Alaska

Opinion: When will the real conversations about Alaska’s future begin?

Published

8 months ago

April 19, 2025

Opinion: When will the real conversations about Alaska’s future begin?

The Alaska State Capitol in downtown Juneau, photographed on Monday, Nov. 14, 2022. (Emily Mesner / ADN)

Spring in Alaska brings back familiar patterns. Temperatures reaching the 50s. The snow begins to melt, creeks fill up, mountains of dog poo appear on the lawns, and buds of green start to emerge on the trees. Equally noticeable are the budget deliberations in Juneau, which one way or another end up focused on the amount of the Permanent Fund dividend. But there’s a behavior pattern that builds to this endpoint. The governor proposes the maximum dividend, legislators do a bunch of arm-waving about the budget deficit, the education budget comes to the forefront, the Anchorage school board proposes to cut programs, education advocates call for increases in the budget, legislators host town halls, and, eventually, new taxes come into the conversation. Local media interview parents and students about the potential discontinuation of their favorite sports program or the closure of elementary schools.

Then the tug of war emerges — new taxes versus a cut to the dividend. The conflict is obvious if you pay attention, despite the rhetoric. Several types of taxes are mentioned, such as oil industry taxes, corporate taxes, S-Corp tax, personal income taxes, sales taxes, excise taxes on gasoline. This blur of taxes creates confusion and frustration. This is about the time when one or two local economists espouse about the value that the dividend brings to the Alaska economy. A brave journalist might write an article about how the Alaska economy has been in decline for a decade or so, and people don’t like to hear that. Last-minute machinations occur in Juneau as the session is about to end. A compromise education budget emerges along with the amount of the dividend, which is well below the maximum the governor proposed months earlier.

Another mediocre outcome for the state has occurred. Everyone is unhappy, but we got through it, right? Or maybe not, as we still have the threat of the governor’s vetoes.

I like what comes next: Several legislators write about how we haven’t solved the fiscal problem, just delayed it another year. It’s their courage I admire, and it likely assists them in addressing their self-image concerns.

It’s uncertain when or what crisis will prompt it, but eventually, some bold influencers will admit we can’t afford to pay the dividend. Hopefully, they reside in the Legislature or the governor’s office. They will also acknowledge that it’s illogical to tax some residents in order to fund unrestricted payments to the same residents and others who do not have a demonstrated need. In fact, it’s uniquely un-American. If this type of money transfer had positive economic impacts, it would have been adopted by all government entities in the United States long ago.

When we get to this point of honesty and courage, then the real conversations will begin — the ones that lead us to a solid fiscal plan for the state of Alaska.

Al Bolea is a retired leadership trainer and former distinguished visiting professor at the University of Alaska Anchorage. He’s also a retired oil and gas executive.

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The views expressed here are the writer’s and are not necessarily endorsed by the Anchorage Daily News, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a piece for consideration, email commentary(at)adn.com. Send submissions shorter than 200 words to letters@adn.com or click here to submit via any web browser. Read our full guidelines for letters and commentaries here.

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Alaska

‘Alaska is a dangerous place’: How Whittier Harbor stays safe during the winter

Published

23 hours ago

December 10, 2025

Press Room

‘Alaska is a dangerous place’: How Whittier Harbor stays safe during the winter

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – Winter season brings its risks in harbors across Alaska – including sinking boats, ice, and wind.

“Alaska is a dangerous place,” David Borg, Whittier Harbor Master said. “Here we have massive amount of wind and coming down here in the wintertime with icy docks and a lot of wind, it’s very easy for people to lose their footing.”

Borg also talked about something called SAD – which stand for ‘Sunk At Dock’.

“Boat sinking at the dock. We do have an issue with snow load here,” Borg said. “Best thing people can do … is that if you have a boat in the harbor, you have to have somebody local that can keep an eye on it.”

At Whittier Harbor, safety holds importance all year round.

“If I can make it a little bit safer here in the harbor – so you and your family can go out and boat and do those things that Alaska has to offer safely – then I’d like to try to push that message as best I can,” Borg said

Borg urges anyone who visits Alaska harbors in the winter to know the conditions, gear up properly, and always put safety first.

See a spelling or grammar error? Report it to web@ktuu.com

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Alaska

Alaska Airlines launches new nonstop Seattle-to-London flight starting in 2026

Published

1 day ago

December 9, 2025

Press Room

Alaska Airlines launches new nonstop Seattle-to-London flight starting in 2026

Alaska Airlines announced its newest nonstop flight out of Seattle: a straight shot to London.

Starting in May 2026, the nonstop flight will travel from the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) to Heathrow Airport, the largest international airport in the United Kingdom. The airport resides in Hounslow, located an hour outside of London.

The daily service will operate on Alaska Airlines’ 787 Dreamliner.

London is Alaska Airlines’ fifth intercontinental destination, alongside Rome, Reykjavik, Tokyo, and Seoul. According to the airline, the new route strengthens business ties, with London being the largest corporate market from Seattle.

“By 2030, we plan to serve at least 12 intercontinental destinations from Seattle, with additional routes to be announced in the years to come,” Alaska Airlines stated. “We currently have four Boeing 787-9s in our fleet, with a fifth aircraft recently delivered.”

Guests traveling from the U.S. can now purchase airfares to London for as low as $699 round-trip at alaskaair.com.

Alaska Airlines hit hard by federal shutdown

According to aviation analysts, the federal shutdown cost Alaska Airlines millions of dollars. The airline’s fourth-quarter income is expected to fall by $32 million.

The company told investors it lost 15 cents per share. Flight cancellations at SEA and other airports lasted 43 days.

According to The Puget Sound Business Journal, Delta reports a $200 million hit. United, JetBlue, and Southwest could see losses, too.

Follow Frank Sumrall on X. Send news tips here.

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Alaska

Warnings continue for wind, snow, and extreme cold across Alaska

Published

2 days ago

December 9, 2025

Press Room

Warnings continue for wind, snow, and extreme cold across Alaska

ANCHORAGE, AK (Alaska’s News Source) – Extreme wind has been non-stop for more than 60 hours in Wasilla in Palmer, where peak wind gusts have reached over 80 mph three days in a row.

Peak winds have been over 80 mph for the last three days in Palmer.(Melissa Frey)

Wind gusts at the Palmer Airport climbed over 50 mph Friday evening and didn’t drop below until late Monday evening.

Peak winds have been over 50 mph for more than 60 hours.(Melissa Frey)

The High Wind Warning for the Matanuska Valley will continue through 6 a.m. on Tuesday. Calmer conditions are likely on Tuesday afternoon as the winds relax across the area.

High Wind Warnings continue in the Mat-Su.(Melissa Frey)

Send us your weather photos and videos here!

The rest of Southcentral remains clear and dry, with temperatures likely dropping to the lowest levels of the season starting Tuesday morning. This pattern will continue through the end of the week.

Download the free Alaska’s News Source Weather App for the latest forecast in your area.

In Southeast, Winter Storm Warnings are still in effect near Ketchikan for up to 8″ of additional snow through Tuesday. Winter Weather Advisories are also in effect near Hyder for an additional 9-12″ of snow on Tuesday.

The snow has ended across the northern areas of Southeast, but extreme cold is setting in. Wind Chill values will reach as low as -50° near Skagway, to -25° near Haines, and to -15° near Juneau.

The Copper River Basin will also experience extreme wind chill values to -50° through Tuesday afternoon.

In the Interior, temperatures dropped to -30° for the first time Monday morning, and we’ll see several nights at that cold level this week.

24/7 Alaska Weather: Get access to live radar, satellite, weather cameras, current conditions, and the latest weather forecast here. Also available through the Alaska’s News Source streaming app available on Apple TV, Roku, and Amazon Fire TV.

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