I don’t know what the ghastly gov is really up to but I don’t think she has a clue what weatherization help to existing structures means to so many folks nor to the state overall. It’s all talking points or code words for foolish followers or some gobbeldygook with her.

I believe the insulation they used was flame retardant treated and very finely, almost powdery, shredded newspaper (that’s what it looked like to me). So, it was a way to utilize/recycle waste while reducing megawatt usage.

I DON’T think it was mere coincidence, back when the Gov sent her 5 bureaucrats to Emmonak and the rural crisis was becoming obvious to the blogs & press – the people of the villages said they had NEVER even heard of the recent state weatherization program! It was heavily used in Anchorage & Fairbanks, as I recall, but not publicized in the rural areas that had the most need.

I think she’s trying to run the First People off their land, myself. Just like back in history when the Army supplied Native Americans with smallpox contaminated blankets.

When OPEC ratcheted up the price of oil so many years ago I’ve forgotten which year in the 70s it was, we saw it as patriotic and sensible to work on energy efficiency, weatherization, and alternative energy.
We vowed not to allow foreign economic interests to have the effect on us which rippled through our whole economy when oil prices jumped so much…
We did manage to make some headway but it didn’t take too many years before things leveled out, we adjusted, and we forgot.

WE ratcheted up our use of energy all over again and lapsed into near unconsciousness in terms of dealing with how best to supply power needs outside the oil-paradigm… and blam, we got hit last year with powerful incentives to remember our promise to ourselves of so many years ago…

This time it wasn’t foreign economic interests but the need to adjust firmly in favor of reduction- “nega watts”- is just as obvious.

Lee 323- i think your ‘codes” are more fun but don’t think the ghastly gov is capable of that much encoding…

Fussing that the building code requirement is onerous is disingenuous or just plain dumb…
Keeps sounding to me like the gov is playing on the keep-the-gubbamint-outta-my-house-building-code sentiment a lot of folks have here.
If so- fess up gov.

Means you are just playing on the big -government-bad , small-government-good boardgame …
Doesn’t mean you are actually WEIGHING the advantages weatherization and codes which encourage new construction to reach for energy sense might bring to Alaska…
Just means you are running the code-words for the small government-let-them-eat-cake bunch.

Standing up for a poorly-performing missile project money for small government ,big defense reasons is simply foolish. America already did this once in recent memory. Our been-there-done-that thing with Star Wars defense dollars was supposed to have been a call to better monitor actual performance of such projects… short memories again, aided by the sedative the nice dollars provide?

Didn’t vote for the nega neuron queen, never would.
Sure hoping a broader group of my neighbors are doing the nega-math the gov is spouting here and coming up with the same imaginary numbers I see…
We can’t do this foolishness for too much longer.
Too many things need attending to in this state…
And gov-
why in the world send energy audit/weatherization specialists to the bush when it’s cold this winter and folks are ticked at you- and deny funding such programs when folks are warmer and focussed on getting ready to fish and farm ?

“Missiles good”…..code message: I’m tough on defense and the security of this great country of ours.

“Energy stimulus allotment bad”…..code message: I’m tough on the Feds and won’t be drawn into their nefarious plans for subverting a state’s sovereignty with enforcement of “their” codes.

On second thought, substitute the word “nefarious” for “evil.” She and her followers wouldn’t have any idea what nefarious means….and “evil” is a good religious code word with scary connotations evocative of hell in a handbasket, the Anti-Christ, and Satan, himself…..signed, sealed, and delivered with abundant fear, paranoia, and outrage towards the Obama administration.

On third thought, just replace the code message with: “I’m not scared of the Feds and I won’t take part in their evil plans to overthrow me as president and religious leader of my flock of musk oxen under the Great North Star. A mighty gaggle of angels with flaming swords guards my back as I stare fearlessly into the jaws of the beast. Pray for me and send money, preferably large bills, to the Alaska Fun Times Trust.”

- The programs create jobs installing the equipment.
- Hopefully we make the equipment creating more jobs.
- It reduces the need for oil without big expensive projects..
- The families, schools, hospitals etc. save money on energy bills.
- The technology currently exists.

Wait, that doesn’t sound so bad.

But it may involve those pesky building codes and permits.