Viewpoints
Consolidation: Are you serious?
By Rick Grams
August 16, 2006
Wednesday
That s a nice bit of research someone has taken the time to provide.
However, I don t think it tells the whole story either. Undoubtedly
the ramifications of political entities in Juneau, Sitka and
Anchorage have taken advantage of loopholes or weaknesses with
the resulting consolidated governments which may have been unable
to legally stop the harmful action in time.
Having lived in Sitka I can tell you there is a giant divide
between the haves and the have nots. There are many homes in
Sitka that are valued at over $400,000 and the people that own
those homes do not work in Sitka! How else can the area have
a per capita income of $31,467 and the average home cost $230,000?
Even if the household is a two income household the average
becomes $62,934. That is barely enough income to pay for that
$230k home provided there is a down payment involved. I can
t speak about the Juneau and Anchorage areas.
Now if you want to speak about rent, the issue with renting in
today s market revolves around the price of oil (when heat is
included). Rent increases with the increases in oil, but it
never goes back to the original rates when the price of oil has
declined. I m not saying that a consolidated government does
or does not increase rent, but it does not automatically mean
rent will increase further.
In my meager attempt not to bore everyone with a long winded
opinion here goes my little pep talk on consolidation. It will
be fine only if the voters get out to exercise their right to
not only vote but to also communicate with the elected officials.
Ketchikan can show other areas that by working together and
consolidating, the tax burden can be lessened while businesses
and the population grow. The sooner consolidation becomes real,
the quicker the Ketchikan area can reap the benefits of an economic
turnaround.
In the end it is not just about the vote; it will have to be
the determination and tenacity of the involved citizenry that
makes consolidation worth the effort.
Rick Grams
Ketchikan, AK - USA
About: "I have lived in Ketchikan, Alaska since June of
2000. I have four children, all of them grown and living here
in Ketchikan. I currently belong to the Ketchikan Chamber of
Commerce at the individual level, the Ketchikan Gateway Borough
Board of Ethics, and I am currently pursuing an MBA. Most of
all, I desire to see year round jobs that provide career opportunities
to our local population without the need to relocate people from
the lower 48."
Related Viewpoint:
 Are
you serious? By Rodney Dial - Ketchikan, AK - USA
Related Information:
Ketchikan Charter Commission
Note: Comments published
on Viewpoints are the opinions of the writer
and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Sitnews.
Send A Letter -------Read Letters
E-mail the Editor
Sitnews
Stories In The News
Ketchikan, Alaska
|