Our Haines Borough has turned into this giant amoeba. Nothing impedes its growth. The employees, facilities and services just keep multiplying. At this rate we’ll all be public servants. These grants, matching grants, revenue sharing, fees, sales and property taxes have turned us into obese leeches with an insatiable appetite. If none of these measures quench our gluttony, we then consider bondage. The enterprise funds aren’t solvent because the user fees can’t keep up and never have. Under-budgeted trash collection could be included as a rider on a bond to remodel the showers. It’s simple. Borrow enough to keep the trash moving. We can always refinance and stretch the payments out. It took only 40 years to get a sidewalk to the high school. Too bad the tourists weren’t enrolled, it may have happened sooner. Remember the “Sessions Reveal Workers’ True Colors” article in the Chilkat Valley News? Since the color-coding of a few key Haines Borough employees, some have moved on. How about an update? If we can’t find a grant, we can bond for it. What color are you?

This is no time to discount our Haines Borough exceptionalism. After all, we have more public restrooms per capita within a half-mile radius than most towns in Alaska. Our motto? If we build it, they will go. We just need more signage for where they hide the key. We can bond for it. We’ve been in the bondage for the cruise ship cartel since the last century.

Mark Edwards