Where in the World is Dennis Zaki? – Part II
Just threw out an email to Dennis Zaki of The Alaska Report, hoping he wasn’t still in Anchorage waiting for the Bethel airport to open. I just got a response back. Dennis is in Bethel, and just getting settled in! He arrived right before they closed the airport again.
He’s got a couple interviews lined up for tomorrow, and reports the following:
Just left the Bethel grocery store.Milk – $9.89 a gallon.A gallon of liquid Tide – $29.79.16oz bottle of Mug rootbeer – $2.65Subway foot long $10.89Bland hotel room for one tired traveller – $168.
Heading out to bush Alaska to cover this breaking story and bring it to the national media? Priceless.
I’ll bring you more news as I know it.
Meanwhile, you can leave your messages for Dennis in the comments section.
Keep on keepin’ on, Dennis…
Unbelievable – Sounds like when my friend went to Hawaii for vacation and said the prices were so high she couldn’t imagine how anyone could afford to live there. Screw all the folks who think they should just pack up and move – a more long term idea would be to figure out how to get stuff to them cheaper! Ten dollars for a gallon of milk – that’s more than double what we pay here in the lowest of the lower 48 (Louisiana!)
those prices are outrageous. and this is for folks who have very little money to begin with. this is capitalism run amok. this makes no sense. can we get a do-over?
It sounds like that $1200 Sarah Palin “gave” all Alaskans can only buy in the bush what about $400 can buy in the “lower 48″. But spending it on useful infrastructure or development wasn’t high on her priority list.
There’s a nice place to get an expresso in the Long House, Dennis.
I had no idea that it was so expensive there. It’s a wonder anyone can afford to stay.
Dennis, thank you for bringing this story to all of us who have never been to Alaska. Now that the rest of the country is aware, or will be, of the challenges facing rural Alaska maybe some things can be changed to improve their lives.
Pat
I’m impressed at your commitment to do more than just pay attention and blog about the muck in AK politics. You act on your heartfelt beliefs.
I’m very impressed by how you use Mudflats to entertain inform and make a difference.
Here’s a link that may help promote your blog: http://www.blogged.com/blogs/mudflats.html
Readers can rate blogs and write a review of their favorite.
Mudflats has 2 reviews now- 2 perfect 10s.
Yes is it very high indeed. Thank you so much for going up there. It takes alot to take the time to travel way up there.
There have been suggestions for people to move into areas where it isnt as extreme. And, they are, This was covered in the press when SP was running for VP, she didnt address the concerns that Begich was trying to address. Now, that there are a few natives, they are predominately in the Anchorage area, because Palin and her administration didnt even acknowledge this, there is a shortage of funds in Anchorage, that now some repubs are blaming on begich.
I cant even imagine-that is just there in Bethel, the outlying areas it cost about $450 to go to Bethel, from what I was told of the people when I was there.
I will keep you in my prayers!
Milk – $9.89 a gallon.
A gallon of liquid Tide – $29.79.
16oz bottle of Mug rootbeer – $2.65
Subway foot long $10.89
Bland hotel room for one tired traveller – $168.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So sorry I said Nick in last post, meant Dennis…This is outrageous! Is this the going rate in all Alaska or Just “for the Natives”????
This is price gouging? The Federal govt needs to step in…al la Trading posts here, these people are being royally ripped off!
And b/c they are not close they have to buy in bulk which should save them money but in this case doesn’t! They could use a Sam’s, walmart, or Costco up there! I use to visit friends in a rural area of Cali and they would get snowed in during the winter. They would can veg.s and fruit and had a generator that ran on (gas or oil, and also rigged up a bicycle)They had some cows and would hunt deer(in season) for winter. They would have to buy groceries in bulk to, but I think these store is ripping off native peoples. It would be better to have a gov. run trading post that had market fair prices. OMG! these poor people how they are being preyed upon!
And Barbie Does nothing!!!! If some of her cronies from gretawire/T$ complained about price gouging she would be there.
SHE NEEDS TO BE IMPEACHED!!! THE FEDS NEED TO LOOK DEEP INTO ALASKA LEGISLATURE…. I am so not happy what I read here. For these peoples.
Amazing, keep the info flowing!
I will hardly be able to sleep tonight.
At least I have lots of blankets and am not hungry.
Good luck with your filming; I hope you can give Alaskans, Lower 48ers, and government officials a clear picture of life on the Yukon Delta. Please show, through interviews and video, what kind of assistance, infrastructure, training, resources are needed to sustain their economy and families.
That’s a lot to ask, I know. Looking forward to seeing your reports, Dennis. Stay safe and warm.
I just heard from a friend today who says he will be doing a TV show on current issues. If you can’t get the Big Dogs interested, please have AKM shoot me a PM.
Best to you and take care.
The prices are outrageous. It was a real eyeopener to see the actual price of what they have to pay for goods. Is this price gouging or is it a reflection of what it costs to get goods to this part of the world.
I know that stores in poor neighborhoods even in the rest of the country charge more than stores in more affluent areas, but these prices are way off the hook.
@crystalwolf, the company that owns the main store there is from British Columbia. They also bought out some areas on POW, so it isnt even going to a US business.
more on their company, http://www.alaskacommercial.com/
I know on POW, they got most of their produce from Canada.
It seems as though they would be able to produce more food on the interior and save on shipping. The times I spent in Bethel, we rationed our food because our per diem didnt really cover our expenses. There has to be a solution somewhere.
mtNo Gravatar (20:46:04) :
@crystalwolf, the company that owns the main store there is from British Columbia. They also bought out some areas on POW, so it isnt even going to a US business.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is terrible!! It should at least be Native owned or Federally controlled so this price gouging doesn’t happen. I can hardly contain myself!!!!
I hope Dennis make a point of sending this video to President Obama.
I don’t think the pick of runner up miss alaska was a coincidence, but a “slap in the face” Also not being invited to McCain’s shindig.
These seem to me clear “smoke signals” as bob dylan says “the times they are a changing…”
I have seeded some stuff on my newsvine.
http://crystalwolflady.newsvine.com/
Muddpuppies feel free to flood the place with comments,
This has probably been mentioned already: suggest to Dennis Zaki that he ask the people he meets what they would say to Governor Sarah Palin were they to meet her in person.
We could not afford to live there and we have a good income, even though Joe is working and I’m on disability.
Think about the poor kids that will not have milk and will drink a poor substitute.
Just want to remind Anchorage area mudpups that there will be a
Food drop for Emmonak and surrounding villages – “Food donations are being gratefully accepted at the Calista Building for residents of the Emmonak area. Dry, lightweight foods are best. No glass jars, or heavy items hard to ship. For ideas and suggestions, or directions call 272-9830. There will be a food drop on Monday, and possibly another one on Wednesday.”
=======this taken from an earlier post by AKM; something tangible we can do Mon & Wed. A few friends are dropping of their bag/box and I am delivering tomorrow noon. Hope the place is jam packed….
Now I am wondering how many villages are in exactly the same boat.
I asked this question on the Forum, but maybe someone here can pursue it:
Is there a central clearinghouse for all the Yukon Delta villages, a governmental council perhaps, that could collect goods sent/money donated- and then get it to the most in need?
Friends and I are collecting/buying foodstuffs for our MLK Day of Service tomorrow, and shipping them in USPS Flat Rate boxes on Tuesday, probably to several addresses. I’d still like to donate money-
this is the same guy who publishes rumors on his website ?
good photog chops, don’t give him a lick of credibility as a reporter tho.
I really hope that all of this goes to the national news. ALL of the Alaskan politicians should be ashamed of themselves. And they are only worried about their own skins — $150,000 wardrobes and pardons for unethical and criminal senator-felons. Pretty pathetic.
@ CO almost native
Cool – I see you are doing what I am doing! I have been trying to find out about money donations today but I overlooked a phone number that was in front of me all day. I’ts a flyer abut the Village Aid drop off at the Calista Corp bldg, and there’s a HUGE phone number: 907.348.2413 titled “Village Aid”
Maybe they can answer our questions about how the Calista drop will be distributed, or how to donate money, or how to help other villages.
CO almost-
Right now, Calista is it. Calista is the Regional Native corporation , one of the 13 in state, to which these villages belong. The regional corps are an umbrella over village corps in landed corporations. Link has brief overview of law and resulting corps. The village corps are foundering too…
http://fairbanks-alaska.com/alaska-native-corporations.htm
Most of you have figured out we don’t have the reservation, hinky treaty thingy here but this model for Alaska Native organization has problems as far too mamany folks see the village issues as something similar to reservation “problems” down south.
It’s more complicated than that but maybe it helps a bit.
We DO need a co-ordinated effort which can gather information as well as do the business of collecting , moving, and distributing. Red Cross would do that down south…
However, as this is a NON declared emergency none of the usual suspects are in place to run things.
Some Alaskan who remembers more clearly should tell about how and why declared disaster ruless were changed a few years ago. The new ones are either being interprted too narrowly by the ghastly gov or we shot ourselves in the foot again by restricting the defintions too narrowly…
The need to expand this beyond a native issue to a full bore RURAL issue is huge- both to gather help for our neighbors and get urban spuds off their high horses!
Sorry any AK urbans who NOT spuds, I’m technically urban too. We do have a bunch o spud cowboys in the valley and enclaves in the Anch metro area though…
Oh- I think Ijust polemecized- but not well enough to maybe answer the question.
http://www.thetundradrums.com/docs/EmmonakVillageAid.pdf
It looks as though the Calista Corp delivery is just for foodstuffs to Emmonak.
Dennis Zaki – have a safe trip and bring back many stories and pictures. We need real investigative Alaskan journalism so desperately – thank you so much!
Hmm- looks like we have some mamanys and interprts too… urban life has hazards, all right.
@pearl89(20:39:43) :
The prices are outrageous. It was a real eyeopener to see the actual price of what they have to pay for goods. Is this price gouging or is it a reflection of what it costs to get goods to this part of the world.
—
Those are pretty normal Bush prices. The freight is what makes it so expensive. Everything goes in on small airplanes.
But even here on the road system, we hear lots of squalling from tourists when they see the prices in the grocery store. We get really tired of it.
I pay $6 for a gallon of whole milk and $29 for a big jug of Seventh Generation liquid laundry soap in Homer, Alaska. A 50# sack of flour is $28. That’s for the cheap stuff. (We bake all of our own bread, as store- bought bread is $4/loaf.) A package of Top Ramen is $0.75. It costs $40 for an 8# sack of Iams cat food and a 40# bucket of cat litter.
I haven’t lived out in the small states for 20 years now, so these prices are normal to me.
CO and Martha: yes, I think you are onto something….it is there, at that building and through Calista Corp. that I think this drop will be made Mon & Wed. They are also the publishers of Alaska Newspapers……so the phone # you have is good….
I will be back in a minute with another organization I am aware of that is fielding the money for utilities, etc.
Yup- Unalaska Roadkill -(lil sister- wouldn’t the folks choke if they saw what we have done to the names they gave us?!)
Organized is for Emmonak only right now…Mail is for any others we can find- like Ann’s village-I-can’t-spell-the-name-of.
Starting to chafe at anonymity right now and it ain’t the jammies chafing…
AKM- can we have bags to put over our heads so we can go out in public and roll up our sleeves and get some food rolling?
People in Alaska are rallying to help those in need – rural Alaskans who are in dire need of help.
The state’s governor has not declared a state of emergency, is that correct?
let’s get big garbage cans from home depot and fill them with the light and dried (no cans or glass?) foods and sox and stuff shipped in next week from Mudflatters to Calista attn villages from Mudflats. Then, when the villages are named, I/we can deliver them to the airport … maybe there will be contributions toward the freight costs… you know i cannot think in the box!
I will mark them with yellow duct tape boot insignias.
rambling. maybe some of you can structure by idea better…group effort.
The JustFaith / JustNow! program, an educational and outreach ministry of parishioners at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, is accepting donations to assist low-income residents with their utility bills.
justnowalaska dot com
for info you can contact dbethknight @ earthlink dot net
The monies would definitely get to the village people. I know the folks involved.
@Impeach_Sarah_Palin (22:10:48) -The state’s governor has not declared a state of emergency
—————–
Correct.Read up thread a few…
grewingk-
Do you remember the ins and outs of why and how and to what the disaster rukes were changed?
New ones make it easy for the gov to ignore this…
oh cool mw… where are these folks?
Martha Unalaska Yard Sign (21:50:09) :
Alaska Pi (21:56:49)
Thanks- I will call that number and any others I can find tomorrow to see if someone is coordinating relief. I realize it is a rural issue; we have similar problems here, but Colorado has several statewide organizations to deal with this type of situation. Two years ago we had a devastating blizzard in SE CO, but feds would not declare an emergency (couldn’t count all the dead, buried cows). Red Cross, Cattlemans Assoc, Nat’l Guard, Governor’s office stepped in to drop hay, food..plow roads…
Speaking of the Governor’ office- I guess not to expect help from there. I hope the Legislature looks at this, and works on developing a state aid program to coordinate assistance. Just don’t put one of SP’s cronies in charge-
PS. Thanks for the flat rate box suggestion, Martha:-)
I’m thinking it might be worthwhile to contact a local reporter familiar with the situation, get some fast pics out, and do a piece keyed to Obama’s “Service Day,” which is tomorrow. What better way of rendering service than to use one’s skills to help solve a pressing problem like this one? It might also be good to plan a piece for just after the Inauguration–I suspect that any story put out in the next couple days would just get ashcanned, since Washington DC is pretty much the focus–still, as I said, if you can get a piece keyed in to what’s happening tomorrow you might be able to get it picked up somewhere–or several somewheres. Just a thought.
mwThatOne:
Great suggestions. If I send our boxes to Calista, will they be distributed to more than Emmonak? I will also email about helping with utility payments…
Need to go to bed; busy day tomorrow:-) ‘nite, mudpups…
I’m wondering if there are already protests, demonstrations, and so forth, in front of the governor’s office? If not, then maybe the schools and universities/colleges can become involved?
Fact: (cited by Walt Monegan ): rural Alaska was predicted to experience a “hard winter” – crisis situation in terms of mobilizing troopers
Fact: presently there is no one in Alaska’s government ACCOUNTABLE for said crisis situation because Palin made it that way
GAH!
Why is this Sarah Palin not impeached already? Why is she above the law? What is keeping her and her cronies there? She should not be allowed to govern for an hour, let alone a day, let alone a week, let alone a month. Wake up, you Alaskans, take out the trash.
This is unacceptable.
See? I told ya it’s expensive to live remote in Alaska.
That’s why I moved.
Dennis-
Sorry ,got carried away after seeing how much more milk costs in Bethel than Juneau.
Go with grace, neighbor.
We need the hard copy from Yukon-Delta.
Cold and hard and real.
See if anyone out there still has any crisco and will make you some eskimo ice-cream…
Most people – even in Alaska, but especially the Lower 48 – have no idea how remote and isolated Emmo and those other communities are — no roads, frozen rivers, extreme weather that usually prevents flying in – it is beyond imagination, esp in the winter. … Still not a word from Gov Snowflake – it’s not a part of the ‘real America’ she speakes about. Maybe she thinks come votin’ time there are too few folks way out there – but the First Alaskans votin’ as a bloc will do ‘er in. You betcha. As I keep sayin’ – Palin is out of touch and only out for herself.
@ Impeach_Sarah_Palin
“Wake up, you Alaskans, take out the trash.”
Do I even need to comment on this?
CO: cannot say that for sure, but when I go out there tomorrow ( to Calista) I will ask what the plan may be for other villages. The other organization is a new one, in Anchorage, connected loosely to St. Mary’s Episcopal church….longtime a favorite church which does community outreach as a daily habit.
Martha – no diss intended.
Impeach_Sarah_Palin -
Breathe in, breathe out…
We practise that a lot here.
Wasn’t this gov who changed disaster rules- merely is one to interpret them currently.
Legislators have been in transit and arriving in Juneau since story broke. Stupid, stupid- all of em- to have ignored all the warnings since July. I’ve been flipping out since October while folks- me too- were working so hard to get Mr Obama into office.
The situation we are all talking about is beyond belief to me and so many who know a bit about it BUT there is little sympathy for those affected by many,many Alaskans. Those folks would see no reason to blame the gov cuz they just think the damn-villagers-should-just-move-and-get-a-job.
I understand folks Outside who got the britches scared off them by SP appearing on the national scene but I’m starting to weary of being yelled at to get rid of her.
Working on it, gonna keep working on it, not gonna stop.
Gonna warm and feed neighbors first- it’s wintertime.
Are you breathing yet?
Does “crystalwolf a.k.a. caligrl” really think Bethel could support a Wal-Mart or Costco? She’s kidding, right?
Thanks Alaska Pi – I’m usually pretty civil but since we had to calm down Lainey last night I thought “could we at least wait a FEW days in between folks from Outside blaming us for SP?” If it weren’t so sad, it would be funny. We didn’t vote for her, we got her number as fast as we could and we’ve been working hard ever since to keep her in Alaska for good. Well, you know that I’d rather she be somewhere else…but it’s a big state and I’m not all bad.
Visitor, please stop being so snarky. Do you really think crystalwolf knows how big (or not big) Bethel is? Just because AKM has provided this wonderful forum for people all over the world to learn about Alaska doesn’t mean that it’s provided a complete knowledge download on all the demographic characteristics of over Alaskan community. Be nice.
Martha, I reread your comments.
You wrote:
Do I even need to comment on this?
I had written:
WAKE UP ALASKANS AND TAKE OUT THE TRASH
By that I meant: ALASKANS SHOULD BE MORE AWARE THAT THEIR GOVERNOR SARAH PALIN, IS AN ILLITERATE, HOMOPHOBIC CHODE, who
should be put in the garbage. And garbage is trash.
just to make myself clear
@Visitor (22:53:47) :
Does “crystalwolf a.k.a. caligrl” really think Bethel could support a Wal-Mart or Costco? She’s kidding, right?
——————
Hope so…
Reality : Outside of a few places in Alaska where there are enough folks to ship in enough stuff to sell to each other and ship to the bush those big box thingys would not be a deal anyway. That paradigm- piles o stuff-cheap- only works when there are enough sales (people to buy ) and easy shipping .
Not in Bethel.
InJuneau – crystalwolf has Internet access. She could easily learn a lot about Bethel.
There are many valid reasons to dislike Sarah Palin and her policies. Blaming her for the price of milk in Bethel is… well… downright silly.
Oops, that should have said “every Alaskan community”
@ Impeach_Sarah_Palin
Thank you! I did understand what you said – it wasn’t the “trash” part but the “wake up Alaskans” part that made me sigh. We’ve answered to that so many times in this forum over the months and although I COMPLETELY understand your frustration (and a bit of panic), it doesn’t serve any purpose to blame Alaskans. Instead, join us in being vigilant and breathing down her neck.
One last thing before I say goodnight.
If you are sending food, I suggest some that I know are good for emergency survival rations and cheaper on shipping due to lightweight packaging:
Oatmeal
Freeze-dried fruit
Beef jerkey (squid jerkey is an excellent subsitute and very cheap in larger metro-area Asian markets)
Powdered drink mixes with Vitamin C and/or D
Sunflower seeds (no shells)
Popcorn seeds (old-fashioned, not microwave stuff)
If you are sending anything that is remotely breakable, instead of styrofoam or plastic wrap, use bags of marshmallows…..
All of the above you can buy in bulk at Costco or some other warehouse store. Simple foods are by far the best.
Gryphen has posted part of an email from Emmonak.
@ Co Not Native
Lastnight on the “Alaska’s Rural Villages in Crisis – Update.
15 01 2009, plus on another previous similar thread, there was a person posting, sounds very legit (yeah, I googled). In her village, about 20 miles south, there were problems even more dire. Their village trading post had fallen down so they didn’t even have a “grocery store”. For some reason (can’t remember what) UPS wasn’t a good way to send (then again, UPS just shut down here in Seattle with our snows), but they had better success with US Postal. So, you might check out her posts too in that thread, she made a few posts, worth reading. Don’t think she would mind if I copy her post, later she DID get permission to accept donations, too. I agree, that it would be better having some oversight agency, but if all donations are geared towards Emmonak, will they get disbursed around to all the other villages? Or MAYBE that’s only the closest dropoff point, hopefully.
- – -
“Struggling in Nunam Iqua (09:42:00) :
OK I hope this doesn’t get me in trouble but someone asked about sending boxes to the villages. We do receive regular postal mail here. It can be pretty slow depending on when the planes can get here but usually only a few days or a week behind. If you would like to send a box here you can. I run the Nunam Iqua Program for Youth Center here in Nunam Iqua. You can see references to us online. If anyone would like to send a box I can make sure it gets to the needy families here.
Just send it to:
Nunam Iqua Program for Youth
c/o City of Nunam Iqua
P.O. Box 26
Nunam Iqua, AK 99666
If you have additional questions please feel free to email me directly at nunamiquayouth@yahoo.com.
Thank you in advance for any help you are able to provide.
Ann
Project Director/Supervisor
Nunam Iqua Program for Youth
To those visiting from Outside – it is NOT the price of milk itself.
We have a loose network of transport into and around the state. Pieces of it are pretty firm. Barges out of Seattle area to main areas- some rail in the so-called rail belt. Pieces of roads here and there. Some ferry and /or smaller barge companies.Planes all over the place.
Knowing your freight consolidator is more important than knowing your customers for a lot of small businesses.
When fuel prices hit the ceiling and the state coffers bulged fuel prices to get OUR stuff here exploded. Having to transport to so few people leaves no room to offset costs by volume and each leg has to be paid for.
Folks mostly know that. Where I work we ate huge fuel surcharges for a year. We are a small shipper- usually under 10,000 pounds a week so our per pound rate is higher. Fuel surcharge almost equaled per pound rate before it all began to come down. We receive our goods directly from barge so don’t have any other costs on this end as folks further from water do.
By and large it is all workable and the more remote people are the more they just do things differently. Powdered milk is more important than fresh – don’t have to hurry to get it here. Can store it and make fewer trips to stock up…
More drygoods, less fresh stuff.
This mess in Yukon Delta is the confluence of exploding prices, early river freeze blocking out fuel delivery, poor salmon season and fewer available dollars to have any wiggle room to meet the challenges. Too many things all at once…
Visitor, please stop being so snarky. Do you really think crystalwolf knows how big (or not big) Bethel is? Just because AKM has provided this wonderful forum for people all over the world to learn about Alaska doesn’t mean that it’s provided a complete knowledge download on all the demographic characteristics of over Alaskan community. Be nice.
@In Juneau
_____________________________________
Yeah! Thank god for this site,and the things they are doing in spite of condescending statements from the likes of visitor. Just to let you all know, you are doing an awesome job!
I would like to say that I am pleased with the caring and responsiveness of the readership of this blog. I would also like to thank Dennis for taking the time to fly to a rural area and report first hand his impressions. And I would definitely like to thank ‘mudflats’ for all the information posted here. Thank You.
It is true that most rural areas, Villages and such ARE largely populated by natives but there is a significant population of non-natives living in rural areas also. Basically I’m saying that it’s not just the ‘natives’ that are in trouble with high food prices, oil prices, wood etc.
I know that ‘you’ all know this and I don’t mean to insult your intelligence but I wanted to make sure that it is noted here.
Having said that, I ask the question to Palin’s Administration ‘Where is the empathy, understanding and response to this crisis?” Answer: Forgotten and buried beneath the importance of ‘People’ magazine’s current article about her family.
It is the perfect storm……….
@
Kath the Scrappy from Seattle (23:37:46) :
@ Co Not Native
————–
Have been emailing with Ann for a few days now. She appeared here and after I checked out-like you- contacted her.
MAIL IS THE ONLY WAY. Priority mail -flat rate boxes. BIG Slick’s list is a good one for a small shipment.
UPS and FED-EX are non-existent away from urban areas. UPS would take your pkg, ship as far as they could and turn over to Postal Service for last leg AND chg you a bazillion dollars
i said this in another post would this not bring out the,,,mom grizzly in the Ice Princess if she could not keep the two babies in her home warm and feed………
I would also like to say that when it comes to caring and concern, there is no wrong response. As long as questions are being asked.
Alaska is definitely different from other states and we generally know that we need to explain to those who have never been up here. Everyone has ‘views’ or ‘ideas’ on what each state is like and they can be wrong (or right). As long as a person attempts to understand and keeps asking questions.
I will say that some people need to be more understanding and not snap at another person because they make a comment that may not make sense up here.
Having said that, keep on blogging!
Here’s more reading for those interested in learning about life in remote Alaska villages. I hope Dennis reports on this aspect also.
@Village Reader
“It is true that most rural areas, Villages and such ARE largely populated by natives but there is a significant population of non-natives living in rural areas also. Basically I’m saying that it’s not just the ‘natives’ that are in trouble with high food prices, oil prices, wood etc.
I know that ‘you’ all know this and I don’t mean to insult your intelligence but I wanted to make sure that it is noted here.”
————–
This is a good reminder to say- again and again-
These may be mostly Alaska Natives suffering right now but this is a RURAL Alaska problem.
Rural Alaska is not getting a fair shake in far too many ways. Defining it as a native problem as so many yahoos in the urban areas do will kill the issue. Those folks -yahoos- think it’s all about moving to town and getting a job.
It’s much, much more.
Rural America has suffered horribly with that mindset in charge.
We don’t need to do it here to prove it’s a stupid idea yet again.
@ BigSlick (23:33:09)
Thanks too for your suggestions, I’ve been marking them down. Want to get the most “bang for my buck” at Sam’s Club, considering freight costs. Will hit there on Tues, since the post office just down the street is open then too. Will have to see what they have to offer. Yikes! 75cents for a packet of Top Ramen? Last summer here, I believe it was just a couple of bucks for a whole case.
Plan to put in a note, that they could make a pkt of Ramen go further by boiling the noodles, then stirfry with a few vegs, meat. Save most of the flavor packet to make soups later.
I have been following this blog since September. Until this time, I knew the shape of Alaska and that it was ‘up there’. I went to the commercial site that MT had posted and looked at the map where all of the stores were located.
Then I took a look at my road atlas book. That is an eyeopener for those of us who are not familiar with the terrain and the vastness of Alaska. I know there are a lot of northern communities in Canada that must plan ahead to have enough groceries to see them through. I would imagine that there are many hardships there as well – only we haven’t heard about them. This would be similar to us not knowing about all of the other small villages in Alaska.
Hats off to the mudflatters who are working to solve the immediate problems. Knowing your determination and dedication, I am sure you will be working to make sure this never happens again.
@ Alaska Pi
@Village Reader
I don’t care much what culture they might be. Hungry Kids are still Hungry Kids!
“I don’t care much what culture they might be. Hungry Kids are still Hungry Kids!”
———
That’s what it’s really all about. And hungry parents can not take proper care of their kids.
The Rural thingy is important, here, if we are going to keep this alive after spring comes…
The tension surrounding native issues is largely based on uninformed horse pucky- but the tension is real.
So- now we warm and feed our neighbors.
Then we hold the gov’s feet to the ice.
yes it does not matter really .. Rural or Native…people are people and kids are kids
I grew up in warm california..was born in arkansas…moved to oregon last year..very different….But ALASKA ..No, did not know much about until the last few months…I was talking/typing to one of you a few months ago and you said “oh it not that bad now,the rivers are frozen over so you can snowmobile to the store and the bears are mostly in hibernation ” right then I am like “YIKES” OK my weather is not that bad..I only have to look out for large birds that could carry off my small dog..I have nothing but respect for all of you…
PS I still love that Obama sigh that you all did…….
We need more addresses to send food to distressed communities. So far I only have seen two — there’s gotta be more.
The communities are out there, but we on the blogosphere don’t have the addresses gathered in one easy-access place yet, do we?
Can anyone local contact this organization and ask them for contacts in the hardest hit communities so we bloggers can bypass their slow-ass bureaucracy?
http://www.alaskafood.org/
If they complain and ask for money for their Board of Directors to spend on a fundraising lunch next fall, then loudly tell them they either need to lead, follow, or get the f**k outta the way? And by “getting the f**k outta the way” I mean coughing up good addresses and phone numbers and standing aside so we can contact people to confirm their situation and send food directly to where it is really needed.
Can we make a difference? Yes We Can!
http://fairbanks-alaska.com/alaska-native-corporations.htm
go there
All the village corps are listed. Calista corp has a map which shows their area and villages
There may well be villages outside those boundaries but if you can make some contacts you will be rollin
Visitor (00:01:10) :
Here’s more reading for those interested in learning about life in remote Alaska villages. I hope Dennis reports on this aspect also.
___________________________________________________________
This is obviously a problem that needs addressing after making sure that enough food and heat is made available for the folks to survive the winter.
Perhaps you might want to go join Dennis on his journey and take on this angle of the story yourself?
BigSlick – Reminder: I am of the opinion that the best option is for them to move.
new post 8 yeas -8 minutes
@”Visitor”, I’m sorry, but you are not here to commune and help. You keep wanting to stir it up. We are all of us in this great state of Alaska dependent upon each other. And each and every one of us have both good and bad. Life is too short, and the world is too small to not get along.
I really believe that the problems of rural Alaska is mostly a problem of will. Of course the problems are huge, but there really has never been a concerted effort, and unified public will, to help. A Marshall Plan, if you will.
Anchorage is a service community. It does not have natural resources. It is by no means “self sufficient”. The natural resources that fuel the economy of Anchorage (and surrounding areas) are in rural Alaska. And yet, those that wish to remain in those areas are considered foolish. Rural Alaska does not have the population to support the political clout to get their share of the largess these resources provide. Do you honestly believe that Anchorage would have half the big box stores it has without the support of rural purchases?
The rural communities are dependent on expensive and infrequent freight (only a small part of which gets subsidized, such as mail, and some air service), satellite communications which are slow and often weather interfered. Some communities have a rough road, most do not. Some are dependent on the Alaska Marine Highway System, which is a constant political struggle to keep funded, and all are dependent on one form or another of air transport. Instead of simply going to those communities to live there only long enough to extract it’s wealth, and leave again, some chose to stay and raise families. They make sacrifices to do that,but do it for love of the land and people of the area. Folks in rural Alaska do not expect any more than a realistic look at what these communities do indeed contribute to the state and it’s fine balance of cultures and what makes Alaska unique and beautiful. Even the tourists get that. They do not come all this way to visit the city and leave again. It is a portal to “real Alaska”.
Meanwhile, there is a group of villages that need our help, and tho I pay $7/gal milk, $4/ga. gas or home heating fuel, I know our little community is better off. We will do our share to help.
I would gladly and generously help them move to a place where they needn’t be dependent on others.
oh Visitor-
That’s silly. Aside from the issue that we all depend on each other every day
We, the larger we , sold these folks on diesel power and all without the trimmins to go with it.
We, the larger, we have , in just over 50 years made dang near everything dollar oriented. We are not prepared to deal with “the perfect storm” the confluence of the collapse of the housing bubble, overspending on a war that makes no sense, on and on… and you want to hold Rural alsak to a higher standard od self lessness than us? PFFFT
woops- Rural Alaska
We are still talking about the same place…
It’s amazing they survived before we introduced them to diesel, huh?
Puhleeze.
Oh my- I think you have a snark stuck in your throat Visitor.
Didn’t want to believe it before.
Can see it clearly now.
Glass of water?
Turn out the lights for the night, please.
I have alerted our local Episcopal Church about this, when it was posted that St. Mary’s in Anc was involved. Would feel better about going through them on this, since one blogger vouched for them. Sometimes, like in Katrina, stuff gets “lost”, misplaced, or just ends up where it’s not intended to go. Will report back.
Is Swanson’s still in Bethel? When I lived there, the FAA flew out our groceries once a month, and we filled in with stuff from Swanson’s. Northern Commercial was there also, plus the Native Store.
Visitor (00:01:10) From link about sexual abuse: “It means the good inherent in cultures that have existed for thousands of years is getting swept away in the tide of pain, anguish and destroyed lives that play out every year in small villages throughout this state.”
Just what is your secondary gain in posting your comments about Dennis Zaki regarding this link? Your flippant attitude belies any true concern or empathy for the “tide of pain, anguish, and destroyed lives” in these villages. What axe do you have to grind that you are chanting a mantra of “Move, move, move” as the only solution for rural problems? I detect a not-so-subtle jab at the good people on this blog who are trying to help an acute crisis in these rural villages.
“Visitor,” you are playing limbo with your comments in this blog….sliding under the bar just enough to be taken (kind of) seriously but brushing the bar enough to ruffle a few feathers. Why would you bother?….I imagine pride. Pride in playing the game. Pride that you think you’re stringing us along. Not all of us, my friend.
I didn’t have time to read through all the comments…why are the prices so high…is it because everything has to be flown there?
@Irishgirl, Yes, because everything must be flown in, or arrive in the few months of the year when barges can land. The barges got frozen out this year with an early cold snap and ice. Besides, the cost of shipping, there is the fact that it is a very small market, so the economy of scale is not there. The largest grocery chain in rural Alaska is Alaska Commercial Co or AC CO (formerly Northern Commercial Co). They are now a Canadian owned chain (also owned the Hudson Bay Co, I believe), that has the logistics and system down pretty well for service to the bush. But the costs are still quite high, even with their large distribution.
Just a quick note this AM then I have to head out – heard from friends in my area who are solid community members and church-goers (unlike myself – think I saw the last inside of church was during my dad’s funeral) – and during “community announcements” the minister spoke on the situation in Alaska. (This is a very middle-class, bible-belt church) and my friends had copied out the list of goods needed that Ann Strongheart had posted at M&H – apparently the congregation’s day of service will be a food/fund drive for the villages. Can you imagine if every congregation, be they Christian, Muslim, Jewish, etc did that? Anyone on Mudflats ready to go remind their religious leaders that WE are our brother’s keeper?
@Irishgirl:
I live remote from the road system, and must either fly or take a ferry to the road system. I make the trek at least 6 times in the summer to purchase supplies for my business, and 3-4 times in the winter to Anchorage. It is a 5 hour ferry ride and another 2 hour drive. The rest of the time I rely on airfreight, mail, or barge service, usually from Seattle. We pay at the least $1/lb. freight charges, usually more. Visitors always complain about costs until they learn of our .30 cent/KWH electricity (compare to one-tenth that in the Pacific NW), $4/gal heating fuel, etc. We are thankful for the internet, and the purchasing that has afforded us.
But we do love it here. We have real friends that know how to help each other. My children learned independence and skills they could never have any other place. They do not hang out at a mall, nor wear the “latest” styles, but have friends that have shared their lives since infancy and will graduate with. The school is more like an extended (& very diverse) family. They can work on their own cars, run large and small boats on their own, hike in to a remote cabin, winter or summer, stay a few days, and hike out, with the necessary skills. Their grades are good, and they will go to college. In fact, my daughter is in her first year in SF attending school. I visited her recently, and discovered her roommate was an african-american girl. I mention it only because in the 3 months I had been talking with my daughter on the phone, she never mentioned it once, while always saying how much she liked her new roommate. Our children do not really discuss diversity, because they live it. I think we have our own small town problems, but also have avoided some of the ones that plague larger communities.
Visitors are like fish – they start to smell when they hang around for more than three days.
English saying.
@CRFlats,
Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my query. I must admit that I’ve become fascinated with all things Alaskan….something to thank Sarah Palin for!
It is great to actually hear in such detail how you get your supplies. Your lifestyle and community sounds amazing. Very different to here in Ireland.
I loved the story about your daughter and her roommate….you have obviously raised your children well, and should be justifiably proud of them.
Two words that a person can see over and over when Visitor posts are “move” and his/her name “Visitor”……..so Visitor…….”move” and be a “Visitor” somewhere else……..
Dennis, be prepared for the onslought of attention you will get. Some of it may be nagative, especially from those in the Governor’s inner sanctum, which appears to be everyone in politics up there. Get the goods while you’re there and document the hell out of it. Remain impartial in your reporting, and stick to the facts so that nobody can undermine your integrity.
It takes a special person to jump on a plane and head out to the wilderness in search of truth. Godspeed… or for those athiest types, Dogspeed!
poor visitor.poor old thing. life must be hard for you. who hurt you so bad? never mind now.you are safe with us. look at the beautiful quilt you have. purple and white for nobility of spirit.look at lovely pattern. wrap yourself in your quilt and be warmed and go to sleep. sleep and sleep and sleep….b
Amazing just amazing all of the people here and at Helen and Margarets blog!
I am heading out to do my day of service and then organize friends to make packages for the villages.
I will keep checking back to see if a central organization has been found for an air lift from the lower 48!
Dennis be safe! I kept sending up positive thoughts yesterday hoping you would get to Bethel. Seems like someone in the Universe was listening.
OT, but I just read an OP ED in the ADN by a “reader” who begged the media to lay off the Palin kids. Evidently her dad was mayor of Ancorage at one time, and she paints a wonderful time when her childhood was left alone by said media. I do agree with her, but it was Sarah that paraded those kids all over the place (in the first place). The kicker at the end was a blurb from the paper:
Colleen Sullivan-Leonard works in the office of the governor and lives in Wasilla.
I should have guessed!
VisitorNo Gravatar (22:53:47) :
Does “crystalwolf a.k.a. caligrl” really think Bethel could support a Wal-Mart or Costco? She’s kidding, right?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
snark! Oh course I know these are small communities “Villages” of Native peoples, I just think they should have more shopping areas/businesses available to them so they don’t have to pay $9/gal milk from a Canadian Co that doesn’t care about them. Down here we have “food co-ops” or something on the Federal front like a Trading post. More choices, mean prices come down.
Boy, Vister, you need a chill pill!
UK LadyNo Gravatar (03:40:54) :
Visitors are like fish – they start to smell when they hang around for more than three days.
English saying.
——-
Good one! And Visitor is really making this place reek. I agree with the other poster. Visitor should MOVE to another place and stop stinking up Mudflats. PeeeeeeeeYoouuuuu!!!! Get lost you loser!
Me no like Visitor.
Go Dennis! I am so happy to see something so constructive being done, and to have even been a very small part of it.
What an amazing thing you are doing on this day of service!
What I’d like to know is how many of these stores are owned and operated by the native people?
Carmen n’ha LydiaNo Gravatar (07:50:46) :
What I’d like to know is how many of these stores are owned and operated by the native people?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I don’t think this particular one is, I believe someone said it was owned by a Canadian co.?
It would be nice to get a Native trading post or co-op going to make prices more competitive for the people living in these villages.
Why isn’t the Alaskan Federation of Natives involved in this, or was it brought up at their meeting in Anchorage last Oct. they represent 178 villages and 13 native corporations, maybe they should be helping their people??? Do these people get foodstamps or welfare? I was born and raised in Alaska and yes the prices are HIGH. The prices in Fairbanks , on a lot of the groceries are double what I pay here in Washington. When I retired we had to move, couldn’t afford to live there with the prices of gas, electricity, fuel and groceries, I was visiting when the pfd and energy checks came out, you couldn”t get in the parking lots, they were so crowed, people buying big screen tvs and filling baskets with junk from China, it was crazy!! FREE MONEY, how many people thought about groceries or heat at that time? but they will get another check this yr and probably do it all over again. I am not talking about just natives either. Hope the the donations help, but something needs to be done for the future of these people, most can not move, where will they live( most own there homes in the villages) and work? and where will they get the money to move whole familys? Sarah–where are you??
Also on that note, I’m sure if Gov. Grifter really cared about the Native people and had filled that position that sits empty, that they (who ever) was picked could start working on such a project, however Gov. grifter does not care, (wink, wink!) She’s gotta fix her lipstick, she gonna be on glen beck tonight, you betcha!
Sorry for my first comment, I posted it before reading even one third of what’s on this thread. I now know how ignorant my question is. One thing did occur to me, though: seems that the one supplier who posted here is revelling in how his/her kids are so diversity savvy, and mentions that her/his kid now in college in San Francisco (did I get this right?) is so hip to diversity she never even mentioned that the new much-liked roommate was African/American… and what occured to me was that at least this kid’s parents could afford to send her to college, based on what they made supplying the rest of the locals… and then I wondered how many of the other local kids could afford to go to college…
I don’t mean to disparage free enterprise in the hinterlands, but I’m just sayin’…
If anyone is still on this thread, I sent an email to the contact (you can’t send on on the site), so I’ll post if/when I get an answer-
oops. Forgot the link to where I went- need more coffee.
http://fairbanks-alaska.com/alaska-native-corporations.htm
$2.25 for a Gallon of milk at wally mart (Weatherford, Texas about 30 miles west of Fort Worth) last week and $2.47 for a 1/2 Gallon of the same stuff! Go figure!
It does not make a whole lotta sense to me, but I’ve been told and I usually believe that there is a good reason why a gallon of something will sometimes cost less than a 1/2 gallon of the same product.
I do not remember the last time I saw milk at $2.25 a gallon and the expiration date was about 10 days forward.
Milk around here is usually in the $3.00 to $3.50 range.
You mean to tell me that the Mat-su Dairy up there can’t turn a profit with milk in the $10.00 per gallon range?
With milk at $10.00 a gallon, I’m surprised they can keep there cows from being stolen!
Rumor has it that bush and chenney are trying to get blackwater a deal to go up there and protect the cows because the way things are going it won’t be long before milk is more valuable than oil !!
Questions engendered by Terry Gross’s interview with John Lewis about “Bloody Sunday” in Selma, AL.
[Please excuse the vast areas of ignorance about the situation that I may
be exposing....but here goes:]
WHEN A STATE GOVERNMENT CANNOT PROTECT ITS’ CITIZENS, THE LARGER
POLITY MUST STEP IN.
Could Senators Begich or Murkowski ask for federal attention?
Can’t PRESIDENT [halliluia] OBAMA declare it a national disaster emergency?
Nationalize the National Guard to do what it is supposed to do.
Isn’t there some federal land involved? Over which BLM or BIA would have jurisdiction?
[Most governors are eager to declare emergencies to get the federal money, though I understand there may be issues her blaminess may not want to do that.]
Just wondering…and worrying…and sending reiki energy…
I’m just going to throw these numbers out there:
$3900 PFD ($2700) + energy assist ($1200)
-$1200 taxes (approx 30%)
= $2700 (which means that the energy assist or whatever it was called was essentially swallowed by taxes)
$2700 to last the 6-9 months between freeze/thaw, to be used for oil/food/etc
As you can see from the numbers given, it wouldn’t last long.
I don’t begrudge these people an ipod or dvd player or computer to keep themselves entertained. I’d go crazy w/out ours….
Carmen n’ha Lydia, not to criticize your criticism, but I got the sense from CRFlats in the explanation to Irishgirl that “the school” was what was being described, not just CRFlats’ kids.
….And that the schoolkids in general (and of course, we should accept that might not mean ALL the kids, just like down here in lower-48 HSs) were independent enough and educated enough to do all those things and get good grades too, in preparation to go to college.
But then again, I have a generally charitable and generous outlook on life and other people…
OT: Thank you Mr Bush. He pardoned the 2 border guards. (announced by CNN just moments ago)
-take those numbers and multiply them be each member in the family, children get the checks too. Very few people living in the villages have year around jobs so they don’t pay that much in taxes, I think TV is still provided by the state free. I think warm clothes, groceries and fuel come before i-pods etc. just saying. I think the native corporations should have co-op stores in each village to benefit the people belonging to those corporations, I dought if the northern commercial co. is taking advantage, they have been around for probably 50 yrs and they have to pay for heat, electricity, freight and workers to keep these stores open. If you live in an outlying area you need to be self-sufficient , your life depends on it. It fine to help them out when they are in a crisis but what about the future. Sarah– were are you????
Multiply $2700? Why? The point is that an extra $2700 for each person, to last an entire year, is not much money when costs are that high. Who in the world lives off of less than $3000 for an entire year. Exactly how far is a person to be expected to stretch that money with those kinds of costs for basic staples? Every little bit helps, and I hope that they are spending the money wisely, not on big screen televisions, but honestly so many people judging them, talking smack about “everyone” buying big screen televisions, and other stuff at Costco or Best Buy, and completely missing the real point(s) here.
The real point(s): Weather, fishing season & high fuel costs combined to make this an unusually difficult year. Basic staple costs are high out there. Conditions are horrific. Families are struggling. They asked the governor to do something and she didn’t.
Darn the spam filters and as well as wolves in sheep’s clothing.
Some things aren’t worth wasting words over.
@ former Alaskan: The Alaska Federation of Natives held the convention in Anchorage this year and about 5000 natives from Anchorage area and all over the state attended. The theme over and over was about the energy crises in the villages. The role of AFN is one of advocacy, it does not have money of it’s own. It is supported by donations and direct membership dues provided by Native Corps and others. It is a phenomenally run and effective organization. The convention is in October every year, and last year, and the year before that, the discussions were also largely about energy and high costs.
However, the state government has turned a deaf ear, and continue to claim “this is the first we have heard of this”.
The advocacy is much more effective in DC than in Juneau. The major infrastructure improvements in the bush can be traced to the Feds, not to the state of Alaska.
Anyone who wants to learn more about Alaska and Alaska Natives, there is a Suggested Reading thread in the Forum under Alaska Lodge. I will add some links for web sites of organizations that are run by Natives. There are some very fantastic organizations in this state that are conceived and operated by Alaska Natives. They include The Alaska Federation of Natives, First Alaskans Institute, The South Central Foundation (runs the largest hospital and clinics for natives), and many more.
Start here: http://www.nativefederation.org
Not sure if it’s in the suggested reading thread, but have to put a plug in for a book written by a wonderful family acquaintance, “Growing Up Native”
http://www.amazon.com/Growing-Up-Native-Alaska-McClanahan/dp/1578331145/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1232399335&sr=1-1
SMR- I understand your point, yes it is a bad year for the people living in the villages,its a bad yr for a lot of people in the United States and I have no problem with helping the villages out. Every adult and child in Alaska received$2069.00 pfd check and an energy check $1200.00. If they do not have a job they can receive food stamps and welfare also. That is $3269.00 each, I do not expect them to live on that alone, a family of 5 would get 16,000.00 and I did not say “everyone” was buying big screen tv’s. I was at Fred Meyers and Walmart, don”t but words in my mouth. I lived in Alaska and know what its like, even people in places like Fairbanks are having trouble paying fuel and electric. I just think something needs to be done in the long run to prevent this from happening again.
@former alaskan –
I wasn’t speaking to you or about you, actually, which is why I didn’t put your name or comments in my comment. This topic has been discussed over the past several days on several threads, on other blogs, other news sites (ADN), and a common theme is that the PFD & energy money should have been sufficient to address the problems that rural citizens are facing.
I think everyone here at the ‘flats honors the fact that people do not always agree, the main thing is that we all hope that dissenting opinions are given respectfully & constructively, which yours were — so really, my comment was a general response to the plethora of similar statements that seem to consider the PFD & extra $1200 to be enough to have allowed these families to get through this. Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t, I’m not out there, and don’t have any clear idea of what the real numbers are for heat + food + other essentials. Seems to me that a single trip, for emergency or family matters or whatever, could eat up that money more or less instantaneously. I hope that Dennis Z will shed some light on this. And I hope that conversation about this on blogs such as this one will bring greater understanding, and a lot of that comes when there are opposing views and so people must be clearer about their circumstances, experiences & thoughts.
I could write a long time about this, but will try to be brief here –
1) Though I was born & raised in AK, I’ve just moved back, so did not get a PFD or anything else, have not for many years, and will not do so in the future because we are in the process of moving away again.
2) I have long wished that the PFD would go away and that income tax would be instated here. We were here pre-PFD and did just fine without it. There are a lot of things that I don’t like about it. I was particularly against the extra $1200 this year because I believe that the money would have been better spent in investment in long-term solutions to the energy issues. Had the PFD funds been spent on these sorts of things we might not be having these discussions now, as there may have been things long since in place to address the problems.
3) I don’t think there is any amount of money, whether it’s received from caring people, welfare, food stamps, PFDs, etc, that addresses the real issues here as I put them above. Very basic fact that conditions are horrible, costs are high, Gov not doing anything to prevent a crisis or to address the crisis that could have been prevented to a certain extent.
I like to think that we’ve had Gov’s in the past that would have handled this situation better than the really crap one that we have now, but to be honest, rural Alaskan needs have long been at the bottom of the list for our Alaskan governors. That needs to change NOW. Long-term solutions need to be put in place, and that $1200 that was handed out to everyone could have gone a long way toward doing so. And it would have been nice if it could have happened BEFORE our Gov decided to pi$$ away $500 million on her pipeline to nowhere, while oil prices were high, and much much more…
@CRFLATS:
Just a suggestion. (knowing you don’t have money – but maybe have people resources). Is there the possibility of something on the order of a “food bank” that could handle packages, and distribute to people who need?
Flat rate U.S. Postal Service is just that. Weight doesn’t matter. If it fits in the box, it ships for the flat rate of about $10. Anything non-hazardous, non-breakable, and non-flammable is what they will ship.
I’m going to put some things together for the Project Director at Nunam Iqua, who posted here, and gave her address, and get it in the mail. According to her. They do get mail – albeit infrequent.
You always know it isn’t enough, and wish it could be more.
if one is familiar with the costs of what one is used to in say ‘the lower 48′ the prices in Greenland, Nunavit (aka Northwest Territories) or anywhere else in the Arctic for the ‘necessities’ of life in, say, Atlanta are vastly higher due to the costs of shipping and the relatively sparse settlement patterns.
And in both these cases which I am personally familiar with there is a huge government subsidy involved anyway. It is simply not a sustainable population in a ‘free market’ society… its hard enough in the semi-socialist examples cited. [cf. my earlier post]
SMR I lived in Alaska without the PFD and with the PFD, some people saved it for their children ed. etc. , but most pi$$ed it away. I totally agree with you about the energy check. and the pipeline to now-where. Just think how things could be if the PFDs and the energy money was put into infrastructure, energy and helping all of the people of Alaska all of these years, we would not be having this conversation right now about Alaskans needing fuel and food. I think it is up to Alaskans to handle the situation with their crap gov. ALL i CAN SAY IS GOOD LUCK WITH THAT ONE…when this is all over she will come out smelling like a rose, AGAIN, it will be everyone’s fault but her’s.
people are asking about local coordination of these efforts. I would suggest the Association of Village Council Presidents (AVCP). It is the non-profit, service provider for that region of the Yukon-Kuskokwim delta. They provide social services and a host of other services to the native villages. they have all of the local expertise and knowledge that is available for that region. they are located in Bethel. Myron Naneng is the president. He is a native guy from one of the villages. A good guy.
Miemaw: Good recommendation for the USPS flat rate boxes. Don’t know why I forgot that-we use it all the time.
Ex-Alaskan: AVCP and Myron were on the teleconference with the Lt.Gov & Commissioners. Check out the new thread posted by AKM. We are getting some traction, but will have to keep up a steady pressure.
@CRFlats, Thank you.
I can’t wait for tomorrow…..Keep that in mind everyone…new day!
“I lived in Alaska without the PFD and with the PFD, some people saved it for their children ed. etc. , but most pi$$ed it away.”
That’s why, dare I say it, more ‘enlightened’ governments with unexpected oil revenues… Norway comes first to mind as it shares with AK a long coastline with thin infrastructure, a ‘native’ (Sami) population ‘up north’ etc… all the standard excuses for AK… but Norway has invested its equivalent of PFD funds not as a bunch of yahoos blowing their heritage on snowmobiles, underinsulated Macshacks, and AHHH… the latest wall-to-wall TV [not to mention an ‘investment’ with SWWNBN’s sister-almost-in-law.
Little sympathy for such a dysfunctional ‘big-AK-family’ from here. This is what government is for, not private bleeding heart ‘charity’.
QED