March 18, 2006
Saturday

The city is proposing a $38.5 million dollar port revenue bond issue to pay for a combination of downtown dock renovations, ground transportation improvements, realignment of Casey Moran Float and a new waterfront promenade from downtown to Newtown area. This is a lot of money the residents can not afford with the raising cost of living. Explain ground transportation improvements? Why does the Casey Moran Float need realignment?

I read City Council member Lew Williams III's article with great interest speaking to the Chamber of Commerce at the VFW Hall promoting the dock expansion initiative. In my opinion, Council member Williams sent a threatening message. If this bond issue doesn't pass, the City Council would consider cutting 16 community agencies such as the Ketchikan Committee for the Homeless, Rendezvous Senior Day Service, Patchworks, and Catholic community Service would lose their funding of their share of $280,000. Council member Williams said I just want everybody to understand what's going to happen if we don't address this dock issue. It is a scare tactic used by politicians to raise property taxes or increase sales tax and hold the hard working blue collar citizens as hostages. I think that is wrong and a good reason to vote no on the dock expansion bond.

Council member Williams should be talking about Haloacetic acids problem that causes cancer in your drinking water. I would vote yes to safe drinking water bond before I vote for dock expansion. You can not drink a dock and how are you going to pay for something if you're dying of cancer?

The tourism industry is going to survive. Tourists will come to Ketchikan to see totem poles, native culture and native history. Ketchikan is the first port city. I have a theory, don't spend money you don't have or save your money and purchase what you can afford. It applies to the dock expansion.

Just like the $315 million plus dollar boon-doggle Bridge to Gravina Island via Pennock Island, the citizens of Ketchikan can not afford the maintenance costs with new roads, water, sewer, police and fire protection. Guess who is supporting the dock expansion bond? The same few people that want you to build this bridge to nowhere. These few opulent people will and are putting you in the debt if you vote yes to $38.5 million dollar debt bond.

Vote no on dock expansion and renovation bond election on April 11, 2006. This is my own opinion.

Don Hoff Jr.
aka Aan Kadax Tseen
E-mail: Unukriver@aol.com
Hixson, TN - USA

About: Don Hoff Jr. now resides in Hixson, TN. Past City Councilman and Vice Mayor - City of Ketchikan; Past Board of Director - Ketchikan Public Utilities; Past O.S.H.A. Review Boardmember - State of Alaska; Past I.R.A. Councilman - Ketchikan Indian Community.

 

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