| September 16, 2005 Red Alert by Soren Wuerth Generosity
and Greed: A Tale of Two Cities
Days ago, the rumor came to our village like a dry, bitter wind. Three teens boating near a neighboring community had capsized their canoe and succumbed to the clenching grip of a freezing ocean. “Bad luck doubles its strength,” an elder said. The news is especially grave for our town, which is so broke, we just learned we have to layoff the village public safety officer and close the village Laundromat. There is talk of about a proposal to shut the water off to save the village money. Dogs run loose along badly rutted roads, litter collects like drifting snow in the corners of ramshackle houses, and children are checked each morning for lice. This weekend, half of a road collapsed into the river. Despite our troubles, the community is optimistic, buoyed by the steady assurances of the elders. “How we deal with tragedy is with a consoling attitude to the family, comforting and talking to them. When a family was in a state of shock, we were supporting them,” Albert Ulroan said through a translator. “When you’ve lost in something like that (three children), that’s when you need your friends most.” At the school, I saw a sign asking for donations for the victims of the Bush Administration’s botched response to Hurricane Katrina (the sign didn’t exactly put it that way). Despite everything, the people here, not much better off than those of a Mexican pueblo, are generous and giving. Compare our community’s munificence to the contributions of two “public servants,” Don Young and Con Bunde. Don Young is rigid in his resolve to have the public pay for the Knik Arm “Don Young’s Way” crossing and a bridge that will give 50 people access to Ketchikan. When asked whether a quarter of a billion dollars could be diverted the bridge projects to help rebuild New Orleans, a spokesman for Congressman Don Young called the idea "moronic".  Con
Bunde, a state legislator for the rich white folks up on Hillside,
doesn’t just ignore the severe social and economic problems in
rural Alaska, he wants to tax these destitute communities.Bunde introduced legislation in the last session that would force more than 30,000 people in Alaska’s poorest communities (nearly all of whom are Alaska Native) to pay $426 each into the state’s school fund. To say that Mr. Bunde is racist is too kind a term for the man. Donald Olson, a Bering Straits Senator, tried helplessly in a committee hearing to lower the amount to $100, to which Bunde replied, “We can debate the amount endlessly, one of the objectives of the bill is to provide a balance of fairness. ... That’s 400 cups of coffee, is that too much to ask?” Olson invited the bill’s supporters to come out to rural Alaska, places like Newtok. “However impressed you are with your figures, I’ll impress you more with the realities,” he said. Ignorant of the severe problems of alcohol in Bush villages, Bunde quickly replied, “would I have to stay sober?” Although Bunde’s racist colleagues, Lyda Green, Fred Dyson, Gary Wilken, Bert Stedman and the lot joined him in voting down the rural lawmaker’s amendment, Bunde’s bill eventually died when Republican in-fighting caused their legislation to log jam. Looking for morality? Charity? Compassion? Go to those communities where families are pulling together, because you won’t find values like theirs in the Republic. Soren Wuerth is perhaps Alaska's best known community activist. He resides in an undisclosed location in rural Alaska and can be reached at soren@insurgent49.com. |
-
Columnists -
- column archive -
September 9, 2005 September 2, 2005 August 26, 2005 August 19, 2005 August 12, 2005 August 5, 2005 July 29, 2005 July 22, 2005 July 15, 2005 July 8, 2005 July 1, 2005 June 24, 2005 June 17, 2005 June 10, 2005 June 3, 2005 May 27, 2005 May 20, 2005 May 13, 2005 May 6, 2005 April 29, 2005 April 21, 2005 |
||||||
| Copyright
2005
Insurgent Media. All Rights
Reserved. in-sur-gent (in sur'jent), n. 1. a member of a group which revolts against the policies of its leadership. |
|||||||
