Responses By Patrick Fay
About Patrick Fay

Question #1 For City Council Candidates: Published Saturday, September 7, 2002 11:30 pm

Gateway Human Services is one of the largest departments of the City of Ketchikan. As employees of the City they travel to and provide services in communities outside of the City and Borough (Metlakatla and Prince of Wales Island). If elected, would you support this practice to continue and expand or do you believe that more focus should be placed on providing services to City and Borough residents?

Patrick Fay - Response to Question #1: Published Wednesday, September 25, 2002 - 8:50 pm

Yes, continue and expand. The services provided at Gateway are much needed in our community, and I am proud that Ketchikan can serve as a hub for our outlying areas. I have volunteered at Gateway and have personally witnessed the vital and necessary work being done. To the extent that Alaska and SE in specific is challenged by substance abuse and issues like Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, we all should support and applaud our friends at Gateway.

Question #2 For City Council Candidates: Published Tuesday - September 10, 2002 - 7:00 pm

What is the most serious challenge facing the City Council and how would you address this challenge?

Patrick Fay - Response to Question #2: Published Wednesday, September 25, 2002 - 8:50 pm

The economy.

I will endeavor to reduce the red tape for local private enterprise. I will strive to "Ketchikanize" our economy (to paraphrase Doug Ward). Local businesses should be afforded every advantage possible over non-Alaskans. I will beat the drum for our fishermen. Again to paraphrase: I want an Alaskan salmon on every plate! I will extoll the virtues of Alaskan salmon far and wide. As a member of the hospitality industry I have been selling Alaskan salmon for years with the benefit of first hand knowledge having worked in the fishing industry and sport fished these water for years. We will beat the pants off those farmed fisheries as soon as we develop an agressive marketing campaign. I will work hard to destroy the barriers between conservation and timber. There is no reason that we cannot foster a marriage of environment and timber and manage our abundant forest as a garden. Keep the marine lanes free of clear cutting, and concentrate on reforestation. I believe it is a win-win situation. I want the shipyard completed. I have been a mariner most of my adult life (4 years in the USN, and 4 years as a Merchant Marine), and consider all who work on the seas to be my brothers. We are a maritime community, and all economic progress can and will be ensured if we can maintain our fleets, and those vessels that travel our waterways, locally. I will work to get K-town designated as a HUBZone. A Historically Under-utilized Business Zone. That will allow our local businesses to take advantage of Fed dollars for all that new construction on Gravina once the bridge is built.