How will you vote on Proposition #2 (no cruise ships on Saturdays)? Proponents of no-cruise Saturdays are sincere about their desire to roll back the industry. Cruise industry opposition in Juneau is nothing new and its self-evident core backers are not paying their bills with income derived from tourism dollars. That gives me pause.
A few things are weighing heavily on my mind. As Juneauites, shouldn’t we consider how passing this initiative would affect Juneau tourism companies and their employees? After all, the no-cruise Saturdays ballot measure is asking Juneau voters to take away 15% of weekly revenues from tourism businesses and their employees.
If you’re considering voting yes, ask yourself if you would support no-cruise Saturdays if you had to give up 15% of your paycheck or 15% of your retirement? Suddenly seasonal inconvenience doesn’t seem as critical when you realize that’s exactly what we are going to vote on for local businesses, and our neighbors’ paychecks.
Lost sales tax revenue is another major concern. One regular author of letters to the editor considered CBJ tax revenue and concluded, rightly, that the CBJ would simply shift the resulting loss of tourism sales tax dollars to locals. How does that make living in Juneau more affordable for all of us? And who wants downtown Juneau shuttered every Saturday because there’s not enough sales to keep businesses open on Saturdays for the convenience of locals?
I hope all of us are afforded the opportunity retire someday. However, that requires a robust Juneau economy. The no-cruise Saturdays proposal makes working, living and retiring in Juneau unnecessarily more difficult, and the accompanying 15% drop in income and resulting shift in taxes to Juneau families that much more impactful. If Ballot Measure 2 passes you can reasonably predict an acceleration in the exit of young working adults who can barely afford to live in Juneau now. Add to that the effect on school enrollment, property taxes, rent, the cost of food and it quickly becomes apparent this is a very short-sighted proposal.
Regardless of whether you support Ballot Measure 2 or not, I hope this letter gets you thinking about the broader impact of no-cruise Saturdays. Despite the proponents’ sales pitch it isn’t as simple as a quiet day in town. Personally, I hope our community will come together to support and grow a vibrant Juneau with jobs for everyone. With little to lose personally, it’s easy to ignore other people’s sacrifice. For me, voting to take away other people’s income is a non-starter and an incredibly selfish ask. I’m a hard “no” on Ballot Measure 2.
• Bruce Abel is a lifelong Juneau resident, and president of Don Abel Building Supply and Valley Lumber Company.
