Kenai Peninsula Borough- Broken Brains Lead to Broken Budgets

The condensed version of the story is:

Dave Cary was elected as the mayor of the the Kenai Peninsula Borough as a "cut taxes and reduce the budget" candidate. (Strangely he also claimed as mayor to have the ability to protect your gun rights. I don't think he was pandering at all with that addition to his platform.)  He won.

Previous to that election the voters of the Kenai Peninsula had repealed a sales tax in a vote put on the ballot by the Alliance of Concerned Taxpayers (ACT). 

The mayor is now planning to reduce property taxes on us over taxed Alaskans.  

Which leads to the great republican plan of underfunding government to destroy it. The borough is facing a budget shortfall. The mayor has said everything is being scrutinized for cuts. Education is not being spared and he has proposed a reduction in the school districts budget. The outcomes of that will be great. Less education is what we need now in this world. That will help the growth and quality of life for people left on the Peninsula. 

The impact on my kid's education is already being felt. Due to this budget turmoil, his school has had to delay and possibly not hire a replacement teacher. This is in a K-12 school with a teaching staff of 4. By this time of the year good teachers that are looking for new schools probably have jobs lined up for next year.  We will still hope that our second or third choice turns out to be an adequate educator for our children. Thanks a bunch Dave and Alliance for Concerned Taxpayers. You are really making the Peninsula a great place for families. 

Much in this post needs further exploration, such as:

Who are these ACT people?

What is a lifelong educator, our mayor,  doing minimizing education?

Many of his supporters have fingered teacher unions as the culprit. Does Dave get a retirement fought for by unions?

How does a borough mayor protect your gun rights?

Who voted for Carey and are they the Senior Citizens who live here 5 months a year and are always showing up for the subsidized lunch program?

Why don't grandma and grandpa want their grandkids the best education they can get? 

How does our tax burden compared to other boroughs and counties?

What is it like to live in a progressive state?

 

Texas and Alaska Untie!

I think Texas as well as Alaska Secessionist better watch out. 

As a child growing up in Texas, back in the 1970's I can remember the secessionist spouting off about how horrible the Union  was treating Texas. I was not real sure what their gripe was or is now. It is unfocused, and seems to be about their feelings when Democrats get into power. I think it reminds them of Reconstruction or something. They just hate loosing so much that they are going to take their ball and go home. 

A quick search on the internet doesn't really turn up an actual political party espousing splitting from the Union. There is the Texas and Southern Independence Party that wants to re-establish the Confederate States, but this wouldn't work for Texas. They really don't like or trust Oklahoma. OU recruits too many of the good football players. But there is the Texas Republican Party. Although dissolving the Union doesn't show up in their party platform, which is a scary document. The whole Texas Republican website is scary to me with stuff like this:

I did not know we were supposed to use the Bible to rate our political party. I mistakenly thought that was what the Constitution was for. My mistake.

I hate to brag AGAIN about Alaska kicking Texas' butt again, but Alaska has Texas beat in this area too.  We have the Alaska Independence Party. Our governor's husband was a member once. There are also rumors that she is a AIP "Manchurian Candidate." I can't wait for that episode of the Wasilla Hillbillies. The party is libertarian, with reservations. Like we want roads and keep that Permanent Fund money coming but privatize everything else.  They are always are around during the elections both when Republicans are in office as well as Democrats.  They definitely get points for perseverance.