Juneau Independent

I welcomed last week’s announcement that the start of construction for the Cascade Point ferry terminal will be delayed until after Gov. Mike Dunleavy leaves office. Residents of Juneau, Haines and Skagway overwhelmingly oppose it. Dunleavy’s successor should promptly terminate all work on the project and immediately fire the political appointees who purposely misled the public they serve.

Really? Yes, unfortunately that is true. I always thought a resident in good standing had equal rights with all other residents — the right to vote, the right to own property, the right to hunt and fish as a resident, etc. That is going to change if the Alaska Senate passes House Bill 93.

Spending money can be a lot of fun, while saving money can be pretty boring. Sure, you get to watch your account grow — assuming you invest it wisely — thinking about spending it someday, though thinking about that someday is not nearly as much fun as spending today.

Alaska is once again riding high on the strength of oil revenues, with a possible $545 million flowing into state coffers during the current fiscal year due to higher oil prices. This is welcome news for policymakers and residents alike. But it also presents a familiar and uncomfortable paradox; the very forces boosting state revenue are poised to inflict serious economic pain on many Alaskans, particularly those in rural communities.

Sen. Sullivan’s support for policies that reduce tax and regulatory burdens and create stability for small businesses is good for all Alaskans.

During Rep. Nick Begich III’s address to the Legislature last week, Rep. Zach Fields (D-Anchorage) briefly held up a sign that read “Ice out of Alaska.” The minority caucus correctly called it “a clear violation of Uniform Rule 26, Mason’s Manual, and the established customs and traditions of the Alaska Legislature.”

You cannot talk about Southeast Alaska’s seafood industry without also talking about the Tongass National Forest. The productivity of our region’s sustainable fisheries is heavily dependent on the health of Southeast’s forests and watersheds — the two are inseparable.

It’s nearly impossible to keep track of civil filings in state courts without a good automatic notification system, and that’s missing in Alaska.

Funding for the Department of Homeland Security stopped more than a month ago when congressional Democrats and Republicans and the president put partisanship, reelection campaigns and social media messaging ahead of doing their job.

Many Alaskans and folks Outside, including in Congress, do not realize that the Tongass National Forest is a Volcanic Mass Sulfide area the size of West Virginia and, accordingly, a major Alaska mining district.

Congregation Sukkat Shalom, the reform Jewish synagogue in Juneau, mourns the terror attack on Temple Israel, in Bloomfield, Michigan. Our thoughts and prayers are with the congregants, clergy, families, staff, and the entire Detroit Jewish community.

CBJ is making quite an effort to give residents a say in their budget decisions, and I hope they will listen to the full range of ideas on how to get through this challenge.