  Responses By Phoebe NewmanAbout Phoebe Newman
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?
I absolutely trust the people we have hired to run Gateway. They are the ones to make these decisions. If they feel that local service is suffering, I'm sure they will re-organize their outreach service. According to Gateway personnel I have spoken to, most of their outreach service is done by tele-conference. In addition, I am in very much in favor of Ketchikan becoming a hub for services in Southern SE. We already function as the major physical health resource, so why not the major mental health resource?
Question #2 For City Council Candidates: Published Saturday, September 21, 2002 1:40 pm What is the most serious challenge facing the City Council and how would you address this challenge?
The most serious challenge for the City Council is this: to maintain our quality of life while increasing our income. People come here, not by accident, but because they find something truly unique here - not only the natural beauty, but also the generous and non-judgmental attitude of most of the citizens. People stay because we have wonderful medical care, a fabulous Library (that needs a new building SOON), great trails and other outdoor facilities, an outstanding Arts & Humanities Council and Theatre, UAS, etc. What we don't have - and what is driving people away - is a sufficient number of meaningful, living-wage jobs. I would work to initiate apprenticeship programs in the trades, and small business start-up assistance. We need to build a strong relationship between our residents who already know how to do things and those who want to learn. I would support City sponsorship of such programs and/or financial support of them. WE MUST KEEP LOCAL HIRE A PRIORITY FOR ALL VENTURES!!!
Question # 4 For All Candidates: Published Saturday, September 21, 2002 1:40 pm Our community focuses on the importance of 'Youth Asset Building' - I would like to know that our elected officials set a good example. Have any of the candidates been charged for any serious violations of the law other than for minor traffic tickets.
Not yet!
Question #5 For All Candidates: Published Sunday - September 22, 2002 -3:50 pm Would you recommend to all the citizens of Ketchikan that they support building a bridge to Gravina? If so, what would you say to community members about the short-term and long-term benefits to the community as a whole? If you support building a bridge, will you or your family personally benefit monetarily from bridge construction or do you or your family own property on Gravina?
I would recommend to all the citizens of Ketchikan that they vote according to the way they feel about the facts they have been given. I see some short-term advantages as in jobs but greatly fear that most of those jobs would go to people who do not live in Ketchikan, or even Southern Southeast Alaska. The little stir we will feel in our economy will mostly go with those workers when they leave for their own hometowns. One proposal I would like to make is that bridge or no bridge, we keep our airport ferries working. Closing them down will take jobs away from a number of people and provide no alternative transportation to the airport for those who find the ferry service just fine even kind of terrific! In closing I would say: Next
Wednesday we will all know what the residents of Ketchikan want
- bridge, ie. vote NO, or no bridge, ie. vote YES. (HOW could
it be more confusing???) I will work to make whatever comes of
the vote as valuable an experience as possible for Ketchikan.
|
||
