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Female Rufous Hummingbird
Front Page Feature Photo By FARREL LEWIS
©2019
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Fish Factor: Fish ‘savings accounts’ from test fishing, license receipts spared from Dunleavy budget sweeps By LAINE WELCH - As Alaska lawmakers continue their struggle to keep the state afloat, commercial fisheries dodged a bullet that would have removed millions of dollars from its budget.
An obscure procedural action within the capital budget called a ‘reverse sweep’ prevents dozens of program-specific pots of money from being automatically drained into the budget reserve, as Governor Dunleavy aimed to do.
“The sweep is money that is not spent in a single year. In this case, it comes from certain sources, such as test fish receipts, commercial crew licenses and sale of Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission permits and licenses,” explained Doug Vincent-Lang Alaska, Commissioner of the Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game. “There is usually unexpended funds within the budget that typically carry over by the reverse sweep into next year’s budget, and they are integrated into the department’s operational budget as there is an expectation those moneys will be available.”
There was a lot of confusion about what the sweeps swept up, he added. “From the ADF&G perspective, there was an initial document that showed all of those different pots of money are sweepable. However, we have since learned that the actual budget that was signed by the governor and passed by the legislature included language that makes the test fish receipts, crew member licenses and the CFEC licenses non sweepable.”
Money from test fish receipts comes from sampling salmon or other species that are caught by the state to gauge run strength and collect other biological data and then are sold.
Crew license sales and CFEC dollars from permits, vessel licenses and other fees go into separate savings accounts; more comes from General Fund Program Receipts, primarily from crew license sales.
“The test fishing receipts are on the order of $2.5 million, crew licenses bring in $2.5 to $3 million and those are built into our management program for the next year,” Vincent-Lang said. “We use them for doing things like crab and shellfish management to herring management, conducting aerial surveys and running weirs and sonar operations.”
Vincent-Lang said the commfish division is working out the details of a nearly one million dollar budget cut, which he calls “not life threatening.”
“There’s going to be impacts on some weir operations and sonar operations, but we we’ll be able to manage around them,” he said, adding that things would have been far worse if the test fishing and license receipts were swept away.
“Not all of that would’ve been spent in a single year, but it would have meant somewhere on the order of $2.5 to $4 million worth of unexpected budget impacts to the division of commercial fisheries,” Vincent-Lang said.
The approved FY20 budget for the commercial fisheries division is about $71 million of which $52 million is from general funds. - More...
Sunday PM - July 28, 2019
Alaska: State Reminds Striking IBU Members About Pending Loss of Free Health Coverage - Friday morning Alaska Department of Administration Commissioner Kelly Tshibaka sent a letter to all Alaska Marine Highway System employees represented by the Inlandboatman’s Union (IBU) and participating in the strike. The letter said if the strike continues past August 1, the premium for health insurance for those participating in the strike will not be covered by the State because they will not be receiving compensation for employment. Those who participate in the strike will also not receive unemployment benefits.
Quoting the news release, many IBU employees cannot afford those premiums and could lose health insurance coverage for their families if they remain on strike.
“I am deeply concerned what losing health insurance coverage could mean for our workers, their spouses and children because I represent them too,” said Commissioner Tshibaka. “We can prevent this from happening - but only if IBU leadership joins the administration’s negotiating team by contacting the Federal Mediator and returning to the bargaining table to work this out in the short amount of time we have left and thus end this strike.”
According to the Department of Administration, starting August 1, 2019 striking employees will be responsible for paying the entire cost of their health insurance premium, in accordance with COBRA. Monthly rates are approximately $1,000 a month for an employee, and $2,800 a month for an employee and family.
Commissioner Tshibaka added, “I strongly encourage striking workers and family members that face the loss of their current health coverage to contact IBU leadership to learn for themselves what unresolved issues remain in the contract negotiations and to ask what it will take to get them back to the bargaining table. IBU leadership is playing politics and until that stops, our employees are the ones who are suffering.” |
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The letter stated the State is working diligently to reach a resolution with the IBU and have notified the Federal Mediator of the willingness to meet with union leadership at the Mediator’s earliest convenience. "We do not want our IBU employees to go without pay or benefits. We do not want our ships stuck in port and the AMHS shut down."
The letter provided AMHS employees information on what their financial cost will be if they wish to continue health coverage for self and/or eligible dependents and how to set up those payments.
Quoting the news release, many IBU employees cannot afford those premiums and could lose health insurance coverage for their families if they remain on strike.
The Associated Press reported, "Robb Arnold, a union spokesman, said wages and health care are side issues compared with how he said workers are treated. He said workers are frustrated by a lack of communication on what cuts to the ferry system budget could mean for them."
During the special session which is still ongoing, the Alaska House inserted on July 24th an additional $5 million in the Capital Budget for the AMHS and HB 2001 was referred to the Senate for consideration yesterday, July 27th.
The Capital Budget has yet to be passed by the Legislature and sent to the Governor. The legislature will resume sessions again Monday morning.- More...
Sunday PM - July 28, 2019
Alaska: Bipartisan Group Rejects House's PFD Bill, Says There Was No Compromise - Members of the Alaska House Majority passed HB 2003 Friday morning by a vote of 22 to 12 stating its intention to pay a Permanent Fund in the amount of $1,336, effectively changing the formula to a 70/30 split, favoring more funds for government programs according to those rejecting the legislation. Six members were excused.
The Alaska House Republicans were joined by Rep. Chris Tuck (D-Anchorage) and Rep. Gabrielle LeDoux (R-Anchorage) in rejecting this piece of legislation.
“Even after negotiating through the week to try and find common ground with the Majority, we still find ourselves at an impasse on a number of issues,” said Rep. Cathy Tilton (R-Chugiak/Mat-Su), Republican Finance Leader. |
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Tilton said, “You can’t just label something as a compromise without consent of the other negotiating party. We certainly would not agree that violating the statute is, in any way, an acceptable compromise.”
HB 2003 was referred to Senate finance Saturday, July 27, 2019. The next sessions are scheduled to resume Monday morning.
Senator Bill Wielechowski (D-Anchorage) wrote on FaceBook yesterday, "The Senate Finance Committee just passed a compromise bipartisan operating budget that restores about 75% of Governor Dunleavy's vetoes and includes a full statutory $3,000 PFD. There are still total cuts of about $400 million to the budget. Senior Benefits, University funding, Medicaid and Power Cost Equalization have been largely restored. The bill now goes to the full Senate floor, probably on Monday." - More...
Sunday PM - July 28, 2019
Alaska: State files motion to dismiss in ACLU lawsuit over court budget veto - The State filed a motion Friday to dismiss the American Civil Liberties Union of Alaska's (ACLU) lawsuit against Governor Michael J. Dunleavy over his $334,700 line-item veto reduction of the Alaska Court System appropriation.
"The governor exercised significant line item vetoes regarding the executive to help balance the budget," said Attorney General Kevin G. Clarkson. "In comparison, the veto reducing the court system’s appropriation was minor. And yet, as a result of the ACLU’s complaint we are now having to spend finite legal resources defending what is clearly within the governor's express constitutional veto authority."
The motion to dismiss reiterates what the Alaska Constitution specifies shall occur in the constitutional budgeting process: "The Constitution… specifically leaves it to the legislative and executive branches to decide how much funding the court system, along with other state departments, requires."
The issues raised by the ACLU are political questions and must be resolved by the political branches of government through the constitutional appropriations process. This process already includes sufficient checks and balances - the legislature passes the budget, the governor can strike or reduce specific budget items, and the legislature can override those vetoes. - More...
Sunday PM - July 28, 2019
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RICH MANIERI: Ultra-Progressivism Leading Dems Down the 'Maintenance Hole' - I have a long history of dumb ideas.
It was my idea buy a used, 1999 diesel Volkswagen Beetle. There's a reason you don't see many of them on the road today.
It was my idea, as a boy, to play darts near our old gas furnace. How was I supposed to know a dart could puncture a gas line? The fire department was wondering the same thing.
And it was my idea to put a pan of burning oil under a running faucet. The little mushroom cloud that followed generated a surprising amount of black smoke.
Expect for the dart incident - for which half the block was evacuated - my dumb ideas have been generally victimless, unless I count myself as a victim.
When governments come up with dumb ideas and create laws to support them, the consequences can range from insignificant to far-reaching.
For example, in the city of Wells, Maine, it's illegal to advertise on your tombstone. Fortunately, someone had the foresight to see that cemeteries would eventually be an untapped marketing resource.
Neither Republicans nor Democrats have the market cornered on bad and/or dumb ideas. American history is replete with legislation aimed at scoring political points with various constituencies. - More...
unday PM - July 28, 2019
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MICHAEL SHANNON: Do D.C. Employees Want Taxpayers to Keep Their Distance? - The Washington Post (WoePost to regular readers) recently had a very ominous quote. Sandra Salstrom, a lobbyist for the American Federation of Government Employees, told an eager stenographer, "It seems like if they are successful here, this could just be the tip of the iceberg. We don't know who's next."
What inhumane, outrageous and bigoted Trump administration policy has attracted the attention of Ms. Salstrom? Has someone purchased a one-way ticket to Somalia for Rep. Ilhan Omar?
Not exactly, but the outrage does involve travel. The Trump administration is planning to move portions of the Department of Agriculture and the Bureau of Land Management closer to where agriculture happens and land is managed.
Placing swamp bureaucrats closer to the people over which they rule is evidently inherently offensive. Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Barnacle) warned, "In the White House, there is, among some people, a real disrespect for federal employees, animated by their disrespect for the government generally. So if you're hostile to government, you're then . . . hostile to those who work in government."
For the USDA this means part of that behemoth will be moving to the Kansas City area. And if I lived in either Kansas or Missouri, I'd be offended. But the left is acting like the destination really is Somalia - not that there's anything wrong with that!
The WoePost, which slavishly covers the federal workforce, even has a swamp columnist. Joe Davidson writes the impending move of the Economic Research Service portion of the USDA has caused employees to "quit in droves."
Which only proves the "drove" isn't what it was formerly cracked up to be. The total head count of this "drove" was six employees. That doesn't even qualify as a crowded elevator, but it's typical of the sky-is-falling response to any change in the bureaucracy. - More...
Sunday PM - July 28, 2019
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Political Cartoon: Democrats' Medicare for All
By Taylor Jones ©2019, Hoover Digest
Distributed to paid subscribers for publication by Cagle Cartoons, Inc. |
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Update coming soon.
The PFD By
Michael Fitzgerald - I agree that some of the programs affected by the Governor’s vetoes must have their funding restored. But I’m shocked by the careless disregard shown by those that support accomplishing that goal by taking $$ away from those Alaskans that can least afford it. Think about it for a moment... every $1.00 by which the PFD is reduced or (gasp!) eliminated comes out of the pocket of EVERY Alaskan - essentially a regressive tax that hits the poorest the hardest! How can ANY fair minded person really support that? How can someone that considers themselves “Progressive” support that? There are at least 2 separate issues here that need to be addressed. In my opinion, they cannot be addressed until they are separated:
1) How the payout from the PFD is calculated MAY need to be adjusted. The political truth is this will only ever be accomplished by a vote of the people. This will require a level of leadership and statesmanship heretofore not seen from the current batch of folks. - More...
Thursday PM - July 18, 2019
RE: Correction of the Record, “Transboundary Mining: Alaska’s senators are working hard. Now let’s lock it in.” By
R Brent Murphy - I am writing to correct the statements made in Frances H. Leach's opinion editorial titled, “Transboundary Mining: Alaska’s senators are working hard. Now let’s lock it in.” published on July 11, 2019 in SitNews.
The opinion article states, “As they’re currently being permitted, B.C’s large-scale, open pit transboundary mines threaten all of that (commercial fishing).”
This statement is inaccurate and does not stand true for Seabridge Gold’s KSM Project. The proposed KSM Project underwent a rigorous independent joint harmonized BC-CANADA Environmental Assessment over a seven-year period (2007-2104), a regulatory review that also involved both US Federal and State representatives working alongside Provincial and Federal regulators.
As noted in the decision statement of the Canadian Minister of the Environment: The project is not likely to cause adverse environmental effects as defined in the former Act, taking into account the implementation of mitigation measures described in the report ... the mitigation measures and follow up programs described in the Report are appropriate for the project.
The British Columbia Ministers of Environment and Energy and Mines concluded, “the project will be constructed, operated and decommissioned in a way that ensures that no significant adverse effects are likely to occur.” - More...
Thursday PM - July 18, 2019
Measles & Vaccinations By
Amanda Mitchell - There was a single case of measles of an unvaccinated youth being reported in Alaska. It is being said that there have been no cases of measles in Alaska in the past couple of years.
This is not entirely true. We have had cases of measles in Alaska in the past couple years, but which were caused by the vaccine. Shannon Ballard, on January 23, 2015, posted an article titled, ”The Disneyland measles outbreak may have reached Alaska.” In this article (which you can no longer find) they blamed the unvaccinated for 1 year old Rivki Webb testing positive for measles. Robert Herriman on January 24, 2015 published the follow-up stating after an investigation by DSHS, the child had symptoms and tested positive for measles, but it was from the child’s recent vaccine. The ‘measles case’ was then reclassified to a reaction to the vaccine. There are similar cases out there, however, because of the pervasive bias towards vaccine efficiency and safety these events get downplayed, blamed on the unvaccinated or not covered at all. - More...
Thursday PM - July 18, 2019
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Our Public Lands Must Be Part of the Climate Change Solution By
Alison Kelly and Briana Mordick - The millions of acres of public lands that belong to all Americans should be part of the solution to the climate crisis, but mismanagement by the federal government is making them part of the problem. The fossil fuels found on our public lands are significant sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Instead of addressing this problem, the Trump administration is downplaying or outright ignoring it to benefit the oil, gas, and coal industries.
In 2018, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) issued a dire warning about the rapidly shrinking window of time remaining if we want any hope of avoiding the worst impacts of climate change, such as extreme temperatures, flooding and drought, sea level rise, and species loss and extinction. Yet the data show we’re still going in the wrong direction - a recent report found that America’s carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel combustion rose by 2.7% in 2018—the second largest annual increase since 2000 after three years of continuous decline. While our emissions are still down overall, we’re not cutting them anywhere near fast enough to meet Paris Agreement climate goals, let alone the more ambitious target of holding global temperature rise to 1.5°C.
A recent study by the U.S. Geological Survey shows that federal lands are a big contributor to U.S. emissions. The researchers found that together, coal, oil, and gas produced on federal lands account for approximately 25 percent of the total fossil fuels produced annually in the United States and that, on average, emissions from combustion and extraction of those fossil fuels accounted for 23.7 percent of national carbon dioxide emissions, 7.3 percent methane emissions, and 1.5 percent of nitrous oxide emissions from 2005-2014. - More...
Thursday PM - July 18, 2019
The SQUAD By
Rob Holston - Trump wants to send congresswomen who were born in the U.S. back to…? Back to where? He believes they are foreign born? It’s a bit of a stretch for me to defend Trump on this particular verbiage. However I’m sure he was referring to these women’s not too distant removed homeland of lineage.
Think of some black NBA players who return to their ancestral homeland, finance and set up foundations for the betterment of youth, Trump sees the NBA guy as a hero who embraces the USA and it’s opportunities and wants to change the rest of the world for good…….. while these freshman congresswomen seem to detest the USA and want to make changes that Trump sees as leading our country backwards into 3rd world country status. - More...
Thursday PM - July 18, 2019
Israel Is Essential For Survival Of Jews By
Donald Moskowitz - This is the 81st anniversary of the Evan-les-Bains, France conference conducted July 6-15, 1938 to discuss the plight of the Jews in Nazi Germany, and develop and implement a plan to rescue them. President Franklin D. Roosevelt initiated convening the conference of 32 countries and 24 relief agencies.
Adolph Hitler said he would agree to allow the Jews to leave Germany and emigrate to the 32 countries represented at the conference.
Unfortunately, 31 countries refused to take in any of the Jewish refugees. Only the Dominican Republic agreed to allow in some Jews. All kinds of excuses were stated. Canadian Prime Minister Mackenzie King said "We must … seek to keep this part of the Continent free from unrest and from too great an intermixture of foreign strains of blood." The British, who controlled Palestine, refused to allow the Jews to emigrate because of the ongoing conflict between Arabs and Jews. The French said they could not help. The U.S. State Department, who had at least one Jew hater in a prominent position, blocked entry to the U.S. Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Honduras and Panama said they wanted no traders or intellectuals. Argentina said it had enough immigrants from Europe. Australia said it had no racial problems and did not want to create any. - More...
Thursday PM - July 18, 2019
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Transboundary Mining: Alaska’s senators are working hard. Now let’s lock it in. By
Frances Leach - United Fishermen of Alaska (UFA) is grateful to Senator Lisa Murkowski and Senator Dan Sullivan, as well as the senators of Idaho, Washington and Montana, for coming together across party lines to urge British Columbia Premier John Horgan to clean up B.C.’s mining sector and to work towards alleviating the threat B.C.’s large scale open-pit mines pose to the province’s downstream U.S. neighbors. All eight senators representing B.C.’s four U.S. border states wrote Premier Horgan on June 13, informing him on what they have been doing to monitor and sustain rivers that flow from B.C. into their states and requesting he increase the province’s efforts to do the same. - More...
Thursday AM - July 11, 2019
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Argument Proved: State Spending Increasing By
Rodney Dial - I was going to keep the debate going and write a long response to Rep. Ortiz; then I realized that he essentially proved my argument…. that state spending is increasing. He previously proved it was unsustainable when he advocated for additional taxes on top of increased use of the PFD earnings. - More...
Thursday AM - July 11, 2019
Protect our Seniors and Students By
Rep. Dan Ortiz - As the Alaska Legislature debates how to resolve the amount and sustainability of the PFD, and what services should be funded and at what level, I pledge to continue caring for our children and our seniors. Legislators may disagree on many of the ‘hows’, but we should stand together in protecting our most vulnerable. - More...
Thursday AM - July 11, 2019
CHLORINE STILL IN KETCHIKAN? By
Florian Sever - Does the City of Ketchikan filter the drinking water it provides to the public? - More...
Thursday AM - July 11, 2019
Assembly and School Board Need Immediate Fiscal Plans By
Dan Bockhorst - A Borough Assembly member (writing as a private citizen) recently expressed legitimate concerns about practices of State officials that have caused acute fiscal troubles throughout Alaska. The concerns expressed boil down to four points:
- More...
Sunday PM - July 07, 2019
RE: Governor's Vetos By
Rep. Dan Ortiz
- I would like to thank Rodney Dial for the letter he submitted to SitNews published on June 30, 2019. Even more I would like to thank Assemblyman Dial for his commitment to public service by serving on the Ketchikan Borough Assembly. I offer the following facts that counter many of the points raised by Mr. Dial but I do so in the spirit of open communication and with respect for the arguments being made by him. The following facts & figures come from the non-partisan Legislative Finance Division and are viewable by the general public. - More...
Sunday PM - July 07, 2019
Open Letter: RE: Boondoggle By
Al Johnson - Good to hear from you Rep. Ortiz during you busy break (I agree with the Senate President as to the Governor calling the location, I disagree that it has to be. I would if asked, suggest that you attend where the Governor has indicated while the lawsuit proceeds (Deal with the determination). That too, disturbs me that the separated powers are in this fix. .- More...
Sunday PM - July 07, 2019
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RE: Boondoggle Looking For A Place To Happen By
Rep. Dan Ortiz - In response to the letter submitted by A.M. “AL” Johnson entitled “Boodoggle Looking For A Place To Happen”, I agree with the sentiments/concerns expressed by Mr. Johnson. His concerns centered around SB 92, the “Derelict Vessels” bill, sponsored by Senator Peter Micciche. The bill was submitted at the request of Harbor Masters across the state because of the problems encountered statewide with vessels being abandoned with no or little way law enforcement personnel could trace who were the owners of the boat. - More...
Sunday PM - July 07, 2019
Boondoggle looking for a place to happen By
A. M. Johnson - Regarding the upcoming LIO Ortiz Ketchikan meeting, I
will not be attending, however were the chance to give Representative Ortiz a piece of my mind on a particular matter it would be: Title registration of boats over 24 feet. This legislation is a SNAFU big time. What a mess this will be.
Having to register in person at the DMV office, not on line, required paperwork on boats owned for years without any formal information on the transaction or worst, lost paper work never thinking of this worthless goal legislation would be approved. The worthless intent alone should have told legislators that it will be a nightmare effort to police. More it appears to be a avenue for revenue over the stated intent of its being. - More...
Wednesday PM - July 03, 2019
RE: Governor's Vetoes By
Elaine Taylor - I read with great interest the letter to the editor from Rodney Dial. In high school we were taught that when you have a complaint, valid or not, you also offer a remedy. Dial did not offer any real suggestions. - More...
Wednesday PM - July 03, 2019
Governor's Vetos By
Rodney Dial - So the Governor has announced his vetoes, cutting $444 million from the budget. Assuming these cuts stand, just about everyone will feel some pain, and it will have an impact on local taxes. - More...
Saturday AM - June 29, 2019
Cuts Could Have Been Avoided By
Ray Metcalfe - The University could have avoided all these cuts had it recognized years ago that we Alaskans, unlike any other state, have a collective responsibility to manage a cornucopia of valuable resources that were given to the people of Alaska to develop and sell on the world market as a means of supporting our schools and other governmental needs. - More...
Saturday AM - June 29, 2019
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