Opinion
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Dan's Dispatch - State Legislature Year in Review
As the House Representative for District 36, I’m writing to update you on some of the issues currently before the Alaska State Legislature. The 2019 legislative sessions were challenging – we continued to grapple with creating the budget,...
Reflections
Jesus said, “Wait here while I go into the garden and pray.” I’m sure that He did not enter into a garden in Alaska, all our gardens have gone to sleep for the winter. He did of course pray for us living in areas all over the world. We who...
Dan's Dispatch
As many of you know, the Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS) service to the port of Prince Rupert, British Columbia (B.C.) ended on October 1st. Although that ferry route is no longer running, there are ongoing developments in hopes of restoring...
Dan's Dispatch
Representative Ortiz visited Prince Rupert, British Columbia (B.C.) this week to meet with Canadian officials. He met with Royal Canadian Mounted Police Inspector Blake Ward Chief Financial Officer for Prince Rupert Corinne Bomben, Member of...
Letter to the Editor
To the Editor: I’m Hispanic and I know growing up within your means was the rule. It’s discipline. We never relied on government assistance or felt like we were entitled to anything we couldn’t do for ourselves. This made us hard working...
Dan's Dispatch
On Monday, August 19th, Governor Dunleavy released his full list of Special Session budget vetoes. The Alaska Legislature passed two special session budget bills in July with the primary intention of restoring the Governor’s original vetoes and pro...
Letter to the Editor
To the Editor: I just wanted to make a comment to the recent article about State Trooper Freeburg seeking increased local collaboration. Recently I was pulled over for speeding. I didn’t see the speed reduction sign coming into town from the...
Reflections
Recently I took a small survey "What do you like best about Wrangell?" The universal response was "the people." Because I personally felt something of the spirit among us weakened, I questioned some s...
Editorial: IBU strike benefits Gov. Dunleavy
The strike called for by the Inlandboatmen's Union of the Pacific (IBU) this week defies all logic. Talk about giving the governor exactly what he wants at a most expeditious time - the script...
Letter to the Editor
To the Editor: How can it be that we are knee-deep in tourist effluent and Medicaid is being cut? Why isn’t the State Treasury fat with income from the tourist industry? Southeast Alaska is being exploited by tour ships. We need to, A: set a limit...
Reflections
As we look forward to our family and community celebration of the 4th of July, Independence Day, it seems appropriate to reflect on the strength of the people that gave us the opportunities that America offers, the signers of the Declaration of...
Letter to the Editor
To the Editor: Hello people of Wrangell; this is the latest update on my lawsuit against the hiring managers and some members of the city council. This week I have been inundated with several bundles of filed information from their lawyer in...
Dan's Dispatch
The Alaska State Legislature adjourned last week, but before adjourning, the most significant accomplishment was the agreement to transfer $10.5 billion from the Earnings Reserve Account (ERA) to the Corpus of the Permanent Fund. For the majority of...
Letter to the Editor
To the Editor: Wow, the small town politics is oh so... The latest news in my ongoing solo battle to drain the Wrangell swamp is. A certain upstanding citizen came into a certain store and gave away some comments and opinions that now have me at a...
Dan's Dispatch
Earlier this month, the House passed House Bill 49, which is a collaborative bill between the House, the Senate, and the Governor’s administration to improve public safety. After the Conference Committee process last week, the Senate passed the b...
Letters to the Editor
To the Editor: Demand destruction is a phenomenon that is often referred to when oil prices rise high enough to harm the economy and reduce its ability to purchase fuel. I have another example of...
Letter to the Editor
To the Editor: It was 84 degrees near the Arctic Ocean. Severe weather threatens eighteen states. Antarctic is losing its ice fields and Nome is ice free. Deadly California fires. Ninety-four degrees in Omaha, Nebraska. Earthquakes in Oklahoma,...
Letters to the Editor
To the Editor: I wonder what has happened to fiscal responsibility in state government? We no longer have statesmen representing Alaska, but more outsiders that don't understand our way of life. And,...
Dan's Dispatch
As the State of Alaska grapples with our current fiscal situation, legislators are considering ways to balance the budget while protecting our savings and preserving the PFD. I urge my colleagues to focus on an important part of the discussion: oil t...
Letter to the Editor
To the Editor: Demand destruction is a phenomenon that is often referred to when oil prices rise high enough to harm the economy and reduce its ability to purchase fuel. I have another example of demand destruction; getting rid of ferry service to...
Dan's Dispatch
Last week, the Alaska House of Representatives passed a budget for the State of Alaska. As a member of the Finance Committee and the Chair of the Education & Early Development, Fish & Game,...
Letters to the Editor
To the Editor: Only 15 seconds into my April 12, one minute public testimony for the state operating budget, my microphone was abruptly muted by finance committee co-chair Senator Stedman. His...
Reflections
From helplessness to optimism Changes in feelings and behavior are not easy. So how can we change how we think, feel, and act? Here are a few things anyone can do. Listen to what you are saying to...
Letter to the Editor
To the Editor: I try very hard to keep my budget balanced and pay my bills, so when I hear that a city employee is getting a substantial raise and the Wrangell City Assembly hasn't even passed a...
Dan's Dispatch
This past weekend, I had the opportunity to host three Community Meetings in Juneau, Sitka, and Ketchikan to hear input on the governor's proposed budget for the next fiscal year. First and foremost,...
