“It’s complicated” may be the best way to describe politics in our little town.
Mayor Greg Fisk’s untimely death and Mary Becker’s ascendancy, with resultant shuffling of Assembly seats by appointment, only underscores this truth: it’s complicated.
Just in case things weren’t complicated enough, Ken Koelsch filed to run for mayor. Now it’s really complicated — at least it is for me.
It’s complicated because I love Ken Koelsch and Mary Becker. They were my teachers. Growing up in Juneau, they both shaped my character in important ways that resonate to this day.
Mary taught me vital lessons about high standards and hard work. Ken took me, and many of my friends, under his wings and provided important guidance above and beyond the call of duty, as teachers do.
Thanks in large part to both Mary and Ken, I miraculously survived my youth, became a teacher and worked alongside them both in many capacities over the decades. It’s little wonder I regard them both so highly. “So why is this election so complicated?” you may be asking.
It’s complicated for me because, as much as I love Ken and Mary, neither are my first choice to be our mayor at this time. Karen Crane is.
I am grateful to the Assembly majority for approving this special election — providing voters a voice in choosing our mayor. Many of us found in Greg Fisk a mayor who would lead the Assembly in new and better directions. Hope for new direction didn’t die with him.
That’s why I’m voting for Karen Crane for mayor — a mayor who has led Alaska’s League of Women Voters; a mayor who knows the budget and isn’t afraid to tackle our flawed tax exemptions; a mayor who is already working for a vibrant local business sector and actively working for more housing at all income levels; a mayor who supports practical transportation solutions and is already tackling our growing solid waste problem; a mayor who is responsive and respects voters’ voices; and a mayor who puts the UNITY in our community.
As an educator, along with everything else I value, I’m proud to support Karen Crane — even though it’s complicated.
Clay Good,
Juneau