Legislators and legislative staff who wish to ship their vehicles to Juneau for the upcoming legislative session will face a two week wait due to the reduced ferry schedule this winter. An email obtained by the Alaska Landmine – from the Legislative Affairs Agency to legislators and staff – explains the situation.
This will mostly impact legislators and staff who live in Fairbanks, the Mat-Su Valley, Anchorage, and the Kenai Peninsula who choose to drop off their vehicles at a transport facility to be shipped to Juneau. Legislators and staff who choose to drive to Haines, and then put their vehicles on the ferry, will not be affected by the increased wait. But they may still face a delay due to limited space as there will only be one ferry a week from Haines to Juneau.
In the past, the process to ship vehicles to Juneau has taken four or five days. Now it will be two weeks. The reduced ferry schedule is due to a combination of budget cuts to the Alaska Marine Highway and fewer ferries. This recent ADN article goes into more detail about the recent impacts of the cuts to the Alaska Marine Highway.
Gee, what is a legislator to do when Dunleavy’s cuts (without additional revenues) actually impact him or her? I am sure they will be compensated by an emergency declaration of the Legislative Council (perhaps using fee increases from the Pioneer Homes). And when they complete their arduous journey “fresh baked” cookies and meals produced at state expense in their exclusive legislative lounge will be waiting for them.
Couldn’t happen to better bunch of folks. Should make them wait until summer.
I’m sure AMHS can provide a 15 passenger van for all of the rail belt legislators that supported this disaster. Why not even put one of the layed up ferries up in Juneau for them to sleep and eat on.
Perfect. I hope all the legislators and staff are extremely inconvienced.
Sucks doesn’t it.
AMHS use to schedule sailings of the Kennicott specifically for transporting legislators’ vehicles to and from Seward. Not under Dumbleavy!