COAST GUARD, PARTNERS, SAMARITANS CONTINUE SEARCH FOR MEDEVAC SURVIVORS
The U.S. Coast Guard, partner agencies, and volunteers continued to scour the the waters near Kake on Wednesday after an overdue Guardian Air plane that was approaching the village on Tuesday evening never arrived.
The twin-engine Beechcraft King Air 200 was due to arrive at 6:19 pm; dusk in the area was at 5 pm.
Aircraft debris was found in Chatham Strait, about 22 miles west of Kake, near the south end of Admiralty Island. It was initially spotted from the air by a Wrangell-based search-and-rescue effort and was picked up by the Coast Guard. But officials haven’t confirmed the debris is from the overdue aircraft.
The Alaska Army National Guard has joined the search that is led by the Coast Guard to find the medical plane that was enroute to pick up a patient. Kake is on the northwest shore of Kupreanof Island.
On board were three Juneauites, identified by Guardian Flight as pilot Patrick Coyle, 63, flight nurse Stacie Rae Morse, 30, and flight paramedic Margaret Langston Allen, 43, all based in Juneau.
The electronic locating transmitter (black box) on board the aircraft has not been broadcasting, according to Coast Guard.
The Coast Guard Cutter Anacapa out of Petersburg and the Cutter Bailey Barco out of Ketchikan are continuing the search, along with a Sitka-based MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew, assisted by:
Alaska National Guard
Alaska State Troopers
Petersburg Search and Rescue
Kake Search and Rescue
Wrangell Search and Rescue
Alaska Marine Highways Ferries
Good Samaritans with small boats in the area
The weather forecast in the area for Thursday shows a gale warning, with an arctic front pushing south over the Panhandle. Northerly winds are expected to increase through the day behind this front and peak on Friday afternoon before diminishing very slowly through Sunday. The water temperature is 42 degrees and water conditions are reported to be rough.
(The Image at the top of this story is file photo of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Anacapa)
(6-minute read) TORRENCE SAXE TAKES REINS AT ALASKA NATIONAL GUARD, DMVA
Torrence Saxe, Alaska’s commissioner of the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, has spent a lifetime in military service that started at age 18, when he first enlisted in the Army Reserves.
Overnight, he went from carrying a book bag at Eastern Washington State University to carrying a M-16. Deployed shortly after he joined, he participated in the first Gulf War — Desert Shield and Desert Storm.
As a medic in a unit that was primarily in charge of prisoners of war, he saw a lot of casualties, both from enemy combatants and American soldiers.
“War is a terrible thing,” he said during an interview last week. “And I want to make sure my men and women are prepared for it.”
“Be ready for war,” Saxe is known to advise his staff. “Because war is ready for you.” It’s a philosophy he picked up not only from reading The Art of War by Sun Tsu, but also from personal experience.
Returning home from the war zone, Saxe finished college and then, getting a discharge from the Army, attended officer school, and joined the Air Force.
Born to a family that were apple and pear orchardists in Eastern Washington since the 1800s, Saxe was the kid who left the orchard for a military career that took him far and wide across the globe. He’s quiet and conducts himself professionally. And in 30 years, he has never had a break in his military service.
MONTANA / COLORADO YEARS
Saxe’s first job in the Air Force was as a nuclear operations officer, working underground in missile silos in Montana. Should the president ever decide to launch a nuclear missile, he and his colleagues were the ones with their hands on the switch.
From there, he was assigned to Clear Air Force Base, his first trip to Alaska in 1999. There, he became chief of training and standardization at the radar station that detects incoming ICBM and submarine-launched missiles.
Then it was to England for him, and a space surveillance unit that was becoming a detachment. Saxe became the commander of that detachment.
Returning to Colorado, he was assigned to Peterson Air Force Base as an executive officer and then a staff officer in charge of the personnel department.
Saxe then joined the National Guard and returned to Clear Air Force Base in 2004, ultimately becoming the commander for the 213th space warning squadron.
Uniquely, he is the only person who has ever been the base commander as a guardsman.
He stayed eight years at Clear AFB before attending War College at Maxwell Air Force Base.
By 2013, he was headed to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson and the 176th maintenance group, as commander.
Prior to his current position, Saxe was the commander of the 168th Wing at Eielson AFB.
KC-135R Stratotanker is towed into a hangar at JBER, part of the 168th Wing at Eielson Air Force Base, upon its return from a mission in Southeast Asia.
Saxe is the only person in the Air Guard who has been a commander at all three Alaska bases.
In addition to his professional life, he is married and is a father of six children.
Just two weeks ago, he was surprised to be named commissioner Alaska’s Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, including becoming adjutant general of the Alaska National Guard.
Saxe will appear before the Senate Affairs Committee on Thursday in the Butrovich Room 205 at 3:30 pm for his confirmation interview.
FOCUSING ON DISASTER RESPONSE
While the Alaska National Guard needs to maintain focus on the federal mission, Saxe said he also wants to emphasize the Guard’s role for disaster response, such as after the Southcentral earthquake on Nov. 30. He sees there’s room for the Guard to better prepare to help communities.
He also wants to empower his workforce so he can grow new leadership for the future. This he feels he can accomplish by pushing authority downward through the ranks, and helping people with their personal development.
“We’re building up the bench of leaders,” he said, adding that “Team Alaska” is his theme. And that includes rural Alaska, and communities off the road system, such as his planned trips to Bethel and Galena.
Recently, he put a recruiter in Juneau for the Air Guard. That was a first, and important to him.
“This is the symbolic and actual capital and we are not here enough,” he said.
He also said that under his watch, there is zero tolerance for sexual harassment and sexual assault: “We have a culture to build on.”
(3-minute read) PEOPLE NOT WITHIN TAXING JURISDICTIONS ARE BEING CHARGED
Must Read Alaska has learned that consumers in Juneau, North Pole, Homer, and Wasilla are reporting that Amazon is tacking on a sales tax for their purchases — even if they don’t pay local sales tax.
As earlier reported, buyers started noticing the sales tax in Juneau and inquired with the city’s Tax Office.
In the Capital City and in North Pole, that tax is 5 percent. But it’s 7 percent in Kodiak, and 3 percent in Wasilla.
Some buyers are unhappy because they live outside of the local taxing jurisdiction, but Amazon is collecting the tax anyway because it’s done by zip code.
“I don’t live within the city limits and my post office box is far outside, but because it uses a 99687 zip code, Amazon charges me tax just as you described for Juneau,” wrote one Wasilla resident.
“I raised a fuss over 90 cents of tax with Amazon and was finally told that I would need to provide a letter from the City of Wasilla stating that my PO Box was outside of city limits to avoid the tax.”
Eagle River residents who because they are in Anchorage, don’t have a local sales tax, are reporting that they are being taxed by Amazon as well. They received the same notice, leaving a question in their minds as to where Amazon is going to remit those taxes, since Anchorage doesn’t have a sales tax.
Amazon’s policy states that the amount of tax charged depends on various factors:
The identity of the seller
The type of item or service purchased
The time and location of fulfillment
The shipment or delivery address of your order
“These factors can change between the time you place an order and when your shipment is complete. As a result, the tax calculated on your order may change. We provide an “Estimated Tax” is displayed at Check Out when confirming an order. The amounts displayed as estimated tax may then be updated later when your order is finalized and completed.”The tax rate applied to your order will be the combined state and local rates of the address where your order is delivered to or fulfilled from. For example, if you live in a state that does not impose a sales tax, you may still see tax calculated on your order if shipped to another state.
“Moreover, the tax rates applied to your order may also be different for a variety of reasons, such as a shipment to a residential home versus a business address.
“Also, the total selling price of an item will generally include item-level shipping and handling charges, item level discounts, and gift wrapping charges. If applied at an order level, these charges, may be allocated to the individual items in an order.”
The Alaska Municipal League is conducting a study of the internet sale tax situation in Alaska and how Alaska Statute may need to change to adapt. The disparity between local sellers and internet sellers has long been a thorn in the side of brick-and-mortar stores in Alaska.
Who could have expected the howls and moans from the Left and the education industry about Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s proposal to trim $20 million from education to help pay for the tens of millions of dollars in damage caused by the Nov. 30 earthquake? Almost anybody.
Dunleavy is offering two supplemental budget bills – legislation that would amend the current fiscal year’s budget – and one includes the $20 million cut.
The $20 million in question was appropriated by the Legislature last May as it struggled to approve the state operating budget. It was to be handed out to the state’s 53 school districts and the Mount Edgecumbe school in Sitka.
But, the Juneau Empire reports: A state Office of Budget and Management document says, “the additional funding created a situation in which education was funded beyond the statutorily required amount while other programs were underfunded. This reduction is required to meet other obligations of the state.”
Dunleavy took office promising to cut spending and make the state’s books – now running $1.6 billion in the red – to balance. That means there are choices to be made, tough choices, and it will not be easy.
Alaska already spends more than $2 billion annually on education, putting it near the top of states’ education spending. Why should education in Alaska be immune to cuts? And who – other than teachers’ unions – realistically believes that cutting an amount that is less than 1 percent of the state’s education spending is undoable?
The state spends too much – no matter the howling from the Left.
(90-second read) WHILE KNOPP CLAIMS SUPPORT IS 10-TO-1, ONE VOTER DEMANDS PROOF
A 24-hour Facebook poll asking readers if Rep. Gary Knopp is on the right track show some startling results that would normally get any politician’s attention.
Fully 93 percent of the poll participants say Knopp is not on track in his power-sharing plan for the House of Representatives, which would give 50 percent of the power to the Democrat minority in a sort of “Caucus of the Whole” plan.
While not scientific, the poll stands in stark contrast to what Knopp wrote to the Republican Women of the Kenai in a letter he sent to them, claiming that letters from his constituents are running 10-to-1 in favor of his leaving the Republican majority to form up a bipartisan coalition.
The poll results are here:
KENAI VOTER ASKS TO SEE THE LETTERS
“For every letter of frustration that I receive, I receive tenfold in support of my efforts,” Knopp wrote to the Republican Women of the Kenai.
Knopp’s claim of overwhelming support for his position has been challenged by a Kenai voter who wants the representative to prove that he actually has those letters.
Danny Dykema sent a letter to Knopp a week ago, but received no response.
Today, he sent another letter to him, asking him to prove his 10-to-1 claim.
“This week you claim to have a 10 to 1 ratio of emails supporting your plan and that I am a minority with other republicans in criticizing your plan. As a voting constituent in your district, can you provide me any proof of this 10-1 ratio of support or for your radical plan in Juneau?” wrote Dykema. He copied the letter to Must Read Alaska.
Have you sent a letter to Rep. Gary Knopp the went unanswered? Use the comment section below to let MRAK know.
(1-minute read) THREE ‘TRUST THE PEOPLE’ BILLS UP FOR LEGISLATIVE DEBATE
This morning, Gov. Mike Dunleavy filed three constitutional amendment bills in the Alaska Senate. No companion legislation went to the House, which is in shutdown mode.
The proposed amendments would prevent the government of Alaska from enacting or increasing taxes on Alaskans without a vote of the people, or change the statutory calculation of the Permanent Fund dividend without a vote of the people.
The third amendment would create a spending and savings rule to keep government from growing out of control.
“These amendments are the basis for a permanent fiscal plan,” he said. He told reporters in a briefing that he ran on the promise to fix the fiscal situation, and he’s doing what he promised. It’s time to bite the bullet, he said, and make Alaska a stable place to invest so that it can enjoy the prosperity of other states that have stable fiscal systems, such as Colorado and Washington states, both with red-hot economies.
MustReadAlaska.com will delve into the details of these proposed amendments in the days ahead.
Dunleavy’s video announcement to Alaskans:
The Governor’s Office also provided these points:
Protect the PFD: Requires voter approval for any changes to the existing dividend program.
1) Guarantee the PFD: PFD’s would not be subject to appropriations, they will be automatically transferred for payment to Alaskans.
2) Protect the PFD: PFD’s cannot be reduced by the Legislature or Governor’s veto.
3) The People’s PFD: Any changes to the statutory PFD formula will require a vote of the people. It’s Alaskans PFD and they should be entrusted with its future.
No New Taxes Without Input from Alaskans: This amendment will ensure that Alaskans are included when deciding the size and scope of their government.
1) Any new tax or tax rate increase passed by the Legislature will require a vote of the people.
2) Any new tax or tax rate increase passed by voter initiative will require approval by the Legislature.
Spending Cap: This amendment will provide an important mechanism for the people of Alaska to curb the growth of future government spending. It creates a straightforward, understandable, and most importantly – effective – limit on government growth.
Replaces the existing, ineffective constitutional spending limit with one that works.
The new limit will be calculated using a 3-year average of state spending, and only allowing for minimal increases.
KENAI REPRESENTATIVE BEGINNING TO HEAR FROM HOMEFRONT, AND THEY AREN’T HAPPY
The Republican Women of the Kenai sent Rep. Gary Knopp a letter last week, disapproving of his recent failure to be a part of the Republican majority in the Legislature. It is printed in full here.
Below the women’s letter, you can read Knopp’s point-by-point response, in which he says the responses he is hearing from constituents are 10-to-1 in favor of his recent actions.
REPUBLICAN WOMEN OF THE KENAI LETTER TO KNOPP
January 23, 2019
Republican Women of the Kenai 35186 Kenai Spur Highway Soldotna, AK 99669
Representative Gary Knopp,
We, the Republican Women of the Kenai, have serious concerns with your failure to be a part of the Republican House Majority; including your most recent failure to support a Republican member as Speaker Pro-Tem and Representative Talerico as Speaker.
Let us remind you, you ran as a Republican – unopposed. If people had known you were unwilling to support a Republican House Majority, you would have had a primary opponent. The District 31 election this past fall should serve as an example.
Most troubling to us was a news report (https://www.alaskapublic.org/2018/12/10/rep- knopp-leaves-republican-caucus-seeks-new-bipartisan-coalition/) in which you were quoted as saying you were forming a bi-partisan coalition that would “…act as acounterweight to Gov. Mike Dunleavy, while an all-Republican caucus wouldn’t”.
Let us remind you, Governor Dunleavy won District 30 by a vote of 5,383 to 2,169, a substantial plurality. While we can’t say definitively that 5,383 voters would be offendedby your position to oppose Gov. Dunleavy, we can say that many of them would be. Certainly, we are.
We are very concerned that your actions are destroying the trust that voters had in their representative and the trust of the party who supported your candidacy. Trust is an indispensable commodity in government. Once trust is lost, it is very difficult to regain.
The consequences of your actions have yet to be seen, but we assure you that we will be watching and take appropriate actions to ensure the voters of District 30 are fully informed and given opportunities to remedy the situation you have placed upon the House of Representatives.
Former Representative Paul Seaton ran as an independent after joining the coalition last legislative session. He did not win but at least he did not try to “fool” the voters into thinking he was affiliated with the Republican Party.
We ask you to seriously consider whether you want to remain a member of the Grand Old Party. We would like to have you with us for certain; but we need to be able to rely on you and your colleagues in the State Legislature deserve the same consideration.
Awaiting your reply, we remain Sincerely,
Republican Women of the Kenai
REP. KNOPP’S REPLY TO THE WOMEN’S CLUB
Dear Members of the Republican Women,
I will try to address your concerns paragraph by paragraph; however, I do not believe that it will provide relief to your concerns.
The reasoning behind my actions have been shared with the public media and anyone interested since Dec. 8, 2018. It is simply because there was zero chance of the house succeeding with just a twenty-one-member majority.
It is more important to me that the house succeeds, than the makeup of the house.
The reality of it is the Republicans were never organized from day one. Rep Eastman never committed to the caucus, never committed to supporting the speaker nominee, would not participate in the press release with the republicans. We never had twenty-one.
#1. Speaker pro-tem and speaker
There were two candidates for speaker pro-tem, when they were nominated I knew who my choice was, regardless of party affiliation I chose the best candidate. My vote for Rep Neuman would have been symbolic (in line with the party) but the outcome would have been the same. There simply were not enough votes to elect him. As you saw, Rep Foster was overwhelming elected with the help of the Republicans with 35 yea’s and 4 nays.
As far as Rep Talerico, his name should not have been forwarded for consideration without first having a clear organization in place.
#2. I ran as a Republican because I am a Republican. Maybe more so than most. I care that we are successful, there could be nothing worse than the house falling apart in the middle of the session with a razor thin majority.
#3. A news release announcing my departure from the Republican caucus and the reasons for it are accurate. I could not recall making the statement regarding being a counter-weight to the Governors agenda. I did go back and review the article and saw where I in fact did make that statement. In hindsight I wish I hadn’t said it, or I should have offered a little more explanation about the comment. It is not my intent to thwart the Governors efforts nor do I intend to be a rubber stamp. Make no mistake, some of the Governors campaign promises scare me. I believe there are segments of his agenda that may have negative effects on The Peninsula and frankly has me vey guarded.
#4. I can certainly understand the concern that you and many others have expressed. I appreciate the many constituents who have reached out to me personally with the intention of gaining knowledge and facts to better understand my position. For every letter of frustration that I receive, I receive tenfold in support of my efforts. Also, consider the fact that I represent 16,000 registered voters of which Republicans make-up approximately 33%. Non-partisan and undeclared alone make up 55%.
#5. The trust issue: You are correct about losing the public trust; but if people start passing judgement to early they may be mistaken in trusting their elected officials. What I am saying is, it is too early to pass judgment, if the House gets its work done and addresses the three issues most important to the public (PFD, crime reform & the budget) then gets out of Juneau in a timely fashion, we have succeeded. In my opinion, the appropriate time to make this judgement is when the 31st Legislature has gaveled out.
#6. I am not sure how to respond to this paragraph. It appears to be a thinly veiled threat, meaning you’ll do whatever it takes to unseat me in the next election cycle. You should always strive for the best, if you feel your representation is inadequate you should explore alternative prospects. I encourage every potential candidate that has an interest in public service to file for their office of interest, even if it means I’ll be gaining an opponent. I welcome a good spirited debate on the campaign trail, and the public having more than one option on election day. The truth is, the threat of a primary candidate or loss of support from an organization, will not change my position on pursuing what I believe to be right.
#7. There is no doubt, I will always remain Republican, I have no immediate plans to change my party affiliation. Although I may not always walk in lockstep with the party or all of my Republican colleagues, my Republican values have never wavered. Your group is a prime example of Republicans having issues with unison, two years ago The Peninsula had one Republican women’s organization, today there are three. Why is that?
In closing, I only ask you to be patient and have a little faith. There are a lot of dynamics here in Juneau that members of the public never see or hear. The goal is to have a successful 31st Legislative session and there is only one way forward for the house. You have a great informational resource to the inner working of this organization in Mary Jackson. She knows better than most what it takes to make a body function and the challenges of moving forward with a razor thin majority of 21 members.
(3-minute read) 5 PERCENT MORE FOR CAPITAL CITY BUYERS
Amazon, the internet retailer that swallowed Main Street America, is now charging Juneau consumers the 5 percent local sales tax on most orders being delivered inside the Borough. It appears to be a voluntary change, since there’s no federal or state legislation to force such an action.
The city could get millions a year from that sales tax collection, although no one knows how many sales to Juneauites are conducted through the Seattle-based behemoth. Once the remittances start coming in, that will become more apparent.
The change came about Jan. 1, but was not noticed by the City and Borough of Juneau Sales Tax Office until after several Juneauites reported that their orders were being taxed.
The Sales Tax Office contacted Amazon and verified that it does indeed have a registration and sales tax collection requirement placed on most orders shipped to Juneau.
The new policy of collecting sales it’s the result of corporate restructuring within Amazon, according to the Juneau Tax Office.
Prior to Jan. 1, 2019, a subsidiary of Amazon already had a registration and sales tax collection requirement under the CBJ Sales Tax code. Then, some corporate restructuring led to a larger portion of Amazon’s business enterprise with that requirement under Juneau’s sales tax code.
As a result, Amazon collects an extra 5 percent on the majority of orders shipped into Juneau, money that will be remitted to the city.
There’s a workaround, for now. If you buy an oil filter for your car, you can find a vendor that is a third-party to Amazon, and they are still not charging the tax. Some Juneauites report to MustReadAlaska that they are not having difficulty getting everything they need delivered right to their door, and are avoiding the tax.
Currently, retailers that only conduct internet sales and have no brick-and-mortar presence in Juneau are not yet subject to CBJ sales tax.
This would include retailers like LL Bean or Dave Smith Auto, which don’t have stores in Juneau. A gun from Cabela’s purchased online would avoid the sales tax, because there is no local Cabela’s outlet in the capital city. But if you order a gun from Sportsman’s Warehouse, it would be taxed because there is a Sportsman’s Warehouse retailer in Juneau.
One hitch is that Amazon is not calculating for exemptions. For instance, the local senior exemption for tax on food is too in-the-weeds for Amazon. It’s taxing everything the same.
Amazon owns the exclusive copyrighted software to be able to coordinate and calculate local sales taxes. Amazon has lobbied to get other vendors to be forced to collect local and state sales tax, which would require those other retailers, many of them smaller companies, to buy the Amazon-owned software. Ka-ching!
(2-minute read) MORE ADDED TO BOARDS AND COMMISSION APPOINTMENTS
Former Anchorage Mayor Dan Sullivan has been named to the Regulatory Commission of Alaska. Sullivan was among several Alaskans named to various boards and commissions today.
The RCA has broad authority over certificates for public utilities and pipelines; including projects as small as village water and wastewater systems to as large as regulated telecommunications, electric, and natural gas monopolies.
Sullivan’s appointment by Gov. Michael Dunleavy must be confirmed the the Legislature in joint session. His term will last for six years. Commissioners and staff work full time in the commission’s Anchorage office. He’s at a Range 27, which is about $103,000 per year.
The RCA may be the entity that will be asked to set some parameters for the merging of ML&P and Chugach Electric, an arrangement made by Mayor Ethan Berkowitz and former Sen. Mark Begich.
Fifteen other people named to boards and commissions include:
Alaska Public Offices Commission
Suzanne Hancock of Anchorage (APOC nominee)
Board of Dental Examiners
Dr. Jesse Hronkin of Wasilla
Dr. Timothy “Jon” Woller of Fairbanks
Dr. Kelly Lucas of Wasilla
Dr. David Nielson of Anchorage (reappointment)
Brittany Dschaak of Dillingham
Board of Examiners in Optometry
Dr. Brad Cross of Soldotna
Board of Marital and Family Therapy
Dr. Noah Shields of Kenai
Fisherman’s Fund Advisory and Appeals Council
Marilyn Charles of Emmonak
Real Estate Commission
PeggyAnn McConnochie of Juneau (reappointment)
Margaret Nelson of Anchorage
Jesse Sumner of Wasilla
Jamie Matthews of Glennallen
Cheryl Markwood of Fairbanks
Michael Tavoliero of Eagle River
WHAT IS THE REGULATORY COMMISSION?
The Regulatory Commission of Alaska consists of five commissioners appointed by the governor and confirmed by the legislature in joint session. Commissioners are appointed to six-year, staggered terms. The commission annually elects one of its members to serve as chair for the following fiscal year. The term as chair is one year. The chair may be elected to not more than three successive terms as chair.
