What services do we want? What services do we need? Of course, we need our schools, our roads, and we cannot deny the need to maintain effective, up to date rescue and emergency services. We also demand that our community provides cultural and recreational services in the forms of parks, libraries, and theatre or concert venues.
But nobody wants to see higher taxes....And we shouldn't!
Efficiency is the key. Programs can be realigned. Other methods of funding can be researched. Waste can be reduced, and ineffective policies and programs can be eliminated. Some services, such as activity centers and concert venues, can be managed in a way that they can become PROFIT MAKERS instead of budget liabilities. Facilities such as the Carlson Center can be marketed to attract larger named acts that attract those willing to pay higher ticket prices (I'd like to see Ozzy Osbourne return to the Carlson Center, for instance) in addition to the investment seminars and housewares shows that seem to most frequently use this site. More sporting and ice entertainment acts can be hosted at the Big Dipper and Hez Ray complex. The Borough can do much to promote the use of the various parks, convention halls and pavillions for larger groups.
The Borough's own spending habits need to be re-evaluated, and the causes of the large annual increases in the budget need to be corrected. The budget should not increase much past the rate of inflation. The Borough needs to develop better skills and resources for providing contracted services and negotiating labor agreements.
Debt must be eliminated, or at least reduced. Nearly fourteen million dollars a year is spent paying the interest and principal on loans and bonds used to fund new construction and special projects. Now is the time to approach any new projects carefully, deliberately and judiciously, in order not to add any more numbers to this segment of the budget, commonly called Debt Service.
Aggressive steps need to be made to bring outstanding debts down!
Fairbanks is enjoying a boom of a sort. There is more construction going on now than there has been since the days of the Pipeline construction. The momentum of this boom needs to continue, and that means that our local government must not introduce any new restrictions, taxes or ordinance that can discourage it.
Diversification of the tax base...we've heard this phrase a lot over the last two years. It is a good idea, but it needs to be done by diversifying the tax payer. This community needs more tax paying entities (individuals as well as corporations and businesses) who own more taxable properties that are worth more money In other words...ECONOMIC GROWTH! We need to do so by promoting our Borough, and maintaining an economically friendly environment. Budgets will grow, unfortunately, because we do have inflation, and we do have increases in costs for fuel, energy resources, wages and construction materials. Budget increases can be MANAGED by controlling debt and reducing waste and inefficient policy. If we are to allow our budget to increase by even as little as two percent annually (about the average rate of inflation for the last decade) we better do everything we can to foster at least twice that in economic development!
That aside, it is nice to know that every dollar spent on promoting tourism brings sixty dollars more into the Fairbanks North Star Borough!!! Promoting tourism...Yeah, it's that important!
But what about other industries? Okay, we're too isolated geographically, and our environment is too harsh. Our work force is unskilled. It's too expensive to do business up here....RUBBISH!
Technology has changed the economic terrain, and we are NOT as isolated as we once thought we were. Our harsh environment can actually be used to test products that are designed for natural extremes. We have a top notch accredidated University within our community that annually graduates people who are trained extremely well in dozens of professional fields. We are close to reserves of coal, natural gas and petroleum, and we have some of the lowest electric rates in the nation! Aircraft, rail lines, and highway systems have improved tenfold over the last three decades, so transportation costs are considerably lower. We ARE NOT ISOLATED!!! WE ARE NOT UNSKILLED!!! OUR ENVIRONMENT IS EXACTLY WHAT SOME INDUSTRY NEEDS!
This area can support jobs in the fields of:
Petroleum Products, Energy efficient premanufactured homes,Data, banking, high finance, International Transportation and shipping, Manufacture of specialty products (namely, those for use in harsh environments),Textiles, Military hardware, Refining and purification of precious metals, Entertainment, Hollywood Productions...and lots more!
WE NEED TO TELL THE WORLD!!! We need to spend some of our resources in the trade and commerce magazines for various forms of manufacturing and commerce. We need to engage in Direct Marketing to industrial leaders and inform them of the benefits of expanding their operations in the Alaskan interior. After all, it's easy to create jobs...but we need to concentrate on creating good jobs!!!
Let's do whatever it takes to keep our workers here! Let's do whatever it takes to keep our children here! Lets do whatever it takes to overcome that ever growing feeling that the grass is greener in the lower 48!