Let’s show we are capable of civil and good-faith disagreements about the city’s future

Downtown Juneau on Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Independent)

By Ken Koelsch

“It takes two people to hurt you — the one who does it and the one who tells you.” 

- Nora Ephron, American playwright from her 1983 novel, Heartburn

“Too often character assassination has replaced debate in principle here in Washington.  Destroy someone’s reputation, and you don’t have to talk about what he stands for.”

  - President Ronald Reagan, 1987 

What do these two quoted people have in common? Both were connected to the film industry, both worked in the White House at one time, and they are both taking up room in my head after reading opinion columns in the local print media.

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

“John Smith has a million-dollar view cabin and was sober all this week” may be true, but it is not a valid excuse to publish opinion pieces denigrating those working on an initiative or campaign. It stifles participation. High housing prices, groceries, and transportation costs are often mentioned in the same breath with the affordability of living in Juneau. A group of Juneau citizens, Affordable Juneau Coalition, came together last year to address two items that increase those costs. The group focused on two issues: groceries (drop the sales tax on food for all residents) and housing (set a cap on the mill rate). The coalition collected the necessary number of signatures and the questions were placed on last fall’s ballot.  

Ten thousand two hundred sixty-three voters participated in our local October election. One of the citizen-sponsored propositions sought to eliminate sales tax on food and noncommercial utilities. That passed 7,099 yes to 3,100 no. The second proposition sought to lower the property mill rate tax cap from 12 mills to 9 mills, excluding debt rate, also passed with 5,163 yes votes and 5,006 no votes. The third proposition placed on the ballot by the CBJ Assembly was an attempt to implement a new permanent seasonal sales tax. It failed with 4,365 yes and 5,863 no votes.  

Back to the opinion pieces. One of the “Voices” submissions used names of members of the Affordable Juneau Coalition two dozen times — four times in one short paragraph and 19 times for one person. The rant seemed to revolve around the fact that the targeted individuals were older (beating the odds), their CBJ home assessment values and, if they had run for office and lost, noting they were “failed candidates.” After their names were thrown out publicly, the loaded terms “hypocrisy, disingenuousness, whining, older, right-winger, wealthy and cranks” were added to the personal attacks.  

Who would write it in that vein and who would even publish stuff like that? Turn down the personality volume-focus on issues.

When I taught at the high school, I worked with two of the maligned coalition members. Both were highly regarded and respected by their fellow students. One was the student body president, the other active in school and community activities. One father worked at NC Machinery and one at Taku Oil. Is that not working-class experience?

One father served on the school board and another on the CBJ Assembly. Their working families were great examples for their children. Both former students worked long hours in their careers and retired in Juneau. 

Now, both families’ kids are working in Juneau and their families are fourth-generational. I accept and applaud these families for their involvement in making Juneau more affordable for future Juneau generations, despite the ugly headwinds of personal attack. 

Instead of personal attacks, why not discuss why taking sales tax off food (groceries) for everyone and capping property tax rates (housing). Was it a good idea or a bad idea?

Whether it be community taxation or CBJ spending on needs vs. wants, or Eaglecrest and Goldbelt, let’s start with good intentions and the premise that as a community we are capable of civil and good-faith disagreements.   

There are currently two groups circulating initiative petitions this spring.  You don’t need to sign the petitions; you don’t need to agree with the proposals.  You do need to respect individuals’ rights and commitment to put their ideas before the community.

 I honor their involvement in the process — win or lose.

• Ken Koelsch is a former mayor of Juneau and a longtime educator.