Opinion

Opinion: Ballot Measure 1 threatens TAPS operations

Alaska’s environment The Stand for Salmon movement promises “vital infrastructure will still move forward” if the initiative passes. In reality, it would bring a standstill… Continue reading

In defense of Juneau’s free press

On Monday, the City and Borough of Juneau Assembly voted to allocate $361,000 for additional ambulance crew. But the Juneau Best Starts child care funding… Continue reading

Keep the Tongass wild and roadless

Alaskans are blessed with some of the wildest, most biologically prolific forests on the planet. Nowhere else is this more evident than the Tongass rainforest,… Continue reading

  • Aug 17, 2018
  • By Dominick DellaSala, John Schoen and John Talberth

Clean up that damn mine

The Tulsequah Chief mine has been polluting the Taku Watershed with acid mine drainage (AMD) for over 60 years now. This pollution is in violation… Continue reading

Alaska should support existing National Park wildlife regulations

The current proposal by the Trump administration, in collaboration with the Walker administration, to permit unethical and unscientific predator control practices on National Park Service… Continue reading

  • Aug 17, 2018
  • By Tony Knowles

Opinion: Dunleavy supports Alaska’s fisheries

As a lifelong Alaskan, commercial and subsistence fisherman, I support Mike Dunleavy as our next governor. Recent statements from critics that Dunleavy is not supportive… Continue reading

Chicken Yard Park doesn’t need change

Chicken Yard Park in Starr Hill is nearly 100 years old. My grandfather played in it. It was the neighborhood itself that put in the… Continue reading

Walker, Mallott have proven commitment to education

As I head into my 30th year as a teacher in the Juneau School District, I have high hopes that Gov. Bill Walker and Lt.… Continue reading

  • Aug 16, 2018
  • By Amy Jo Meiners

Gov. Walker supports killing bear mothers and cubs in dens

The killing of a mother black bear and her “shrieking” cubs at their snow-covered den in Prince William Sound in April by an Alaska “hunter,”… Continue reading

  • Aug 15, 2018
  • By RICK STEINER

Empty piggy banks can’t pay dividends

Don’t blame Gov. Bill Walker for cutting the dividend; blame Mike Dunleavy and State Senate Majority who let the piggy bank run dry. They’ve been… Continue reading

Countdown to Election 2018: It’s complicated

Editor’s Note: The Empire will be publishing a weekly column from the nonpartisan League of Women Voters leading up to this year’s elections, in the… Continue reading

Metro Creative Connection stock image

Crime rates can’t be linked to SB 91

On July 31, the Juneau Empire posted an opinion piece by Dan Carothers criticizing Alaska’s justice reforms. First off, I want to thank Mr. Carothers… Continue reading

Metro Creative Connection stock image
The Alaska State Capitol. (Juneau Empire File)

The Democratic primary is still a party affair

This month’s Democratic Party primary was supposed to lay out a welcome mat for “independent thinkers.” That’s how Casey Steinau, the state chairperson, described the… Continue reading

The Alaska State Capitol. (Juneau Empire File)
Former Alaska U.S. Senator Mark Begich greets and speaks to Juneau residents interested in his campaign for governor at the IBEW Local 1547 Union office on Thursday, June 29, 2018. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire File)

Building a better future for Alaska

It has been an exciting two months out on the campaign trail. Everywhere I go, I hear from Alaskans who have big dreams for a… Continue reading

  • Aug 13, 2018
  • By Mark Begich
Former Alaska U.S. Senator Mark Begich greets and speaks to Juneau residents interested in his campaign for governor at the IBEW Local 1547 Union office on Thursday, June 29, 2018. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire File)

Opinion: Let’s give our children the best start possible

Whenever there has been a crisis in Juneau, the community has generously stepped in to help, especially when it involves children. The current lack of… Continue reading

Thank you, Mayor Koelsch

For most of us who have never held an elected position, it’s difficult to appreciate the extraordinary demands made on public servants and their families.… Continue reading

  • Aug 10, 2018
  • By WIN GRUENING

Opinion: Fighting for a healthier, safer Alaska

Addiction is a disease that has plagued our state for decades and ranked us at the top for too many undesirable statistics including domestic violence,… Continue reading

Opinion: If his usual supporters stay true, Begich can win in November

Opinion: If his usual supporters stay true, Begich can win in November

Lots of my Juneau friends are experiencing major heartburn over the governor’s race. They are primarily Democrats or open-minded moderates. I respect them, but I… Continue reading

  • Aug 9, 2018
  • By Bruce Scandling
Opinion: If his usual supporters stay true, Begich can win in November
A spawning chum salmon looks to return to the waters of Salmon Creek on Tuesday, July 24, 2018. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Celebrate Wild Salmon Day in Juneau

One of the best ways to appreciate our wild salmon is to eat them.

A spawning chum salmon looks to return to the waters of Salmon Creek on Tuesday, July 24, 2018. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

Smoking cruise ship in Juneau

Sunday morning dawned clear and windless. A perfect day in Juneau. Enter the Radiance of the Sea, a cruise ship with a passenger capacity of… Continue reading

  • Aug 8, 2018
  • By Joseph W. Geldhof