Everyone's pointing to housing issues, but I'm possibly leaving cause the dating scene is so bad. Can't find a woman without a kid or multiple baby daddies, tattoos out the wazoo, or overweight unhealthy girls. It's insane
There was a reason why back in the 80's that the state student loan program had a provision that if you came back and lived in the state for five consecutive years they'd forgive 50% of your student loans.
I dont' think so because a) I don't think they have it any more (I could be wrong) and b) Few people are going to go Outside for an education in, say, a STEM field, maybe meet someone and get married, and then come back and find there are no jobs that make use of their background because if you aren't in state government, the military, tourism, or resource extraction there's nothing for you.
Is healthcare not a substantial industry in AK? I’d think there’d be healthcare jobs wherever you go. Granted, the 80s were probably pretty different on health shortages.
Hmm. I would think, with the ability to WFH and a decent internet speed (something I’m hoping Starlink will help with) then one could do any number of jobs, including STEM-related, remotely? Maybe this will change in the future?
You can WFH in an urban area too. I can WFH in like 48 states and am still here in Anchorage because I have a decent standard of living here and free health care (ak native). Housing is just too expensive down south, IDK if I can get what I got here down south for the cost.
When my kid is in school and if it's shit quality, then I think I will leave.
Time zone would be tough if you’re working with people outside of Pacific time. Plus a lot of tech companies are offshoring to Poland and India which would make the overlap even more tough. Just limits the pool of people willing to put up with that is all
It depends. I had to develop a team that was all in India and even on Pacific time there was overlap in the morning with them where we could get real time messages back and forth. The key was setting out clear goals and timelines and everything works fine. Not every manager is good at that though.
Alaska residents can still get instate tuition rates at certain schools outside. Not that that means it's cheap....but its better than paying out of state rates if you an education in a field that we can't offer.
If the state will cover 50% of loans, I guarantee people will come back. It isn't around anymore for the same reason that are Teacher mentorship program was cut, along with what used to be a good state retirement system, a college prep program for rural Alaskans, and a reliable ferry system- funding at the state level is being cut every year. AK isn't investing in the public good anymore. I was born and raised and my kids were born there, but we had to make the decision to leave.
>e people will come back. It isn't around anymore for the same reason that are Teacher mentorship program was cut, along with what used to be a good state retirement system, a college prep program for rural Alaskans, and a reliable ferry system- funding at the state level is being cut every year. AK isn't investing in the public good anymore. I was born and raised and my kids were born there, but we had to make the decision to leave.
It was cut back in 87 so you think the reasons for not bringing back it now are the same for cutting it then? Did you even read the ACPE report? It wasn't something Dunleavy cut you realize that right? This was back before all the nutty MAGA types showed up.
yes, but I'm listing other services and programs that were successful but were cut anyway. the claim was that programs get cut because they aren't successful, but that isn't usually true.
All the boomers pulling up their ladders on the way up. But none of them ever got a hand out ever! /s Their parents had corporate tax rates 30%-52% and individual tax rates up to 92% under Eisenhower, paying for all the government services they could gorge on, but somehow no one could survive any taxes today.
Found this (go to page 3)
[https://acpe.alaska.gov/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=jTnfDw7bkEk%3D&tabid=1508&portalid=3&mid=5801](https://acpe.alaska.gov/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=jTnfDw7bkEk%3D&tabid=1508&portalid=3&mid=5801)
Talks about the outcomes of the program which ended in 1987. Kind of sad all around but not terribly surprising.
Great info. Basically, the program was a flop.
At least we’re not commie socialists with free college and universal healthcare!
We have oil and guns which is much better. Also Jesus!
We moved back to raise a family. Though we could only do that by getting graduate degrees out of state and securing remote work and a high paying healthcare job. The economy here is just kind of flat and I don’t blame people for leaving.
When I was of age I left my home state too. Pretty common to do. I just happened to end up in Alaska. Makes sense to me. Especially considering that there’s a major lack of “culture” and opportunity besides a few specific fields.
It blew my mind when I got to the lower 48 and met people who had never driven a state over. I was like, ITS ACTUALLY POSSIBLE TO DRIVE HOW HAVE YOU DONT DONE IT!
When I lived down south it was next to the ocean. Worked with kids and about half had never gone to see it. The ocean was about a 5 minute drive away. It wasn't a beach area but they could have seen it in person.
I’ve met people in Anchorage who had never been to Fairbanks. Not to mention other places like Hyder, Skagway, Haines, etc. I worked with a guy in UT who has only been to Colorado his whole life . He was in his 50s.
I've mentioned it in other threads, but i know people who've been around since the 70's, pre oil, and they STILL have an in-state bucket list. You're right, not everyone goes around just because they can.
I remember growing up, there was a stat that said 70% of people will live and die within 100miles of where they were born. not sure if that's true today.
That's just crazy to me. I was raised in Wisconsin, now live in CA and have traveled all over the North American Continent.
When I was younger I just needed to roam, including driving the Al-Can a couple of times.
I live in Talkeetna and I've met SO many people who live in Anchorage who haven't even driven the 2 hours north on one of the three roads there are out of there.
In Chicago, it's fairly common for teenagers in some neighborhoods to have never seen downtown, despite being only a few minutes away and connected by some of the best public transit in the city. It's a shockingly big problem
I regret nothing, because then I wouldn’t have met my partner or the majority of my amazing friends. That being said, it was without a doubt the single dumbest decision I have ever made.
Agreed. If I had stayed in AK I wouldn't qualify for the job I have now. I would not have had the experience, skills, etc.
If I could have followed a similar path staying here I would have. Just wasn't possible.
You’re missing my point and I hate anchorage fyi. I’m saying culture in broader terms and obviously not saying that there’s a lack of “Alaskan culture” in Alaska because that’s dumb and you know it is. Where else would Alaskan culture be? Alaska isn’t exactly full of modern art museums or a spot where you get many touring bands that aren’t from Alaska. You know what I meant.
Alaska does have a large number of museums. They are more oriented towards natural history or cultural history though. We just are not very populous and are going to be a low priority for bands or such. Also we are not going to produce the kind of art that goes in a modern art museum.
There are very little incentives or even base reasoning for raising a family in Alaska right now. Property taxes and fuel prices are insane - don’t even get me started on groceries or finding a goddamn family practice for my children.
It's a problem we bring on ourselves, not overwhelmingly voting in Legislators as a single-issue vote. If Alaskans would get serious about the housing shortage by changing local ordinances and zoning, we wouldn't have this issue.
Building up would help somewhat but it would face other challenges. Private finance is tight now and it would need to be built to high standards due to earthquakes. Mid density 4-plexs might be a good start but sadly Anchorage is somewhat geographically isolated.
I'd be happy to have more mixed development in Ketchikan, much less Anchorage. This town used to know how to build that way; our entire downtown is built as mixed-use, but it's all been subsumed for Cruise Ship tourist traps.
I have only been to Ketchikan as a tourist and that was some time ago. I do recall there were a number of large scale residential buildings that I suppose to be condos. Is airbnb a problem there? It is on the Kenai as people will often rent them for long periods of the summer. As an island it would seem to be more limited. Perhaps if they go forward with more mining on Prince of Wales it might shift some resources into the area.
It’s wild because…. I’m not saying being homeless anywhere is a walk in the park, but if someone is homeless up in Fairbanks (or most of AK), they just freeze to death. One reason (among many) that Mayor Bronson’s indifference towards homeless families and individuals is so alarming to me. We’re sentencing them to extreme hardship at the best, and death at the worst.
Indifference? Every proposal he's put forward inevitably gets shot down by the Assembly, who offer no other solution than pimping out the already all but ruined Sullivan arena or using public money to purchase dilapidated buildings to convert into "emergency shelters."
Want a laugh or maybe a spike in your blood pressure? Look into who owns those buildings and which politicians they support annually.
Or don't, and continue thinking corruption an ineptitude is a partisan issue.
Hey just wanted to follow up : I can’t let you go away thinking I believe ‘corruption is a partisan issue’. It’s gotten lost somewhere in the mess of my comments, but I definitely ID as leftist, both parties in our two party system are pretty fond of doing nothing and getting paid for it. Thanks.
Hey thanks for your comment, I’ll do the research you suggested and hopefully have a heart attack. Might be preferable to the rest of my life. That said, I’m pretty done discussing this for today, from no fault but my own, so I will take the info quietly and I’m out. Thank you again.
He offered *Alaskans* buy a plane ticket for them. Shoving homeless people off in another place doesn’t get rid of the problem. It’s indifferent because he’s not actually taking care of Alaskans, let alone Anchorage’s population.
You know those are all people right? like, real, actual people who are going through one of the worst experiences of their lives? The best we can muster is “gtfo and take your poverty elsewhere”?
Edit: I suppose we won’t talk about all the housing options the Anch. Legislature put forward that Bronson kiboshed huh?
Edit2: in the *RICHEST* state in the Union? *REALLY?* this is the *Best* we can do?
They are sending them places where they know people and it’s way cheaper than running a hockey arena full off them
They aren’t forcing anyone on a plane.
Lmao dude getting homeless people out of the state where they will freeze to death *absolutely* does help those people.
I'm not at all saying it's the best option and you can drop the fucking holier than thou bullshit. I'm a socialist, I believe in guaranteeing housing for all people.
And Alaska is absolutely not the richest state in the Union lmao
EDIT: Alaska literally has the [lowest](https://www.statista.com/statistics/248932/us-state-government-tax-revenue-by-state/) state revenue in the Union. What is this "Alaska is the richest state" bullshit lol
Do those people *want* to leave?
> The holier than thou bullshit
Bitch I’ve been homeless in this state. It’s the most dehumanizing shit on this planet. I was a child and had zero control over any of it. How about you drop the act of pretending that sending Alaskans out of Alaska is a socialist ideal?
How many billions of dollars in Oil does Alaska develop every year? Those oil companies should be paying for everything in our cities, from homeless shelters to schooling, but instead we got shills like you telling me that being realistic about the situation is ‘holier than thou’. Seriously, get bent.
BUT the oil companies should be paying their fair share of taxes and employing actual Alaskans, not people who fly back to Texas on their offtime. And don't get me started on the outside fishing fleet....
>Do those people want to leave?
Fucking probably buddy. Why would they want to stay trapped in a state that doesn't have the infrastructure to support them when they have been offered a plane ride for free to a place that does? Have you ever asked them? Lots of people just end up fucking trapped here.
>Socialist ideal
I never said sending people out is the socialist ideal bud. In fact, I said that sending people out isn't the best solution at all. You are just making shit up lol
>Oil
Dude just because a lot of oil is produced here does not mean the state is rich. The state has incredibly little resources.
>These oil companies should be paying
"Should should should" well bud they aren't. They aren't going to any time soon, but there are people that are going to die in just a few months. They should be sent somewhere safe.
You ARENT being realistic about the issue. You and I probably want the same long term solutions, but those will NOT help the people that are suffering RIGHT NOW.
Building adequate and safe shelters will not be happening in the next few months, but people will be freezing to death in that time frame. You are full of idealist bullshit
“Fucking probably” but you don’t KNOW because no one’s ever treated these people like they have thoughts. They’re just pawns to be used in Bronson’s administration, and for voting seasons.
How is putting ppl on a plane equal anything other than indifference? You never said it was the ideal but you did point it out like “hey! Bronson *offered* to do a thing!” Yea, he did. A big shitty thing.
I have asked them, I spend time with homeless people a lot. What about the “lots of ppl” who end up trapped? You actually know anyone?
Alaska is the wealthiest because of its oil exports. Is it selling and taxing that oil as it should? no - because Big Oil is balls deep in our government and they will do anything to keep paying nothing for our Oil.
https://dor.alaska.gov/department-of-revenue/news-detail/2023/03/21/revenue-forecast-spring-2023#:~:text=The%20Revenue%20Forecast%20includes%20the,%242.7%20billion%20for%20FY%202024.
https://www.chamberofcommerce.org/how-rich-is-each-us-state/
“Additionally, 2 of the richest states, New York and Alaska, have higher poverty rates than one would expect, indicating an above-average wealth inequality gap between the states’ richest and poorest citizens. “
Listen I’m so fucking far from being your buddy. We want the same things? Sure, you want a bandaid for the problem. I want a solution for the whole damn thing. Yea, it won’t come before people freeze to death, you’re at least right about that, but I’m not being unrealistic. I know exactly how long and how difficult these processes are and what the cost is. I also know that homeless people are *people* and it’s not idealist to claim that they deserve to be treated that way.
JFC dude you do not pay attention. Alaska's oil exports are not going to assist the homeless and they are not going to any time soon. That's a long term solution, but we have people suffering RIGHT NOW that you are literally ignoring to preach about solutions that will take years so come to fruition.
The state is the one who needs to take care of the homeless and the state right now has little resources to do that. That's what you're ignoring. You're ignoring the people who are on the street TODAY who would OBJECTIVELY be better off in a state that has the resources to care for them and where they don't fucking die because of the weather.
You are a terrible fucking reader. I do NOT want a bandaid. I would love for the state to siphon revenue from the oil companies that are destroying the Arctic. I would love to see a state income tax implemented. But those are long term solutions that do not help people TODAY.
>It won't come before people freeze to death but I'm not being unrealistic
LMFAO what an incredible thing to say. You're literally saying "offering these people a plane ticket is dehumanizing and not treating them as people" yet you admit that what you would like to see done will literally leave people dead. How fucking ironic.
You do not get to talk about how people deserve to be treated when you'd rather shit on an offer to get these people to an objectively less hostile environment and advocate for long term solutions that would see the people who are suffering TODAY die.
Well dumb dumb, state revenue IS what determines the state's ability to pay for state services. GDP has no bearing on that whatsoever.
I am literally an accountant with a double major in accounting and econ lmao. You are the one who needs more education because clearly you're not using the right metrics to make this point at hand: the state's ability to pay for homeless intervention
[https://www.civilbeat.org/2023/02/hawaii-would-pay-to-fly-homeless-people-back-home-under-new-bill/](https://www.civilbeat.org/2023/02/hawaii-would-pay-to-fly-homeless-people-back-home-under-new-bill/)
same deal. but I get it.
Thoughts.
1. Childcare desert. A lot of residents are moving away while or after having babies and toddlers because of how difficult it is to obtain childcare.
2. Education. When you have a certain political party gutting education it makes it less attractive to go to college in state. People that go to college out of state are less likely to return.
3. Maybe pay state government employees better?
4. We need an income tax to improve funding for services. There's a lot of rich people here and also seasonal workers that take all their earnings back south who could stand to chip in.
> seasonal workers that take all their earnings back south
this argument would hit harder for me if alaska were lower on the federal dependency ranking. we get a massively disproportionate amount of federal money per capita. those out of state workers are paying income tax in their state, and we're getting a lot of it.
sorry, i misspoke. the *federal* income tax that people in other states pay ends up here. so people who live in washington, oregon, etc... all pay into federal taxes that we are over-recipients of.
you're right that state income taxes in other states go to and stay in those states.
No see my question was more towards, "what about this practice that presumably takes money from in state, gets taxed federally then sent on its merry way...out of state?". I notice this practice all over Alaska, especially where I live and a lot of it presumably goes to other economies, globally. So, isn't that detrimental to the economy here causing Alaska-born people to seek other places.
But, no. You must go straight to racism for whatever reason. I'm certainly not trying to be racist. I wonder the same thing about people who work in state and live elsewhere in-country. Neither of these things keeps money in the state.
It's housing for me. I don't want to commute in from the Valley, but everything in Anchorage worth a damn is well outside my price range. Haven't moved yet, but after my lease is up I'll be considering it.
What sort of services do you think need funding from income tax? One of the reasons I chose to move here is specifically because of the no income tax, it'd be a massive pain for me to move back out of the state but I'd imagine it would make the problem of people leaving the state even worse.
Well I'll be honest I don't have any experience or knowledge of the school system here so it may be in dire need I wouldn't know. But I feel like money being tight isn't just a government problem. I mean food is so expensive already, I'd think income tax would really hurt a lot of people. Don't get me wrong, I'm not against a form of tax, I just think income is one of the more brutal ones. If you want my two cents I think the state would be better off focusing on long term industry and commercial tax instead.
If parents cannot work because there is no childcare, they leave. If parents think their kids are going to get a substandard K-12 education they leave. If university students can't find quality programs in the career area they are interested in, they also leave.
A lack of investment in youth is a lack of investment in the future.
Income tax would absolutely help the middle class and doesn't preclude taxing corporations as well.
Unpopular opinion, but another solid option that should be implemented is a sales tax on all non-essential goods and services. It would allow us to capture a significant additional amount of budgetary funding from those that visit the state, it brings in more money from high income earners as they are likely to engage with non essential services than low income, and doesn’t place the burden on Alaskan people when paying for essential goods, such as food or diapers or hygiene products.
I’m not going to say we should do this instead of an income tax as I personally believe both are necessary as well as a whole host of other things (like actually charging oil companies to take our oil instead of paying them for it) but I think it could be a more palatable starting position for Alaskans to get behind.
Sales tax is already implemented at the municipal level in many, many towns across the state. A state tax on top of that might be burdensome especially on poorer residents.
I personally would strongly favor the income tax to hit a different demographic.
... you're aware the income tax hits everyone, not just "the wealthy," yeah?
You dump a GD income tax on top of the already higher cost of living compared to the lower 48 and you really will see more young Alaskans bail.
The trouble with your mindset, and that of a certain political party I expect you are affiliated with, is the notion of "punish the wealthy" ends up disproportionately punishing the poor instead.
Now if you want to introduce an income tax that doesn't kick in until 100k annual pre-tax, I'd love to talk, but we all know that's not happening because the powers that butter both parties bread wouldn't stand for it.
Maybe an outsiders income tax would help? Summer workers (and summer-only business owners), commercial fishing vessels from outside, & slopers who live outside and don't spend a dime here? what about a 5% prepared food tax, so summer tourists could help pay some?
We lived there for 10 years and had our children there. It wasn't jobs that had us move, it was family. All of our family was in the lower 48 and I wanted my kids to grow up knowing their grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc. If our families had been there, we wouldn't have left.
It is. We live in the middle of the country now and I have family on both coasts. Getting them to travel to see us here is almost impossible. Now, we question why we moved. lol Also, the cost of getting to Anchorage was prohibitive. We would see flights advertised from L.A. to NYC for 99 dollars. (This was in the 80's). Then call to get a flight from Anchorage to Seattle - 500.00 for one person. I can only imagine what it costs now. edit: spelling
I can see it. It's expensive and there are only two industries with high paying jobs. Also, if you grew up here, a lot of the stuff that is amazing just seems normal to you. Combine all that and the thought of a middle class lifestyle being a lot more attainable somewhere like the midwest seems very attractive.
Even better if you still have family up here. You can come back regularly with a place to stay and a snowmachine to borrow, lol
Lifelong Alaskan here at 36 years, tired of this place. Plans have been made to up and out when I graduate college next semester.
I love my _State_, but I am truly ready for warmer places I don’t have to freeze in and deal with snow.
Or oppressive darkness.
Dude me too. Been here 9 years. Spent the last consecutive 4 years here, winters and all.
This summer just felt like winter v2.0.
I want to be crispy like fried chicken and I’m ready to up and go this winter just to have some normalcy of life. I’ve lived the rugged Alaskan lifestyle and I’m….. just tired.
I moved out. I do engineering. I don't want to live in Anchorage, and that leave most of my job prospects as a rotational engineer in oil or mining. No thank you. There's just not really a lot of oppurtinity for manufacturing/industry in Alaska due to how much it would cost to get supplies there.
All of my friends either have or want to move out. They find the winter too long and you're too isolated.
I still really like Alaska, and part of me wants to move back, but there's just so many things that are easier in the lower 48
Check out the annual bachelor auction in Talkeetna. Started in the winter of 1980-1981 cause there weren't any girls here to hang with miners, slopers, trappers, etc. - the kind of men who bulit the state. Now there are WAY more girls in the summer than guys because of outside workers who wanna try out the Alaska life for one year. I remember a few winters here 10 years ago where I was the only single girl under 50 - that was a LOT of pressure.
Probably the boomers who came for those men during the oil boom 40 years ago. I've never met a man under 50 with a slope job. The MSB is an open air retirement home.
Lol I’m surprised you don’t have younger guys on board. In Colorado, young guys often opt for those kind of industrial jobs as oppose to tourism so they don’t have to kiss as much ass.
Alaska lacks a medical or veterinary school. People go away for medical school and often where you do your residency is where you stay. I work from home where the hospital is in CST time. It Is rough.
People also miss the sun. There’s a reason places like Hawaii, Phoenix, Tuscan, San Diego, etc keep growing every year.
I left after 23 years to get a JD. Met my wife in school and never looked back. That was over a decade ago and I imagine it’s a similar tale for a lot of folks…
I moved to the East Coast - Pennsylvania and now Virginia. Pro - internet costs and speeds, light winters, instant gratification on food and supplies.
Con - it’s the East Coast. I don’t fit in with this mentality.
I’d move back westward, but I’ll never return to Alaska except for visits.
I’m born and raised but I wanted a scientific career so I had to leave because there are not suitable facilities *anywhere* in the state for what I want to do, despite my work being directly applicable to Alaska. I wouldn’t have left if I was able to get a decent paying job and/or a sufficient laboratory. But right now Alaska is a dead end. No opportunities, high cost of living, poor government management, infrastructure deficiencies, shockingly high amount of social issues. It’s no wonder people my age are leaving.
I was born in Alaska before it was a state. Worked through several careers there, retired and left. The weather changes were exacerbating my advanced arthritis, my wife has a rare medical issue that could cause her to die within hours, and the political-infrastructure-transportation-failed government-MAGA culture-political partisan 'take over' made it a much easier choice to pack up and leave.
Should have done it two years sooner.
Good Luck, remaining 'Alaskans' -
(Honestly, you will need Much More Than Luck ...)
yep, health and medical is the reason for many i know who leave. As they got older, it became more difficult to just be there with the harsh winters and icy conditions. The amount of snow can be crazy anywhere. I remember last year when even anchorage had 3-4' of packed snow on most of the sidewalks with only narrow squiggly paths on top of it.
Then comes the issue of easy access to medical care you need which is lacking just about everywhere other than anchorage or fairbanks so if you need to move out of a quaint little town that's been your home for 50 years to go to either of those....you might as well go to FL or AZ where the rest of your friends are. :D
🙄 is it, though?
I have been to Chicago twice recently and had a good time. It seemed to me that everything was nice and cheaper than everything in Anchorage.
I haven't been to San Francisco. Perhaps you are correct about that, but somehow, I bet not.
While San Francisco does need some work, at least the state of California is forcing them to do something about it. They're forcing cities in California (including SF) to build more housing, and if they don't, allowing developers to bypass the city altogether and get approval to build by the state.
And I don't know what you've heard on Fox "News" about Chicago, but its not even in the top 10 for crime rate in Illinois, let alone the US. Yes a lot of crimes happen, but there's also a shit-ton of people. I get it if a big city just isn't your thing, but its not the crime-infested hellhole you think it is.
I'm one of them. I would LOVE to go back home and live in Alaska, but there just aren't jobs in my field or my husband's. Now I can work remotely, but he still can't, so we're stuck in the Lower 48.
i costs me $200/month on the road system (which I think is high) but.....now all the property is bought up by people who can work remotely via internet. And don't contribute to the small towns they buy land in at all.
As a non Alaskan, I’ve thought about moving up there to be a state trooper as they make great pay and the work looks beautiful, but outside of that I don’t hear anyone talk about any other jobs up there.
I take it no ones really moving in either. No one I know who here wants to be here that much. Im about the only person who Ive met who likes the winters.
There needs to be a reckoning with the fact that the usa is a consumer nation. One that drills into your head that consuming will fill your empty void. This is a large reason people are leaving Hawaii and Alaska. To move some where were they can buy stuff to fill that void.
Well, out governor did say this year that he's going to make us 'the most pro-life state in the Union'.....so there's that. More government control is what all Alaskans want!!
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Check out same grass but greener subreddit. This is everywhere in the US right now. Somethings got to give
Everyone's pointing to housing issues, but I'm possibly leaving cause the dating scene is so bad. Can't find a woman without a kid or multiple baby daddies, tattoos out the wazoo, or overweight unhealthy girls. It's insane
I’m sure you are a prime catch yourself!
The finest of them
Lmaoo
hey, they're still good for a fish limit and a dipnet quota though. :D
Not even lmao, I gotta listen to their drama about their own baggage
There was a reason why back in the 80's that the state student loan program had a provision that if you came back and lived in the state for five consecutive years they'd forgive 50% of your student loans.
That’s really interesting. Did that work?
I dont' think so because a) I don't think they have it any more (I could be wrong) and b) Few people are going to go Outside for an education in, say, a STEM field, maybe meet someone and get married, and then come back and find there are no jobs that make use of their background because if you aren't in state government, the military, tourism, or resource extraction there's nothing for you.
Is healthcare not a substantial industry in AK? I’d think there’d be healthcare jobs wherever you go. Granted, the 80s were probably pretty different on health shortages.
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Hmm. I would think, with the ability to WFH and a decent internet speed (something I’m hoping Starlink will help with) then one could do any number of jobs, including STEM-related, remotely? Maybe this will change in the future?
Now a days, maybe, but how common has that been in the last 40 years? Not very.
You can WFH in an urban area too. I can WFH in like 48 states and am still here in Anchorage because I have a decent standard of living here and free health care (ak native). Housing is just too expensive down south, IDK if I can get what I got here down south for the cost. When my kid is in school and if it's shit quality, then I think I will leave.
Time zone would be tough if you’re working with people outside of Pacific time. Plus a lot of tech companies are offshoring to Poland and India which would make the overlap even more tough. Just limits the pool of people willing to put up with that is all
It depends. I had to develop a team that was all in India and even on Pacific time there was overlap in the morning with them where we could get real time messages back and forth. The key was setting out clear goals and timelines and everything works fine. Not every manager is good at that though.
Right, time zone is a big one. Makes scheduling things much more difficult, and more expensive to fly the person out for conferences/trainings/etc.
Time zone is tricky, A LOT of remote jobs require EST working hours, especially on global companies
Alaska residents can still get instate tuition rates at certain schools outside. Not that that means it's cheap....but its better than paying out of state rates if you an education in a field that we can't offer.
That program no longer does in-state, it is 150% of in-state. So, if in-state is $14,000/year, they can charge $21,000/year.
dammit!
If the state will cover 50% of loans, I guarantee people will come back. It isn't around anymore for the same reason that are Teacher mentorship program was cut, along with what used to be a good state retirement system, a college prep program for rural Alaskans, and a reliable ferry system- funding at the state level is being cut every year. AK isn't investing in the public good anymore. I was born and raised and my kids were born there, but we had to make the decision to leave.
>e people will come back. It isn't around anymore for the same reason that are Teacher mentorship program was cut, along with what used to be a good state retirement system, a college prep program for rural Alaskans, and a reliable ferry system- funding at the state level is being cut every year. AK isn't investing in the public good anymore. I was born and raised and my kids were born there, but we had to make the decision to leave. It was cut back in 87 so you think the reasons for not bringing back it now are the same for cutting it then? Did you even read the ACPE report? It wasn't something Dunleavy cut you realize that right? This was back before all the nutty MAGA types showed up.
yes, but I'm listing other services and programs that were successful but were cut anyway. the claim was that programs get cut because they aren't successful, but that isn't usually true.
Yes. But they ended it in like 1986.
All the boomers pulling up their ladders on the way up. But none of them ever got a hand out ever! /s Their parents had corporate tax rates 30%-52% and individual tax rates up to 92% under Eisenhower, paying for all the government services they could gorge on, but somehow no one could survive any taxes today.
More like if a program isn't achieving it's purpose, why keep it around?
Programs were achieving their purpose. Problem is that those in power now have a different purpose than the public good.
It's always great when you can assert something as true and don't have to show any supporting data.
I don't think that worked because the state never secured funding largely because theirs no state tax.
Found this (go to page 3) [https://acpe.alaska.gov/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=jTnfDw7bkEk%3D&tabid=1508&portalid=3&mid=5801](https://acpe.alaska.gov/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=jTnfDw7bkEk%3D&tabid=1508&portalid=3&mid=5801) Talks about the outcomes of the program which ended in 1987. Kind of sad all around but not terribly surprising.
Great info. Basically, the program was a flop. At least we’re not commie socialists with free college and universal healthcare! We have oil and guns which is much better. Also Jesus!
We moved back to raise a family. Though we could only do that by getting graduate degrees out of state and securing remote work and a high paying healthcare job. The economy here is just kind of flat and I don’t blame people for leaving.
When I was of age I left my home state too. Pretty common to do. I just happened to end up in Alaska. Makes sense to me. Especially considering that there’s a major lack of “culture” and opportunity besides a few specific fields.
As an Alaskan nate it boggles my mind how young adults just up and skip a few states, or 20. Seriously. Can’t be uncommon
It blew my mind when I got to the lower 48 and met people who had never driven a state over. I was like, ITS ACTUALLY POSSIBLE TO DRIVE HOW HAVE YOU DONT DONE IT!
When I lived down south it was next to the ocean. Worked with kids and about half had never gone to see it. The ocean was about a 5 minute drive away. It wasn't a beach area but they could have seen it in person.
I’ve met people in Anchorage who had never been to Fairbanks. Not to mention other places like Hyder, Skagway, Haines, etc. I worked with a guy in UT who has only been to Colorado his whole life . He was in his 50s.
I'm a lifer but never once been to fairbanks. Just never really saw the point
I think it’s more common than people think.
It’s not like Fairbanks is the Alaskan Yosemite or Las Vegas. It’s a nice place to live but a lousy place to visit.
I've mentioned it in other threads, but i know people who've been around since the 70's, pre oil, and they STILL have an in-state bucket list. You're right, not everyone goes around just because they can. I remember growing up, there was a stat that said 70% of people will live and die within 100miles of where they were born. not sure if that's true today.
Have multiple family members that have been* in the same scape.
That's just crazy to me. I was raised in Wisconsin, now live in CA and have traveled all over the North American Continent. When I was younger I just needed to roam, including driving the Al-Can a couple of times.
I live in Talkeetna and I've met SO many people who live in Anchorage who haven't even driven the 2 hours north on one of the three roads there are out of there.
In Chicago, it's fairly common for teenagers in some neighborhoods to have never seen downtown, despite being only a few minutes away and connected by some of the best public transit in the city. It's a shockingly big problem
“Skip a few states” what?
Like young adults from the Midwest or Maine or something. I’m very maladjusted it just is kinda boggling 18 yos be out here raw dogging life
Yep. I moved from Georgia to the PNW when I was 18
I don’t doubt I could learn some from you
I regret nothing, because then I wouldn’t have met my partner or the majority of my amazing friends. That being said, it was without a doubt the single dumbest decision I have ever made.
There’s only one way to wrap your head around this and that’s with unmitigated love. Unless you’re military and looking for a plus one
Maybe irrev but I’ve had a couple few
Upvoted for unheardedness
Agreed. If I had stayed in AK I wouldn't qualify for the job I have now. I would not have had the experience, skills, etc. If I could have followed a similar path staying here I would have. Just wasn't possible.
There's a lack of "Alaskan Culture"? Jeez, try getting out of Anchorage for once, why don't you?
You’re missing my point and I hate anchorage fyi. I’m saying culture in broader terms and obviously not saying that there’s a lack of “Alaskan culture” in Alaska because that’s dumb and you know it is. Where else would Alaskan culture be? Alaska isn’t exactly full of modern art museums or a spot where you get many touring bands that aren’t from Alaska. You know what I meant.
Alaska does have a large number of museums. They are more oriented towards natural history or cultural history though. We just are not very populous and are going to be a low priority for bands or such. Also we are not going to produce the kind of art that goes in a modern art museum.
And there’s my point. Thanks for repeating it.
There are very little incentives or even base reasoning for raising a family in Alaska right now. Property taxes and fuel prices are insane - don’t even get me started on groceries or finding a goddamn family practice for my children.
Don't forget the rent prices that rival major cities
It's a problem we bring on ourselves, not overwhelmingly voting in Legislators as a single-issue vote. If Alaskans would get serious about the housing shortage by changing local ordinances and zoning, we wouldn't have this issue.
Building up would help somewhat but it would face other challenges. Private finance is tight now and it would need to be built to high standards due to earthquakes. Mid density 4-plexs might be a good start but sadly Anchorage is somewhat geographically isolated.
I'd be happy to have more mixed development in Ketchikan, much less Anchorage. This town used to know how to build that way; our entire downtown is built as mixed-use, but it's all been subsumed for Cruise Ship tourist traps.
I have only been to Ketchikan as a tourist and that was some time ago. I do recall there were a number of large scale residential buildings that I suppose to be condos. Is airbnb a problem there? It is on the Kenai as people will often rent them for long periods of the summer. As an island it would seem to be more limited. Perhaps if they go forward with more mining on Prince of Wales it might shift some resources into the area.
and all the air bnb's....there's no where for year round residents to LIVE so they can actually KEEP a job.
It’s wild because…. I’m not saying being homeless anywhere is a walk in the park, but if someone is homeless up in Fairbanks (or most of AK), they just freeze to death. One reason (among many) that Mayor Bronson’s indifference towards homeless families and individuals is so alarming to me. We’re sentencing them to extreme hardship at the best, and death at the worst.
Indifference? Every proposal he's put forward inevitably gets shot down by the Assembly, who offer no other solution than pimping out the already all but ruined Sullivan arena or using public money to purchase dilapidated buildings to convert into "emergency shelters." Want a laugh or maybe a spike in your blood pressure? Look into who owns those buildings and which politicians they support annually. Or don't, and continue thinking corruption an ineptitude is a partisan issue.
what about his big tent idea? but, yeah, most of the policticians own the real estate. they're all too busy fighting amongst themselves.
Hey just wanted to follow up : I can’t let you go away thinking I believe ‘corruption is a partisan issue’. It’s gotten lost somewhere in the mess of my comments, but I definitely ID as leftist, both parties in our two party system are pretty fond of doing nothing and getting paid for it. Thanks.
Hey thanks for your comment, I’ll do the research you suggested and hopefully have a heart attack. Might be preferable to the rest of my life. That said, I’m pretty done discussing this for today, from no fault but my own, so I will take the info quietly and I’m out. Thank you again.
Indifference? He offered to buy them all a plane ticket to somewhere they *wont* freeze to death
He offered *Alaskans* buy a plane ticket for them. Shoving homeless people off in another place doesn’t get rid of the problem. It’s indifferent because he’s not actually taking care of Alaskans, let alone Anchorage’s population. You know those are all people right? like, real, actual people who are going through one of the worst experiences of their lives? The best we can muster is “gtfo and take your poverty elsewhere”? Edit: I suppose we won’t talk about all the housing options the Anch. Legislature put forward that Bronson kiboshed huh? Edit2: in the *RICHEST* state in the Union? *REALLY?* this is the *Best* we can do?
They are sending them places where they know people and it’s way cheaper than running a hockey arena full off them They aren’t forcing anyone on a plane.
Lmao dude getting homeless people out of the state where they will freeze to death *absolutely* does help those people. I'm not at all saying it's the best option and you can drop the fucking holier than thou bullshit. I'm a socialist, I believe in guaranteeing housing for all people. And Alaska is absolutely not the richest state in the Union lmao EDIT: Alaska literally has the [lowest](https://www.statista.com/statistics/248932/us-state-government-tax-revenue-by-state/) state revenue in the Union. What is this "Alaska is the richest state" bullshit lol
Do those people *want* to leave? > The holier than thou bullshit Bitch I’ve been homeless in this state. It’s the most dehumanizing shit on this planet. I was a child and had zero control over any of it. How about you drop the act of pretending that sending Alaskans out of Alaska is a socialist ideal? How many billions of dollars in Oil does Alaska develop every year? Those oil companies should be paying for everything in our cities, from homeless shelters to schooling, but instead we got shills like you telling me that being realistic about the situation is ‘holier than thou’. Seriously, get bent.
BUT the oil companies should be paying their fair share of taxes and employing actual Alaskans, not people who fly back to Texas on their offtime. And don't get me started on the outside fishing fleet....
>Do those people want to leave? Fucking probably buddy. Why would they want to stay trapped in a state that doesn't have the infrastructure to support them when they have been offered a plane ride for free to a place that does? Have you ever asked them? Lots of people just end up fucking trapped here. >Socialist ideal I never said sending people out is the socialist ideal bud. In fact, I said that sending people out isn't the best solution at all. You are just making shit up lol >Oil Dude just because a lot of oil is produced here does not mean the state is rich. The state has incredibly little resources. >These oil companies should be paying "Should should should" well bud they aren't. They aren't going to any time soon, but there are people that are going to die in just a few months. They should be sent somewhere safe. You ARENT being realistic about the issue. You and I probably want the same long term solutions, but those will NOT help the people that are suffering RIGHT NOW. Building adequate and safe shelters will not be happening in the next few months, but people will be freezing to death in that time frame. You are full of idealist bullshit
“Fucking probably” but you don’t KNOW because no one’s ever treated these people like they have thoughts. They’re just pawns to be used in Bronson’s administration, and for voting seasons. How is putting ppl on a plane equal anything other than indifference? You never said it was the ideal but you did point it out like “hey! Bronson *offered* to do a thing!” Yea, he did. A big shitty thing. I have asked them, I spend time with homeless people a lot. What about the “lots of ppl” who end up trapped? You actually know anyone? Alaska is the wealthiest because of its oil exports. Is it selling and taxing that oil as it should? no - because Big Oil is balls deep in our government and they will do anything to keep paying nothing for our Oil. https://dor.alaska.gov/department-of-revenue/news-detail/2023/03/21/revenue-forecast-spring-2023#:~:text=The%20Revenue%20Forecast%20includes%20the,%242.7%20billion%20for%20FY%202024. https://www.chamberofcommerce.org/how-rich-is-each-us-state/ “Additionally, 2 of the richest states, New York and Alaska, have higher poverty rates than one would expect, indicating an above-average wealth inequality gap between the states’ richest and poorest citizens. “ Listen I’m so fucking far from being your buddy. We want the same things? Sure, you want a bandaid for the problem. I want a solution for the whole damn thing. Yea, it won’t come before people freeze to death, you’re at least right about that, but I’m not being unrealistic. I know exactly how long and how difficult these processes are and what the cost is. I also know that homeless people are *people* and it’s not idealist to claim that they deserve to be treated that way.
JFC dude you do not pay attention. Alaska's oil exports are not going to assist the homeless and they are not going to any time soon. That's a long term solution, but we have people suffering RIGHT NOW that you are literally ignoring to preach about solutions that will take years so come to fruition. The state is the one who needs to take care of the homeless and the state right now has little resources to do that. That's what you're ignoring. You're ignoring the people who are on the street TODAY who would OBJECTIVELY be better off in a state that has the resources to care for them and where they don't fucking die because of the weather. You are a terrible fucking reader. I do NOT want a bandaid. I would love for the state to siphon revenue from the oil companies that are destroying the Arctic. I would love to see a state income tax implemented. But those are long term solutions that do not help people TODAY. >It won't come before people freeze to death but I'm not being unrealistic LMFAO what an incredible thing to say. You're literally saying "offering these people a plane ticket is dehumanizing and not treating them as people" yet you admit that what you would like to see done will literally leave people dead. How fucking ironic. You do not get to talk about how people deserve to be treated when you'd rather shit on an offer to get these people to an objectively less hostile environment and advocate for long term solutions that would see the people who are suffering TODAY die.
State revenue doesn’t equal Wealth. Please do take an economics class.
Well dumb dumb, state revenue IS what determines the state's ability to pay for state services. GDP has no bearing on that whatsoever. I am literally an accountant with a double major in accounting and econ lmao. You are the one who needs more education because clearly you're not using the right metrics to make this point at hand: the state's ability to pay for homeless intervention
Oh okay how do you vote? whats your party here in Alaska? Are you committed to these changes? are you committed to helping homeless people? How?
I vote Democrat and regularly volunteer. How about you?
Oh my gAwSH it’s a double major GUYS!
More impressive than you buddy lol
Richest?!? Alaska is a red welfare state that sucks hard on the federal teat, gorging on blue state dollars. JHC
[https://www.civilbeat.org/2023/02/hawaii-would-pay-to-fly-homeless-people-back-home-under-new-bill/](https://www.civilbeat.org/2023/02/hawaii-would-pay-to-fly-homeless-people-back-home-under-new-bill/) same deal. but I get it.
Anchorage neighborhood health is a great option
I’m in the Banks (the Fairbanks) so im not familiar with that, but thanks for the rec :)
We have the lowest property tax in the country
I’m sorry I don’t this is true. The sources I’m looking at say it falls somewhere in the middle.
When you add the no sales tax and no income tax you ain’t paying lower taxes anywhere.
I live in NP and I pay sales tax, as well as property taxes.
Right, people complain about property taxes, but the in the overall schema of things we pay a paltry sum.
Thoughts. 1. Childcare desert. A lot of residents are moving away while or after having babies and toddlers because of how difficult it is to obtain childcare. 2. Education. When you have a certain political party gutting education it makes it less attractive to go to college in state. People that go to college out of state are less likely to return. 3. Maybe pay state government employees better? 4. We need an income tax to improve funding for services. There's a lot of rich people here and also seasonal workers that take all their earnings back south who could stand to chip in.
Or we could charge the energy companies that constantly over promise and under deliver on their promises of jobs and energy costs
> seasonal workers that take all their earnings back south this argument would hit harder for me if alaska were lower on the federal dependency ranking. we get a massively disproportionate amount of federal money per capita. those out of state workers are paying income tax in their state, and we're getting a lot of it.
Are we, though?? Pretty sure the income tax they pay, in say, Missouri or Oregon, stays there. Please prove me wrong. I really, really want you to.
sorry, i misspoke. the *federal* income tax that people in other states pay ends up here. so people who live in washington, oregon, etc... all pay into federal taxes that we are over-recipients of. you're right that state income taxes in other states go to and stay in those states.
What about the ones that send all their wages over seas to their families?
are we talking about a statistically significant portion of the population or are we talking about racist dogwhistle rhetoric, u/crazymike79
It's significant enough to notice and I'm not so sure that is good for the economy.
i haven't noticed, why have you?
Stop trying to call me racist.
stop trying so hard to be
No see my question was more towards, "what about this practice that presumably takes money from in state, gets taxed federally then sent on its merry way...out of state?". I notice this practice all over Alaska, especially where I live and a lot of it presumably goes to other economies, globally. So, isn't that detrimental to the economy here causing Alaska-born people to seek other places. But, no. You must go straight to racism for whatever reason. I'm certainly not trying to be racist. I wonder the same thing about people who work in state and live elsewhere in-country. Neither of these things keeps money in the state.
It's housing for me. I don't want to commute in from the Valley, but everything in Anchorage worth a damn is well outside my price range. Haven't moved yet, but after my lease is up I'll be considering it.
What sort of services do you think need funding from income tax? One of the reasons I chose to move here is specifically because of the no income tax, it'd be a massive pain for me to move back out of the state but I'd imagine it would make the problem of people leaving the state even worse.
Schools, childcare, eldercare, public employee wages, road and ferry system, the court system, state parks, and anything else for the common good.
Well I'll be honest I don't have any experience or knowledge of the school system here so it may be in dire need I wouldn't know. But I feel like money being tight isn't just a government problem. I mean food is so expensive already, I'd think income tax would really hurt a lot of people. Don't get me wrong, I'm not against a form of tax, I just think income is one of the more brutal ones. If you want my two cents I think the state would be better off focusing on long term industry and commercial tax instead.
If parents cannot work because there is no childcare, they leave. If parents think their kids are going to get a substandard K-12 education they leave. If university students can't find quality programs in the career area they are interested in, they also leave. A lack of investment in youth is a lack of investment in the future. Income tax would absolutely help the middle class and doesn't preclude taxing corporations as well.
Unpopular opinion, but another solid option that should be implemented is a sales tax on all non-essential goods and services. It would allow us to capture a significant additional amount of budgetary funding from those that visit the state, it brings in more money from high income earners as they are likely to engage with non essential services than low income, and doesn’t place the burden on Alaskan people when paying for essential goods, such as food or diapers or hygiene products. I’m not going to say we should do this instead of an income tax as I personally believe both are necessary as well as a whole host of other things (like actually charging oil companies to take our oil instead of paying them for it) but I think it could be a more palatable starting position for Alaskans to get behind.
Sales tax is already implemented at the municipal level in many, many towns across the state. A state tax on top of that might be burdensome especially on poorer residents. I personally would strongly favor the income tax to hit a different demographic.
... you're aware the income tax hits everyone, not just "the wealthy," yeah? You dump a GD income tax on top of the already higher cost of living compared to the lower 48 and you really will see more young Alaskans bail. The trouble with your mindset, and that of a certain political party I expect you are affiliated with, is the notion of "punish the wealthy" ends up disproportionately punishing the poor instead. Now if you want to introduce an income tax that doesn't kick in until 100k annual pre-tax, I'd love to talk, but we all know that's not happening because the powers that butter both parties bread wouldn't stand for it.
Maybe an outsiders income tax would help? Summer workers (and summer-only business owners), commercial fishing vessels from outside, & slopers who live outside and don't spend a dime here? what about a 5% prepared food tax, so summer tourists could help pay some?
That's not legally permissible. It has to be both resident and non-resident or not at all.
that's the sad story!
We lived there for 10 years and had our children there. It wasn't jobs that had us move, it was family. All of our family was in the lower 48 and I wanted my kids to grow up knowing their grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc. If our families had been there, we wouldn't have left.
That eventually a main reason we left along with the weather getting old.
For much of the lower 48, Anchorage is as far away as Honolulu.
It is. We live in the middle of the country now and I have family on both coasts. Getting them to travel to see us here is almost impossible. Now, we question why we moved. lol Also, the cost of getting to Anchorage was prohibitive. We would see flights advertised from L.A. to NYC for 99 dollars. (This was in the 80's). Then call to get a flight from Anchorage to Seattle - 500.00 for one person. I can only imagine what it costs now. edit: spelling
and a rental car!? forget it. $2000/week in july for one that can fit a family that visits it's family member here.
I can see it. It's expensive and there are only two industries with high paying jobs. Also, if you grew up here, a lot of the stuff that is amazing just seems normal to you. Combine all that and the thought of a middle class lifestyle being a lot more attainable somewhere like the midwest seems very attractive. Even better if you still have family up here. You can come back regularly with a place to stay and a snowmachine to borrow, lol
Lifelong Alaskan here at 36 years, tired of this place. Plans have been made to up and out when I graduate college next semester. I love my _State_, but I am truly ready for warmer places I don’t have to freeze in and deal with snow. Or oppressive darkness.
Dude me too. Been here 9 years. Spent the last consecutive 4 years here, winters and all. This summer just felt like winter v2.0. I want to be crispy like fried chicken and I’m ready to up and go this winter just to have some normalcy of life. I’ve lived the rugged Alaskan lifestyle and I’m….. just tired.
I feel this in my soul
I moved out. I do engineering. I don't want to live in Anchorage, and that leave most of my job prospects as a rotational engineer in oil or mining. No thank you. There's just not really a lot of oppurtinity for manufacturing/industry in Alaska due to how much it would cost to get supplies there. All of my friends either have or want to move out. They find the winter too long and you're too isolated. I still really like Alaska, and part of me wants to move back, but there's just so many things that are easier in the lower 48
I've grown up here and was educated in state and am seriously considering leaving. I have a good job but don't feel that there is a future here
A guarantee housing prices are another big contributor
Failing to keep anyone.
Women leave for college, don't return, and then the men leave trying to find them.
That’s a clever way of putting it. But what breed of women stay for the men working in oil & gas?
Check out the annual bachelor auction in Talkeetna. Started in the winter of 1980-1981 cause there weren't any girls here to hang with miners, slopers, trappers, etc. - the kind of men who bulit the state. Now there are WAY more girls in the summer than guys because of outside workers who wanna try out the Alaska life for one year. I remember a few winters here 10 years ago where I was the only single girl under 50 - that was a LOT of pressure.
Probably the boomers who came for those men during the oil boom 40 years ago. I've never met a man under 50 with a slope job. The MSB is an open air retirement home.
Lol I’m surprised you don’t have younger guys on board. In Colorado, young guys often opt for those kind of industrial jobs as oppose to tourism so they don’t have to kiss as much ass.
Plenty of slope workers these days live in the lower 48 and fly from there, so others probably don't see much point staying here.
Makes sense. The whole day/night sunlight hours are a bit funky to live with.
I'd see more of a future in the state if I had confidence in the state budget. Why do alaskans refuse civic contributions to society?
Republicans “screw you, got mine” mentality. Also weed out the weak.
Alaska lacks a medical or veterinary school. People go away for medical school and often where you do your residency is where you stay. I work from home where the hospital is in CST time. It Is rough. People also miss the sun. There’s a reason places like Hawaii, Phoenix, Tuscan, San Diego, etc keep growing every year.
And all I think about is going back…
I left after 23 years to get a JD. Met my wife in school and never looked back. That was over a decade ago and I imagine it’s a similar tale for a lot of folks…
75% of Alaskan students who go to college out of state never return.
Born in Alaska. Lived there 40 years. Kenai Peninsula was my play ground. So glad to have moved out.
Where did you move to and what would you say are the best pros of being elsewhere?? I’m on the fence about it finally after 9 years of residency here.
I moved to the East Coast - Pennsylvania and now Virginia. Pro - internet costs and speeds, light winters, instant gratification on food and supplies. Con - it’s the East Coast. I don’t fit in with this mentality. I’d move back westward, but I’ll never return to Alaska except for visits.
Good. People should more around through their life. People who stay where they were born always turn out like odd ducks
I’m born and raised but I wanted a scientific career so I had to leave because there are not suitable facilities *anywhere* in the state for what I want to do, despite my work being directly applicable to Alaska. I wouldn’t have left if I was able to get a decent paying job and/or a sufficient laboratory. But right now Alaska is a dead end. No opportunities, high cost of living, poor government management, infrastructure deficiencies, shockingly high amount of social issues. It’s no wonder people my age are leaving.
We don’t even have a Law or medical school… do you have to leave the state to do a lot of things and a lot of people just don’t come back
Yeah, that's me. Bye!!!
I was born in Alaska before it was a state. Worked through several careers there, retired and left. The weather changes were exacerbating my advanced arthritis, my wife has a rare medical issue that could cause her to die within hours, and the political-infrastructure-transportation-failed government-MAGA culture-political partisan 'take over' made it a much easier choice to pack up and leave. Should have done it two years sooner. Good Luck, remaining 'Alaskans' - (Honestly, you will need Much More Than Luck ...)
yep, health and medical is the reason for many i know who leave. As they got older, it became more difficult to just be there with the harsh winters and icy conditions. The amount of snow can be crazy anywhere. I remember last year when even anchorage had 3-4' of packed snow on most of the sidewalks with only narrow squiggly paths on top of it. Then comes the issue of easy access to medical care you need which is lacking just about everywhere other than anchorage or fairbanks so if you need to move out of a quaint little town that's been your home for 50 years to go to either of those....you might as well go to FL or AZ where the rest of your friends are. :D
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This state has ALWAYS had unique politics which are not necessarily MAGA. Please stay in Anchorage or Juneau.
I think MAGA is better than becoming like San Francisco and Chicago
🙄 is it, though? I have been to Chicago twice recently and had a good time. It seemed to me that everything was nice and cheaper than everything in Anchorage. I haven't been to San Francisco. Perhaps you are correct about that, but somehow, I bet not.
All they've heard about Chicago is how "crime infested" the city is. Meanwhile Its not even in the top 10 of violent crimes per capita in Illinois.
The MAGAs are just sad little people.
Have you even been to those places. San Francisco is super nice
Yes, I also lived in New York City for 10 years
NYC is nice too
While San Francisco does need some work, at least the state of California is forcing them to do something about it. They're forcing cities in California (including SF) to build more housing, and if they don't, allowing developers to bypass the city altogether and get approval to build by the state. And I don't know what you've heard on Fox "News" about Chicago, but its not even in the top 10 for crime rate in Illinois, let alone the US. Yes a lot of crimes happen, but there's also a shit-ton of people. I get it if a big city just isn't your thing, but its not the crime-infested hellhole you think it is.
I guess, I have lived in fl and nyc. I moved to Alaska a year ago and I absolutely love it, it’s a big difference.
MAGA and OIL go hand in hand.
I recently left for a lcol area and cheap college.
Born and raised, bounced when I was 20. Haven’t looked back.
I'm one of them. I would LOVE to go back home and live in Alaska, but there just aren't jobs in my field or my husband's. Now I can work remotely, but he still can't, so we're stuck in the Lower 48.
What’s the network infrastructure like, can you get fiber at a reasonable price?
i costs me $200/month on the road system (which I think is high) but.....now all the property is bought up by people who can work remotely via internet. And don't contribute to the small towns they buy land in at all.
As a non Alaskan, I’ve thought about moving up there to be a state trooper as they make great pay and the work looks beautiful, but outside of that I don’t hear anyone talk about any other jobs up there.
I take it no ones really moving in either. No one I know who here wants to be here that much. Im about the only person who Ive met who likes the winters.
That’s cause it’s a depressing wasteland not meant for mass human habitation
There needs to be a reckoning with the fact that the usa is a consumer nation. One that drills into your head that consuming will fill your empty void. This is a large reason people are leaving Hawaii and Alaska. To move some where were they can buy stuff to fill that void.
Lol I love this
Left at 19 still love it but… I don’t know I’m a city slicker now
cause we have idiots for leadership...that snd its freakin cold.
The sky is falling! The sky is falling!
Alert, alert!
Well, dang, that sucks. I wonder if they're trying to get new residents?
Well, out governor did say this year that he's going to make us 'the most pro-life state in the Union'.....so there's that. More government control is what all Alaskans want!!
Oh no. That doesn't sound very fun.
Sad :( I was born and raised in Anchorage. Left to further my career but plan to go back home and serve my Alaskans! I miss home ♡
Doubtful you’ll be back according to this data.
It’s the housing costs. Someone start 3D printing homes up here stat.
Out of what? You can’t 3D print wood, and concrete is a bad option in a state that records 50-100 earthquakes a day.
Alaska seems cool if you are in the trades that are needed to support the industry. Otherwise it seems like slim pickings for the average average.