Juneau Independent

I think that it is important to point out what the Glory Hall has been accomplishing, despite the temporary changes to our services, which began at the end of August. 

I don’t want to be unreasonable. Candidates and public officials should be allowed to raise unlimited funds from donors to pay the fines. It’s simply adding to the cost of their free speech when it’s dishonest speech.

You've always had a seat at the table — why not pull up a chair? If you haven't tuned in to an Assembly meeting lately, now's a perfect time to take a look.

Juneau’s finances are not in crisis. They require discipline, clarity, and a renewed commitment to honest fiscal stewardship. The path forward isn’t to raise taxes — it’s to right-size spending and rebuild confidence in the numbers that guide our decisions.

The election only reduced the property tax rate by 0.16 mills (10.24 to 10.08). That’s $80 off a $5,120 tax bill on a $500,000 home. No reasonable person would consider this 1.56% reduction significant.

Respect is the first word that emerges for me when looking back at the 7 million plus Americans that peacefully protested in the No Kings rally on Oct. 18.

In his cover letter attached to the “Analysis of the Proposed Cascade Point Ferry Terminal” Department of Transportation & Public Facilities (DOT) Commissioner Ryan Anderson encouraged “all Alaskans — especially residents of Juneau and the North Lynn Canal communities, to review the findings in full and engage with us in follow-up discussions.”

As I muse on my disappointment over the recent local election, I find myself wondering, “What did that cost?” What was the cost of the campaign to convince Juneau voters to implement a lower property tax mill rate cap? What was the cost to the backers of this mill rate cap to lower their own property taxes?

Taking photos has always been easier for me than other forms of art because of my disabilities.

I use a tablet to read newspapers. It started maybe a decade ago, when an increasing number of national newspapers stopped shipping their print editions to Alaska. I am addicted to reading papers, so I dropped my resistance to the electronic world and bought a tablet.

In a letter sent to Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) last week, attorneys for Jack Smith said they were “compelled to correct inaccurate assertions made by you and others concerning the issuance of a grand jury subpoena for the toll records of eight Senators and one Member of the House of Representatives.” 

“I told the president, it’s like Christmas every morning,” Gov. Mike Dunleavy said at last week’s staged event in Washington, D.C., where the Department of Interior secretary signed off on federal approvals to expand oil drilling, mining and road building in Alaska.

The day after seven million Americans attended "No Kings" demonstrations, House Speaker Mike Johnson argued that if “President Trump was a king,” the demonstrators “would not have been able to engage in that free speech exercise.”

Approximately 7% of Juneau residents — or roughly 2,200 people — receive SNAP benefits, in the form of a debit card used at grocery stores. It’s loaded with the monthly allowance on the first of each month. Without a resolution to the Congressional budget standoff, that won’t happen on the first of November.

Scientists use the seemingly benign term “tonic immobility” to describe the temporary paralysis that various species of animals experience when they spy a predator. This fear-based response is a survival instinct intended to last until the predator loses interest.

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.

The time for passivity has passed. Our legislators must take clear, courageous stances against extremist movements and harmful legislation that endanger vulnerable communities. The health, safety and future of Alaska depend on it.

Community isn’t something we simply talk about in Juneau, it’s something we build. We can see it in the way neighbors shovel each other’s driveways, keep watch over a friend’s boat, or share the bounty of a good fishing day. And, perhaps most beautifully, we can see it in something as humble and enduring as a neatly stacked pile of firewood.

We have lived in Juneau for a combined total of 95 years. We love downtown Juneau (and other parts too).  We believe the city is on the verge of making a big mistake demolishing all the buildings on Telephone Hill. 

This is to unpack Bridget Smith’s thoughts expressed in her article, “Red Line.”

For the past decade, city staff warned its officials and the public about the growing inadequacies of Juneau’s City Hall, originally built nearly 75 years ago to oversee a community of 6,000.

President Trump’s speech to the generals and admirals and senior enlisted of our military at Quantico crossed a red line for me.

Last Thursday, despite recommendations of career prosecutors, the Trump administration indicted one former FBI director for allegedly lying to Congress. Two days later the president set his sights on another one. And on Tuesday, he told more than 800 of America’s top generals that they need to be prepared to “help quell civil disturbances” in cities across the country.

In just one night, at the Sept. 22 Assembly meeting, almost $30 million in cash went out the door.

The senator is a hard worker who does her homework. She looks for compromises, albeit frustrating both sides of the political aisle who would prefer she not compromise on what they don’t like.

A big thank you to Eaglecrest staff and the many volunteers who made this year’s Discover Eaglecrest Day such a great success.

Is it the government’s job to build your home? CBJ government seems to think that they can simply build their way out of Juneau’s housing conundrum.

Even though I wholeheartedly support Prop 2, I am advocating voting against it because the math only works if Prop 3 passes. If Prop 2 passes and Prop 3 does not, there will be a $10 million hole in the budget.

Recently, current and former members of the Juneau Assembly have spoken out against the two “affordability” ballot measures on the October ballot. It’s no surprise — they helped shape the policies and priorities that paved the way for Juneau’s growing unaffordability.  

It started the way many community movements do — neighbors gathered around coffee, talking about rising bills, the kids who had left and not come back, and a growing sense that Juneau has become just too expensive for ordinary people to stay.

Ignorance is bliss, unless you’re hungry.

I'll keep this short because some of us have our hands full keeping this town turning. Ballot measure 1 is an obvious no. Juneau is a...

Juneau is an incredible place to live, despite the horrid fall weather, because of the generous, hardworking, creative, and...

We elect our Assembly members to balance the budget. Don’t hamstring them by cutting their budgeting tools in Propositions #1 and #2.

As president of the Juneau Housing Trust Inc. which is in the business of building affordable permanent housing under the community land trust model, I am voting no on Proposition 1.

There is a rot at the heart of our Republic, a canker that has been slowly eviscerating our rights as individuals, our standing as an electorate, and our ability as citizens to address our government and act as a check to the way it conducts itself on the world stage and at home.

In the heat of public debate over how the city has managed its fiscal affairs, there has been ample opportunity to play fast and loose with the facts.

What makes Juneau different from other places? We're unique in many ways, but mostly it's our appearance. We have special colors and houses and special streets with treasures awaiting anyone in the mood to explore. But now our unique aesthetic beauty and history are endangered.

The truth is, Juneau is becoming unaffordable. When families leave, when workers relocate, or when businesses close, the entire community loses. That's why I support the ballot measures proposed by the Affordable Juneau Coalition.