Empire Archives is a series printed every Saturday featuring a short compilation of headline stories in the Juneau Empire from archived editions in 1985, 1995, and 2005. The stories include names, AP style, and other content of their eras.
This week in 1985, As lawmakers prepare to finalize their operating budgets for next year they continue to search for new sources of money. With several potentially large bundles of revenues hanging tantalizingly within reach, the issue is whether to wait and see if they fall into the state’s lap, or to shake the revenue tree risking a worse shortfall should a key bundle fall outside Alaska’s reach. House lawmakers again this afternoon will study a bill that would reinstitute the state’s former corporate oil and gas income tax. The bill, while its exact revenue potential is unclear, could net the state additional billions in revenues, provided it doesn’t force oil companies to pull back plans to develop marginal oil fields.
Today, the state faces a large deficit due to low oil prices and a predicted recession, and the governor says he won’t consider additional tax increases.
Original Story: “Oil, gas tax may make a return,” by Chuck Kleeschulte. 4/19/1985.
This week in 1995, Ah, the romance of San Francisco. Fog, the waterfront, steep downtown hills, an oak and brass cable car slowly cruising up South Franklin Street? That’s Susan and John DeLoach’s plan. The couple took delivery Monday of a motorized replica of a San Francisco cable car and plan to make a sightseeing loop through downtown, to the Capitol, the state museum and back. The DeLoaches also plan to market the trolley to people who work in or visit the downtown area, encouraging use of the pseudo-cable car as a way to avoid the parking crunch. They plan to sell monthly passes for trolley “Commuters,” in addition to single-ride tickets. The 34-passenger trolley — which is handicap-accessible by way of a motorized lift — rolls into action May 8, and will operate 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
Today, Juneau prepares for its first five-ship day on Thursday, May 8, 2025.
Original Story: “’Tis the season to be trolley,” by Jeanine Pohl. 4/18/1995.
This week in 2005, more than 50 Alaska mayors and city officials flew to Juneau this week to deliver the message to lawmakers that, thanks to lack of financial support from the state, cities are “disintegrating.” Members of the Alaska Conference of Mayors reported that nine cities have shut down, 18 are deep in debt and 39 cities are terminating key local services, such as police protection or road, utility and facility maintenance. “It’s like we are going up the creek without a paddle,” said New Stuyahok city administrator Mitch Chocknok. Hydaburg was listed as dangerously close to going bankrupt. Angoon, Pelican and Tenakee Springs have made significant reductions to core services. One cost handicapping most of Alaska’s 162 municipalities is paying for the public employee and teacher retirement systems, commonly referred to as PERS and TRS. Poor performance in the stock market, underestimating future costs of health care and the rising number of retirees have created a $5.7 billion hole in the state system. Cities are expected to make up the difference by paying increased rates every year.
Today, municipalities and the state are pleading financial hardship as a large deficit for the coming year looms due to low oil prices combined with predictions of an economic downturn triggered by uncertainties in Trump administration policies.
Original Story: “Fishermen question anti-terrorist rule,” by Andrew Petty. 4/22/2005.
• Contact Mark Sabbatini at mark.sabbatini@juneauempire.com or (907) 957-2306.
