Rural Alaska's struggle for survival (Anchorage, Fairbanks: home, to buy, live)

[Floyd_Davidson]

Originally Posted by RayinAK

I wonder if the Native Corporation can shed some light on this subject?

To some degree, yes. Certainly ASRC, and for that matter the North Slope Borough, are both doing at least "something" to prevent the same problems from happening here on the North Slope.

But money talks, and ASRC and the NSB have it, while Calista and most of the other Regional Corporations do not, nor do their local governments.

The problem is where has the State of Alaska been spending its time, effort and money! The fact is that without Ted Stevens the people in bush Alaska would have been having these problems to this degree even during the good years. But now we have had 8 years of GWB's economic destruction and we no longer have Uncle Ted.

Folks, we are in big trouble in this state...

[warptman]

On top of his high salary, the board gave him a $400,000 bonus....

The Tundra Drums - Calista to pay dividend, first since '85

[Future Trooper]

Originally Posted by Floyd_Davidson

To some degree, yes. Certainly ASRC, and for that matter the North Slope Borough, are both doing at least "something" to prevent the same problems from happening here on the North Slope.

But money talks, and ASRC and the NSB have it, while Calista and most of the other Regional Corporations do not, nor do their local governments.

The problem is where has the State of Alaska been spending its time, effort and money! The fact is that without Ted Stevens the people in bush Alaska would have been having these problems to this degree even during the good years. But now we have had 8 years of GWB's economic destruction and we no longer have Uncle Ted.

Folks, we are in big trouble in this state...

We are in big trouble across the nation. Although Ted Stevens may have done a few bad things we has an excellent politician who represented the State of Alaska with grade pride and concern for his people

Originally Posted by stiffnecked

But according to BHO, "Only government can fix this". I'm sending out food boxes to the bush without any government intervention. Anyone can help if they want to.

I would gladly help you if I lived in Alaska

Originally Posted by RayinAK

I wonder if the Native Corporation can shed some light on this subject?

they should

Originally Posted by warptman

On top of his high salary, the board gave him a $400,000 bonus....

The Tundra Drums - Calista to pay dividend, first since '85

400K a year to do basicly nothing while fellow Native Alaskans are breaking their backs trying to make enough just to get by.

[Floyd_Davidson]

Originally Posted by warptman

On top of his high salary, the board gave him a $400,000 bonus....

The Tundra Drums - Calista to pay dividend, first since '85

I can't find anything that confirms your claims about his salary.

But note that the bonus came as a result of 14 years straight with a profitable company under his managment! The bonus was a result of a program put into place in 1980, long before Nicolai was CEO of Calista (his tenure began in 1994), and is the first and the only CEO bonus that Calista has ever issued.

To be quite honest, it sounds like a very well deserved bonus! He has not only brought the company back from the edge of bankrupcy, but has made it profitable enough to generate a shareholder dividend.

For a company that was broke and does not have the natural resources to bank on that some of the Regional Corporations do, it appears to me that Mathew Nicolai has been doing an exceedingly good job!

[warptman]

They don't pass this on to us shareholders though, that's what gets me mad.

[Metlakatla]

Stiffnecked---granny---DM me with an address to send stuff.

We can't let this happen to people.

[MeganAK]

I, too, read the article and it makes me sad and angry all over again. I live in Nome, which is better off than the villages in terms of costs, but we, too, are looking at getting out of here because of the insane cost of living without an increase in wages. I am so tired of my family in the Lower 48 saying, 'well isn't fuel cheaper now?'. NO. I do not know of anywhere in rural Alaska that has had oil proces drop. The oil was bought last summer, when prices were at their highest. It is a total rip off! The state hasn't even begun to talk about helping people out. The food is expensive here, and I can't even imagine what it costs in the villages. People have no idea how difficult it can be to live out in these areas. I am thankful for the article educating people, but man it gets me angry. Angry because the State isn't really trying to help much. People are having to put locks on their drums to keep oil from getting stolen in some places. In one village, I had someone tell me they are boarding up houses and cramming into one house- like ten people- to save on fuel. It boggels my mind why anyone should have to choose heat over food?????

[starlite9]

Originally Posted by warptman

They don't pass this on to us shareholders though, that's what gets me mad.

What do you mean? They dished out the big bucks this last Christmas... Should be able to top off the old fourwheeler with that....

Calista Corporation issues $250 checks to elders | APRN
Calista Corporation issues $250 checks to elders

Thu, December 18, 2008
Posted in Alaska News
Calista, the Native for-profit corporation for the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta announced that all elders are getting holiday checks worth $250. The checks started going out in the mail last Friday.
Angela Denning-Barnes, KYUK - Bethel

[Metlakatla]

Thanks, Granny; we've got some salmon and other things for them. Stiff...I can't answer your PM...it says you are not receiving them. It's never said that with you before.

[warptman]

Big bucks? Yea, ok...