Where Alaska will be in 5 years (Ketchikan: leases, crimes, homes)

[starlite9]

Originally Posted by Chilkoot

The rest of the US is slowly beginning to recover from the recession. Alaska is just beginning to head into that territory. There is nothing on the Alaska horizon that will stimulate growth, at least in the next 5 years, the short-term. Even if the gas line becomes a reality, it won’t be completed for quite some time and any significant job growth from it could be many years away.

The past 3 years have seen folks move to Alaska looking for a better life. That trend will begin to reverse. Property values have already begun to decrease in many areas. Our home assessment went down by $7800 this year. It’s just the beginning.

In the meantime, we can visit CD to read the rant of many who can criticize and add nothing constructive.

I don't see the lower 48 getting better, what I see is the Politicions moving the lines to make it look better.

They announce the Car manufactures were "Saved", when in fact it was all a shell game... GM owes something like 30 billion dollars to the government, that is still a hell of a debit, Chrysler isn't much better.

Unemployment is blured too, it only counts people on unemployment, not those that lost benifits.

All levels of government are not being honest with the public or the oath they took. Until they are held accountable for the oath, nothing will improve!

[SityData]

All of these self proclaimed "smart" politicians that tell you what is wrong and how they are going to fix it.... Why the heck didn't you ALL fix it years ago- BEFORE.. it got out of hand.??

They say... what "YOU" want to hear. They have no intention of doing anything except; they want 'power'!! They want that important position for "self".

They could care less about you!

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by richelles

I lived in Alaska for several years and saw some of the problems in the State. One of the things that is wrong is the lack of effective leadership because it appears any fool can get elected in Alaska by simply claiming they are against something!!! The far right posters uniformly blame the government for all the ills and they may be right. But the government is mostly the far right and they choose to interfere with what is really needed and that is to elect people who have common sense.
I'm living in Alabama now and all I can say is there must be some kind of kinship between these politicians and the ones in Alaska.
The county next to the one I live in has filed for bankruptcy. They built more than they can pay for and now want out of the deal!!! But now that election season is here these politicians sound just like the ones in Alaska. They all are against something!!! Not one so far seem to favor anything that might help. The operative word they use is "conservative" and that is what I heard in Alaska. I know several of the posters on this board and I know they are basically smart people but they all parrot the same thing these broke fools here loudly proclaim. They are all against something!!! They all need to wake up and be for something before it is too late.
It isn't that it's conservative or liberal but that it's correct or not correct for what is needed now. If you don't tax then there is no money to spend. If people starve or otherwise don't have anything to help them survive then something is wrong with the system. We need to address the problems and not just be against everything just to be against it.

Well, your opinion in relation to Alaska applies to every State of the union, and even our national leaders in Washington, regardless if they are Republican, Democrat, or Libertarian, liberal, or conservative. If the conservatives are against something, so the liberals against other things. If this wasn't true, then the liberals and the conservatives would not be against each other. Don't you think so?

[GrammasCabin]

Well, not all of Alaska is just beginnig to head into that financial recovery territory. Bush put the southeast in a depression when he shut all the small logging outfits, mills and fisherman out of the picture in the '90's and it's only gotten worse from there. We've been paying 8% sales tax and $4.79 gas years now. However, even without a dollar to spend we've always felt we could survive off the seas, beaches and woods. That too is disappearing.
As for the economy, it's been tanked here for decades. As for the subsistance life, the next five years don't look too good.

[tidelines]

Where does a moderate fit in?

[freezengirl]

Originally Posted by tidelines

Where does a moderate fit in?

Probably just as squeezed and furious as everyone else no matter what side of the political spectrum they are on. It sure as heck isn't going to get better as long as we are allowing our elected representatives be sold to the highest bidder.

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by GrammasCabin

Well, not all of Alaska is just beginnig to head into that financial recovery territory. Bush put the southeast in a depression when he shut all the small logging outfits, mills and fisherman out of the picture in the '90's and it's only gotten worse from there. We've been paying 8% sales tax and $4.79 gas years now. However, even without a dollar to spend we've always felt we could survive off the seas, beaches and woods. That too is disappearing.
As for the economy, it's been tanked here for decades. As for the subsistance life, the next five years don't look too good.

I believe that it was Tony Knowles that din't fight the Feds for the loving contracts that were still in effect. That's why the pulp mill in Ketchikan was closed.

[wildchild_to]

Originally Posted by starlite9

Well until they replace the clowns in Juneau that think the Alaska Bank Accounts are their own personal fundings. We are going to be on a long downhill slide the way it looks now.

Currently the State spends some $13,500.00 dollars per man, woman and child (that was the last number I knew of a few years ago, and I think it went up from there). That is just obscene, there is no other state that blows that much money for votes.

In the event the pipeline shuts down there is no way the State can keep funding that amount or even raise income taxes to touch that since a lot of the State pays no taxes because they are already on Public Assistance. There is no way the remainder of the State can pay enought state income taxes to even support a fraction of government we have now.

Then you have the clowns in Juneau letting the people in the interior die on the vine from high oil fuel prices for heat, and you have the clowns wanting to shut down coal and wood stoves in Fairbanks. Yet the State does nothing to make an intrastucture for gas which is all over the place, go figure!

When it come time to pay the reaper, the state is just going to go bankrupt and the house of cards will fall in on itself. But I don't think we will have to wait that long if the sand box keeps getting ready to start throwing missiles around.

I think the next five years are going to be pretty dismal with out current political leaders all the way to the White House unless something really gets the American people off their butts this Fall to vote and thrown all the bums out.

But like I said, we may not get that far....

:yeahthat:

They are starting to take after the -48 states slowly but surely. If they don't get on the ball sooner than later , they may need to have a state tax just like the rest of the country. Like Alaska needs an new extra costs added to the high cost of living.

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by RayinAK

I believe that it was Tony Knowles that din't fight the Feds for the loving contracts that were still in effect. That's why the pulp mill in Ketchikan was closed.

Sorry.... I meant to say, "logging" contracts with the Federal Government." I believe that the contracts were still good for two more years, but the pulp mill had to close because the AK's government did not make any efforts to renew them. However, since our lumber and related products were being purchased by Japan, and there was not much demand by this country but the time the mills closed their doors. Still, the contracts should have been renewed, even if the lumber export business was down.

[LadyAuke]

Originally Posted by RayinAK

I believe that it was Tony Knowles that din't fight the Feds for the loving contracts that were still in effect. That's why the pulp mill in Ketchikan was closed.

What? The pulp mill closed in Ketchikan because the contract wasn't renewed- that much you are correct on. But you have conveniently left out that this happened right after Ketchikan Pulp Company was brought up on felony charges for dumping highly toxic waste right into Ward Cove, in direct violation of their permits. They broke the law, the feds didn't renew their contract. Nobody here was happy to see the pulp mill close, but would you go back to the doctor you had just successfully sued for malpractice?