Opinion
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Editorial: Good advice on taxes
Though the Legislature is not looking to adopt a state sales tax or income tax this year, most lawmakers know it is inevitable. And most Alaskans should know it too, considering how we have dipped...
From the publisher: Alaska needs to market 2021 before it's too late
The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan became law on March 11. Much of the federal money is directed to help states, cities, businesses and individuals recover from the economic damage of the...
Reflections: Finding beauty in the everyday
I know better than to romanticize beach glass. I know most began as beer bottles, with a random bottle of SKYY vodka contributing a little blue among the white and green and brown. But I also know...
From the publisher
The Canadian border has been closed for more than a year and, judging from last week's news, it's not likely to reopen in the late-spring future or even the early-summer future. British Columbia...
Editorial: Wrangell needs to pay attention to state tax debate
No, a state sales tax would not be good for Wrangell, Ketchikan, Sitka or the 100 other cities and boroughs in Alaska that rely on their local sales tax to fund schools, roads, police and other...
Letters to the Editor
House working to add Wrangell fisheries and children's services jobs The Alaska Legislature is more than halfway through session, and I am happy to report a few successes in the legislative budget...
From the publisher
The federal money that will flow into our state from the American Rescue Plan - the latest round of pandemic aid from Washington, D.C. - is the proverbial once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Alaskans...
Editorial: It doesn't look good
GCI, the largest telecommunications provider in the state, is closing down its call center jobs in Anchorage and moving the work to a contractor in the Philippines. It joins a growing list of U.S. com...
Letters to the Editor
Recall effort not based on facts and was not positive The past year has been difficult for everyone. My family has been acutely aware of the issues surrounding COVID-19, and Lynn and I have lived every day knowing that our actions have a direct impac...
From the publisher
Separate decisions affecting an effort to recall Wrangell's mayor and the Juneau-Douglas High School boys basketball team are similar, in that they disappointed some people, but they are not equal....
Editorial
The governor will go to great lengths to avoid supporting a tax - any tax - but taxes are how people pay for public services. Instead of thinking about the public, his administration's latest...
Editorial
Almost half of Wrangell residents have received at least their first COVID-19 vaccine shot. Close to 30% of all Alaskans have too, and the state has opened vaccination eligibility to everyone over the...
From the publisher
Journalism schools teach reporters to quote accurately; to add "he said" or "she said" at the end of every statement; to fully report what people say at public events and in interviews. All of that wo...
Letters to the Editor
Survey respondents favor higher oil taxes, not income or sales tax Thank you to everyone who has taken the Commonwealth North budget survey. I decided to use their comprehensive budget survey in lieu...
From the publisher: We've made it easier to put calendar items in the Sentinel
Sure, the Sentinel's main job is to report the news. But we also want to serve as the community bulletin board. Think of the newspaper as a weekly posting, delivered for everyone to see - even...
Editorial: The governor needs to read the calendar
Alaska is in a fiscal mess and Gov. Mike Dunleavy is making it worse. The state has spent almost all of its easily accessible savings. Budget cuts have hit hard at essentials such as the ferry...
Letters to the Editor
Legislature trying to help tourism economy I am working hard to encourage and protect our visitor industry and the economic potential of the upcoming tourism season despite the hurdles we have faced d...
Letters to the Editor
Murkowski has failed as a faithful defender of conservative values To The Editor: Referring to Larry Persily's opinion column, "Sen. Murkowski did her job" (Wrangell Sentinel, Feb.18), I agree we...
Editorial: We can't afford any more mistakes
In the past 17 years and at a cost of almost $200 million, the Alaska Marine Highway System took ownership of two ferries it could not afford to run and two that it could not run everywhere they are...
From the publisher: Why tell everyone what you think all the time
Though it's a little far afield from life in Wrangell, there is a life lesson in the controversy over President Joe Biden's choice to run the federal Office of Management and Budget. A lesson to keep...
Editorial: Don't we have bigger problems
A state Senate committee is scheduled this week to hear a 13-page bill to rewrite (tighten) parts of Alaska's election code dealing with voter registration, absentee voting, mail-in ballots, and...
From the Publisher: These students set a better example than I did
The 18 or so Wrangell middle school and high school students who belong to BASE - Building a Supportive Environment - are the role models I never paid attention to when I was their age long ago...
Opinion: Republicans must act as a party of principles
The Republican Party must soon make some major policy decisions or it will become a split party with two factions - one a single-person party cult and the other a Republican Party based on principles...
Letters to the Editor
Schools ready to help students in need Due to COVID-19, the level of depression and anxiety our teens are experiencing has skyrocketed. Hospitals across the country - including Juneau - are seeing...
