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Cold Storage; the big Con
by Don Hoff Jr.


February 14, 2005
Monday


This is my last retort to Robert Fruehan. I don't disagree that a cold storage plant is needed or not in Ketchikan. Ketchikan Cold Storage Association needs to put up their own money to build the cold storage in the Ketchikan area. KCSA needs to raise $7.35 million for the cold storage and quit trying to leech off the State and local taxpayers. This is an effort to get something for free with none of the risks to KCSA. It is my opinion that a con job is being played on the citizens of Ketchikan by any supporters of the proposed cold storage.

I asked you some simple business plan questions and you didn't answer them. How many people working full time? What kind of benefit packages would you provide for your employees? What happens to KCSA if you don't get the matching grant form Ketchikan tax payers? How much was the State of Alaska grant to KCSA? Who are the other members of KCSA? Print their names and address so we can ask them questions? You don't have results of your survey you conducted in Ketchikan about the cold storage. What kind of operation are you running? Do you have any kind of business plan at all? You were standing in the freezer too long. As a taxpayer I wouldn't give you or your non-profit organization a penny for your plan or cold storage.

I was commercial fisherman on seine boats, power trollers, hand trollers and gull netters since I was 14 years old. I also sport fish and subsistence fish. Who is "we" managed fisheries, near the best in the world for sustainable fisheries? Not you I hope. The Alaska Fish and Game Dept. has not done a good job managing our fisheries in Alaska. Where are the herring? When the herring are extinct then the salmon will disappear too. This is a whole new can of worms open for discussion.

Again, I urge the citizens of Ketchikan and the Borough Assembly to not give away land and money to Ketchikan Cold Storage Association. It is a bad idea and investment of taxpayer's money. This is my own opinion.

Don Hoff Jr.
Aan Kadax Tseen
Gaanax adi Clan
Yei l hit
Taan ta Kwaan
E-mail: Unukriver@aol.com
Hixson, TN - USA

 

 

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