I write in response to the frequently aired notion that hiring a Haines resident into a borough job is preferable to hiring someone from “out of town.” While there may be some merit to a resident-hire preference, it should be noted that it doesn’t take long to become a resident. It’s a matter of one’s intent as soon as they set foot in the borough. Durational residency requirements are rightly restricted: For example, 30 days for eligibility to vote; one year for eligibility to apply for a Permanent Fund Dividend. A one-year residency requirement to enjoy an Alaska hire preference for state jobs was long ago thrown out by our Supreme Court as an unreasonable burden on the right to travel and earn a living.
Most Haines “locals” came from somewhere else. Even the Tlingit people migrated from elsewhere – a long, long time ago, of course. It should be remembered that in this nation we are free to move about to seek a better life. No one should be disqualified from public employment simply because they were not born and raised in Haines, or have not lived here long enough. (How long would that be? One year? Five? Fifteen?) Immigrants bring diversity, and along with that, prosperity. We are all immigrants, or the descendants of immigrants, and should be considered for employment on our individual merits.
Merrill Lowden