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Published: January 3rd 2006
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Raise Taxes
You got to love the spirit. Grey skies, freezing temperatures, and only 5-1/2 hours of light a day - who would choose to spend two weeks in Anchorage Alaska in the dead of winter? That is what most people asked me when I told them of my first stop. If you can handle the weather, Anchorage has a great quality of life - and no taxes (more on that below).
It helps my perspective that the sun has showed itself most days, the snow is very ski-able, and the temps are just right as long as you keep moving.
Anchorage Alaska is the town of my youth. The place where I cut my teeth on life. The place of my teen years - that time I barely made it out alive on several occasions. In September of last year was the point when I had lived outside of Alaska more time then growing up.
The people are great, some of the friendliest in North America. People come her for a reason, often the outdoors, and there is a sense of all being in it together. When people travel to the ‘Lower 48’ they are said to be ‘Outside’ (the local paper actually capitalizes those
terms). Native art and culture are integrated into daily life. The schools are good, the arts are abundant, and people’s drive to make things happen seems endless.
If I told you that I spent New Year’s Eve outside in 26 degree weather standing on ice in the town square waiting for the fireworks what would you say? The Downtown New Year’s celebration is a good example of the family friendly, quality events that Anchorage does.
First was a kids fest inside the convention center run by the Imaginarium. Picture a building filled with those inflated bouncing rooms, a floor hockey corner, and juggling corner, and hundreds of kids running around with no shoes on bouncing their brains out. My favorite was the parachute corner. A large multi-colored chute with foam balls above, little kids underneath and adults at the edge giving it motion. It is just the kind of liberal Anchorage group activity that I remember fondly - a new twist paying homage to the Native tradition of the blanket toss.
Then was a very festive event outside with music, entertainment, ice sculptures and fireworks. They flooded the town square so there was ice-skating. It was even
Union sponsored - go IBEW.
The cost of living can be a bit higher, though housing cost are generally not. But wages can be good. The other day I met a woman from Dupont, WA who is moving up because her husband is getting almost twice the salary for doing the same job.
My dad lives directly across the street from the building where I went to elementary school. Some of the most fundamental experiences that happened to me as a human took place there. Started in the 1970’s it was an open classroom alternative program. We learned folk songs, did tie-die and batik, and had multi disciplinary projects. We met in family groups and called our teachers by their first names. Drove my Dad nuts. The lessons I learned there are as fundamental to who I am as anywhere.
The other day I visited my high school (West) and it’s swimming pool. I spent 10 years swimming competitively. They had a board up of school records in different events. I was floored to find records still standing from people I swam with back in the mid 80’s. Granted I was at the other end of the
pool from them. I vacillated from lane number one that was for the goof-offs who had no hope and lane two that was for those who where trying and there was still no hope.
Today my sister Christine and I went cross-country skiing on the bike path. Anchorage has miles and miles of the stuff. They put them in when I was young. They connect the city with the natural surroundings and people with each other. There were very few clouds in the sky and we got one of the best views of Denali (Mt. McKinley - the tallest in North America) that I can remember.
Now to the “no taxes” thing. About 80% of the state revenue comes from taxes on the oil business. There is no state income or sales tax. There are local property taxes and some business taxes. Every resident get a cut of the interest on the oil revenue, called the Permanent Fund Dividend. A little while back there was a shortfall and talk about getting rid of the Permanent Fund Dividend, but people screamed that it was a tax INCREASE.
Because all of you are paying up the nose for gas,
Alaska has about a billion dollars reserve that they were not planning for this next year. Now you understand why even Democrats in Alaska support drilling in ANWAR. In 1990 Alaska oil production was 1.85 million barrels a day. In 2015 it is predicted to go down to 772 Thousand a day. Forget dependence on foreign oil, you Outsiders better keep paying at the pump so Alaska can continue to have it’s good schools, parks, transportation and quality of life - tax free. Anyone tempted to move here now?
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Alla
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Memories
Thank you Bryan for helping me remember what I loved about Alaska. I think I will try to talk my wife into a trip there some day. I am glad you sound fulfilled. We are into our new year with verve. I look forward to hearing from you again. With much love from Outside....a