Opinion

Military training benefits outweigh environmental concerns

A recent Alaska Dispatch News article expressed concerns over the Military Readiness Exercises planned for early May in the Gulf of Alaska. It quoted a… Continue reading

  • May 2, 2017
  • By KARL JOHNSTONE

Say a prayer for Legislators’ wisdom

Watching the Legislature wind down is painful. This year, the Democrats own the House and the Republicans own the Senate. The House wants income taxes.… Continue reading

  • May 3, 2017
  • By JIM CRAWFORD

Save ‘Shangrilaska’ and fight climate change

On April 7, 2017 Gov. Bill Walker met with China’s President Xi Jinping in Anchorage. During a tour of Beluga Point, Xi spoke in awe… Continue reading

  • May 3, 2017
  • By Elaine Schroeder

Income tax for Alaska

Alaska is the only state that doesn’t require taxes from its citizens to run the government. Alaska has been fortunate to have had sufficient oil… Continue reading

  • May 2, 2017
  • By ROBIN SMITH

The stigma of mental illness is a shame game no child should have to play

May is National Mental Health Awareness Month. This month we would like to focus the spotlight on some of the myths about mental health and… Continue reading

  • May 1, 2017
  • By ALEXIS ROSS MILLER

Protecting Alaskan opportunities to do Alaskan things

I own and run Alaska Alpine Adventures, one of the many Alaskan-owned, family-operated businesses critically contributing to the state’s economy. This summer will mark our… Continue reading

  • May 1, 2017
  • By DAN OBERLATZ

NEA and ASCA: Enriching lives together

At both the state and federal levels, budgets and policies are in a state of flux. Alaskans and all Americans are watching their elected officials… Continue reading

  • Apr 30, 2017
  • By Ben Brown

University of Alaska Southeast adds value to state’s workforce

Cuts to the University of Alaska budget are in the headlines just as we are about to celebrate the graduation of 650 new UAS graduates… Continue reading

  • Apr 30, 2017
  • By RICK CAULFIELD

Think battles are tough in our Legislature? Check out what’s happening in the Friendly Skies

It’s tempting to join the fray this week and dive more deeply into the various budget scenarios being considered by the Legislature. But it’s way… Continue reading

  • Apr 28, 2017
  • By WIN GRUENING

Alaska House bases budget plan on reality

Contrary to Paul Jenkins’ opinion piece on Sunday, the Alaska House Majority Coalition has passed legislation that is the genuinely conservative path forward. The plan… Continue reading

  • Apr 26, 2017
  • By Rep. ANDY JOSEPHSON

An Alaska we can all believe in

The debate in Juneau is about what kind of state we want to live in. I want an Alaska we can all believe in, not… Continue reading

  • Apr 27, 2017
  • By REP. LES GARA

Best budget approach is diversity

We are way behind the curve in diversifying Alaska’s economy and sources of state government revenue. It’s too late to get ahead of this situation,… Continue reading

  • Apr 26, 2017
  • By LINDA SNOW

Why is our Assembly ignoring Juneau Housing facts?

We have spent many years and resources on a nebulous term known as “Affordable Housing.” Affordable to who? Let’s face it: Housing in Juneau and… Continue reading

  • Apr 26, 2017
  • By CHUCK COLLINS

Stop cutting the budget

I am writing to register my opposition to further budget cuts for the Department of Health and Social Services, Department of Education K-12 and the… Continue reading

  • Apr 26, 2017
  • By JENNIFER MEYER

Money on the table

Alaska is in recession and is unable to reconcile its huge deficits, despite a 40% cut in government services. Thirty-five percent of the total State… Continue reading

  • Apr 26, 2017
  • By ALAN GROSS

Walker made the right decision in Bristol Bay

Last week, the Alaska Department of Natural Resources (DNR) issued a new Miscellaneous Land Use Permit (MLUP) to the Pebble Limited Partnership, thereby allowing the… Continue reading

  • Apr 26, 2017
  • By ROBERT HEYANO

Arctic oil and gas activity essential to building Alaska’s future

Alaska received a C-minus for the general condition of its infrastructure on its most recent report card from the American Society of Civil Engineers, and… Continue reading

  • Apr 26, 2017
  • By ROBERT DILLON

Alaska’s broken workers’ compensation system

Change is hard, even when everyone agrees that change is necessary. It’s easier to do nothing than it is to affect change. But every once… Continue reading

  • Apr 26, 2017
  • By Curtis W. Thayer

One kind act at a time

I asked a group of close friends the other day if they would like to plan some sort of act of kindness that we could… Continue reading

  • Apr 26, 2017
  • By SARAH RASTER

The coming snowstorm

Today I’d like to share with you the Senate’s vision for Alaska’s next steps forward into the 21st century. We now face a harsh economic… Continue reading

  • Apr 21, 2017
  • By SEN. PETE KELLY