Anchorage Taxicab Regulations were loosened Tuesday night's Assembly meeting

Last night at the April 10, 2018 at the Anchorage Assembly.  Ordinance no 2018-06 proposed by East Anchorage Assembly person Forrest Dunbar was passed in favor by 9-2 with Dick Traini and Pete Petersen voted against the ordinance.  This reduces the annual permit fee to $1425 a year.  The starting bid of a taxicab permit will be set at $1425.  It eliminates drug testing unless you get into an accident.  The cab driver no longer has to take a chauffeur training class to become a cab driver. 

Anchorage Assembly pulled elected politican childcare bill

Due to backlash from people and this blog.  The sponsors Forrest Dunbar and Suzanne LaFrance pulled this bill at the April 10, 2018 Assembly instead of introducing this ordinance.  The taxpayers won last night.

Anchorage Assembly proposes that elected politicians get childcare benefits

East Anchorage Assembly members Forrest Dunbar and South Anchorage Assembly Suzanne LaFrance are proposing at today's assembly meeting that elected politicians should receive a subsidy for public service.  When you are elected to public office you are a public service not entitled to anything except to serve the public.  No benefits for public service.  This ordinance needs to be defeated immediately.  Anchorage taxpayers do not need to pay for elected officials child care.

Kodiak Borough Consolidation would eliminate VPSO's in Kodiak Island Villages

Under Alaska State statues once a borough chooses home rule option.  The Alaska State Troopers are not longer mandatory for police protection.  The responsibility of the police protection is the boroughs responsibility.  Which means Kodiak taxpayers pick up 100 percent of the cost instead of some of the cost as it is now.  Village safety officers which are assigned to each village would be eliminated.  Kodiak Police would be responsible for police protection in each village or each village would have to pay for their own protection.  Larsen Bay, Karluk and Akhiok are unincorporated so the Kodiak Police would have send extra officers to live in these villages to give these villages law and order.  Old Harbor, Ouzinkie and Port Lions would have to either have an agreement with the Kodiak Police Department to cover their villages or pay for the police protection themselves or have the village council or the local native organization help pay for law enforcement for their villages.  Please say no to Kodiak Island Borough consolidation because it will cost Kodiak taxpayers more money to maintain the borough then not be home rule. 

Kodiak Borough Cosoildation bad idea

According to the April 8th, 2018 issue of the Anchorage Daily News.  Kodiak Borough Assembly and the City of Kodiak is considering consolidating operations by expanding the Kodiak City Limits to the whole borough.  This is a bad idea even though it would make for the largest city limits in geography due to the fact that Kodiak Island is one of the largest islands in the United States. As a resident of Anchorage for over 20 years now which consolidated with their borough in 1974.  Which this acts happened they did not envision 20 years later growing communities of Eagle River, Chugiak and Girdwood which get the shaft from the mother ship.  Imagine villages like Larsen Bay, Karluk and Ahkiok wanted to do something traditional but have to ask borough for permission because it is in the City of Kodiak not their city.  This is why back in 1995 most Spokane residents reject the county and city consolidation concept when it was proposed to them.  Kodiak residents please reject this idea because the villages need their own identity.  Consolidation does not allow that. 

Anchorage Municipal Clerk's office took the day off Thursday

Yesterday on Thursday the Municipal Clerk's office took the day off and did not count ballots that have been received in the office.  There was no update in the vote totals yesterday.  Right now Ethan Berkowitz is ahead by 19 points over Rebecca Logan in the Anchorage Mayor's race.  I believe this race will tighten still be in Ethan's favor.  Prop 1 is not decided will flip to the yes side eventually.  Prop 2-11 are still passing.  Anchorage School District prop 2 was at 70 percent in favor on election night and on Wednesday was only 59 percent in favor.  We have a school board race that is still close to call between Tasha Hotch and Alisha Hilde.  Alisha is currently two points ahead this could still go either way.  There are only two winners from Tuesday, April 3, 2018 election that is Deena Mitchell and Elisa Snelling for the Anchorage School.  Please call (907) 243-VOTE demand they count all the ballots that are received the minute they come in. 

This man would have been 100 years old today

Russell Carter was born on March 31, 1918 in Kearney, Nebraska.  He joined our family by marriage to my maternal grandmother Wanda Swenson in 1976.  They were married for 18 years until his death by stroke on November 26, 1994.  He was fun to be with.  We would cause mischief such as eating donuts and he was comic always had jokes to tell.  One of his favorite jokes where does the smoke go on an electric train.  The answer is there is no smoke on an electric train.