Rural Alaska's struggle for survival (Fairbanks: 2009, homes, salary)

[Future Trooper]

In rural Alaska villages, families struggle to survive - CNN.com

I came across this story while on cnn.com I was dumfounded to see that there are people who have to pay $10 a gallon for milk or $22 for a carton of eggs. That would be a brutal ride going 1.5 hours one way on a snowmobile in -20+ degree temperatures. I was also shocked to hear that the average cost to heat a home in rural Alaska was $1,500. I know that Alaska is known for being cold but arent homes up there insulated for temps that Alaska experiences? Are conditions like this unison across rural Alaska? Or is it just in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta?

[NorthWord]

Fuel must be purchased early in the year, since it comes in by barge. Price of heating oil barge'd in before the river froze was >$8.00 a gallon. 2-3 gallons a day adds up quickly at that rate.
Electricity is provided by generators, also burning fuel. $1+ per kw/hr was not unheard of (national average @ 0.18).
Perishable foods must be flown in to remote villages. Even in the comparitive metropolis of Fairbanks, I will pay $2.36 for a pound of apples. That translates in $1.50 for each Granny Smith.

I make more than 3 times the national average salary, and the spouse and I are considering a move out of the state because it's getting too expensive. The cost of living has more than doubled in the last 18 months, saving is an impossibility.

My personal thought:
You're going to hear from the Bush villages less and less until they freeze and starve to death in the dark.
At least some of us can afford to escape before the lights go out...

[blueflames50]

ya can thank the lower 48 man for "educating" and bringing the "native" people into this century. I won't say white man because it goes well beyond a skin color.
We made them dependent on heating fuel, limited their heritage hunting of subsistance.. ohhh gosh I could go on and on and on.....just like we put the 200,000 dollar toilet in the bush areas in other countries!!! No brains that some ways are better left alone. We have made some cultures in Alaska dependant on snowmachines, heating oil, food flown in instead of allowing them to continue a way of life that has been their way for generations,....did we help them or are we allowing them to starve now because the economey has tanked. sorry gotta stop now 'cuz this issure really pisses me off..

[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.

[Floyd_Davidson]

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.

That helps, to be sure...

But yes it takes "government" to fix it. Unfortunately BHO and the Federal government aren't really able to do much either. Our problem is the State of Alaska.

We might hope that having put a few of Big Oil's boys in the hoosgow might be at least a start on having a government for Alaska's people rather than for BP and Connoco, eh?

[Grannysroost]

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.

We can help and doing the same....

[RayinAK]

Originally Posted by Floyd_Davidson

That helps, to be sure...

But yes it takes "government" to fix it. Unfortunately BHO and the Federal government aren't really able to do much either. Our problem is the State of Alaska.

We might hope that having put a few of Big Oil's boys in the hoosgow might be at least a start on having a government for Alaska's people rather than for BP and Connoco, eh?

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

[warptman]

Calista Corporation help us Shareholders? That would never happen! All they care is that they're on the payroll spending money on themselves. I've only gotten one dividend all my life. The president makes 500,000 a year doing nothing!

[Captain Crunch]

The president of Calista Corp makes 500k per year...? if so, he needs to be chit-canned

Thats a total waste of funds....

[Floyd_Davidson]

Originally Posted by warptman

Calista Corporation help us Shareholders? That would never happen! All they care is that they're on the payroll spending money on themselves. I've only gotten one dividend all my life. The president makes 500,000 a year doing nothing!

I don't know positively, but I really really doubt that Mathew Nicholai makes any $500,000 a year.

Ten years ago when I did know what at least a couple of their executive level management people made, it was litterally peanuts. Their General Counsel, Andrew Guy, was making less than I did by a significant amount. Today he is also a VP, but I'd bet anything that it is still true that over half his "pay" is his dedication to Calista because it is Calista.

It's one thing to make a lot of money with resources like oil and timber, but Calista has only one resource: the Yup'ik culture. It isn't worth money, but you have a form of wealth everyone else in the world could be so lucky as to share...