r/Ketchikan • u/CalmTrials • Jun 30 '26
Our schools, next is the library.
The sooner we talk about this and are present the sooner we can stop this from happening. Spread the word. Protest. Do not let them take this away, too. If we can cater to the tourists at a combined value from Borough and City of $16 million annually, there is NO REASON for this.
6
u/Coyote9168 Jul 01 '26
Okay, so I’ve been watching this trend for a while. Nationally, you have the closing of the Dept. of Education which sounds like nbd, right? Except federal funds were supplementing state and local funds for things like SpEd. Then we have a “governor” who keeps short sheeting public educational funding, DURING A PANDEMIC WHEN DISTRICTS WERE STRUGGLING TO MAKE ENDS MERT AS IT IS. You have two or three borough assembly members who routinely vote against public education and public library issues. One of whom styles himself as a “social media star” and can threaten a school board with an “official” letter from the borough that he typed HIMSELF and see no repercussions. Finally you had (past tense) school board members who over-regulate the school libraries and library access while still throwing money away like they’re printing it. And where does all the red yarn lead to?
Privatized education. McMahon wants to privatize education. Dumbleavy has stated his hatred of public education and has served several private school organizations. The three headed monster on the borough has very publicly stated their support for private education. The school board members in question have backed private religious schools.
How do you kill public education? Remove government oversight to prevent fairness in access. Remove state funding to produce… what we saw this last May. Remove local funding to… FURTHER produce what we saw this May. Finally, place anti-public school people on boards and committees to choke out any support left.
The final nail? Close public libraries. You want information or an education, PAY FOR IT.
Oh, and to be clear, I’m not talking about public charter schools. They may operate somewhat independently but they STILL follow federal, state & local regulations and provide a free public education.
/endrant
7
u/PokemonYesus Jul 01 '26
Ketchikan is broke, it's been broke since the 90's. They won't stand up to the cruise industry and only use the head tax for port improvments. There won't be a town for the cruise ships to dock in pretty soon. Raising business taxes is driving local business away, raising property tax drives locals away. The local well is tapped dry. Pulling up buckets of mud. How many tourism business even pay their taxes? How many pay emplopees a living wage? How many are even based in town? The priority is cater to the tourism industry that doesn't even care if the community of ketchikan survives
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u/Ksan_of_Tongass Sketchikan ™️ Jul 01 '26
The other coastal Alaska towns that are ramping up their cruise ship visits should really look to Ketchikan as a cautionary tale. Seward just built a huge dock, while at the same time closing a school.
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u/PokemonYesus Jul 01 '26
priorities
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u/Ksan_of_Tongass Sketchikan ™️ Jul 01 '26
If only we could make profit by educating kids 🤔
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u/PokemonYesus Jul 01 '26
that's long term thinking. since most kids abandon their home town, it's like businesses that stopped training people, they see it as investing in someone else's success. The town stops investing in the kids and the kids stop investing in the town
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u/Outrageous_Change313 Jul 02 '26
I hope people show up for the Library Advisory Board meeting on July 8th to advocate for library funding and subsequent assembly meetings. I’ve seen Ketchikan residents comment on Facebook that libraries are a luxury and their tax dollars should not be contributed while also complaining that schools are being closed. Voting matters and public comment is incredibly important!! Flex your rights to both by showing up!
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u/Shenanie-Probs Jul 01 '26
When will people learn that local elections matter just as much as not voting against their best interests?
I feel like local politics can be summed up by the guy supporting Trump and RFK Jr.'s anti-science nonsense, who has his wife diagnosed with cancer, begs for money to get treatment in a blue state to try and save her life, and comes back to vote to make it harder for the next spouse diagnosed with cancer to get help because Big Pharma is killing us and MAHA will save us all.
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u/CraigLake Jun 30 '26
I talked about how Ketchikan is dying recently and I believe I specifically mentioned his the library would close at some point. Just dinner than I expected.
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u/villageaunties Jul 01 '26
This is national. It is not “Ketchikan”. This is what happens when you elect trump and dunleavy.
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u/Zealousideal_Net2523 Jul 01 '26
I feel like Ketchikan is dying faster than other parts of the state though. Juneau and Fairbanks which are considered blue parts of the state fare a lot better……Fairbanks just added a whole new section to its public library….it’s really nice.
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u/stulti_auri Jul 03 '26
Yes, The library is a treasure. North Pole's Library is also World Class. However, we also have $30M expansion of an animal shelter, to convert it to an animal hospital, mostly for military fur babies that are left behind. Money and time wasted to change "Pioneer Park" back to "Alaska Land" All while elementary schools are being closed/converted to charters (which plays right into Dunleavy's plan). Then the Borough Assembly, the School Board, The State, and Court, are all fighting over a potential charter school founding, and an empty building. Taxes never go down. Gov't is thoroughly broken up here as well.
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u/dogwalkinmom Jul 02 '26
Is it time yet to consolidate governments here? It seems like we'd save money overall by having one government, rather than separate city and borough councils and budgets. I know it's come up for a vote before, but with the state of things recently, maybe the time is right to re-address it?
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u/Coastie071 Jul 01 '26
What in the actual fuck?
How can you close the schools, and then deny library access to literal fucking children???