Alaska’s Tax Freedom

Contributed by Quinn Townsend

March 25 was Alaska’s Tax Freedom Day (TFD)—the day Alaskans and businesses in Alaska had worked enough days to pay all state and local taxes for the year. This is the earliest state TFD of the year, meaning Alaskans have the lowest average tax burden in the U.S. We should keep it that way.

TFD in Alaska is the day taxpayers in the state have earned enough money to pay its total tax bill for the year. It is calculated by adding all state and local taxes and dividing them by the state’s income. In Alaska, TFD typically falls on March 25, 84 days into the year.

Oklahoma, Florida, and Louisiana have the next earliest TFDs, on March 30, April 4, and April 4, respectively. In comparison, New York has the latest TFD of the year on May 30, 67 days after Alaska’s. New York taxpayers have the highest average total tax burden in the nation.

At the national level, TFD is all federal, state, and local taxes combined, divided by the national income. In 2019, the year with the latest data, it occurred on April 16. According to the Tax Foundation, “In 2019, Americans [paid] $3.42 trillion in federal taxes and $1.86 trillion in state and local taxes, for a total tax bill of $5.29 trillion, or 29 percent of national income.”

Tax Freedom Day comes early in Alaska, signifying one of the greatest aspects of the state—Alaskans’ freedom. We should strive to keep Alaskans’ hard-earned money in their pockets rather than in the state coffers. Introducing new taxes or increasing current ones would stifle that freedom.

Substance Use & Crime

Contributed by Cambrie Schultz

The Factors Leading to and the Proposed Solutions for those Committing Economic Crime in the Pursuit of Drug Money

The Issue and Impact

An analysis done on prison inmates who use drugs like heroin, crack, and powder cocaine on a daily basis have the highest rates of admission that their crimes were committed in the pursuit of drug money. Drug use and lacking consistent and legitimate income are the leading contributing factors for a person to commit an economic crime (Felson & Staff, 2016). Economic crime refers to illegal acts committed to obtain a financial advantage with the principal motive being economic gain (Europol, 2022). Economic crimes affect both the individual drug user and the community as a whole. Individuals can become incarcerated, lose connections between friends and family, and find themselves caught in a cycle of drug use causing crime and committing crime to enable drug use. The community is affected by economic crime in that it creates an unfair market, diminishes the work force, decreases tourism, and an increased financial burden required to pay for incarceration of those that are committing the economic crimes against the community.

Proposed Solutions

If drug use and the lack of consistent income are the factors contributing to users committing economic crimes, providing assistance in those areas could lead to a reduction in economic crimes’ occurrence. An estimated half of state and federal prisoners abuse or are addicted to drugs, but very few receive treatment while incarcerated. Studies show that drug-addicted prisoners who received medication and behavioral treatment while in prison, and continued treatment after release, had reduced drug use and criminal activity compared to those who did not receive treatment efforts in prison (NIDA, 2020). The other area to target the issue of committing economic crimes in the pursuit of drug money would be job placement aid for prisoners following their release from prison. Programs in prison that focus on work training and placement have proven to be effective (James, 2014). Researchers suggest that the best reentry programs for prisoners, as related to reducing drug use and economic crime, are those that begin during a prisoner’s incarceration and extend through the release and societal reintegration process (James, 2014). Encouraging the widespread use and availability of drug treatment and job placement programs for those convicted of economic crimes for drugs will bring aid to the community in terms of reduction in crime, increased work force, safer communities, reduction in drug abuse, and easing the burden that substance use and economic crime place on the justice system.

As for the individual drug users incarcerated for economic crimes, being provided with treatments for the two main causes of their crimes, substance use and lack of legitimate income, will decrease the likelihood of reentry to prison, boost their social standing in the community, and decrease the harm they bring to themselves by engaging in the dangerous system of drugs and crime. Punishing people out of drug use and criminal behavior is not an effective or encouraging way to solve those issues. Harm-reduction efforts such as treatments for substance use issues and programs for job placement are how we are going to more effectively reduce the harmful effects caused by the committal of economic crimes in the pursuit of drug money.

Finding Spiritual Shelter from Mental Health Struggles

Contributed by Antonio Loffredo

Religious hope and support have helped many cope.

Abigail Hill grew up in Ninilchik, longing for something better than the life she experienced as a child. She wanted something greater, something bigger.

Hill moved away at a young age, and when she was 20, got married and had two children. Soon, the better life she was looking for took a turn for the worse as her — now ex — husband became abusive, repeating the cycle she had tried to leave behind.

“As life got the best of me, I definitely started leaning on alcohol to help me cope with stress, just to be able to take a breath and relax for a minute,” said 37-year-old Hill. “But there was always this dark emptiness waiting on the other side of it for me.”

Following her divorce, she moved to Anchorage and met her future husband. Eventually the two began studying the Bible together with Jehovah’s Witnesses. Hill said that her study of the Bible showed her the hope she had always wanted, “Hope for the future was huge for me, because I grew up with no hope.”

However, Hill still suffered from anxiety, panic attacks and depression. Her situation was so serious that she spent a week in the mental health unit of Providence Hospital. “During that time, I got the help that I needed as far as getting the proper medication for myself,” said Hill.

Such mental and emotional distress haunts millions. A recent government survey showed a doubling since 2019 in the proportion of Americans reporting anxiety or depressive disorder symptoms.

In addition to medical help, Hill said support from her congregation during that time was instrumental in learning how to handle what she was going through. One important aspect of that support was "being able to open up and freely talk about what I was going through with people who I knew weren't going to judge me." Hill added, “Real relief comes in the form of hope and love.”

Hill now enjoys life with her husband and three children in Big Lake. She and her husband were baptized as Jehovah’s Witnesses in the Russian River in August 2020.

“I still deal with anxiety and panic, but on a super manageable level. Some of the things that help me maintain my joy and stay positive during the hardest times are my personal study of the Bible, good spiritual routine and public ministry,” Hill said.

Hill’s transformation is no isolated phenomenon. Faith and the support of a congregation have helped many others turn the corner in their recovery.

“While the Bible does not indicate that spirituality cures medical problems, many have derived comfort and strength from what the Bible teaches and the practical guidance it provides,” said Robert Hendriks, U.S. spokesman for Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Hope, support and positive coping skills aid mental health—whether these are built up by professional or faith-based sources, noted Lawrence Onoda, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist based in Mission Hills, California.

Even those with serious mental health conditions may find some aspects of religious participation help them cope with their symptoms, he said.

Keith Thompson was alone again with his thoughts, and, as usual, it wasn’t good. Recently divorced, drowning in debt and facing a fourth back surgery for chronic pain, the 48-year-old trucker no longer cared whether he lived or died.

The pandemic increased the number turning to unhealthy coping mechanisms, such as alcohol and substance abuse. That’s what Thompson had tried since his teenage years as he battled depression and self-hatred.

Then an unexpected phone call changed everything for the Hebron, Ohio, resident.

Just days before his surgery, Thompson spoke to one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, a group known for their public preaching but now pivoting to phone calling and letter writing to share their Bible message during the pandemic. It was a wake-up call for Thompson.

“I tried it my way for some 40 years, and look where it got me,” he said. “I thought I’d try God's way for a change.”

After his surgery, Thompson started studying the Bible in earnest. His instructor became his confidant and mentor, helping him use Bible principles to work through his intense negative feelings. Thompson then began to help others by sharing in the ministry alongside the Witnesses.

“I got to the point where I felt, ‘I want to be alive,’” he said, “like I had done something worthwhile.”

Amid the pandemic, he became one of Jehovah’s Witnesses and made it his life’s work to reach out to comfort others with the Bible’s message of hope, love, and forgiveness that helped change his life.

More resources for coping with mental illness and emotional distress, can be found on Jehovah’s Witnesses official website, www.jw.org.

Naloxone Saves Lives

Contributed by Kurt Hoenack

Hello Mat-Su Valley, my name is Kurt Hoenack, I work at Mat-Su Youth Housing, better known as Myhouse.  I train and distribute Naloxone nasal spray.

Because of the recent increase in fentanyl showing up in opioid and non-opioid drugs, there has been a recorded seventeen deaths as of last month from drug use. I am available to train and distribute Naloxone, a training that only takes about thirty minutes and can be done on an individual basis.

It is important that as a community we strongly urge individuals receiving Naloxone to visit the hospital after Naloxone is administered because there is still a risk of death from secondary overdoses and other medical complications.

Naloxone helps us bridge the gap in our continuum of care to save lives until more detox options are available for people struggling with Substance Abuse Disorder.

If you would like to receive training for Naloxone please call 907-373-4357 and our organization can schedule a time to train you. Stay safe Alaska! 

Mayor’s Memo

Contributed by Mayor Edna DeVries

Spring is in the air and summer will soon be here or maybe this is it.    The January wind storms maybe in the distance past for some but others like ourselves, we just finished repairing our fence this last week from the wind damaged.

Assembly public budget meetings have concluded, and the administration’s proposed budget is currently under deliberations by the assembly.   It seems to me that the assembly is actively seeking ways to reduce the mill levy for the borough’s taxpayers.

The assembly recently awarded 200 acres to Alaska SCTP Non-profit for the purpose of development of a youth shooting range.

The Borough has several projects in both the Senate and House Finance Capital budget – time will tell whether they survive.   Worthwhile projects such as funding for Arctic Winter Games, funding for a facility for First Responders facility that will serve the Palmer, Butte, Sutton, Fishhook areas.  This will also serve as a training facility which is currently not available for these areas.  Additional monies were requested to assist with payments for the Road Transportation Projects that you as voters approved in November 2021 by a margin of 2 to 1.

Recently we had 5 Third Classes from Sherrod and two Third Classes from Butte Elementary visit the borough where we held ‘mock’ assembly meeting.  The students were very engaged and well-behaved.   Sherrod students considered whether they should purchase a fire truck or clean up the Palmer ‘Amoosement’ park.   Butte students debated whether they should purchase an ambulance or a fire truck.   Earlier this year, I also hosted several homeschoolers ranging in age from third grade to high school.  They discussed the Youth Shooting Range.  I welcome students as well as adults to visit the borough building and my office for a short lesson on how government works and how you can influence the decisions that are made.

I have maps available in my office showing the new redistricting lines for the assembly and school board seats.  All three cities have copies also as well as Willow and Talkeetna Public Libraries.  This question will be on the Borough Election on July 12, 2022.

Recently Valley Recycling Center honored Janet Kincaid who has been an active recycler since the beginning.    Theme was Janet saves the planet ‘one can’ at a time.   Very festive event with live music and Janet was making more people aware of the great resource that the recycling center is.

Governor Dunleavy this last week held a press conference on the drug challenges that we face in our community as well as the state.  He addressed the fentanyl crisis in Alaska, highlighting the effort of healthcare officials and others to spread the warning: one pill can kill. He has proposed several pieces of legislation that will assist. He is asking for the Legislature to increase the penalties to the maximum   extent possible for anyone who deals fentanyl or fentanyl-laced drugs.   Deaths by drug usage hits all segments of our population.  Two prominent members of our state community spoke about their personal journeys regarding loosing sons to drugs.  In our valley, we have several very successful treatment centers – don’t hesitate to reach out - many in our community have or are walking the journey that you are.  Law enforcement officers in South Central Alaska are aggressively investigating the source of illicit narcotics. If you or anyone that you know has any information about drug trafficking in the Mat-Su area, please call Alaska State Troopers at (907) 352-5401, or to remain anonymous, submit a tip on the AKtips smartphone app or online at: https://www.tip411.com/alerts/81954.  Together we can reduce the drug overdoses in our community. 

Enjoy your summer. 

Mat-Su Borough Mayor Edna DeVries,

907-861-8682,

edna.devries@matsugov.us

Is Putin Scared Senseless?

Contributed by Katherine Baker

We all live busy lives with limited time to pay attention beyond our families. That's one of the reasons our Congressional representatives are so very important to us. If we find ourselves questioning the loyalty of our representatives-that's probably an indicator we are being inadequately or inappropriately represented.

Today the general consensus on many news and commentary programs, as well as in Washington, D.C., is that Putin and Russia's slaughter of the innocents-including children, the elderly, disabled, infirmed, hospitalized, those who are simply seeking shelter and a safe place from the terror and horror and the everyday working-class men and women-is due to Putin and Russia being scared and afraid. (Anybody else wondering what Putin and Russia has been deceptively doing to be so afraid of the West? Perhaps Putin and Russia should stop doing those things.)

Remember when, not so very long ago, during the Bush and Obama Administrations, when our leaders tried to convince us how a shirtless, horseback riding Putin (looking very much like a Hollywood scripted western) was a reasonable man who seemed nice and personable and was someone with whom they could work? But it didn't stop there. Then they told us Putin ONLY had nuclear weapons because the USA had them and was...(wait for it)...bullying and aggressive towards Putin and Russia and they were afraid!! (How dumb do they think we are? Don't answer that.) Our leadership and the media 'spun' blamed the USA!! (The people, when given access to all the pertinent information through our Constitutional Freedom of Speech, are always right). I wonder what would be happening now IF the USA had destroyed it's nuclear arsenal back then so that Putin and Russia could feel 'safe' as had been suggested. Does Russia and Putin care that little Ukrainian school children have no place in their own country to feel 'safe', not even their homes, their schools, their playgrounds?

Interestingly and oddly, during the same time span, and working 100% in Putin and Russia's favor, USA college campuses went national news with their 'safe places' for students who don't feel 'safe' in the USA. That served to overshadow Putin's newly emerging and unflattering image of being scared and afraid. It preserved his false rugged, shirtless cowboy horse riding image. (Was Putin trying to make Reagan's popular USA image, his own? Did Putin and Russia attempt to use that image to hoodwink the American masses as they had so easily hoodwinked our leaders and media? The power of suggestion? A sort of mind control of the masses?)

Putin, who was once a mystery, has totally removed his mask. That essentially requires him to use force because deceit will no longer work for him on the world stage. Putin's current projected image makes him look like the reach of Hitler from beyond the grave, with his sights set firmly and determinedly on the West and Western allies. Putin's solution for all of his unsubstantiated and contorted hyper-hysterical sounding issues with Ukraine and the West is a final solution of death and destruction. A psychopathic extreme. The Ukrainian people are independent minded and not easy to forcibly control. Sound familiar? They won't mindlessly march in lockstep with Putin's deceptive narratives full of propaganda and disinformation designed to control the masses and make them powerless. The Global Communist People Infrastructure (CPI) is determined to silence independent thinking and opposing voices around the globe.

The Ukrainian people insist on thinking and speaking for themselves. If Russia can silence the Ukrainians it will confirm to the Global CPI that they have proven strategies for silencing all independent voices. Without those independent voices, the CPI will have global domination within their grasp. Russia entered Ukraine to discover just how far they have to go in order to accomplish the submission of the independent thinkers. Whatever it takes, clearly Putin and Russia have shown they are willing to do it. And, perhaps, maybe then, Putin and Russia will feel 'safe'. Their window of opportunity is closing. The clock is ticking. Is anybody else wondering-has the USA's leadership and media outlets been spreading disinformation? And more importantly, is the DHS concerned?

How the Sullivan Arena Homeless Shelter Closure Affects the Mat-Su

Contributed by Isaac Smoldon

On June 1st, Anchorage will be closing down the Sullivan Arena as a congregate shelter, and exiting the homeless that are currently housed there. For many this will be considered a victory, the nightmarish conditions inside the building have been well documented, with stories of death, drug use, and discord frequenting local news for over two years now.  

But before residents of south-central Alaska break out the confetti and celebrate the ending of a policy that has done irreparable trauma and damage to not only the building, but also the population of Anchorage that have experienced homelessness over the past two years, one should consider how this closure will impact local residents and neighboring communities.

While Wasilla and Palmer currently have relatively low numbers of panhandlers operating inside the city limits, (and there is good reason why that is compared to Anchorage’s situation) after June 1st, The Valley can expect current residents of the Sullivan to make their way out to the greener panhandling pastures of the Mat-Su.

Does that mean that the Sullivan should remain open as a congregate shelter? Certainly not. Based off of the stories of individuals, (especially youth) that have spent time inside the makeshift shelter, the current situation is completely unacceptable. The Mat-Su’s homeless response system has a model that relies on crisis stabilization, networked partnership, and a variety of housing options.

Notice that the words “congregate shelter” and “coordinated entry” do not appear in that model. That is because these systems do nothing to solve the underlying and pervasive issues that cause both youth and adult homelessness in the first place, and that is also why residents of the Mat-Su should be very careful when Anchorage organizations talk about why the Valley should adopt these practices. Clearly if these methods worked for Anchorage, this article would not have been written.  

The Mat-Su’s lower homeless numbers have everything to do with the excellent job of local organizations getting upstream of the “homeless problem,” with organizations like MY House, True North Recovery, Set Free Alaska, Mat-Su Health Services, Choosing our Roots, Valley Charities, Family Promise, Daybreak, Knik Tribe, and Sara’s House providing excellent youth and adult housing, and addiction and behavioral health treatment services. In fact, most of the panhandlers currently in the Mat-Su are stably housed, a fact that most Valley residents would probably be surprised by.

This leads to the main point. The Mat-Su has to do something to make panhandling in the Valley as unappealing as possible, before this latest wave of Anchorage drifters hits in less than a month.

The solution can be multi-faceted.  For one, if you are an individual who gives cash to current panhandlers, stop. Gas and food cards are just as impactful for individuals who truly need assistance, and cash can be used to buy alcohol and drugs, an underlying reason for homelessness in the first place. It also encourages panhandling in the Mat-Su and perpetuates the idea that handouts are a solution, which they are not. Signage stating this at common “hand-out” locations could help make a difference, and the cities of Wasilla and Palmer respectively may need to look at a solution like this.

Furthermore, some sort of crisis stabilization response team needs to be implemented in order to supplement both the State Troopers and the Wasilla and Palmer police departments in helping individuals currently out on the street. These various law enforcement agencies often don’t have the time or resources to deal with local drifters, and even when they do, jailing them or taking legal action is a huge drain on the taxpayer.

Ultimately, the solution comes down to helping individuals work their way out of homelessness, using the variety of resources the Mat-Su has available, not handing out cash or throwing every homeless person into an empty stadium. Is this the easiest solution? Absolutely not, but homelessness isn’t a problem that you can just throw money at until it goes away. It takes the dedicated effort of individuals both inside the homeless services network and from homeless individuals themselves to help get people off the streets and reintegrated into the community. But if residents of the Valley aren’t careful and the “Anchorage way” of tackling this problem become the norm, then expect the Menard to be filled with former Sullivan residents sooner rather than later.

About the Author:

Isaac Smoldon graduated from the University of Alaska Anchorage with a degree in Journalism and Public Communications and currently works at the MY House youth drop-in center in Wasilla Alaska as their production manager. He is also a member of the Mat-Su Youth Action Board and has lived in the Valley since high school.

Hats of Wisdom

Wisdom

Contributed by Jason Goldsmith

“I just can’t take it anymore!”, “I feel like the world is falling apart!”, “I don’t want to be here anymore!”, “I’m always afraid!”, “I want to punch them in the mouth!”…

In discussions with clients, we are often confronted with the statement ‘I’m crazy, right?!’.

In every case, counselors will answer with no. This often does little in the face of being emotionally overwhelmed. After all, we have all heard the words repeated often enough. If she changes her mind and/or mood too often ‘she’s bipolar’. If he says ‘I’ too much ‘he’s a narcissist’. In addition to these beliefs, we fear the diagnosis which often ends with words like ‘disorder’. We fear others will look at us and call us weak, crazy, stupid, or too sensitive. So, it’s not really surprising that people are reluctant or even fearful to try something like mental health therapy.

Recently, I watched a video in which an individual shared that post-traumatic stress or PTS, should be the term we use and leave the disorder off. The thought, which I find myself more and more happy with, is that PTS is the natural response to a terrible event in our life. The symptoms of PTS are the brain and body’s natural response to a mental injury rather than the result of some dysfunction. Each of us has a certain level of physical strength or are lucky to have a particular skill. Mental resilience and strength are no different and require practice and exercise to build. And just like going to the gym, these strengths and talents take time to improve and grow.

It may be helpful to think of counselors as personal trainers who are able to help us make the improvements ourselves and work one on one to give us the attention and guidance needed to regain control of ourselves and our lives. It may come as a surprise that many counselors have struggled with the same feelings, such as fear or rage and that their journey has given them a purpose in helping others overcome their own internal battles.

Here at HOW we would like to make ourselves available to you in answering some of the questions and concerns you have about mental health issues in order to remove the stigmas so easily felt. Please contact us and we will reply in the next edition while keeping you anonymous. We look forward to hearing from you.

hatsofwisdom.com

instagram.com/hats_of_wisdom907

Facts About the Mat-Su Health Foundation

Contributed by Beatrice Adler

I am writing in response to the article in the April issue of the Peoples’ Paper submitted by Larry Wood titled “Health Foundation has Woke Agenda” which states that the CEO of the Mat-Su Health Foundation should be fired and that the Foundation be investigated for promoting Marxist doctrine in the guise of supporting a healthy Mat-Su community. The article contains too many inaccuracies to let stand without comment.

First, I urge anyone with an interest in this topic to visit the Mat-Su Health Foundation’s website at www.healthymatsu.org. If you click on Who We Are, you can read for yourself the actual purpose of the Foundation and it’s partner, Mat-Su Regional Medical Center.

The relationship between the two organizations was established when the old Valley Hospital Association split into management of the for-profit Mat-Su Regional Medical Center (MSRMC) and its non-profit arm the Mat-Su Health Foundation (MSHF). The Foundation was formed specifically to invest a percentage of the hospital’s profit into community projects to improve the health and well-being of all Mat Valley residents.

Reading the Health Foundation's 2020 Annual Report referenced by Mr. Wood reveals the nature and source of the thousands (no, not millions) of dollars in assets (no, not expenses). Taking the time to read through the Annual Reports, a picture emerges of how hospital profits remaining after the needs of patients are met, have been returned to the community. While you’re at the MSHF website, take a look at the list of local grant recipients and visit their websites to learn the truth of how the Foundation’s funds have been invested into the health of our community.

Elizabeth Ripley, CEO of the Foundation sits on the board of Directors of MSRMC. That is by design and is not a conflict of interest as Mr. Woods insists. She is doing an excellent job supporting the mission of the Valley Hospital Association by investing funds provided by MSRMC to MSHF into tangible projects that are helping to improve the health of our community. She provides a direct line of communication between the boards and is part of the Hospital's mission and connection through the Foundation.

Mr. Wood singles out MSHF’s support of ROCK Mat-Su as an example of wrong-doing, though he admits to knowing nothing about the organization. ROCK stands for Raising our Children with Kindness. ROCK Mat-Su’s goal is to end child abuse by providing access to counseling, peer support and related services, not as Mr. Woods assumes, to indoctrinate our children in Marxist belief.

I’d like to thank Larry Wood for motivating me to educate myself about the meaning of concepts I thought I understood.  In the article Mr. Wood appears to have conflated equity and equality with Marxism and Critical Race Theory. Not knowing what to make of Mr. Wood’s comments, I looked up the definitions of those specific terms.

The American Heritage College Dictionary, third edition contains the following definitions:

Equity: The state, quality, or ideal of being just, impartial, and fair.

Equal: Having the same quantity, measure or value as another.    

Marxism: An ideology in which the concept of class struggle plays a primary role in analyzing society, which is seen as inevitably progressing from bourgeois oppression under capitalism to a socialist society and thence to Communism.

Finding no definition of Critical Race Theory in my dictionary, I turned to the Internet. Here’s what I learned: Critical Race Theory (CRT) grew out of its predecessor Critical Legal Studies (CLT). CLT emerged at Harvard Law School in the 1960’s. It assumed as a fact and put forward as a basis of argument that race and racism are social constructs and that the American legal system was structured to benefit the wealthy and powerful at the expense of the poor and marginalized, primarily those of black or brown skin. As such it is an adaptation of Marxist theory which calls the monarchy and ruling class to account. Lacking a monarchy to blame for the disparity in application of the law, CLT pointed at socially-based racial inequality as the culprit.

When Marx & Engels published the Communist Manifesto in 1848 they were critiquing the centuries old social hierarchy controlled by the ruling class in Europe. They envisioned an economic and social revolution with each citizen, regardless of class, deserving of the basics of life: food, shelter, and useful work all contributing to a society wherein there was an equitable distribution of wealth. The rise of the European bourgeoisie, a merchant-based middle class, would lead, they posited from capitalism, to socialism on the way to the ultimate perfection of economic and social expression in Communism.

The American rebellion against the British monarchy had declared equality as its cornerstone. In 1776 the concept of equality applied only to white land-owning males; a tacit understanding that informed much of the jurisprudence that followed. It took Americans nearly 200 years to realize how entrenched and pervasive that attitude was and that it was important to make meaningful, moral change.

The civil rights movement of the 1960’s called for racial equality, echoing the words of the Declaration of Independence. The harsh reality is that all men (and women) are not created equal. Equal means the same as, and that’s just not true. We each have different interests, strengths, weaknesses and abilities. We’ll never be equal, but we can all strive to live in an equitable society where everyone is treated with equality of justice and fairness under the law.

I believe Mr. Wood’s assertion that equity means taking from one person to give to another in the interests of creating equality is based in this co-mingling of Marxist theory and CRT. The question is: how does Marx’s theory of the (presumed) natural progression from bourgeois capitalism through socialism to Communism have anything to do with teaching children to be just and fair?

The MSRMC website defines equity as follows: when every person has the opportunity to attain his or her full human potential (physically, intellectually, socially and spiritually) and no one is disadvantaged from achieving this potential because of social position or other socially determined circumstances or systemic and institutional barriers.

We shouldn’t need indoctrination to motivate us to treat our fellow human beings with fairness and compassion. Well, actually something we can all agree upon does exist. Commonly known as the Golden Rule, it says: “Do not do unto others what you would not want to have done unto you.”  That language comes dangerously close to the Marxist tenets of legally enforced fairness, compassion, and equity. At least as Mr. Woods would have us believe.

Education in America: Part II

Contributed by Cal Pappas

NOTE: Part 1 of this article can be found in the March 2022 edition of The People’s Paper

Where we are now and ranked 14-27 in the world (depending on the source) in education:

With all the changes happening in public education, after my retirement in 2006 I moved to Willow and began over thirteen years subbing at Su Valley School in Talkeetna. By the end of my tenure there I knew education could not sink much lower. Su Valley held on to tradition for a decade but progressive administration brought changes.

Scrapped first was behavior and expectations of civility among students. The problem as I see it is school districts keep track of each school’s graduation rate, the number of failing grades and discipline issues in each school. Schools with the highest graduation rates and the lowest rates of poor grades and fewer discipline issues are seen as successful schools. Those schools that do score lower are seen as needing improvement. What is the solution to principals who want to show their school as successful and to superintendents who want the same for their school district? The answer, while disturbing, is both understandable and expected.

I was visiting a classroom next to the one I was subbing in. The teacher asked a student to put his cell phone away and the student ignored the teacher. On the fourth request the kid looked at the teacher and said, “F—k off.” The teacher let the kid continue to play on his phone. Why? He was instructed by the principal not to send discipline issues to the office (where they are recorded and tabulated).

I saw a student sitting in the hall doing his work. I asked him why he was not in class and he replied he swore at the teacher. When I told him he was better than that he replied, “Yeah, but nothing will happen anyway.”

At lunch and even class time I see students playing violent computer games rather than study. Beheadings, disembowelments, how many bad guys get killed, etc., are the the thrill on the school’s computers.

When I proctored a college entrance exam the instructions required students to complete the first page of personal information in cursive. Not one student write in cursive, and the students did not even know what cursive was! Schools today do not teach penmanship and very little emphasis is placed on spelling. Computers will do it all.

A teacher was failing two students. Their grade average was almost zero for doing absolutely nothing in class. The principal pressured him to do anything to bring the boy’s average to a C. Another teacher who was close to retirement mentioned to me the new political correctness was not worth the headache. “I just won’t grade below a C” he said.

One young and fairly new teacher mentioned to me how disappointing the educational system was. “It doesn’t matter how well I know my subject or even how well I teach. All that matters here is looking good.” While I knew the answer I asked what the meaning was. “You know, look good. No grades below a C and the kids don’t get in trouble for their actions.”

And then was the boy who called his teacher a “f—king c—t” in class, His punishment? To sit for the remainder of the day in the office.

As an interesting side bar, I mentioned the above instances (and many others) to teachers I meet in several southern African countries as I go there almost yearly to vacation and hunt. In fact, I speak to schools about life in Alaska as the Alaska reality shows fascinates everyone! When I ask the consequences to the students there who cuss at a teacher, who refuse to work, who refuse to put away their cell phones I am first met with a look of disbelief. “I can’t tell you what would happen because not only that it would never happen here but we can’t even fathom that it ever would.”

I tutored a young lady via the internet through her four years of high school in Zimbabwe. In that, the most corrupt country on the planet that is tied with Haiti in nearly every indicator of modern civilization, her lessons were far more advanced and demanding than any I taught or subbed for in my career. Education is taken seriously there as it is the only chance to rise above the abject poverty that is everywhere. Very few kids drop out or are expelled. Those that do are seen daily at stop lights, filthy and dressed in rags, begging for pennies.

What the future holds:

American high schools used to teach Latin and Greek. Now colleges teach remedial English. Take it from someone who spent 40 years in public education. The destruction of western civilization begins with western education. We are not losing the war. We have already lost.

Can it be fixed?

Yes! Dress codes, removal of cell phones and computer games from the classroom, severe consequences for misbehavior or foul language, kids must earn their diploma rather than be given one, grade point averages based on academic classes only—not to include teacher aide and other giveaway A grades, an attendance system based on the expectations in the real world of work, and return teachers to teaching rather than the kids using Google Classroom daily (where often games are played behind the laptop). Will this happen?

But, the realistic answer is “No.” Too many progressive freedoms are now the rule. Our destiny is to be behind third world countries such as Zimbabwe in education.

Everything written above has been personally witnessed my the writer.

Cal Pappas

AA, BEdu, MA, MS

26 years certificated public school teacher

14 years certificated substitute teacher

Spun

By Katherine Baker

A secret circled in the air,
observed my captured, thoughtful stare.
All it contained remained unknown,
I wondered if, I wondered lone.

Uplifted by a sudden wind,
the secret soared then plunged again.
Where would it stop when time to meet,
the solid ground beneath our feet.

The safest Way For Your Dog to Ride While in the Car

Having your dog come along with you on car rides can be a great deal of fun, for both you and your dog.  Making sure that your dog is safe is of the utmost importance.

Although the back seat is the safest place for a dog, a loose dog is not really safe anywhere in your car.  Using a crash-tested crate is a great way to transport your dog.  This will provide safe siding, thereby protecting your doggie. 

NEVER allow your dog to sit in the bed of your pickup.  Studies have proven that this is an incredibly dangerous way for your dog to travel.  

There are a variety of harnesses, seat belts and booster seats that offer protection.  These are easily reviewed online and many are rated so that you can get a better understanding of what each offer. Variables to think of is the type of dog you have, the age and weight of your dog. Also think of the personality of your pup – is he a laid back boy or a maniac who can’t sit still for a moment.

Other factors to think of are keeping your car windows and doors locked.  This will assure that your dog does not escape from your vehicle.  Having a first aid kit and food and water bowls in your car will benefit your pooch as well.  Make sure that your dog has a tag and is microchipped, so that, if he does get separated from you, he will be able to be returned to you. 

Now have fun, knowing your pooch is safe in your car!

Angie Lewis

Palmer 746-0864

Meet Summer and Diamond

Contributed by Angie Lewis

Alaska Animal Advocates

These beauties are 6 months old, and their dad is a White German Shepherd and mom is a Bully Mix.  Summer is the boldest of the two, while Diamond is very shy - but also very treat motivated.  They’re good with other dogs. We don’t know how they are with cats.

These babies need either a foster home or a permanent home.

If you are interested, please call Angie at (907) 841-3173.

Another option for these girls is a foster to adopt situation, where you get to foster them for a couple of weeks, while you decide if you want to adopt them.

Summer Theatre Academies for Youth

Contributed by Anne Benson

Calling all youth who would like to experience the thrill of performing as well as learn and hone those skills that will enhance their lives on and off the stage! The Palmer Arts Council is delighted to be bringing back its summer theatre academies! Housed at Palmer High’s theatre, there will be three, 2-week long camps for youth, ages 8-middle school. Session dates are June 6-17, July 11-22, and July 25-August 5.

Cost is $300 per session with multi-family/multisession discounts available. There is also scholarship funds for students who would like to participate but can’t afford the fee. For more information go to www.palmerarts.org/ or call (907) 232-0085.

Objective: To provide an avenue where young people can experience the thrill of performing as well as learn and hone those skills that will enhance their lives on and off the stage.

Academy Location: Sherrod Elementary School, 561 North Gulkana Street

Dates: Monday, July 10th – Friday, July 21st

Time: 9 am – 3 pm, Monday through Friday

Phone Numbers: To contact your child during the day, please call Annie’s classroom or text/call her cell phone. If no one answers, please leave a message and your call will be returned as soon as possible.

Annie Benson

Cell: 907-232-0085;

Classroom: 907-761-4107

Email: anniembannany@icloud.com

Although our schedule is flexible, we generally have morning classes in acting and improvisation. Rehearsals for our play production will be in the afternoon, after lunch. (Actors are encouraged to bring a book to read or/and another quiet independent activity (no electronics) to do while they are not rehearsing.)

PLEASE NOTE:

·       Friday Fling Day – If it isn’t raining, we will walk to the Friday Fling during our lunch break July 14th. We will be gone from 11:30 am-1:30 pm. Family members are welcome to walk with us or meet us there!                                                                                

·       Late Rehearsal/Pizza Night/Actors Presentation – On Thursday, July 20th ,  we have our academy day until 7 pm. We will have a dinner break at 5 pm. Actors are asked to bring $5.00 for pizza. Drinks will be provided. At 7 pm, there will be an “Actor’s Presentation”, where students will share some of the fun stuff that they have learned during our morning classes. Please note: everyone is also invited to recite a poem or monolog at this presentation.

·       Play Performances – There will be two free performances for the public on Friday, July 21st , 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm. Actors will be excused at 3:00 pm (or may leave with their family after the matinee) but then needed back for “call” at 6:00 pm. Our evening performance is at 7:00 pm. It is under an hour long.           

Reception “Potluck” Following Performances – Following the evening

Photographing the Aurora

Welcome Summer! The Beginning of the Waiting.

Contributed by Aurora Dora

Life for me feels perfect when I am photographing the Auroras!

I have been chasing and photographing the Northern Lights for many years. The winter landscapes and views surrounding us in Alaska with the opportunity of experiencing the dancing lights across the skies make me happy. Living in Talkeetna, I have all of these in spades!

But spring arrives, the nights get shorter, and we know summer is around the corner… And summer comes!

For me, summer is a bitter-sweet season, missing the beauty of the night, the stars, and the Auroras. But don’t take me wrong, I love summer. I enjoy hiking, fishing, visiting with tourists from all over, and the long days. But I am still waiting.

Summer is here. Yay! I celebrate the summer solstice. Tomorrow we will have six fewer seconds of daylight!

And I wait.

And by early August, I see a few stars. By mid-August, a few more. And I am ready! Ready to photograph the northern lights again. Photographing the Auroras brings me back to a remarkable place, I feel complete, and it feeds my soul.

Cheers to a new summer season!

For the last 20 years, I have been chasing and photographing the northern lights. As the Aurora season gives room to the bright summer months, I visit the many memories and stories from all these years and share them with the visitors of my gallery in Talkeetna.

Aurora Dora Photography Gallery is open 7 days a week. We are in downtown Talkeetna by the Welcome to the Beautiful Talkeetna sign.

Master Artist Tina Garrett Coming to Alaska

Contributed by Diane Paoletti

Artist Tina Garrett is one of the most well recognized women artists in Contemporary Western Art and we are very fortunate to have her coming to Alaska to share her skills at a 3 day workshop. 

 Her works center on emotion and mood, and they often contain dramatic light or atmospheric effects.  Being highly skilled as a Contemporary Representational artist, Tina has earned recognition as an Art Renewal Center Living Master, (ARCLM) and holds a Master Artist designation from the National Oil and Acrylic Painters' Society. Tina was a proud State Ambassador for the Portrait Society of America and she is honored to be a mentor for the PSoA Cecilia Beaux Forum Mentoring Program.

Tina’s work is an integral part of her daily existence. “As I progress in my skills & my work becomes more widely recognized, I’ve done my best to present my work to everyone I can reach, risking whatever I’ve presented to the world as important enough to paint. Those who don’t create might not understand how much bravery it takes to do this over and over again. I love the paintings I create so deeply. Each one comes from my soul. Yes, my soul—the part of me that is connected to the divine, God, the universe, whatever you like to call it—that’s where my paintings come from. My soul is an endless well of inspiration. No matter how my work is received, there will always be another painting that must be created. There is no greater gift I can receive than another falling in love with my work so deeply that they must own it, bring my work into their home, and make it a part of their daily lives. I truly do put so much of myself into each and every work, so loving it, giving it a home, that is the highest compliment.”

Teaching is also of primary importance to Tina, saying "I have found my bliss in teaching. It is an absolute delight when a student reaches a milestone of understanding. To have any student surpass me in my skill and success and look back and say, ‘Thank you, Tina, for all you taught me, is sublime. Because if I learned one thing from the great master of our era, Richard Schmid, it is that we do not own this information. All artists have a responsibility to pay forward what they know and assure that the next generation of artists has the tools to make great art."

There is a certain transcendent quality that comes to a work of art when the soul of the artist runs deep. For anyone who has had the pleasure of meeting Tina, she is a warm, kind and optimistic person. She feels and thinks deeply about herself and the world. It is this quality that she also brings to her art. Her works are filled with a deep pathos that resonates with her viewers; one that is uplifting, but also filled with a sweet sadness, a nostalgic warmth that awakens feelings of past times filled with wonder, newness and the change that comes with each new season of life’s transitions. 

Tina will be sharing with her students the practical methods she uses in her award-winning portraiture to help artists make the best paintings they’ve ever made. This July workshop is perfect for anyone struggling with portrait painting. Students will learn to see and simplify values, create form, and understand edges and chroma to control your composition and create dramatic portraiture using Tina’s practical and easy to use strategies.

Tina will demonstrate how to pose and paint from the live model as well as how to photograph the model and how to edit your photos with and without Photoshop. Tina will teach you how to organize your palette to mix realistic colors, values, and temperatures for different skin types and how two easy strategies to achieve an accurate likeness in your portraiture.

If your portraits look cartoonish or dead, you need this workshop. Tina will demonstrate three oil painting starting methods including open grisaille, accurate color wash and Tina’s favorite, selective start to help students discover the process that will help them achieve their best work.

Each morning Tina will demonstrate and lecture. Each afternoon, Tina will work one-on-one with every artist as they paint from both the live model and photos. Tina’s goal is to be as generous with her knowledge as possible, walking each student through the concepts so when artists leave her workshops, they are able to take their own painting to new heights. All levels welcome! Space is limited!

Make sure to check out Tina’s work online: www.artisttinagarrett.com

Contact Diane @ 907-355-4632 or email: dianeypaol@gmail.com for more information or to secure your spot.  Class size is limited to 10.

Emily Anderson Released New Single, Release “Margaret”

Alaska-grown Los Angeles based indie artist Emily Anderson is releasing her single, “Margaret,” scheduled to drop on Friday, May 20. This is the final single off her full-length album, “Salt & Water,” which will be released on May 27.

Produced by tenderpunk pioneer Sarah Tudzin (of the renowned illuminati hotties), “Margaret” is about a late-night phone call to an old friend, enveloping the listener in a warm blanket of guitars, uplifting vocal harmonies, and the dear memories of lifelong friendships. It’s your soundtrack for the road trips, with the windows down singing at the top of your lungs and knowing no one cares if you can’t hit the high note.

“Margaret isn’t about one person in particular, but a group of close female friendships I value deeply,” Anderson shares, “It’s about being completely understood and accepted for who you are and the gift of growing up together without growing apart.” The song is a sonic cocktail of Kacey Musgraves, Willie Nelson, and Phoebe Bridgers.

The single is part of the promotion for Anderson’s first full length album release in 5 years. The long-awaited album was originally set to be recorded in April of 2020, but the pandemic ultimately caused Anderson to shift course, focusing efforts on singles, video game soundtracks (Calico, The Stars Between Us, and Rec Room), and music for film and TV (featured in national Miller Lite ad). “This record has been a lesson of patience for me,” recounts Anderson, “Without the delay, some of the best songs on the record wouldn’t have been on it - because they didn’t exist yet. I put my whole heart and soul into this album and I hope people will be able to feel that.”

“Margaret” can be pre-saved now. A music video directed by Emily Anderson will be released in conjunction with the single. The album release show will take place at Goldie’s in Fairbanks, Alaska on May 28. For more information, follow Emily Anderson on Facebook or Instagram at @emilyandersonak or visit her website at www.emilyandersonak.com.