Vance’s record on taxes gives peace of mind
Tax increases have been a major concern for my family and me. Throughout my adult life, I have worked hard to support a family of five kids and two adults, managing to feed, clothe and shelter them. Despite achieving a modest lifestyle, I have always worried about potential financial challenges, particularly tax increases, which could strain our budget. Over the years, we have adapted to rising costs, cutting back on luxuries, but inflation and rising taxes have worsened our situation.
As election season approaches, we must consider these economic struggles when voting. Our current representative, Sarah Vance, has consistently voted against tax increases for the past six years. I support her because she understands the burden that higher taxes place on families in times of inflation.
Her opponent, Brent Johnson, has a troubling record. He has sponsored five tax increase proposals in the last 18 months, which worries me greatly. If elected, I fear he will support even more tax increases, further straining our finances. That is why I will be voting to keep Sarah Vance in office. Her stance against tax increases gives me peace of mind, knowing she is committed to protecting families like mine from additional financial hardship.
George Hall
Homer
Johnson will support constituents
With the election coming in only a few weeks, I wish to add my voice to my choice for the State House of Representatives.
I was delighted to get to know Alana Greear and was happy she decided to run for the seat. She was newly elected to the Homer Senior Citizens BOD, a wonderful addition, always a smile on her face, she brings joy wherever she goes. And with her knowledge of finances, I felt she would do well.
But then Brent Johnson decided to run, and I have know Brent many years. He has served with distinction on the borough Planning Commission for many years, and then went to the borough assembly. Again, serving with distinction, and as president of the assembly for the past three years.
Unlike the letter writers in last week’s Homer News, two people I consider friends even if we are polar political opposites, I will NOT advocate voting for Sarah Vance.
In my book, she did listen to her constituents and supported the bill to fund school districts as they have so badly needed since 2017. The intervening years saw huge price increases, felt by school districts too. But when the governor vetoed that, she stood with him and not with us. Therefore I urge voters to support Brent, with his background he knows how government works and will support his constituents.
He will also work to change the state’s public employee retirement system to attract more public employees, such as troopers and teachers. It is costing us dearly to have to replace them when they go where they are appreciated. We need a defined benefit retirement system.
Thanks for listening.
Milli Martin
Homer
Thank you for conservation project support
On behalf of the Alaska Wildlife Alliance, I express our heartfelt gratitude to the Martha H Briscoe Environmental Science and Conservation Fund at the Homer Foundation for their generous support of our project, “Communicating Beavers as a Nature-Based Solution.” Peatlands across the southern Kenai are drying. Now more than ever, it is essential that we explore effective interventions, and beavers and beaver dam analogs (aka BDAs, human-made beaver dams) serve as a promising tool in restoring moisture to these vital ecosystems.
To understand how beavers may serve as a nature-based solution to Homer-area peatland drying, we have partnered with the Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve and University of South Florida. Together, we are studying three demonstration sites: one with a beaver dam, one with a BDA, and a control site with no intervention. Since 2023 we have been monitoring these sites to determine the “zone of influence” beavers and BDAs have on the landscape.
Many scientists are working on important projects across the Kenai Peninsula, but without science communication, the public may not learn about new discoveries that impact their backyard. Thanks to the Homer Foundation and their donors, we have support to develop communications around this project, ensuring we engage the Homer community in our findings and lessons learned.
We will document changes observed at each site, giving the public an opportunity to visually grasp the before-and-after effects of our restoration efforts. Additionally, we will share insights from scientists on their methods for measuring ecological changes, including carbon levels in the peat, water temperature, and audio recordings from migratory bird monitoring devices.
Your support is instrumental in helping us communicate the vital role of beavers in our ecosystems and their potential as a nature-based solution to peatland drying. We truly appreciate your belief in our mission and this work.
Nicole Schmitt
Anchorage
Thank you for supporting speaker event
A big thank you to the Homer Foundation for providing support from the JEMCO Fund, Gary Thomas Memorial Fund and the Opportunity Fund to allow us to bring inspirational speaker Dan Bigley to Homer to share his powerful story of overcoming being mauled and blinded by a brown bear and rebuilding a life filled with love, hope, courage and resilience. We were able to offer his message of inspiration to the community free of charge due to the generosity of the Homer Foundation in partnership with South Peninsula Hospital Health and Wellness. Additional support was provided from Driftwood Inn, Homer Rotary Club, LifeMed and Kachemak Bay Campus.
We sincerely appreciate and thank you all for your generous contributions.
Erin Workman, RN
UAA School of Nursing Homer faculty
The freedom to read is more important than ever
Oct. 19 is the Freedom to Read Day of Action, sponsored by the group Unite Against Book Bans. As members of a partner group, the Alaska chapter of Authors Against Book Bans, we support this effort. The concept of freedom to read is more important than ever, with the increase in book challenges and bans happening nationwide and here in Alaska. What’s even more chilling is that some book bans are being used to silence diverse voices such as LGBTQ+ and BIPOC authors.
Kids need to read books that reflect themselves and the world we live in. Research shows that reading a broad range of books enriches children’s literacy, empathy and critical thinking. We need those abilities now more than ever.
Everyone has an equal right to access books in our libraries. A perfect book for your child may not be the perfect book for another child. But that doesn’t mean that the book should be taken away from your family. The better course is to make a variety of books available so both our families can choose what works for them.
We can compare a library to a grocery store. There are tons of food and other items in the grocery store. But the great thing is, we can pick and choose what we need. For example, some people don’t do well with spicy food, so they don’t eat it. But they don’t object to the store carrying jalapeños, because other customers want to buy them. The library is like that. There are tons of books, and people can choose the ones they want to read.
This is a great time to thank our local librarians in our school and public libraries. Some of them are being unfairly vilified for doing their jobs: meeting the needs and interests of their diverse communities for information and recreational reading. Look up Unite Against Book Bans (uniteagainstbookbans.org) or Authors Against Book Bans (authorsagainstbookbans.com) for more ideas on how to support the freedom to read.
Ann Dixon, Mareth Griffith, David James and Lynn Lovegreen
Authors Against Book Bans Alaska chapter members
A clear choice
As voters in Alaska’s District 6, we have a clear choice in the upcoming election: reelect Rep. Sarah Vance, a proven advocate for conservative values and fiscal responsibility, or support Brent Johnson, a candidate whose record on taxes and spending raises concerns about the direction he would take our district.
Sarah Vance has consistently stood up for policies that reflect the needs of our district, including opposing unnecessary tax increases and protecting the rights of Alaska’s families, especially our seniors. She has remained firm on reducing the size of government and keeping taxes low to ensure that working Alaskans aren’t burdened with additional financial stress. Her decision to not override the governor’s veto to increase public education funding was not an attack on education, but a recognition that throwing more money at the system without meaningful reform won’t solve underlying issues.
In contrast, Brent Johnson has a track record of sponsoring or supporting new taxes during his time on the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly. Johnson’s stance on issues like education funding, while admirable in its intentions, would rely heavily on tax hikes or not funding other line items in the budget, which would cause some services to not be funded. His long-standing support for measures that included more taxation shows that, if elected, he would push for higher taxes without guaranteeing better outcomes for Alaskans.
Vance, on the other hand, has always championed sensible policies that balance the need for services with the importance of fiscal responsibility. Her dedication to education reform, not just increased spending, demonstrates her pragmatic approach to improving our schools without saddling taxpayers with additional burdens.
As we near Election Day, let’s rally behind a candidate who has unwaveringly served our district and live our conservative values. Sarah Vance has shown her steadfast commitment to our district and our state, and with your support, she will continue to lead with integrity and dedication in the State House.
Cassie Lawver
Homer
Voters: Be intrigued, be educated
I was delighted by the totem graphic on the cover of the State Elections Pamphlet that arrived in my mailbox last week. Like many book covers, it intrigued me to read more. We should all be pouring through this pamphlet these next few weeks to help make candidate, ballot measure and judge retention decisions and to figure out where our polling site is or if we need to vote early.
We all need to get interested and educated. Let’s be careful, and not be lazy and vote for whoever so-and-so says to vote for or, not vote due to apathy or, most alarming, vote “no” on all judge retentions because you didn’t know anything about them. Ads and campaign signs can be informative but also misleading. Be on alert to disinformation/misinformation and gaslighting — these are very popular methods used today to confuse voters. Our democracy works best when voters use critical thinking, research and listen to all sides.
About voting to retain judges — this is part of our civic duty and our right; learn about it. The Alaska Judicial Council, an independent citizens’ commission, was established by our state founders in Article IV of Alaska’s Constitution. They screen judicial applicants, then nominate and make recommendations to the governor for appointment. The members include three public members who are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Legislature, and three attorney members who are appointed by the Alaska Bar Association Board of Governors. The chief justice of the Alaska Supreme Court chairs the council, but only votes when there is a tie. The council evaluates Alaska’s judges, per law, and reports on their performances. Surveys from jurors, law enforcement, social services, attorneys and court employees, and other data are reviewed and judges are recommended for retention based on this data. Voters are then given the task to cast a “yes” or “no” to retain.
You can review each judge up for retention in the Election Pamphlet and you can dive deeper in depth at ajc.state.ak.us/retention/current.html. Please check this out. Don’t just cast a “no.” Take the time. They did, through their education and public service. Voters can also learn more about our judicial system at alaskajudges.info/. Be informed, be an educated voter.
Therese Lewandowski
Homer
Vote no on 2
Ballot Measure 2, which is to repeal open primaries and ranked choice voting, will be voted on the ballot for our Nov. 5 election. I am recommending a NO vote. Alaska is one of a handful of states that uses a single ballot for our state primary. We no longer must belong to any political party or affiliation to vote in our state primary. Why doesn’t every state have an open primary? It is not hard to figure out. The parties want to control who is in the general election. It reminds me of when I was back in grade school, and we were choosing teams. It was not always the best players getting picked first; often, it was the ones with whom the captains were friends.
The major political parties are not in touch with all Alaskans. The state is too big and diverse. Just look at the makeup of our representatives in Juneau to see that the demographics of this group don’t align with the demographics of our state. Having a single primary ballot will allow the voters to be directly involved with who they will vote for in the general election.
We have witnessed the impact of open primaries and ranked choice voting. We have seen more moderate candidates get elected. This has led to smoother organization in the House, and because of this, Juneau has been working and passing more bipartisan bills and not pursuing as much divisive legislation.
I like ranked choice voting because I can rank up to four candidates, which gives me greater choice. One argument you hear is that ranked choice voting is complicated. If you vote at the polls, you have three chances to do it right, and the poll workers can help you. In the 2022 general election, 99.8% of ballots were filled out properly, and more than 70% of voters ranked candidates.
Another reason I like ranked choice voting instead of plurality vote, is because with the old voting system, I could only choose one candidate. I sometimes had to waste my vote because I didn’t think my choice would win; other times, I would vote for the lesser of two evils. With ranked choice voting, I don’t have to vote that way any longer.
Voting NO on 2 gives voters more voice. Ranked choice voting also motivates candidates to consider all voters. Voters can rank candidates in order of preference, letting voters better express their desires in the final result.
If you believe our political scene has become more polarizing to our Alaskan way of life, I urge you to vote no on 2. Early voting begins Monday, Oct. 21, leading up to Election Day on Nov. 5.
Alex Koplin
Homer
Homer Senior Citizens, Inc. extends heartfelt thanks to the Homer Foundation
Homer Senior Citizens, Inc. would like to express our deepest gratitude to the Homer Foundation Opportunity Fund for the generous $5,000 award. Thanks to the incredible support from the fund’s donors, we successfully completed an update to the activities within our Adult Day program, benefiting not only our participants but also the greater Homer community and local businesses.
The new supplies have helped brighten the lives of our seniors and those in our Silver Lining Café. Flowers and crafts created by our participants brought a special touch of joy to the café’s diners. The baking supplies allowed us to spread encouragement through treats to our local police and fire departments, the Hospice Widower Group, the Chamber of Commerce, the courthouse, Haven House, and our own staff in the Terrace.
The fund also allowed us to provide bread for our participants to make sandwiches for the Food Pantry, a project they take pride in completing each week. Additionally, those who had never joined our field trips were encouraged to participate, thanks to enticing stops at local eateries and a year-long membership to the Pratt Museum.
We also used the funds to enhance activities like the United Women of Faith Reading Group and 2nd Sunday Shakespeare, making them more accessible to our participants. Safer, stronger storage was added to the Friendship Center as well, improving safety for everyone.
Most importantly, this award has helped remind our participants that they are valued members of the community, actively contributing to the vibrant spirit of Homer. Their lives have been enriched, and their sense of belonging strengthened, thanks to the support of the Homer Foundation and its donors.
From all of us at Homer Senior Citizens, Inc., thank you for making a difference!
Sarah Weideman, MBA
Interim executive director
A local perspective on Vance
When Sarah Vance took office in 2019 as our District 6 representative to the Alaska State House, Homer High School had 24.5 teaching positions. Now HHS has 17.2 teaching positions, a 30% decrease, and has lost 14 course offerings, including critical Career and Technical Education (CTE) classes.
You might have heard Vance and/or her advocates claim there needs to be more accountability for “results” before they approve (adequate) funding. While continuous improvement is always the goal, Homer High’s “results” make it the highest achieving high school in one of the highest achieving school districts in the state, testament to the excellent and hard work of the students, and of all of the professional educators and families on the Southern Kenai that have supported them.
Meanwhile, Sarah’s voting record is merely testament to her undeniable disdain for public education, no matter how that may limit opportunities for young people and adversely affect the future vitality of our community. Enough is enough. Let’s elect Brent Johnson.
Paul Story
Homer High School counselor
Balancing accountability and incentives
“Beverly Hillbillies,” episode 1, season 1. We join Granny, Jed, and Jed’s sister Pearl, in the cozy Clampett homestead cabin. Jed has sold his swampland to a pee’troleum company and Pearl is scolding him because she assumes Jed sold it for too little. Pearl: “What did you sell the swampland for? Jed: “Alright I’ll tell you. He said between 25 and 100. I know it doesn’t sound like much, but this Mr. Brewster fella seemed to set great store in the fact that he’s going to pay me in a new kind of dollars.” Pearl: “There ain’t any new kind of dollars!” Jed: “Well, I’ve heard of gold dollars, and silver dollars, and paper dollars, but I never heard of, what kind of dollars did he say he’d pay me, Granny?” Granny: “Million, dollars.” Pearl: “Million dollars!?!? Million dollars!?!? Granny, get me the jug!”
Anyone can run a campaign promising to spend millions of dollars to lure voters into voting for them. But unless they know and communicate exactly how their promises will be paid for, then it’s obvious they believe in a “new kind of dollars,” and, “there ain’t any new kind of dollars!” I believe Sarah Vance has done a good job balancing the need to provide accountability for how state dollars are spent, with the need to provide incentive and initiative to those who don’t expect or want our society to become overly dependent on government. If readers believe promises of millions of dollars are as easy as a spoken word, then either they, or the one making the promise, believe in a “new kind of dollars,” and, “there ain’t any new kind of dollars!” Please consider a vote for Vance! Thank you.
Leonard Miller
Homer
Hoping to pay it forward
On Oct. 10 while running errands in town I received a call from Ulmer’s, where I had been earlier, to tell me that a $100 bill I had dropped inadvertently, had been turned in and was waiting for me at their office. (I keep a folded $100 bill in my wallet for emergencies, having learned a lesson years ago when stranded with no cash). In this time of division and harsh rhetoric, it touched my heart and made my day to be the recipient of such an unselfish and thoughtful act. I tried in vain to learn who the person might be, so to whomever it is, please know how very grateful and appreciative I am, not only for the returned funds, but to be the beneficiary of someone with such integrity and kindness. I hope to pay it forward.
Beverly Cronen
Homer
