Nice Work, Wolves
Dear Editor: On Saturday, I had the pleasure to watch cross-country teams from all over Southeast Alaska run at the Juneau Invitational cross-country meet.
I was especially impressed with the Sitka boys team – they run like a pack of hungry Wolves! It is high school athletics at its finest. As a Juneau fan, I don’t think I’m alone in wishing them good luck in the upcoming regional and state meets.
Keep up the good work!
Kurt Iverson, Juneau
Park Commemoration
Dear Editor: The Sitka National Historical Park and the Sitka Historical Society are in preparation and planning mode for the 150th commemoration next year. There is a firm date and place for the next 150th calendaring meeting 7 p.m. Oct. 6 at the Sitka National Historical Park.
The intent is to review what is planned so far, do a bit of networking, and then get out the big calendar for 2017. We will have sticky notes available to put planned events on the calendar and then look for opportunities to avoid duplication and collaborate. We expect there will be a few more meetings while we really firm up the dates and collaboration opportunities. Questions? E-mail or call Ryan at the Sitka National Historical Park, 747-0107, ryan_p_carpenter@nps.gov, or Jeff at 747-4821 or jbudd3500@gmail.com.
Jeff Budd, Sitka
City Revenue
Dear Editor: Solutions to city revenue should be simple, understandable and achievable. With the good news that our cruise tourism will increase next year, I recommend the CBS extend sales tax for the entire year to 6 percent rather than increasing the property tax, if property values are truly understated, than increase them appropriately, consider easy and fair ways to eliminate the sales tax on senior citizens who can easily afford to pay the tax.
I suspect this will provide ample additional revenue to fund city government. In fact I suspect this increase in revenue will allow some portion of this additional revenue to be put aside for infrastructure or be available in later years when additional funds are required to run city government. As a general proposition our city government does not need to do more with less, they just need to do less.
Lastly, if we have a normal or colder winter this year than we have had in the past two years our electric department will be in much better shape.
Gary Paxton, Sitka
City Government
Dear Editor: Some thoughts regarding the 2 mill property tax increase: the cost of the city government is zero dollars and the cost of our current city government is ‘‘X’’ dollars, somewhere between zero and X is what we can afford. It is unacceptable for the city to ask for more money when we have not been given the ‘‘what we can afford option’’ first. Yes it would be a much different town, it would be more like a town of 9,000 instead of the 100,000 that we think we are.
The goldfish will always grow to fit its tank and likewise the city will always spend money to the point of crisis. The government exists to serve the people and we need to tell the government what we expect of it.
I’m tired of hearing that our problems are because of the state budget, our problems are because of our own budget, and allowing ourselves to be dependent, in part on the state when its known that revenues are variable.
I’m also offended when our local government constantly reminds us how low our mill rate is compared to another place in the state, but leaves out the detail of how our assessments are some of the highest in the state. They insist we focus our attention on one-half of a multiplication problem when the reality we actually exist in requires us to complete the problem and write the check. Increasing taxes or raising rates is never a healthy way to raise money and it will eventually choke out our town. Yes it is true that Sitka will always be here, but who will it be populated with? If you or I can’t afford to live here then did we really save the town? Our local government needs to learn a private sector lesson: if a business owner needs to generate more revenue would they take out an ad in this paper that reads: ‘‘This weekend only! 15 percent higher prices’’ or would they instead have a sale? Sitka needs to create and maintain a climate where people can thrive and generate wealth, not penalize them. I truly believe it’s time for all of us to come back to earth and realize that we are a small town on an island in Alaska and we’ve had things exceptionally good for a long time, but now we have to be like normal people and live within our means.
Churches, organizations and individuals will need to step up and do what needs doing, and parents (not the government) will need to be responsible and ensure their children get an education regardless of what school budgets may be. Speaking of children, did you ever notice how they would rather play with the box instead of what came in it? Maybe we would actually enjoy a smaller budget here.
Lee Hanson, Sitka
No on Proposition 1
Dear Editor: I’m surprised that not many people have written against Proposition 1 and the yes group.
It may be OK for Tom Conley and the ‘‘yes’’ group, but they haven’t considered that this would be a burden on some not as rich.
A person living on Social Security would not like to see their property taxes go up. And if the people with rental property have taxes raised, they most likely will pass that on to their renters.
I know of several people who are working two jobs just to make ends meet. It would be hard on them to have to pay out more in rent.
The ‘‘yes’’ group is trying to use scare tactics to make you vote yes. They want you to think it will be gloom and doom if you don’t vote yes. But we’ve voted no in the past and survived. We can do it again.
The city can find other ways to raise revenue.
I think because we’ve voted no in the past is the reason Tom and his group are trying to get an army together to twist our arms until we cry uncle and give them what they want.
We can probably expect more ‘‘yes’’ articles to come before Oct. 4. I’d like to see more ‘‘no’’ articles written.
I don’t’ know about you, but my property taxes are quite high already. And I don’t want to get a second job.
Property owners and renters, be good to yourselves, and to me and the poor. Vote no on Proposition 1.
M.A.J. Hall, Sitka
