When I moved to Denali Park from Louisiana 25 years ago, I was deeply moved by Alaskan hospitality. I was used to Southern hospitality, which makes shopping in the grocery store pleasant. But here, Alaskan after Alaskan invited me into their homes, offering a warm meal and sometimes even a bed for the night.
The impacts of Governor Dunleavy’s line item vetoes fly in the face of what I know to be Alaskan hospitality. In Alaska, we feed and house the homeless, because we’ve all been sheltered in times of need. In Alaska, we search for our neighbors when they are lost, because we all may need rescue some day. In Alaska, we share our catch with our elders, because that’s how Alaskans treat our elderly, since time immemorial. In Alaska, we decorate our homes with beautiful objects, hand-crafted in techniques passed from generation to generation. In Alaska, we grow what we can with the soil we have, and share our bounty with our neighbors.
The Alaska legislature must stand firm and reinstate the funds cut by the Governor’s anti-Alaskan vetoes. If not, homeless shelters will not be able to feed and house all those in need. If not, public broadcasting stations may close and towns across Alaska may be without vital information and emergency alert systems. If not, our elders will suffer in loneliness and privation. If not, our arts community will wither and more and more of our art will come from outside commercial interests. If not, our last working dairy in the state may have to stop milking. Contrary to what some claim, donations from Alaskans cannot make up the difference to fund these vital services.
In Alaska, we don’t stand by while our friends and neighbors lose their livelihoods. Seven years ago, I was laid off after a long career in Alaska’s non-profit sector. If you haven’t lost your job, you have no idea of the trauma caused by losing your means of support. In fact, losing your job is next to losing a loved one in terms of traumatic lifetime events. If these budget cuts stand, thousands of Alaskan families will be needlessly traumatized. Recent studies show that the trauma of job loss even produces negative health outcomes, including an 83% increased chance of health problems like diabetes, arthritis or psychiatric issues.
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| rhubarb farm in the Matanuska Valley |
These dire circumstances are not for-ordained. We are one of the richest states in the union and we pay no individual state taxes. We can afford to educate our children well, and keep them here through college and beyond. We can afford to support our public broadcasting stations, and bring vital news and emergency services to every town in Alaska. We can afford to have a vibrant arts council, which leverages state funds to access thousands of dollars from private and federal sources. We can afford to fund a thriving agricultural bureau, and make sure we preserve the rich agricultural history of the Matanuska Valley and expand farming across our state.
These are the services that define who we are. These are the services that reflect how we treat each other. These are the services that embody Alaskan hospitality. The question isn’t whether we can afford these services. The reality is that we can’t afford not to.
