Opinion: Southeast Alaska being exploited by cruise ships

Published 3:00 am Tuesday, July 16, 2019

How can it be that we are knee-deep in tourist effluent and Medicaid is being cut? Why isn’t the state treasury fat with income from the tourist industry? Southeast Alaska is being exploited by tour ships.

We need to A) set a limit on the number and size of tour ships allowed in state waters, B) issue permits with contractual obligations, and C) get compensated for their use of the state resources, including monitoring costs.

Is anyone in the state taking any action aside from cutting programs from state residents? It is hard to believe that a state as large and as rich in resources as we are can’t support the needs of 600,000 people. The word management springs to mind.

Who benefits?

Gretchen Goldstein,

Port Protection

• My Turns and Letters to the Editor represent the view of the author, not the view of the Juneau Empire.