In the coming new year, I’d like to humbly suggest that our elected officials resolve to work together and solve Alaska’s fiscal crisis. As a restaurant owner, hunter and fisherman, 2017 is bringing me higher food service permit fees, higher hunting license fees, and higher fishing license fees. While the dollar amounts are modest, each of these is going up between 20 and 80 percent.
I am happy to pay these increased fees for the services I receive and do my part to help solve Alaska’s budget crisis. I’d be delighted to pay an income tax and divert part of my permanent fund dividend, too, to help put our state on a path to a sustainable budget.
But I’m not thrilled at all to stand by and watch more of my customers, more Alaska state workers, get laid off because our legislators lack the political courage to make tough decisions about our state’s future. I’m less than excited that culinary classes in our local high schools have been cut drastically, limiting the amount of trained cooks available for hire.
I once served in local elected office. I know it’s not easy to raise taxes. But standing by and watching our educational and vocational offerings dwindle and our local economies suffer with greater job losses is just plain unacceptable.
I’m grateful to Gov. Bill Walker for his outstanding courage and leadership. He’s been willing to lay it all on the line to help solve Alaska’s budget crisis. Now we need some brave legislators to stand in the gap with him and do what’s right for our state’s future.
Now that’s a new year’s resolution we can all be proud of.
Marc Wheeler
Juneau