Let me start by saying I totally disagree with the recent decision by Legislative Council to require visitors to the Capitol to go through a metal detector. I think it was a huge mistake. It’s too bad Juneau can’t properly police their vagrant problem – the real reason this was implemented.
The decision was not well thought out and will result in many unintended consequences – namely long waits to get into the Capitol when there are large groups of visitors like students, trade groups, or tourists. It will be even worse in January and February when people will have to wait outside when it’s cold and snowing. I have already witnessed a family of four cruise ship tourists take three minutes to go through security.
There is only one metal detector and x-ray machine setup in the front entrance. All the other front doors are now locked. Those who have key fobs – legislators, legislative staff, certain executive branch officials, family of legislators, and press with a press desk (yes, I have one) – are not required to go through the metal detector. Those with key fobs can use them to access locked doors at the entrance, on the side of the building, or in the back of the building. Everyone else has to go through the new screening.
It’s also security theater. People come in and out of the side door of the Capitol all the time. If someone really wanted to do something crazy, all they would have to do is wait by the side door and walk in when someone walks in or out. Does anyone really expect a twenty-something legislative staffer or intern to tell some psycho they can’t go in?
Lobbyists, many of whom have been working in the Capitol for decades, are now required to go through the metal detector every time they enter the Capitol. It’s not uncommon for a lobbyist to enter the Capitol four or five times a day for meetings.
Say what you want about lobbyists, but they serve an important role in what happens in Juneau. They represent clients from across the spectrum – businesses, trade groups, non-profits, local governments, and many more. Most of their clients can’t be in Juneau to watch what is happening everyday, so they hire lobbyists to watch and communicate on their behalf. Lobbyists also pay the Alaska Public Offices Commission (APOC) $250 for each client they register.
Since the new security screening has been put into use, a growing list of people who have business in the Capitol have been given key fobs to bypass the metal detector. These include commissioners, deputy commissioners, legislative liaisons, Alaska Court System personnel, Office of Management and Budget personnel, University of Alaska personnel, people from quasi-state entities like the Alaska Gasline Development Corporation, the Alaska Railroad, the Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation, and the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority. It’s like an episode of Oprah – everybody gets a key fob!
I pay $275 per session for a press desk, which comes with a key fob to the Capitol. I have had my own office across the street for years but I have continued to pay for a press desk each year because it’s convenient for me to enter from the side door, which has always required a key fob. It’s also convenient to have access later at night when the doors are locked but meetings are happening.
The Legislature should make an exception for registered lobbyists and provide them with key fobs that allow them, and their clients when they are in town, to bypass the new security. It will not only make their lives easier, it will free up the staff working the metal detector and x-ray machine from having to screen them every time they enter the Capitol. It will also incentive the shadow lobbyists – the shady ones who don’t register – to officially register.
The Legislature could even make some money to offset the additional $64,000 a year they now are spending on this. They could charge lobbyists $500 per session, or maybe a little more, for a key fob. Most or all of them would happily pay the fee.
First!
Yes, please.
Our legislature meets in Juneau! Why is it in my best interest to make life less inconvenient for lobbyists?
And you think Anchorage is doing a good job? Look at the vagrant camps next to and on the bike paths, the 400 fires that AFD responded to in homeless camps, shootings, drug abuse, panhandling.
Exactly what kind of message are we sending to our visitors when we have drunks congregating on busy street corners? Or a large homeless camp at the split of Benson and Northern Lights as a beautiful welcome next to the Turnagain sculpture, that the MOA has failed to remove? This is a failure of leadership. Who is going to want to visit our city and spend their hard earned money for this?
sHiP tHeM BaCk tO tHe ViLlAgEs !
The policy was instituted as a deterrent to street people who converged on the capital for nearly two weeks straight. They stole from offices, intimidated staff and distracted security personnel . It’s really not much hindrance at all – and that’s the point – a slight increase of security measures and already that problem has been solved. We don’t need it to go further – which Jeff implies by pointing out the imperfections. Seems like a measured response – rather than the usual all or nothing
So we can all agree, the street people aka homeless, slip into places of convenience, steal stuff, intimidate people, where they see opportunities to do that. If there wasn’t security they’d still be there. This is what unmonitored street and homeless people do. At the capitol, they’ve had onsite security and it’s still been problematic when they didn’t have screening.
So we can all agree, the corporate shills aka lobbyists, slip into places of convenience, steal stuff, intimidate people, where they see opportunities to do that. If there wasn’t a vigilant press they’d still be more it. This is what corporate shills do. At the capitol, they’ve had onsite security and it’s still been problematic when they didn’t have screening.