Economy, moving to Alaska...leaving Alaska.. (Anchorage: sales, leases, homes)

[Grannysroost]

Moving to Alaska is a whole different animal than most relocations because of the distance. Big questions are cost of living, housing, jobs, schools...

With the general state of the economy (federal and state), loss of jobs, homes, etc., people not only want to move to Alaska, but are also going to be leaving for the same reasons, leaving Alaska losing local tax bases, funding, etc. Anchorage, the largest city, is already trying to figure how to cut back or combine services in order to keep the city budget in check. Oil and gas are Alaska's big industry, along with tourism. Oil companies are cutting back. Tourism with the -48 economy, what does that do in terms of traveling to Alaska, so more businesses may go under...

When smaller areas lose that tax base, what is going to happen to local services such as libraries, clinics, hospitals?

Any thoughts?

[Metlakatla]

What a good post, Granny.

I think that AK will see quite a few people affected by the -48 fiasco wanting to move up, and I hope that they look into the realities before they do.

POW has always been fairly depressed short of a couple of logging booms that pretty much benefited outsiders anyway. The older businesses there will remain stable, I'm sure.

I understand that cruise sales have been way down and that will no doubt affect some of the communities in SE and along the AK railroad--but so many of those businesses are owned by offshore carpetbaggers in the first place and staffed by people from various parts of the U.S. that the most direct effect it will have on local communities will be through dwindling local tax revenues.

[MommaF8]

All very good questions. Questions my husband & I will be considering when we try to decide whether or not to retire here in AK or return to the lower 48 to MT!
I'll be watching this thread very closely!
Thanks for bringing it up!

[Moose Whisperer]

No question I am very concerned for the future of our State. I don't see positive trends in ANY of our traditional industries. Solutions? Well, who am I to say, and I don't want to be the one responsible for turning this discussion into another political bashing morass (though I'm sure it's inevitable).

[Metlakatla]

Personally I'm not as concerned about the inevitable downturn in tourism as I am about the real jobs for the real people of the state. Seasonal workers our going to find it more difficult to find a seasonal job, but they're people with other resources anyway for the most part.

I'm glad the ships never came to POW--well, we did have one a few years ago, a small one, and it was pretty cool because part of their itinerary was to see the Haida dancing. That sort of culturally based tourism is the kind the state really needs and not the floating food bins that despoil the Inside Passage and the port cities.

I've been saying for a long time that the false economy created by carpetbaggers in SE is going to come to an end one day and we just might be able to see the end of that second gold rush from here this year.

[notreesininceland]

Has Alaska's fishing industry max'ed out? If not why can't it expand?

[Metlakatla]

Originally Posted by notreesininceland

Has Alaska's fishing industry max'ed out? If not why can't it expand?

I think that specialty processors (that are any good) will continue to do quite well.

In parts of the state it may have maxed out; Bristol's been having some lousy years. Captain could tell you more about the crab fishery.

[Grannysroost]

If more commericial permits, leases are given out, will that take away from the existing fishermen? The salmon numbers have already been cut back for them to compensate for the tourism aspect and so many people coming up here to fish, which could and will cut back, if not this year probably the next.

[karfar]

Granny, back last year when I was toying around w/the idea of moving up there & came on this thread to ask questions, I was very surprised by the higher costs up there. I don't know why, it makes sense since it's so far away from here but I agree, people really need to have a lot of money saved up & have a good job before going up there.

[kittymama]

And if the reason they're moving here is because they want to get away from civilization and live off the land when the "economy collapses" or whatever other disaster they fear, I'd suggest Hawaiian Ocean View Estates on the Big Island of Hawaii. At least you don't have to be as hardy to live off the land there and if you're stuck broke, it's a temperate enough climate to grow food year round.