Viewpoints
Very Little Trickle Down
by MJ Cadle
October 03, 2004
Sunday
Peg Travis' questions are right on target and ones that I have
been trying to find answers to myself for some time now. I called
the Juneau Empire shortly before the lease was signed for the
Ward Cove facility and they didn't even know that the AMHS had
JUST signed a 10 year lease for its office in Juneau. The next
week I saw a small line at the end of a long article about the
move. It just mentioned that a lease had just been signed in
Juneau. That was it. Apparently the Juneau Empire doesn't see
the duplication of rents paid for the next 10 years in the same
light you and I do - WASTEFUL and definitely not a cost savings.
At least not to you and I.
It is interesting to note that
the lease was supposedly signed WHILE negotiations were going
on to move the AMHS to Ketchikan. In other words, the AMHS leadership
knew the Governor was actively working to move the offices to
Ketchikan but went ahead and signed a lease for their current
location in Juneau anyway.
I have been told that there
are no plans for the AMHS to leave the building. As for breaking
the lease, if they do, I am sure there will be a lawsuit and
the state could be legally liable to pay the balance of the lease
anyway, plus court costs.
18 million in debt! Not surprising
when you think about it.
- Thousands or hundreds of thousands
for the now 'extra' office in Juneau.
- $75,000 for about 50 people
to travel on the Kennicott compliments of the Governor.
- Thousands for the Governor
and his friends to travel to Hoonah to promote a new tourist
exhibit there.
- Thousands or hundreds of thousands
to cover the costs of both docks, terminals and renovations for
the two facilities the IFA uses so the IFA will look like it
makes money.
- Missed revenue because the
brand new fast ferry was out of service because an engine was
down (an engine that could have been ordered at a cost and time
savings had it been ordered with the ferry).
- Missed revenue because the
Fairweather's new crew is not licensed for night travel. The
AMHS at the Governors direction chose not to use existing crew
to run the Fairweather, crew that is licensed to run at night
because they wanted lower cost crew.
- Thousands or hundreds of thousands
in extra fuel costs (over and above the extra fuel the Fairweather
uses in comparison to the regular ferries) to run the Fairweather
because of the high cost of oil now. Most of which goes directly
outside to the large oil companies, unlike dollars spent on Alaskans
living in Alaska and spending in Alaska.
Interesting how it's the high
cost of people that gets cut from the ferry system, the very
people the Governor has sworn to serve, yet the high cost of
fuel just gets paid and passed along. Our Governor and his policies
are not about working class Alaskans they're all about helping
his friends get what they want with very little trickle down
to us.
MJ Cadle
Ketchikan, Alaska - USA
Related Viewpoint:
Does anyone know? by Peg Travis - Ketchikan, AK
Note: Comments published
on Viewpoints are the opinions of the writer
and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Sitnews.
Post a Comment -------View Comments
Submit an Opinion - Letter
Sitnews
Stories In The News
Ketchikan, Alaska
|