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Kyle Hopkins

Kyle Hopkins writes about Anchorage city government and politics. He covered last year's campaign for governor, and has blogged extensively about Alaska politics for the past year. He grew up in Southeast Alaska and was a reporter at the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner and Anchorage Press. E-mail Kyle at khopkins@adn.com

Sean Cockerham

Sean Cockerham writes about Alaska state politics. He spent three years based in Juneau for the Daily News before joining the Tacoma News-Tribune two years ago to write about Washington state politics. He went to Iraq twice for the News Tribune, and previously wrote about Alaska government and politics for the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. Now he's back in Anchorage. E-mail Sean at scockerham@adn.com

Erika Bolstad

Erika Bolstad covers Alaska issues, including the congressional delegation, from Washington, D.C., for McClatchy Newspapers. Before joining the bureau this summer, she spent seven years as a reporter at the Miami Herald, where she covered politics, government and the state legislature. E-mail Erika at ebolstad@adn.com.

Assembly: Trashtastic

Posted by Alaska_Politics

Posted: May 5, 2008 - 8:54 pm

From Kyle Hopkins in Anchorage --

I’ve been M.I.A. at Assembly meetings lately, and spent some time today trying to get up to speed.

On tomorrow’s agenda? Garbage, and lots of it.

New garbage rates, to be specific. Another proposed increase in the amount you pay to dump trash at the landfill -- to pay for new citywide recycling plans -- as well as some new rates for Solid Waste Services customers.

Remember the battle over the Point Woronzoff compost facility, which is now closed? There's something on the agenda about that too.

The city was planning on running a compost facility out there itself, but that could be on hold now that Evergreen Landscaping has announced it plans to start a new compost operation this Saturday.

Also, a couple interesting audit reports. Look for a story tomorrow on this city payroll audit, which reports several weaknesses, such as few fire department employees who were being paid for 56 hours a week but working 40.

The short version – the fire department went through a re-organization, and some people switched to different management jobs. They were making the same amount as they used to, but payroll records inaccurately showed them still working the longer hours.

That’s since been corrected, according to the city.

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2 May 7, 2008 - 7:59am | akmooster

work 40 get paid for 56....

not a problem, they are union and marky is depending on them to get him to dc. That is why all the unions have such great contracts and why no one would dare bring despair upon them or even keep an eye on the budget.
We need a new mayor, a new police chief and apparently a new fire chief too.
I wonder if mark's guards will go to his cell and thank him for the good care he gave them after his day of reckoning comes.

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1 May 6, 2008 - 9:54am | tommcgrath

Where do increased costs stop

At a time when non-government costs are going through the roof, the Mayor's Office is asking for a nice to have program that will add real costs to all citizens of Anchorage. He has already raised refuse rates, raised water/sewer rates, raised parking fees, raised prices for anything not nailed down, and the cost of municipal goverment has gone from 288 million in 2003 to 427 million in 2008. This is a 33% increase in just 5 years. Thank God for term limits. Can the citizens of Anchorage afford this new "feel good" program.

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May 6, 2008 - 3:08pm | Aklabwalker

Hey, we can thank your buddy in the White House, that

little muffin, that skirted service in Vietnam, so he could campaign for a pig farmer. Neither Begich or the previous assembly is responsible for the increases, GWB is. Put the blame where it belongs which is on the fuel increases compliments of the oilmen in the White House.

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May 6, 2008 - 2:50pm | I_am_Spartacus

Where do increased costs stop....

You sound like an old man complaining about why gas is more than a dime a gallon and the milk man doesn't leave the bottles on your front door step anymore.

And, if you think recycling is just a "feel good" issue, then you really are stuck in the 1950's. As a citizen who pays property taxes, my collection bill is actually going to DECREASE under this proposal. Granted, it's only two bucks a month, but every little bit adds up. So, yes, I can afford it.

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May 6, 2008 - 3:38pm | tommcgrath

The rest of the story

I noticed you only took one drop from the ocean and examined it. Are you like most liberals who would sell our country to our enemies so that you can feel "progressive?" I was one of the "monetary" and working supporters of the first recycling summit 10 years ago. We came up with some good ideas but they have not been adopted because it would require real effort. A lot of real solutions have been blocked by a few companies or groups because of the politicians they own or have owned.
This recycling effort being talked about tonight is miniscule compared with what could be done but we don't have the political will to do it right.
The summary of economic effects shows a initial cost of 1.5 million dollars per year to the Municipality. Guess who pays this cost. The cost to the participants of the plan is estimated at 12 million dollars per year. If there is no cost to you, you are in the minority. If you don't think you will pay your head is truely in the sand.
The following items are a few that are easy wins but ones that I did not see in the proposal.
1. Compostible waste is an item that constitutes a very large amount of matter that goes into the land fill every year. No effort has been made to teach people to composte yet it is a cheap, easy potential win.
2. Plastic drink containers litter our streets from one end of town to another. Who benefits by us not addressing this issue. Glass bottles can be recycled locally and paper containers compost.
I could go on but it is hardly worth the effort. The actions that I am pretty sure the Anchorage Assembly will take tonight are designed to make us feel good about ourselves but not designed to have a real effect.

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May 7, 2008 - 10:18pm | zippy_pinhead

sandblasting, Thermo-Kool, etc.

I like the composting idea too, and especially the local processing and re-use of waste.

From that summit, what do we need to do this right? Purely user-driven? Some smaller investment in education or infrastructure for voluntary participation?

(Who was - and likely still is - against it?)

I think you'll find that if you can avoid the real true believers, plenty of us lefties are into practical solutions featuring positive reinforcement.

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May 6, 2008 - 4:31pm | Rockin_Mel_Slurrup

Tom is funny here, but a bore on the radio

"Are you like most liberals who would sell our country to our enemies so that you can feel "progressive?""

That's funny coming from a guy who makes a living selling garbage electronic knick-knacks from China.

Neo-cons like Tom McGrath like to say that businessmen are Republicans. So why is the owner of Frigid North now saying that liberals are in a position to "sell our country"? Isn't that a bit impossible, Tom? Why does your store have so much stuff from China, Tom? Is Tom McGrath selling our country out? Yup. But keep on lying, Tom. You'll be Mayor someday. Haha.

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May 7, 2008 - 10:20pm | zippy_pinhead

well... I didn't vote for him either, but...

you gotta admit all those aisles full of switches and LEDs are pretty cool. cheap batteries too.

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May 8, 2008 - 12:09pm | AK_Lady

Frigid North

is better than Nordstrom.

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May 6, 2008 - 3:10pm | Aklabwalker

Plus 1...

Plus 1....

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May 6, 2008 - 2:00pm | counterpoint

increase even bigger than 33%

The increase is even greater - nearly 50%. 48.3% of 288 is 139.4. Added to the 288 gives you 427.4 - close enough. Nearly 140 million increase in just five years is even more amazing when you consider that during the entire six years of the Mystrom administration the budget only went up 39 million dollars. Low inflation and mild population growth do not justify this level of spending growth.

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May 6, 2008 - 10:56am | TheSdog

All reasonable points

and more importantly do you want someone who will increase "feel good" programs at a national level and force the expense on you. As an added benefit, we all know unions are lining up behind him so they can feed off public funds some more.

We need to consider this because the US Senate does not have term limits.

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May 6, 2008 - 11:42pm | concerned1voter

I am tired

I am tired of paying for this mayor's "feel good" programs. He needs to go and we should never have to deal with him on the national level.

His true colors are showing especially now when he has the support of a Liberal assembly!!!

Wake up Anchorage!!!!

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