the imm m#s
A^dska'a latest ML eograph eekly
Published every Thursday in Hazier, Alaska
Bill Raver, Editor and Publisher
Dorothy River,‘Compositor
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OUR R U.D.
He all know that there are at least two Sides to every que
stion and just about everybody in the vicinity of Homer knows
that there are at least two sides to the question of the
Kenai Peninsula Public Utility District No, 1, He would like
to discuss the ”for” and "against” sides of the question as
though we were ardent "agin’ers” oh the one hand and as though
we were staunch supporters on the other.
First we're going to be "agin’ers”.
Two things stand out, no, perhaps there are three things,
concerning the PUD, that pain us to no end. The first is taxes
the second is the inefficient manner in which the tax money is
spent and the third is the .arrogant manner of the board, or at
least some members of the board, when they are asked questions
at public PUD meetings.
Taxes,..we don’t mind paying taxes but 10 mills is, too much
and we aren’t getting anything for our taxes, A man who owns
a house with a $10,000 valuation pays $100 taxes. Unless he
lives right in Homer he has to date received nothing but a
questionable amount of fire protection for the taxes he lias
paid since the PUD began. In most states half this amount
would give us schools, fire and police protection and decent
roads and streets.
In regard to the inefficient manner in which the taxes are
being spent we have this to say: How did the PUD ever get in
volved in a $90,000 hospital-health center when all the people
wanted in the first place was a small clinic that could have
been built with local products and local help for just a few
thousand dollars, We understood when the PUD entered into the
present deal with the Territory that all we had to do was to
put up ■ $15,000 dollars and we wotild have a hospital, now we
find that over $5,000 has already been spent and probably an
other $5,000 will have to be spent by the time the building is
finished, then comes the $15,000, then we have to furnish and
equip the hospital. Dr. Provonsha said it would cost at least
$10,000 to equip the hospital, that makes $35,000. He can’t
afford it here in Homer* *76 haven’t mentioned the expense of
operating the hospital,but that brings us to ask the question,
“What do we have when we are fi„nished?a hospital or a clinic?”
Dr, Provonsha seems to-be talking about a hospital,yet the di
rectors keep talking about a clinic. He might continue to*ask
'why Dr. Provonsha wasn!t called in for a conference with the
directors shortly after his arrival last October instead of
waiting until mid-January? And the hospital-health center road
...hovj rouch will that cost the people? How many yards of grav
el'were originally planned for the road and what will be the
final'total? -%y was ’7ally Atkinson hired in such a hurry and
paid such a high price? He thought that when the two contract
ors were hired last December they finished the job so some
kind of certificate could be sent in to the Territory saying
that the job had been finished. Now we hear that one of thorn
is still hauling and will continue in the spring-. And the dock
...we recently saw-where the PUD paid out wages for 14 hours
work at the dock to nail down roofing and put some bracing
in the warehouse., Isn?t t.he‘dock manager paid $6,000 a year?
Homer hasn’t had a boat since mid-December, hasn’t he tinxj to
pound a few nails?
About the arrogance of the board members...we do not feel
that we have always received good answers to the questions we
asked at the board, He realize that the board has full power,
perhaps too much power,but we feel that citizens and taxpayers
have a right to have their questions answered with respect. 1q
have been told that the board didn’t care what we thought...is
this democracy?
Now let’s see what the supporters of the PUD might say.
W1 " ‘ ' ‘ 1 11 "" "1 “■ ■ ■ ' 1 " 1 r 1 i
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~1 Tfirat titers is no escape from taxes. The present legis
lature is expsctea te pass a rural tax la’- levying one percen
IT “'mills tax. AH of that tax tv ill go to Juneau and Hi.
highly unlikely that Homer Trill see much of it back. A
£?£ have all of our tax money to use as best we can.
It would be interesting to knot how much money is pe
Homer people -each year-going to 3or'flH n H
hosoitals in those cities. . .Jt is very likely that the rigur
"ould go over the $10,000 mar;k. . . Shy not keep that nqney i
Honxr? Assuming .that the hospital 'charges here ;’..ould be th
" same in either of the other two citios, the money saved by lo
cal residents in traveling, housing and food expenses ttouj.
amount to several thousand dollars.••and of course you can^
measure the near and tear on a human mind uhen one lcno'.:s the
a loved one lies ill in a hospital many miles aua^ from home#
The board has perhaps made errors in judgment in spend in
tax monies.- However, He believe that they have been minor co
sidering the amount spont annually by the PUD* It must be re
montoored that the board members are working men ’with familie
to support and that they cannot possibly devote full timo t
the operation of the district. They Here elected by the poopl
and deserve the <*ull support of the people. If all of the efter
gy spont in fight:*ng the PUD Has put into its support,770 noul'
all bo a lot bettor off* This does not moan that the peopl
should go along blindly Hith the decisions of the board, bu
criticism should be constructive and if it is vtp beiievo tha
the board Hi 11 go along nith the people.
The board has become arrogant because a small group of th
” people nho are opposed to the PUD make thomsolvos obnoxious a
the meetings nith loud talk and demands that do not rep resen
the feelings of the people of the district. Not being me
schooled in the art of parrying questions and smooth talkin.
their ~ay out of situations, the directors may sometimes gro
agitated and say things they do not mean, but perhaps the sam
could be said of those rho ask the questions.
There are doubtless arguments and answers on both sides o:.
the PUD question that have not been .presented hero, but ne be
lieve that these are the major ones*
Hot; does the editor feel about the PUD? %rTe think that, fun
damentally it is a good thing for the area. Taxes arc hero tc
stay, let's spend our oHn money. The PUD board appears to bv
dominated by one man, rrhich, in our opinion, is not good, how
ever, the people of the district t;;L11 decide on that in April.
There is all too much secrecy involved in PUI) activities.
Meetings should be hold regularly and if special meetings ar^
necessary, thon the public should be so informed.**beforehanc
He understand that the PUD may bo under fir© in the ncaj
future as it Has last Spring* He think that the fire is mis*
directed.*.if there are those nho feel that things are not
right, thon they should try to find the cause. Uhon a ca3
fails to operato correctly, u© do not. thro:; tho rholo machine
into the junk heap, ho try to find 'the faulty part.
In our opinion, the PUD Hill Heather the storm ahead,but i1
is time that they stopped operating on a meeting-to-mooting
basis and formed some long range planning... If they need som
help from tho people of tho community, and they*, obviously do
they should not hesitate to ask for it.^and not from local or
ganized bodies, but rather from an appointed board of loca:
citizens representing all points of vie"*_
J
OMER
All bills clue
the 10th*
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