Alaskan capital to be moved from Juneau to Anchorage?

[Joe Republic]

Link


Bill proposes moving state capital to Anchorage

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) -- A lawmaker has filed a bill seeking to move the state capital from Juneau to Anchorage.

Rep. Kevin Meyer, R-Anchorage, prefiled the bill Friday.

Meyer told Anchorage television station KTUU that moving lawmakers onto the road system would mean better access for average citizens. It's one thing to watch the televised session, but it's not the same as having direct contact with lawmakers, Meyer said.

Juneau - which can only be reached by air or boat - is the nation's most inaccessible capital.

That, Meyer said, makes it inaccessible to most of state residents, except those who can afford to fly there.

However, state Sen. Kim Elton, D-Juneau, said lawmakers could better spend their time debating a natural gas pipeline or education.

Elton also said a capital move would devastate the economy of Juneau and possible Southeast.

Fairbanks has long been considered the state's education hub, Anchorage its business leader, and Juneau the top legislative city, Elton said.

"I think it serves Alaska well to have strong economies across the state and when you begin consolidating the economic, political, education, it has a terrible effect on the rest of the state," Elton said.

Rep. Beth Kerttula, D-Juneau, said the size of the state means there were could access problems no matter where the seat of government was located.

She suggested holding meetings throughout Alaska at different times of the year.

[minionofmidas]

A move to Anchorage would fail a popular vote. As it has before. A move to some new location outside the panhandle *might* pass.

[Ban my account ffs!]

I think Juneau should remain the capital.  No matter where you move it, it will still be the most inaccessible capital in the country, just perhaps a little less so.

I just see this as a power grab by Anchorage with some very political undertones. 

There is debate to connect Juneau to the road system, but the road would cost hundreds of billions of dollars, pass something like 30 avalanche chutes, and require a LOT of tunneling and bridges.

This all in an age when high speed ferries are coming on line.

[Jake]

I like the idea of having legislative sessions around the state. Moving from Juneau to Anchorage just isolates Juneau from their legislature.

[Verily]

A move to Anchorage would fail a popular vote. As it has before. A move to some new location outside the panhandle *might* pass.

They voted on Wasilla, not Anchorage, IIRC. (Of course, Wasilla is just outside Anchorage, but it's also at almost exactly the population center of the state.)

[JSojourner]

They should move it to Barrow.  Or one of the Diomede Islands!

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Rather than worrying about moving the capital, they ought to consider organizing more of the Unorganized Borough as their first priority in government reform.

[minionofmidas]

They should move it to Barrow.  Or one of the Diomede Islands!

American Samoa should be added to the state and the capital put there.

[Bacon King]

I could be wrong, but I think they've tried something like this a half-dozen times now.

[Sensei]

This comes up from time to time, but nothing ever seems to get done with it...

[CultureKing]

I think Juneau should remain the capital.  No matter where you move it, it will still be the most inaccessible capital in the country, just perhaps a little less so.

I just see this as a power grab by Anchorage with some very political undertones. 

There is debate to connect Juneau to the road system, but the road would cost hundreds of billions of dollars, pass something like 30 avalanche chutes, and require a LOT of tunneling and bridges.

This all in an age when high speed ferries are coming on line.

There has been no serious talk about building a road, I really don't expect that to happen within my lifetime.

[Meeker]

Palin got sworn in in Fairbanks which caused everyone in Juneau to piss their pants in fear.  But you cannot disagree with the wonder that is Sarah Palin:



Anyways, this has been a constant issue since statehood. It's also why Alaska doesn't have a real capitol building. I doubt anything will ever come of it, just like nothing will ever come of the bills in the Washington State Legislature to split the state.

[JSojourner]

They should move it to Barrow.  Or one of the Diomede Islands!

American Samoa should be added to the state and the capital put there.

Can you imagine?  Rich Alaskans commuting to work at that distance?  If I had the money, and I lived in Alaska, you can bet I'd do it. 

I love hot weather.

Freezing my arse off right now...

[Kevinstat]

They voted on Wasilla, not Anchorage, IIRC. (Of course, Wasilla is just outside Anchorage, but it's also at almost exactly the population center of the state.)

Isn't Wasilla Governor Palin's hometown?  Or the town she was mayor of when she ran for Lt. Governor in 2002?

[Verily]

They voted on Wasilla, not Anchorage, IIRC. (Of course, Wasilla is just outside Anchorage, but it's also at almost exactly the population center of the state.)

Isn't Wasilla Governor Palin's hometown?  Or the town she was mayor of when she ran for Lt. Governor in 2002?

I just looked it up, and she was indeed mayor of Wasilla, though her hometown is actually in Idaho. The vote on moving the capital was back in the 1980s, though.

[Cubby]

I support moving the capital to Wasilla. It was a bad decision to put the capital in Juneau. Its so unbelieveably isolated its laughable. I understand that people from outside Anchorage don't want more power to be brought to that city, but its illogical to have a small town in an extremely distant corner of the state be the capital. People's aversion to change when it comes to political boundaries never ceases to amaze me.

If we were serious about effecient geography, we'd give the archipeligo from Juneau to Ketchikan to British Columbia. But if we can't even change a capital within an existing state, then that'll never happen.

[minionofmidas]

I support moving the capital to Wasilla. It was a bad decision to put the capital in Juneau. Its so unbelieveably isolated its laughable. I understand that people from outside Anchorage don't want more power to be brought to that city, but its illogical to have a small town in an extremely distant corner of the state be the capital. People's aversion to change when it comes to political boundaries never ceases to amaze me.

If we were serious about effecient geography, we'd give the archipeligo from Juneau to Ketchikan to British Columbia. But if we can't even change a capital within an existing state, then that'll never happen.

What about making the Panhandle its own state?

Heck, it would be winnable for Democrats in good years.

[Cubby]

I support moving the capital to Wasilla. It was a bad decision to put the capital in Juneau. Its so unbelieveably isolated its laughable. I understand that people from outside Anchorage don't want more power to be brought to that city, but its illogical to have a small town in an extremely distant corner of the state be the capital. People's aversion to change when it comes to political boundaries never ceases to amaze me.

If we were serious about effecient geography, we'd give the archipeligo from Juneau to Ketchikan to British Columbia. But if we can't even change a capital within an existing state, then that'll never happen.

What about making the Panhandle its own state?

Heck, it would be winnable for Democrats in good years.

Not enough people. (According to the Constitution, all you need is 60,000, which they might have) but realistically, you'd need a lot more than that to form a state.

[minionofmidas]

I support moving the capital to Wasilla. It was a bad decision to put the capital in Juneau. Its so unbelieveably isolated its laughable. I understand that people from outside Anchorage don't want more power to be brought to that city, but its illogical to have a small town in an extremely distant corner of the state be the capital. People's aversion to change when it comes to political boundaries never ceases to amaze me.

If we were serious about effecient geography, we'd give the archipeligo from Juneau to Ketchikan to British Columbia. But if we can't even change a capital within an existing state, then that'll never happen.

What about making the Panhandle its own state?

Heck, it would be winnable for Democrats in good years.

Not enough people. (According to the Constitution, all you need is 60,000, which they might have)

With ease baby, with ease. They could lose 20% of their population and still barely make it.

[Ban my account ffs!]

If you move the capitol to Anchorage, you are signing a death warrant for Juneau.  Sure, they would remain a seasonal tourist boom town, but the winter economy would largely collapse as fishing operations could be based out of other panhandle towns.

Juneau, while only having 30,000 residents, is still the 2nd largest city (I believe.. it could be 3rd behind Fairbanks).  If you remove the capitol, you will see serious population decline and the economy will decline.

There are plenty of other states with capitols in unlikely places:  Nevada, California, Washington just to name a few.

The fact that people must fly or boat into Juneau to do their legislative work provides jobs to many people in the aviation industry that would otherwise have no work.. other than maybe as a gas station attendant. 

Leave it where it is.

[minionofmidas]

While you're at it, move Minnesota's capital to Angle, Washington's to Point Roberts, and Maine's to Isle au Haut.

[Sensei]

While you're at it, move Minnesota's capital to Angle, Washington's to Point Roberts, and Maine's to Isle au Haut.

and Hawaii's to that leper colony county I forgot the name of.

[minionofmidas]

While you're at it, move Minnesota's capital to Angle, Washington's to Point Roberts, and Maine's to Isle au Haut.

and Hawaii's to that leper colony county I forgot the name of.

No, I think Hawai'i's capital should be on Kaho'olawe.

[Colin]

Juneau, while only having 30,000 residents, is still the 2nd largest city (I believe.. it could be 3rd behind Fairbanks).  If you remove the capitol, you will see serious population decline and the economy will decline.

3rd actually. Fairbanks has slightly more residents than Juneau in Fairbanks city proper. It has roughly 52,000 people in its entire urban area.

[ottermax]

There are plenty of other states with capitols in unlikely places:  Nevada, California, Washington just to name a few.

Olympia is not too oddly placed. I don't know where else you would put the capitol. I believe Sacramento is the capital city because of the gold rush, so it makes sense. Same sort of reasoning for Carson City, especially since Las Vegas only became a large city within the latter part of the century. The weirdest capital city location would have to be Florida after Alaska.