Sean Murphy: Eagle River needs to have this discussion about incorporating separately

1. Although I agree in principle with Eaglexit I believe simply don’t believe they have the tax to provide the quality of services they now enjoy thru the MOA. A mor thorough analysis of providing schools, fire and police protection, water and sewer service, inspection services and much much more is warranted . This information then must be presented in an unbiased manner to the voting public.

   • Perhaps if you are a mber of AD2, you might take the time and meet with Sean and the others to determine 8f your belief has a basis or is just hyperbole.

     Just a thought.

   • Nearly all residents are homeowners and taxpayers with jobs.

2. Thank you, Sean. Good article. Next time you see Mr. Tavoliero, let him know that a state-wide effort is underway to draft him for a run at Don Young’s congressional seat. 2022 is the year Don will be beat. And Mr. Tavoliero will make a great US Congressman from Alaska. Thank you.

   • Shucks, Chris

3. Well written. Good luck to you and yours.

4. This is incoherent. What are you trying to say?

5. I think initially too much emphasis was placed on “cost savings” with no proof to back it up. The current emphasis on self-governance- specifically getting away from the insanely liberal Anchorage Assembly that loves our tax dollars but doesn’t want us represented in any fashion including effectively muzzling our assemblyperson as well as our duly elected mayor- resonates with me. I still am skeptical that we can secede from Anchorage and purchase/lease all infrastructure as well as form our own police, fire protection/EMS, roads maintenance, water/wastewater utility, schools and local government for less- especially as we may well need to pay more to attract candidates from their current union positions with the MOA. It seems to me that spreading the costs of these necessary services out across a population base of 30,000 can’t be less expensive per household than spreading those costs out over a population base of 300,000. That said, I’m completely fed up with the Anchorage Assembly. I’m tired of feeling that conservatives are disrespected and silenced by the Assembly majority while they gleefully spend the tax dollars we provide on projects that don’t match our needs or values. Obviously Anchorage has gone deep blue, and that is their right. But Eagle River doesn’t have to be dragged along with them. I think it might make sense to explore joining Palmer/Wasilla but at this point I am open to voting in favor of EaglExit.

   • Dee, do you live in Assembly District 2? If you do, perhaps you might want to track down Sean and discuss that idea.

     • I live in Eagle River, yes. I expect as EaglExit gains steam, I’ll eventually have an opportunity to talk to Sean. I think more people like me are out there- those that don’t really expect it will be a money saver but feel it’s time for self-governance for Eagle River/Chugiak or to join up with the Mat-Su, whose values more closely match ours than does Anchorage.

6. Too late. Eagle River already suffers from the same disease that rotted Anchorage

   • As someone who lives here, I’d have to disagree. There are some issues. But we don’t have anything near the scale of Anchorage. And one thing I’m in complete agreement with Sean on is that for $8M we should have a lot more than 4 cops. A decent police presence in Eagle River would solve a lot of what issues we do have.

     • There’s a lot more than four cops per day out here. 9 on patrol to cover all three shifts is standard plus the two SRO’s assigned out here and the two detectives assigned here. There are also infrastructure costs in that tax that cover sub stations, vehicles, connectivity, radio systems, etc. then you factor in your share of pay and benefits

7. So should Portage! Say that 33 times real fast!

8. As an educator, I expected Sean to answer why the separation is desirable. The piece is vague and wandering.

   • It’s pretty apparent isn’t it anchorage is the San Francisco of Alaska, tyrannical assembly, out of control taxes, other towns and villages send us their problem citizens to anc, waste fraud and abuse of tax dollars, never ending covid orders. I ask you why they should stay?

9. Few issues with your math first off . Last census lists 99567 with 9211 residents , 99577 with 25771, for a total of just under 35,000 people (not the 50,000 you quoted).You are counting Ft Richardson and Elmendorf which you shouldn’t because they wont shop or do anything for your new Eagle River / Chugiak area at all in terms of taxes etc. If they live on base/post the idea they are coming out to ER to do anything is thin at best. If they already live in ER then they are counted in one of the above zip codes.

   If you really are going to trust your new city to CVFD I feel for you, they really aren’t a good department at all from what I have seen. When I watched them fumble with the hoses and let my in laws house burn to the ground in late May 2013 I learned all I needed to know about them. The joking and laughing while 40 years of my In laws lives went up in flames was really classy and professional, but I guess you get what you pay for. That was after they let my co workers wife die on the kitchen floor because they couldn’t figure out there gear then either about 18 months earlier.

   I will agree with you on a few things you brought up. In 2021 ER Chugiak should not have volunteer FD at all, and you should have a full compliment of emergency services in the area including enough APD to stop the wide open drug deals that happen in “dime bag park”, or the creepy homeless guys who stalk kids and moms at Schroeder Park. You also should have some form of urgent care that can do something other than a bandaid and tell someone to drive to Mat Su Regional or Providence for a real emergency. You all pay plenty in taxes and should have the services you deserve like any other section of the MOA.

   • Rick – nice piece.
     Let’s roll down in your comments to the bottom and the list and your references: ER/Chugiak/JBER/Peters Creek/Eklutna ‘should haves’.
     .
     There is a ER (Anchorage) FD and a volunteer Chugiak FD for the area.
     Homelessness and drug issues are a burden to ER township, but I’d venture a guess less than downtown Anchorage (streets and parks) or Wasilla/Palmer.
     Urgent care is far more accessible for these communities than fly in’s or long drives from out the on road Anchorage tax payer communities of Girdwood, Bird. Urgent care isn’t a taxpayer benefit, it’s more an ‘insured’ benefit.
     .
     An aside: I know a FD Captain (who works in Anchorage but lives in the Valley = not paying the higher property taxes that foot higher unionized pay scales). Isn’t it ‘generally’ (not always but mostly) true that union firefighters look down on volunteer FD’s.
     It’s obvious volunteers don’t belong in the same class with the better trained, unionized FD’s firefighters and paramedics.
     .
     Question – on the house fire and death you described:
     When there are serious fires and physical issues, aren’t all ANCHORAGE FD’s called in?
     If the only response to this house fire and serious health issue was the volunteer FD, I would say you should be pointing the finger at Anchorage dispatch. I am sorry for the ‘burnt to the ground’ house fire and person left dying on the floor – IF it was because of the incompetence a volunteer FD. Again, where was the Anchorage taxpayer funded FD?
     .
     If great losses will happen given Eaglexit is implemented – I say – what is happening NOW (or at the house fire and death you described) for those communities?
     .
     The fear mongering of ‘should haves’ are a prime example of what the property tax payers SHOULD HAVE NOW as they are dumping huge amounts of tax dollars into the Anch. system.
     .
     BTW – I hate the ‘our fair share’ crap. Typically, you get what you pay for.
     but isn’t it is time the communities of ER/Chugiak/JBER/Peters Creek/Eklutna get what they pay for – and what they vote for.
     .
     Eaglexit is a logical choice.

10. Sean, if you really want to succeed, you need to do a better job of explaining what you mean by “republicanism” and “federalism” – while I understand what you mean and agree 100%, most of the population hasn’t had enough civics to know – all they know is the political party by that R name. You will turn off about 30% of your local voters by using that term, when you need every vote. I’m not at all suggesting you tone down your meaning, just be careful with the word so you include the dems in your district – they’re disgusted with communist Anchorage too, and just suffer from TDS and biased media. Promote your local media. As a former small town mayor, it looks to me like you’re doing all the right things. You will gain better control of the State Community Assistance revenue that is doled out by population.

11. Do it. Let Anchorage go down the toilet alone.

12. Put up or shut up!

    Here is a previous story I wrote after interviewing Mr. Murphy last March:
    “https://donnliston.blogspot.com/2021/03/our-asd-public-education-challenge.html”

    I have written extensively about EaglExit. I believe the EaglExit Board has one job–to get a simple vanilla plan before the Alaska Boundry Commission and then convince a majority of voters in AD2 that it makes sense to break from Mother Muni.

    EaglExit board members have been talking to themselves more than two years now and reportedly raised nearly $100,000. Three members of the boundry commission are from AD2. Time is of the essence to be heard on this petition. Squawking to people around the state about their virtuous cause is getting EaglExit no closer to the professed goal. It took one year to break from Atlanta by the community of Sandy Springs.

    It required focused leadership without a lot of fanfare.

    Here is the last story I wrote about EaglExit: “https://donnliston.blogspot.com/2021/07/visions-of-eaglexit_28.html”

    It’s delusional.

    EaglExit Board: You have one job…

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