Alaska cruise tax initiative passes!

Thus spake (Dennis P. Harris) :



================================================= ============
If you want to see the real Alaska, don't come on a
cruise ship! See the cruise industry rogue's gallery
at http://www.cruisejunkie.com/#Environmental_Issues

Dennis P. Harris

Tell me Dennis, do you have a vested interest in this? Other than
living off of taxes?
--
dillon

If you can't figure out how to unmunge my
address, email me and I'll explain it.

Thus spake Henry Sniadoch :

I'm not worried because I know many people will NOT go on cruises to
Alaska any more .... this will impact the industry so much that it will
be repealed some day. For now, I'll cruise the Caribbean instead.

Flew into Anchorage. Spent the night. Bought some butane cans. Flew
to Denali. Spent three weeks on Denali. Summited. Flew to
Anchorage. Ate a steak. Flew home. That's been my contribution to
the Alaskan economy.


jim wrote:
What this basically means is that there are enough people in Alaska that are
still greedy! First they looked for gold, then oil, and now cruise ships.
Seems like they keep looking for the free money.
Jim

--
dillon

If you can't figure out how to unmunge my
address, email me and I'll explain it.

On Sun, 27 Aug 2006 13:24:14 -0500, Dillon Pyron
wrote:

Tell me Dennis, do you have a vested interest in this? Other than
living off of taxes?

Hi Dillon,

Yep, the relationship to B&B. This is why he hates guests that come
on cruises.

Best regards,
Ray
LIGHTHOUSE TRAVEL
800-719-9917 or 805-566-3905
http://www.lighthousetravel.com
--

jim wrote:

So? YOU chose to live there...

I don't live in Alaska, Jim.

Perhaps you should have done some fact-checking (like simply checking
the IP address in my posts' headers) instead of being belligerently
ignorant. It may help to prevent you from leaping to any more invalid
conclusions.


so why should the State help you pay for your
heating or anything else?


I live in Florida but they don't pay for my air-conditioner or sun-screen!

In Florida, residents pay no personal income tax.

In Florida, homeowners get a $25,000 homestead rebate on property
taxes.

In Florida, the above increases for eligible retirees (one of my
familymember's property taxes are reduced by this by $1200 per year).

And so on.

The reality is that essentially all States have incentives in one form
or another. Some people like to point fingers while "conveniently
neglecting" to remember what they're getting at home.


In short, Alaska is a place that may be beautiful in summer, but brutal
in winter...too many people have a too highly romanticized perception
based on a short visit.

The harsh reality is that the suicide rate is roughly 19 per 100K,
nearly twice the National average.

Similarly, of the people that try to move to Alaska, many give up afer
a year and come back down to the Lower 48 after just one winter. I've
not been able to find good statistics on this, but I'd not be surprised
if the "drop out" rate was 50% or higher. Perhaps you should pick up a
copy of Heather Lende's book, "If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name."

Highway deaths are also higher. There's a couple of contributing
factors there.


Romatically, I'd like to live in Alaska, but realistically, I don't
think my family could cut it. For those that can make it there, more
power to them...I'm not foolish enough to begrudge how the State
chooses to spend the very small cut that they get of their region's
mineral resources.

But if you wish to begrudge them of that, start by not asking for any
more FEMA "handouts", including Hurricane Ernesto this upcoming week.


-hh

Thus spake Ray Goldenberg :

On Sun, 27 Aug 2006 13:24:14 -0500, Dillon Pyron
wrote:

Tell me Dennis, do you have a vested interest in this? Other than
living off of taxes?

Hi Dillon,

Yep, the relationship to B&B. This is why he hates guests that come
on cruises.

I knew that (you informed me of that fact in the past, thanks). My
question was more of a challenge to him.
--
dillon

If you can't figure out how to unmunge my
address, email me and I'll explain it.

I agree. Some people spend that much, if not more for cigs each month.
Do you hear them crabbing? Well......yes you do BUT they still suck down
them cancer sticks.
Just like your National Parks in a way. Some charge en entrance fee,
some don't. I think there should bee a fee for EVERY one.
Jim
=========
(Jim*Booth) wrote:
Henry....think just a minute....do you realize how much fuel costs have
gone up? It costs *much* more to drive now to Alaska for vacation
compared to last year....much more than $46 and we *still* have
thousands of vacationers arrive here.
Do you *really* think that a small fee of $50 is going to stop anyone!
Think not. Anyway, when I visited Iowa this past spring I was shocked to
see how much sales tax one had to pay.......you pay *NO* state sales tax
in Alaska....$50 is still extremely cheap.