state primary race, won as the Republican candidate for lieutenant governor of Alaska, is from Anchorage, Alaska. This will be the ‘‘big’’ race in November.
Please, Alaska voters, think over carefully who you want to support and vote for in November. This election will be a determining factor as many decisions on various issues that will affect all Alaska residents will be made in our Alaska state Legislature and in Congress.
In my opinion, it’s not about whether you are a Republican or Democrat, it’s about who will represent you best and has the insight and in-depth knowledge about the entire State of Alaska and can be a good representative in these top-level positions. It is our right and privilege to exercise our voting rights.
Thank you for allowing me, as an Alaska voter and an Alaska Native (one-half), born and raised in Alaska to express my opinion.
Harriet B. Beleal, Sitka
