Heads-up to anyone in Juneau, and to anyone moving here soon... (Anchorage: live, costs)

[Floyd_Davidson]

Originally Posted by RayinAK

Maybe they could bring the issue to the ballot box all over again, but it would be just as easy building a road to Juneau. That way it will take 50 more years of arguments about the traffic on the road, specially during the summer months with all the RV's from AK the lower-48. At least most of us could drive to Juneau leaving behind some cash at the gas stations lining the road

Did you read the history in the previously cited post? It has been brought to a vote several times, and the last two it lost by 3:1 and 2:1 landslide margins. That is the reason why proponents are not asking for a vote but instead are now trying to find ways to circumvent the will of Alaskan voters.

As far as a road goes... Sheesh... Our last Governor, Mr. Murkowsky, tried the road idea. You do recall how popular he was? It was not a single issue popularity contest, even if the jet became the image that was kicked most of all. The road was an even more blatantly absurd smack in the voter's face than the airplane (which actually would have made sense if he had purchased an appropriate aircraft).

Incidentally, I've driven a car to Juneau, and didn't find it to be anything unusual. I drove a car from Bremerton Wn to Seattle once using the same technique.

[rotorhead]

That "road to Juneau" is the biggest boondoggle of them all. You DO know that the route they're proposing is across almost exactly the same type of terrain that the Snettisham powerlines used to cross, don't you?

The other thing that everyone is conveniently forgetting is that even if they DID build those ninety-odd miles of avalanche zone, it STILL wouldn't connect to the road system, just another ferry terminal. The proposed site for that one is basically right across Lynn canal from my house in Haines. Even with all those hundreds of millions spent you'd still have to load your car on a boat to cross maybe three miles of Portage Cove and unload at yet another ferry terminal here. You're still at the mercy of the weather, the ferry schedule, breakdowns on the boat, all the usual stuff.

Calling it a 'road to Juneau' is disingenuous at best. The real name ought to be "the long way to the other ferry terminal", since they'll still have to keep the regular one open anyway. In all likelyhood, it'll be closed a significant part of the time due to rockslides and avalanches even with heroic (read $$$) efforts by the road crews. That money would be far better spent on real roads leading to real places you can really drive to and a modernization of the ferry fleet.

[Metlakatla]

I would also like to point out that the Terms Of Service for use of this forum forbid personal attacks. You have repeatedly drifted from discussion of an appropriate topic to gratuitous insults. If you do it again I will start reporting them as such.

This is very hypocritical coming from you, given the nature of some of your recent posts to me. I suppose if I cared to find it I could report an absolutely rabid sounding post you made to me in another thread (something about being marked for life or some such)...but for some reason your opinion doesn't seem to mean much to me. Thanks to everyone for all the rep points for my response to that, by the way.

You're going to have to find a way to live with the fact that I do not consider you the all knowing expert on the state of Alaska that you are trying to establish yourself to be on this board, and no amount of tirading or attempted browbeating on your part is going to alter that.

Anyway, Ray, even though I'd probably vote against a capital move, it would be interesting to see it put to a vote today. It could very well be that the fact that it was voted down in the 60's wouldn't have much bearing at all on how people would vote now. With the population increasing so much in Anchorage/Mat-Su/Kenai and still declining in most parts of SE--who knows.

[Metlakatla]

By the way, the Eugene Register Guard had an article about the power situation in Juneau; I agree, Xa'at, that the ADN should have considered it newsworthy on that day.

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

This is very hypocritical coming from you, given the nature of some of your recent posts to me. I suppose if I cared to find it I could report an absolutely rabid sounding post you made to me in another thread (something about being marked for life or some such)...but for some reason your opinion doesn't seem to mean much to me. Thanks to everyone for all the rep points for my response to that, by the way.

You're going to have to find a way to live with the fact that I do not consider you the all knowing expert on the state of Alaska that you are trying to establish yourself to be on this board, and no amount of tirading or attempted browbeating on your part is going to alter that.

Anyway, Ray, even though I'd probably vote against a capital move, it would be interesting to see it put to a vote today. It could very well be that the fact that it was voted down in the 60's wouldn't have much bearing at all on how people would vote now. With the population increasing so much in Anchorage/Mat-Su/Kenai and still declining in most parts of SE--who knows.

About the Capital History, I did read another version at another Alaska forum (Alaska hunting forum). I do appreciate that you posted this one, too.

In relation to the capital being moved, I would vote for it. I imagine that sooner or later something will happen in relation to the capital. I mentioned a road to it, but in reality I have no idea if such a road is possible. It seems that it's not a good proposition according to another poster above, who seems to know what he is talking about.

Isn't nice that you and I can agree and disagree without trying to silence each other?
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[Barkingowl]

How about a tunnel linking Juneau & Anchorage?

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by Barkingowl

How about a tunnel linking Juneau & Anchorage?

Like the one from Alaska to Russia?

[DannyL]

how about throwing all the lobbyist out of juneau? or maybe sending them to barrow (just sharing the love guys, just sharing the love...)

[Metlakatla]

Isn't nice that you and I can agree and disagree without trying to silence each other?

Yep, sure is, Ray

I know that last year there was a lot of talk about a road from Skagway to Juneau...most people I know in the area objected because of the avalanche hazards in the particular area they were considering building the road on. Juneau to Skagway isn't that long of a ferry trip and during most of the year would be a shorter trip than the road would be.

And as Rotor pointed out, the state reps do the majority of their work from their home districts. Though I wouldn't consider it a dire catastrophe if the capital were to be moved, I just see it as unnecessary. Don't forget that SE is still a pretty populated part of the state; I think that our number of state reps is pretty close to what they've got in the Anchorage area--travel expenses probably wouldn't be affected much if it were to be moved.

[Metlakatla]

Here ya go, Danny:

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