Viewpoints
Future of MV Taku?
by Robert D. Warner
May 25, 2004
Tuesday
What are the future plans for the Alaska Marine Highway's MV
Taku? I wrote Representative Williams twice this spring and
AMH once and received no answers. No replies to citizen questions
seem to be a growing trend in goverment.
With this lack of information, rumors and gossip flurish on subjects
of interest. It seems strange to this citizen that the Borough
is proud of its "sweetheart" deal to shift 30 to 35
AMS administrative jobs to Ketchikan while a larger number of
working jobs would be lost in the layup of MV Taku. I think
that Assembly Member Shay recently said that MV Taku is still
a fine vessel kept in excellent shape by its crew.
A letter published this month in the Juneau Empire complained
that there is a plan to "sell" MV Taku to the BC Ferry
System which would then operate her on a express run between
Prince Rupert and Ketchikan. The likely impact of such a scheme
would be the loss of more jobs in Ketchikan. If MV Taku is sold
(likely for a dime on the dollar), what would happen if there
was another accident such as experienced by MV LeConte recently?
Would AMS buy back the MV Chilkat which is for sale on E-Bay?
While I am not connected with AMS in any way, I have seen and
experienced too many examples in government where good paying
working jobs are cut or contracted while the numbers of "paper
pushers" grow and grow. It will be another sad day for Ketchikan
when and if we lose the beautiful MV Taku.
Robert D. Warner
Ketchikan, AK - USA
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