Commercial Fisheries
Dear Editor: Commercial fisheries are a major economic driver for Sitka, supporting Sitka’s economy through employment, income and tax revenue. Over 1,100 commercial fishing permits are held by Sitka residents who in recent years have earned an annual ex-vessel income of $45.4 million (ex-vessel price is the price received by the fisherman at point of landing). Each year approximately 126 million pounds of seafood are landed in Sitka with an estimated value of $85 million. Virtually every business in the Sitka community benefits from commercial fishing dollars.
Recent studies have revealed a disconcerting trend in Alaska’s fishing fleet. Since 1980, the average age of Alaska’s fishermen has increased by 10 years and the percentage of Alaskans under 40 holding fishing permits has dropped from 38 percent to 17 percent. Along with this “greying of the fleet,” as the trend is called, fishery access is steadily draining away from rural coastal communities. Factors driving the trends are complex, but one fact is clear: Alaska needs to invest in the future of young fishermen to have strong community-based fisheries in the future.
Keeping Alaska’s fisheries strong and a vital part of Sitka’s economy are goals of the Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association (ALFA). That includes looking to the future and planning for the next generation of fish and fishermen. To protect the fish, we engage members in research and conservation initiatives that promote best fishing practice and good resource stewardship. To provide for the next generation of fishermen, ALFA has developed a young fishermen’s initiative. Together with our partners at the Alaska Sustainable Fisheries Trust (ASFT), we are helping young people get started in Alaska’s fisheries and building the skills necessary to succeed both on and off the water.
Last month the Sitka City Assembly awarded $10,000 from the Fisheries Enhancement Program to support ALFA’s young fishermen’s initiative. Our goal is to leverage this award to secure outside funding. Last week the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation awarded $150,000 to ASFT for the young fishermen’s program and ALFA has three other grants pending. We are excited to put these funds to work for Alaska’s fish and fishermen.
We deeply appreciate the support from Sitka’s leadership and urge all involved in Sitka’s fisheries to thank the hard working people who serve on our Assembly.
Linda Behnken,
Director, ALFA,
Board member, ASFT
Taxes and Tolls
Dear Editor: As a contributing citizen of Sitka it is important to recognize errors and bad ideas but even more important is offering good ideas and solutions. Here are my ideas for alternative solutions to raising property taxes.
1. Delete the sales tax cap. It is a gift from the city to the rich people. Ask yourself “How often do I spend more than $3,000 and get to take advantage of this city gift.” Deletion of the cap is a solution to the by-pass-sales-tax bundling that occurs.
2. Delete all sales tax exemptions. I’m sure every senior citizen would willingly give to the city in its hour of need (even if it is due to Assembly frivolous spending). But we seniors expect everyone else to be equally generous to the city and give up their fancy worded carve outs of exemptions. There are approximately 30 categories. Unbelievable is the power of special interest groups in Sitka to avoid their civic responsibility to pay taxes. Two-thirds of Sitka retail sales are not taxed. No wonder we are in trouble. Past Assemblies and administrators, what were you thinking?
3. Sales tax audits starting with the 30 biggest businesses to make sure they are making accurate payments. I don’t recall ever seeing a published list of delinquent sales tax scofflaws. High time we know who isn’t contributing to the city.
4. Delinquent utility bills should be sent to collection and utilities disconnected. Over the past 20 years the city has been particularly negligent in collections of utility bills from big users as well as residential.
5. Charge for parking lot use through an annual fee system with window stickers. Only vehicles with parking stickers are allowed to park for more than 4 hours. This should include the harbors as well as the central city. $50 fine for violation.
6. Make John O’Connell bridge a toll bridge controlled electronically. If Seattle can have “secret” toll bridges so can Sitka. $50 for a vehicle “black box” to communicate with the electronic toll taker. Ten cents every time you drive across the bridge. $50 fine for failure to pay tolls monthly.
How about the rest of you people out there? Submit your ideas in letters to the editor of the Sentinel: cyndi@sitkasentinel.com.
Be creative. Don’t fall into the trap the Citizen Task Force fell into and do nothing useful.
Bill Marx, Sitka
P.S. There is no excuse for not trying something new. The City of Sitka bureaucrats seem all too ready to advise “we can’t do that.” Well . . . it is your job to figure out how we can do something original.
911 Commission Report
Dear Editor: For a good morning coffee read, I suggest the newly declassified 28-pages of the 911 Commission’s Report.
Read them and enjoy knowing the Saudi Arabian government had a very active role in the 911 attacks. Connect the dots as that stupid saying goes, and realize that hiding this from the public for 13 years is an art of complicity on the side of the U.S. government.
Prince Bandar, the Saudi ambassador to the U.S. government at that time, visited President Bush immediately after the 911 attacks. The 28 pages reveal that the Prince’s wife was a conduit through which money was routed to some of the 911 hijackers’ handler:
The lies weve been told are colossal. Think Iraq, Afghanistan. We were never attacked by those people. Never were going to be. Think of the death and destruction and terrorism now spreading, because of those acts.
Here’s an old saying that’s not stupid: 911 was an inside job. For the legions of my fellow Americans who looked down their noses at me and others for saying so, well, I guess it’s time for another refill, huh? How about a cookie?
Andrew H. Scorzelli, Sitka
