Juneau Independent

When they credit the author of the most well-known and loved Christmas poem in American history, I feel a new sense of knowing, even pride at hearing the name, Clement Clarke Moore. I’m still grasping that my friend, ski buddy and fellow longtime Juneau resident Linda Ogden Squibb is a direct descendant of the author who penned what became "The Night Before Christmas" for his children nearly 200 years ago, in 1822.

The complaint regarding the historic significance of the neighborhood won’t be heard until August. However, as CBJ noted in their response to that issue in this case, Telephone Hill is not on the National Historic Register. And the bar for admission to that is so low that it contains hundreds of places that have no historic significance whatsoever.

The Alaska Division of Elections director’s office in Juneau. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Independent) By Bridget Smith Alaskans treasure autonomy and independence. It is part of our DNA, whether we have been here for thousands of years or we arrived last week. I wonder what Alaskans think of a recent divulging of their confidential information by the State of Alaska. On Tuesday, December 23, 2025, Lt. Gov. Nancy Dahlstrom, who oversees the Alaska Division of Elections, turned o

It’s the season of warm wishes, goodwill, families and friends. It’s a time for sharing old memories and making new memories with the new year. It’s a break in everyday life to remember the past and think about the future.

Normally on solstice I would be packing last year’s Christmas tree into the back of the truck for a bonfire at Sandy Beach. But with the minus temperatures and gusty winds, I am inside thinking about the significance of crossing over toward more light in our daily lives.

On Saturday evening, water began pouring down Wire Street. It was dark, it was very cold and it was hard to see what was going on. Whatever it was, it sure wasn’t good.

A couple of months ago, I was reporting on the typhoon that hit Western Alaska and stopped by a news conference convened by Gov. Mike Dunleavy. I was there to ask him about long-term plans for protecting vulnerable coastal villages. But the governor diverted my focus by talking about Donald Trump and the president’s concern. The previous week, Dunleavy said, “I was texting him at one in the morning, his time, about this disaster.”

“Alaska’s future is bright,” Gov. Mike Dunleavy proclaimed last week, “but we have to have discipline and be forward-thinking now so that our short-term budget challenges don’t turn into long-term burdens on Alaskan families and businesses.”

Oh, thank goodness. A hidden benefit. My laptop is offline and there is no WiFi here and I am blessed. I am on a solitary spiritual retreat so I am actually doubly blessed.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy, now in his final year in office, has spent more time talking about Alaska’s resource potential, whether getting oil and gas and minerals out of the ground or getting paid to store climate-warming carbon dioxide underground, than he has spent dealing with the reality of today’s state checkbook.

When I heard that Governor Dunleavy was providing five Alaska National Guard members to “assist the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office in Anchorage with administrative support,” I wondered several things.

On Dec. 5, Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation director Randy Bates wrote an opinion piece arguing against Salmon Beyond Borders and the Alaska Longline Fishermen's Association's (ALFA's) assertion that, 10 years after the Walker administration signed a Memorandum of Understanding with British Columbia, the Dunleavy administration is "leaving Alaskans in the dark."

Last week, the Trump administration released its 2025 National Security Strategy (NSS). The president called it a “roadmap to ensure that America remains the greatest and most successful nation in human history.” But in patented Trump fashion, it’s filled with contradictions.

On the verge of World War II and in the early Cold War, isolationists promoted the idea of walling off the country from the prospect of “foreign wars” and entanglement in alliances which would inevitably draw us into conflict. This “Fortress America” concept was xenophobic, anti-immigrant, nationalistic and, honestly more than slightly paranoid about the enemies both “without” and “within.”

On Dec. 5, Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Randy Bates published an opinion piece refuting Salmon Beyond Borders’ and the Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association’s assertion that the Dunleavy Administration has largely abandoned the promises outlined in the Alaska-British Columbia Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation, signed 10 years ago by the Walker Administration. Clearly, we struck a nerve.

In a Friday hearing, members of the Alaska Senate spoke critically about a proposed new ferry terminal in Juneau, questioning why the project would be worth its multimillion-dollar cost.

I don’t ever throw away leftovers. I figure anything wrapped in petrochemical-based plastic and stored in the refrigerator will last longer than my memory, which means I will forget how old the food is anyway.

The people of Juneau need to know the illogicality of the reasoning of the Assembly regarding Telephone Hill. We have obtained a transcript of their Committee of the Whole meeting of Nov. 3, and it is shocking.

The Assembly has not yet absorbed the message voters delivered in October. Residents asked for disciplined spending, clearer priorities, and a government focused on core responsibilities. Yet the Assembly’s retreat discussions reveal a body still searching for revenue before articulating a vision.

By the end of 2025, thousands of Alaskans may be hit hard by health insurance cost increases. The enhanced Premium Tax Credit (ePTC) is set to expire, and without renewal, costs could more than double.

Once again, Sen. Dan Sullivan put his foot in his mouth while auditioning to be a full-fledged sycophant in the service of President Donald Trump.

When Alaskans hear dramatic claims that raise concerns, we have a duty to look at the facts. And when you look past the press releases and at the actual water, the story is very different.

I am collaborating with Lodestone Library for Gallery Walk for my first time on Friday, Dec. 5. I will be having a slideshow of my adventures and be selling my calendars and new magnets. Many readers know me from my Voices column so today I am going to talk about Lodestone.

Clearly, the elements are not just a bummer for dozens of our unsheltered friends and neighbors. They are pervasive, life-threatening forces which combined with inner turmoil create a reality of constant anguish. It is easy to feel down during this time of year, but it is also important to take stock of everything good that the community is doing to address the issues of homelessness, hunger, and despair.

Most people have seen news reports, social media posts and business charts that show a line moving up in good times, pointing down when business or employment numbers are bad, or bouncing back and forth between the two when the economy is confused.

Officials from nearly 200 countries recently gathered in Belem, Brazil, to attend the latest United Nations climate summit, called COP30.

When a community loses its local news, it loses more than headlines — it loses part of its identity. A vibrant, informed public depends on journalists who understand local people, local issues and local life. That used to be the role of our hometown newspaper, but as corporate ownership has shifted the focus away from Juneau something vital has gone missing.

Last week, Gov. Mike Dunleavy approved the deployment of Alaska National Guard members to Washington, D.C., “to help the Trump Administration restore public trust.” But if that was really important to him, he’d start by telling the president that incompetence, rank hypocrisy and retribution aren’t part of the formula.

Too many residents, business owners and politicians of Southcentral Alaska — we’re talking the state’s population center of Anchorage, the Mat-Su and Kenai Peninsula — are all agog in anticipation that a multibillion-dollar North Slope natural gas pipeline will save them from unaffordable heating and electric bills.

If it's inevitable that CBJ is to pass ranked choice voting (RCV), let's do it right and not force frivolous ranking at the expense of clarity.

During an interview with Nathanial Hertz of the Northern Journal last January, Sen. Lisa Murkowski predicted “there would be real pressure coming on this administration and the Congress” to extend the enhanced tax credits of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). Republicans didn’t listen. 

It is standard that before a municipality undertakes a construction project for housing that a pro forma is done for the project that shows the cost per housing unit. 

Used to be, a bagman was the guy in the movie who picked up or delivered the takings from a robbery. They tried not to look shady, carrying a bag or briefcase full of stolen cash or jewelry. The idea was not to draw attention delivering the goods, while the robbers were making their getaway.

Alaskans have voted, twice, for ranked choice voting (RCV) because, despite disparaging opinions by some naysayers, it is a better tool for electing the best candidate — rather than shoehorning voters into ideological boxes.

Alaska is changing quickly, and the world is moving even faster. Many Alaskans worry that if our communities do not plan ahead, we could slowly fall behind places that are growing, modernizing, and creating new opportunities. Juneau feels this more than most. It is surrounded by steep mountains, ocean, and the vast Tongass, which makes it one of the most beautiful and rugged capital cities anywhere. But this same landscape limits the city's options for keeping pace with the n

I urge you to reject Ordinance 2025-13(c).  Please do not inflict ranked choice voting (RCV) on the Juneau voters. 

Last week, Sen. Dan Sullivan called the longest government shutdown in history the most unnecessary and useless one he’s ever seen. He argued Senate Democrats needed to do “the right thing” and “show a tiny bit of courage” by standing up to their minority leader.  

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.”