Juneau’s vote-by-mail municipal election is underway. We have until Oct. 1 to decide five ballot questions, select a mayor and two Assembly members, and fill three seats on the Juneau school board.
The unsettling backdrop for this election is the recent glacial outburst flood in the Mendenhall Valley that if/when repeated could be as catastrophic to Juneau as any Capitol or legislative move.
Cost-of-living concerns are serious and many worry if the “Ship-Free Saturday” initiative passes, litigation will ensue, and taxes will go up.
Initiative supporters are aggrieved, but they’re taking out their frustrations on the wrong people.
The cruise lines benefit from being in Juneau, but so do we. Especially our younger residents and the local entrepreneurs who have launched successful small businesses fueled by this industry.
Juneau’s population is stagnant and aging, but the under-50 cohort living here now is infinitely more diverse, creative, and interesting than those of us who arrived in the ‘70s and ‘80s. Then, when oil was gushing through the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, most people worked in government, primarily for the state. We enjoyed some lively bars and decent restaurants, but it’s hard to forget South Franklin’s seedy dives.
The coming of the cruise ships is correctly credited with helping to clean up our dingy downtown. Investment flowed into our capital city core.
Eventually state government jobs declined, two mines came online and tourism offered new economic opportunities.
Juneau’s current array of shore excursions (53), and selection of shops, galleries, breweries, bars, distilleries and eateries could not exist without the customer base those ships deliver to our doorsteps. Many establishments stay open all year long solely because of the outside money sailing into town every summer. Because they can earn a living here, these business owners, their families and employees are replacing our aging-out cohort of 60-, 70-, and 80-year-old retirees who for years sustained Juneau’s civic institutions and arts and cultural community.
It’s one thing to rock the boat but quite another to sink the hopes and dreams of our innovative next generation. We need their energy — and their kids in our schools.
Should the influx of summer visitors be managed? Absolutely. But it’s well worth the effort and angst — the difficult and messy work of politics — for all parties to persist with collaborative efforts to strike a balance and keep our community intact.
Another thought: Cruise ship itineraries are intricately coordinated. If Alaska’s capital city outlaws Saturday ships the entire schedule is disrupted, negatively impacting other ship-dependent Southeast communities. Not to mention Whitehorse, Dawson City, Fairbanks, Talkeetna, Anchorage, Seward, Whittier and Valdez. Not a very neighborly thing to do.
Vote no on Prop. 2 and tell the Assembly to go back to the negotiating table. That’s what they signed up for and what public service is all about.
Ballot measures 1 and 3 authorize bonds for public safety and sewer projects. Since we are sitting on millions in over-collected property and sales tax revenue, plus funds squirreled away for projects the voters rejected, I’m inclined to vote no and preserve our bonding capacity for something massively significant — like levees on the river. But the threat of another devastating flood underscores the importance of public safety, so I’m a yes on Prop. 1.
We’re also deciding recall elections for two school board members who responsibly addressed declining district enrollment and budgetary issues. These recalls target the wrong people. Reject both and be thankful there are still a few grownups around.
Challenging an incumbent takes courage. That’s what Angela Rodell is offering by running against the sitting mayor. Her spirited campaign is focused on “Fiscal Fitness” with an eye toward putting her professional financial experience (commissioner of the Alaska Department of Revenue and CEO of the Alaska Permanent Fund Corp.) to work for us, making sure taxes are prudently spent. The prospect of serious budget oversight and accountability surely scares the living daylights out of some recipients of large Assembly grants, many of which have been on autopilot for far too long.
It’s healthy to open our minds to alternative approaches and skill sets. By electing six people of goodwill, and hopefully great skill, we can get closer to finding fixes for our problems.
Let’s choose wisely.
• Paulette Simpson is a Douglas resident.
