Protecting Your Rights: Serving Sand Lake, Spenard and Turnagain

March 13, 2020

In this issue:

• COVID-19 Update

• Constituent Survey Results

• Community Events

COVID-19 Update

Yesterday, Governor Dunleavy and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Anne Zink confirmed the first case of COVID-19 in Alaska. The patient is a foreign national who developed a fever and respiratory symptoms shortly after arriving in Anchorage on March 11. The patient immediately contacted their physician and went to Alaska Regional Hospital for testing. According to officials, the individual is following recommended preventative guidelines and is self-isolating after being discharged from Alaska Regional Hospital. Considering the circumstances, Dr. Zink believes that the case is isolated and can be contained better than a community-transmission case would be. We expect more positives in the state as we move forward.

Communities are taking actions to mitigate the possibility of widespread transmission in Alaska. The Anchorage School District has extended Spring Break for another week, and the Alaska School Activities Association has suspended many events. The University of Alaska also extended its spring break and is asking residential students to vacate the dormitories as faculty works to transition to online classes for the remainder of the semester. Various conferences, concerts, and otherwise large-scale gatherings are being canceled or postponed across the state.

State officials continue to urge Alaskans to take necessary precautions, including:

Washing your hands for at least 20 seconds
Keeping your hands away from your face and mouth
Limiting public outings, large gatherings, and close contact with others
Staying home if you're sick or have traveled to a high-risk locale within the past 14 days

DHSS will notify the media and post on social media with important updates. For the latest information from Alaska, visit coronavirus.alaska.gov and check cdc.gov for national updates. Alaskans who have questions about COVID-19 are encouraged to contact their healthcare provider, or call Alaska 211 for answers and additional resources.

Constituent Survey Results

This year, over 250 friends and neighbors from across House District 21 completed our constituent survey! Thank you to everyone who took the time to participate and share your thoughts. We appreciate your input and will keep your views in mind as the session continues. Having compiled the information and analyzed the results, here are the key takeaways:

76% of West Anchorage constituents gave the Governor's FY2021 budget proposal a failing grade (D or F).
75% support using some of the earnings of the Permanent Fund to help pay for essential services.
If the budget shortfalls continue, 60.8% of West Anchorage constituents believe the budget has been reduced enough and prefer to receive a smaller dividend or pay new taxes.
79.5% support an increase in oil and gas production taxes.
75.5% of West Anchorage constituents believe Alaska should continue to fully support Medicaid expansion.

Here are the results of our survey:

Question #1

Question #2

Question #3

Which of the following new revenue measures would you support?

Income Tax (weighted average: 2.00)

Sales Tax (weighted average: 2.65)

Increased Motor Fuels tax (weighted average: 2.67)

State Lottery (weighted average: 3.33)

Education Head Tax (weighted average: 3.55)

I do not support any of these measures (weighted average: 3.67)

Out of approximately 204 answers to this survey question, "I do not support any of these measures" was marked 22 times.

*We analyzed these results using a “weighted average” formula in which the lower number shows strong support. The weighted average formula calculates the average value of particular responses. Applied to the ranked choices, the lower number reflects greater support for the choice and the higher number reflects less support. For example, the “income tax” response has a weighted average of 2.00, which shows that many constituents ranked this choice as their 1st, 2nd, or 3rd choice.

Question #4

If we raise new revenue through a sales tax, income tax, modifications to oil and gas taxes, or another revenue measure, we should use the new revenue to:

Pay for public education: teachers, schools, and training (weighted average: 1.89)

Pay for public safety: police, troopers, and prosecutors (weighted average: 2.21)

Pay for infrastructure projects: roads, airports, and ports (weighted average: 2.29)

Increase the dividend payment and help pay for dividends (weighted average: 3.51)

Question #5

In what areas of government do you think the legislature should prioritize spending?

1.) K-12 Education (weighted average: 3.41)

2.) Health and Social Services (weighted average: 3.97)

3.) Public Safety (weighted average: 4.88)

4.) Early Education (Pre-K) (weighted average: 4.92)

5.) Roads and Road Maintenance (weighted average: 5.29)

6.) Alaska Marine Highway (weighted average: 5.42)

7.) Senior Benefits (weighted average: 6.48)

8.) University of Alaska (weighted average: 7.04)

9.) State Parks (weighted average: 7.66)

10.) Infrastructure/Mega-Projects (weighted average: 7.88)

11.) Other (weighted average: 8.61)

12.) $3,170 Permanent Fund Dividend (weighted average: 9.74)

13.) Oil and Gas Tax Credits (weighted average: 10.00)

“Other" responses included:

Environmental conservation efforts (stopping Pebble Mine, etc.)
Airport maintenance
Funding for small local business
Other effective government: regulatory work, enforcement, prevention activities, everything else that the state does as government services
Funding tourist marketing programs

Question #6

Question #7

Question #8

Community Events

Mark your calendars for this upcoming events:

Sand Lake Community Council

When: Monday, March 16 at 6:30 PM

Where: Sand Lake Elementary School Library Room

Facebook event page

West Anchorage Candidates Forum

West Anchorage community councils (North Star, Sand Lake, Spenard, Turnagain, Taku/Campbell) are joining together to host a candidate forum for West Anchorage Assembly candidates, school board candidates, and ballot proposition supporters and opponents. All candidates are invited participate in the forum to debate prepared questions and questions from the public.

The event is free and open to the public with refreshments provided. Come hear candidates discuss issues you care about!

The Anchorage Municipal Election will finish on Tuesday, April 7th, with “Vote By Mail” ballots sent to voters on March 17.

When: Thursday, March 19 from 6:00 – 8:30 PM

Where: Spenard Recreation Center, 2020 W 48th Ave.

For more information and to RSVP, visit the Facebook event page.