I hate to disagree with my good friend Rob Goldberg but I think he has missed the point of the rumblings concerning the hiring of a foreign national for the borough’s planning technician position. The people I’ve talked to about this matter are not anti-immigrant nor do they question Ms. Cui’s ethnicity or skills. If she had a “green card” and was living in Haines or even in Alaska, there would be no problem. The primary concern is that she was hired from a foreign country when there are people who are qualified, though maybe not the most qualified, right here in Haines. A local resident, Scott Hansen, held this position while I was Mayor and I found him to be an exceptionally quick learner with a strong customer-service-oriented work ethic. We are not exactly flush with good-paying, year-round jobs here in Haines. Just as there is a push to buy locally, there should also be an effort to fill taxpayer funded jobs with local residents who are qualified.
Mike Case