Juneau Independent

Shouldn’t we be debating issues and not the personal profiles of people who participate in the democratic process?

Alaska has relatively little manufacturing, but the health of America’s manufacturing sector has profound effects on our state economy, including everything from availability of pipeline components to electrical transformers and gas turbines to vehicles.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy will be remembered for eight years of the Dunleavy Decline and as the worst and least productive governor in Alaska history.

On Tuesday, the U.S. Senate voted to advance a war powers resolution that could impose limits on President Donald Trump's ability to continue his war with Iran that’s already cost the country $29 billion. Sen. Lisa Murkowski and three other Republicans supported it. Sen. Dan Sullivan voted against it.

Memorial Day is a sacred day for some of us who have taken the military oath and agreed to stand in harm’s way if need be to defend our way of life. Some of us get to return from our combat tours and sadly some of us do not. We who return celebrate each other, and that we are still alive. We also celebrate the lives of the ones we've lost.

This is more about who will pay the cost of the president’s war on Iran and how it’s disrupting the global flow of oil than it is a history lesson about Alaska oil production. But stay with me as I run through the history to get to my point.

As a volunteer with the Affordable Juneau Coalition, please allow me to articulate the actual function and effect of the two tax initiatives that were overwhelmingly passed by voters during the 2025 municipal election. First is a nine mill limit on the operational portion of the property tax mill rate, and second is the senior sales tax exemption on food and utilities that was extended to all residents.

On May 13, a majority of the CBJ Assembly voted to consider closing the Juneau-Douglas City Museum as a budget-cutting measure.

A recent opinion piece argued the Assembly should “immediately enter into serious and expedited negotiations for Goldbelt to acquire Eaglecrest.” Here’s the reason why that shouldn’t happen.

Opportunity is defined as “a favorable or advantageous circumstance or combination of circumstances.” That is exactly what the CBJ Assembly has in front of it. The question is, will they be wise enough to take it or will they squander it.

Every day we make choices — what to wear, what to eat, and how to spend our weekends — and together those decisions reflect our values.

I am not talking about an annual PFD check, but rather Alaska’s original Permanent Fund, the wealth of our natural environment.