Juneau Independent

There’s a difference between a slogan and a standard. When a city calls itself a “Human Rights City,” it may sound like branding, but it’s something much deeper.

On Oct. 7, Juneau voters sent a clear message. They voted to eliminate sales tax on essential groceries and residential utilities. They voted to cap property tax for general government. And they voted to reject a new seasonal sales tax. In short, voters said: Stop balancing the city budget on the backs of working families. Live within your means. Focus on essentials. Right-size government.

Years ago, while Juneau friends were house hunting in Washington state, they left their middle school son with me for the weekend. The instructions were easy: Only one bowl of sugared cereal and pay attention to homework.

The United States is a rich tapestry of cultures, beliefs, and perspectives. Our diversity is our strength — it fuels creativity, innovation, and compassion. Yet today, we find ourselves in crisis, driven by a collective forgetting of that truth.

I think within the next year many CBJ residents will be feeling buyer’s remorse as municipal services get cut and the $944/household that they have saved doesn’t even register in their budget.

Many of those who profess that they are Christion are Christian In Name Only (CINO). This is evidenced by their not following the tenets of Jesus. Those inside and outside of government who say they are Christian and want to have a Christian government but also want to end or reduce Obamacare are CINO. Many of these are also Trump's toadies. Jesus healed the sick without charging for it and felt compassion for the poor. He commanded in John 15:12 to love each other as He love

This column is for people who remember — or who heard stories from their parents or grandparents — that staticky, buzzing melody of beeps when someone would dial in for a connection to the internet, and an equally static-sounding machine at the other end would answer.

Within the last year, I have protested more than I have in the last 50 years. Sometimes it seems futile, but as the stakes for our democracy grow in intensity, so do the numbers grow.

I am a proud member and the elected recording secretary for the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE) Local 251.

My brothers and sister and I often had meltdowns, putdowns and lowdown name-calling while fighting at home, in the car, in public — most anywhere one of us could annoy the others.

Juneau’s city election day is here. If you are going to vote you must do so by 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 7. If you haven't voted already, you should make it a priority to do so.

Under an agreement with CBJ, the court issues temporary parking permits to jurors. It does not issue parking permits to prospective jurors.