September 28, 2007
Friday PM

Who and what you're voting for is important, understanding what you're voting for and who will best represent the majority is what the election process is all about. All Borough assembly candidates and city council candidates have an obligation to the voters to let us know where you stand. Either for a particular issue or against.

I have a hard time supporting candidates who remain neutral on contentious issues, such as proposition 1 "the Jewelry store initiative" I would like to know what candidates signed any petitions on either side of the issue for or against.

Our representatives ultimate duty to this communities is mainly financial, everything to do with services, of any kind result in the need for financial support. Making the decisions of both Borough Assembly, and city council requires an understanding of the finances of this city. When a candidate signs a petition to limit private enterprises that contributes a large amount of money into our revenue base. I would like to know why. The positive economic trickle down effect of the visitor industry is an undeniable fact. The industry has had a positive economic effect in Ketchikan and will only continue if we are able to embrace the industry and capitalize on it as much as we can. This is not rocket science. More Visitors=more revenue vs. fewer Visitors= less revenue. To discourage any business in any way that is not harmful to the public is irresponsible and the voters on proposition 1 should understand that the negative economic effects of limiting private enterprise in my opinion would outweigh the positive economic effects, the comment that "I just do not like all the jewelry stores in town" has been parroted by many people. I think that not having the huge amount of revenue that they produce in both sales tax ,property tax, and the supporting business that surround this industry would be "liked" even less. I urge you to vote responsibly understand the issue and do not let nostalgia, and sentiment steer your understanding of the financial realities of "today's" Ketchikan. We need this industry in any form that it takes.

The more we inhibit business in any way the less development into new business will happen. And if a candidate who is running on pro business and pro development signed an anti business petition I think we the voters should know this so we can make our considerations at the polls.

Charles Edwardson
Ketchikan, AK

Received September 26, 2007 - Published September 28, 2007

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