Alaska
Opinion: When will the real conversations about Alaska’s future begin?
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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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.
Wind gusts at the Palmer Airport climbed over 50 mph Friday evening and didn’t drop below until late Monday evening.
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.
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.
Copyright 2025 Alaska’s News Source. All rights reserved.
That was close. At least for a while.
Oregon State women’s basketball avoided an upset loss to Division II Alaska Anchorage on Sunday at Gill Coliseum, going on a 15-3 run to end the game and beat the visiting Seawolves, 69-53.
The Beavers (6-4) started slow but took control in the second half, surviving a barrage of three-pointers (11 of 37) from Alaska Anchorage (7-2) to pull out a win.
OSU was led by Tiara Bolden with 23 points, six rebounds and five assists. Katelyn Field poured in 11 as well for the Beavers on 3 of 6 three-point shooting.
10 different players scored as OSU coach Scott Rueck relied on his bench to get the team out of a funk.
The Beavers got off to a sluggish start. Alaska Anchorage came out firing, and took a 10-8 lead at the midpoint in the first quarter on a three by Kimberly Carrada.
After one, with the Seawolves shooting 56%, the Beavers trailed 24-18.
In the second quarter, Rueck emptied his bench and put typical reserves in the game, seemingly to send a message after a lackluster effort by his starters.
Alaska Anchorage extended its lead to 34-27 at one point, but OSU rattled off a 7-0 run to end the half and tie things up. The Beavers had 10 turnovers at half, with the Seawolves hitting six of an eye-popping 20 three-point attempts.
Rueck kept reserves in the game to start the second half, but when he re-inserted his starters, the Beavers opened up a 44-36 lead thanks in large part to Bolden’s scoring.
Jenna Villa hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to end the third, her first basket of the game after a cold start, which gave OSU a 52-42 lead through three.
Alaska Anchorage kept chucking from downtown as the fourth quarter began, and a pair of makes cut the OSU lead down to 54-48.
Despite going cold from the field, the Beavers tightened up their defense to keep it a six-point lead for an extended period. It got as close as four.
But Field nailed a three to get it to 59-50 with under four minutes remaining, and Bolden hit a pair of jumpers to extend the run to 10-0 and lead to 64-50 with 1:35 to go. The Beavers didn’t look back.
Next game: Oregon State (6-4) vs. Arizona State (10-0)
- When: Sunday, Dec. 14
- Time: 1:00 pm PT
- Where: Gill Coliseum, Corvallis
- Stream: ESPN+
7.0 quake hits Alaska-Canada border, no casualties so far
JUNEAU, Dec 7: A powerful, magnitude-7.0 earthquake struck in a remote area near the border between Alaska and the Canadian territory of Yukon on Saturday. There was no tsunami warning, and officials said there were no immediate reports of damage or injury. The U.S. Geological Survey said it struck about 230 miles (370 km) northwest of Juneau, Alaska, and 155 miles (250 km) west of Whitehorse, Yukon. In Whitehorse, Royal Canadian Mounted Police Sgt. Calista MacLeod said the detachment received two 911 calls about the earthquake. “It definitely was felt,” MacLeod said. “There are a lot of people on social media, people felt it.” Alison Bird, a seismologist with Natural Resources Canada, said the part of Yukon most affected by the temblor is mountainous and has few people. “Mostly people have reported things falling off shelves and walls,” Bird said. “It doesn’t seem like we’ve seen anything in terms of structural damage.” (AP)
Three killed as unexploded device goes off in Afghanistan
Kabul, Dec 7: Three workers were killed when an unexploded device left over from past wars went off in eastern Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province, provincial police spokesman Sayed Tayeb Hamad said on Sunday. The incident occurred in a scrap shop in Kama district when workers were busy at the site on Saturday afternoon, the spokesman said, adding that three workers died on the spot due to the blast. Police have urged residents to inform security authorities if they see or come across any suspicious objects. Earlier in November, a similar incident claimed one life in the Rodat district of Nangarhar province. Post-war Afghanistan has been regarded as one of the most mine-contaminated countries in the world, and the unexploded ordnances, which were left over from more than four decades of wars and civil unrest, often kill or maim people, mostly children, in the country. (IANS)
Man held after pepper spray incident at UK’s Heathrow Airport
London, Dec 7: A man was arrested on suspicion of assault at the Heathrow Airport on Sunday after police were called to reports of a number of people being attacked with pepper spray, with the incident causing major travel disruptions. The Metropolitan Police said the morning incident was not terrorism related and that the injuries to the victims were not thought to be “life-threatening or life changing”. The force believes the incident involved an argument between a group of people known to each other. “A number of people were sprayed with what is believed to be a form of pepper spray by a group of men who then left the scene,” the Met Police said in a statement. “Armed response officers attended and arrested one man on suspicion of assault. He remains in custody and enquiries continue to trace further suspects,” the statement said. The incident caused major disruption to flights, with the airport advising passengers to allow extra time for their journeys. (PTI)
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