Juneau Independent

A report published last week by the University of Alaska Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER) gave Sen. Bill Wielechowski (D-Anchorage) new fodder to better frame an old argument. “ISER clearly stated the most regressive form of balancing our budget is to rely on cutting the PFD,” he wrote in his latest newsletter. 

The Assembly should close a costly loophole in Juneau’s election code for citizen initiatives. The current ambiguity around when petitioners get extra time to gather signatures undermines the charter’s clear standards and invites unequal treatment from one campaign to the next.

Everyone needs a break from reality — myself included. It’s a depressing and distressing time to think about what’s happening in our country and the rest of the world.

Following the killing of Alex Pretti last Saturday, and the deviant attempt by members of the Trump administration to label him a domestic terrorist, Sen. Lisa Murkowski justifiably called on Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Kristi Noem to step down. It’s the right thing to do. But treating the symptom of the disease won’t put an end to the president’s war on the truth. 

Sen. Sullivan replied to most of my letters, but didn't address any of the issues I raised. As for Rep. Begich, he did not reply at all. So last August I wrote to the senator and congressman to say I was finished writing to them because they didn't care about my constituent issues.

I was raised in Sunday school to follow the Golden Rule, and do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy, in the final year of his 2,918-day, two-term career in the job, is picking at the plate of a long-term fiscal plan for the state, much like a kid skips the broccoli and wants to move straight to the dessert. The governor talks about a full menu of legislation to build a balanced budget for years to come, with enough revenue to meet expenses — a goal which has eluded Alaska for much of the past decade as the state has burned through its savings.

What is happening in Minneapolis and elsewhere in the country with ICE is unconscionable.

The winter of 2026 is a time of unsettled and unsettling politics for Alaska and the country. In Alaska, a deepening fiscal crisis is exacerbated by the federal administration’s cuts or holds on federal funds appropriated by Congress, including funds for education, work programs, health care, energy projects, disaster relief and food assistance programs.

Hard bycatch limits and adherence to subsistence law could help us save our salmon. Our lives depend on the science of Indigenous knowledge — and putting our right to fish above corporate profits.

Last week, I expressed my displeasure with Sen. Lisa Murkowski for endorsing Sen. Dan Sullivan’s bid for reelection. That doesn’t mean I won’t criticize his most formidable opponent. If former Rep. Mary Peltola really thinks “our future depends on fixing the rigged system in D.C. that’s shutting down Alaska while politicians feather their own nest,” then she must start by speaking out against the self-dealings of President Donald Trump.

In reference to the article "City surveying residents about budget priorities as leaders face post-election spending cuts," it makes sense to poll residents about their funding priorities. But the city's survey is flawed in some important ways that limit its usefulness and risk misleading both respondents and decision-makers.