Opinion

The author and her husband carry an American flag during the Fourth of July parade, Friday, July 4, 2025, in Juneau, Alaska. (Photo courtesy Kate Troll)

My Turn: Claiming the flag on the Fourth of July

Now, here cheering the flag were other immigrants with an uncertain future. What were they cheering about?

 

Doug Mills/The New York Times file photo 
President Donald Trump and President Vladimir Putin of Russia at a joint news conference in Helsinki, Finland, July 16, 2018.

Opinion: Mistaking flattery for respect

Last Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nominated President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. “It’s well deserved, and you should get it,” Netanyahu… Continue reading

 

Win Gruening (courtesy)

My Turn: The millions add up. CBJ, get a grip on spending.

Ignoring essential basic services while spending money on projects and services that few want or need doesn’t make Juneau more affordable

 

Deven Mitchell is the executive director and chief executive officer of the Alaska Permanent Fund Corp. (Photo courtesy of the Alaska Permanent Fund Corp.)

Opinion: The key to a stronger fund: Diversification

Diversification is a means of stabilizing returns and mitigating risk

Deven Mitchell is the executive director and chief executive officer of the Alaska Permanent Fund Corp. (Photo courtesy of the Alaska Permanent Fund Corp.)
(Juneau Empire file photo)

Letter to the Editor: Will senators stand for public lands?

Will senators stand for public lands? Alaskans (and all Americans) should be alarmed to hear that the U.S. Senate is considering the sale of millions… Continue reading

(Juneau Empire file photo)
The Tongass National Forest sign seen en route to the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center on Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2019. (Michael Penn / Juneau Empire File)

Opinion: Environmentalists without an honest cause

I took a little liberty with their statement because they took a lot of liberty with the facts.

The Tongass National Forest sign seen en route to the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center on Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2019. (Michael Penn / Juneau Empire File)
A Juneau Police Department vehicle patrols a neighborhood near Juneau International Airport after warning a person camped along the side of the road they need to move their campsite on Saturday, May 24, 2025. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)

Opinion: Homeless, not helpless — Part 2

In January 2017, I penned a My Turn entitled “Homeless Not Helpless” for the Juneau Empire. In that column, I defended then-Mayor Koelsch’s sponsorship of… Continue reading

A Juneau Police Department vehicle patrols a neighborhood near Juneau International Airport after warning a person camped along the side of the road they need to move their campsite on Saturday, May 24, 2025. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)
In this June 23, 2016, photo, the Alaska Marine Highway ferry Matanuska passes Eagle Glacier. (Michael Penn / Juneau Empire File)

More competitive wages will shore up AMHS workforce

The Alaska Marine Highway System provides transportation along thousands of miles of coastline, directly serving more than 30 communities from Bellingham, Washington, to Dutch Harbor… Continue reading

In this June 23, 2016, photo, the Alaska Marine Highway ferry Matanuska passes Eagle Glacier. (Michael Penn / Juneau Empire File)
(Juneau Empire file photo)

Opinion: Life is harder when you outlive your support group

Mom was ready to die, knowing the world would be OK. Or so she thought.

(Juneau Empire file photo)
Participants in “No Kings” protest walk down Egan Drive waving an American flag on Saturday, June 14, 2025 (Natalie Buttner / Juneau Empire)

Opinion: Why we protest

Along with more than a thousand other Juneauites, I attended the “No Kings” protest last Saturday. I didn’t agree with everything I heard from those… Continue reading

Participants in “No Kings” protest walk down Egan Drive waving an American flag on Saturday, June 14, 2025 (Natalie Buttner / Juneau Empire)
U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Jan. 24, 2025. (Tom Brenner / The New York Times)

My Turn: But wait a minute, if…

I thought it might be worthwhile to add some historical perspective to Rich Moniak’s My Turn of June 14, “The King of Hubris.” I should… Continue reading

U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Jan. 24, 2025. (Tom Brenner / The New York Times)
Noa Shkuri reacts after an Iranian missile struck her home in Rehovot, Israel, on Sunday, June 15, 2025. Israel and Iran exchanged more missile attacks on population centers on Sunday, brushing aside international calls to halt what has quickly become the fiercest clash in decades between the two sworn enemies. (Avishag Shaar-Yashuv/The New York Times)

My Turn: The moral issue of our time

I’m an Alaskan citizen who’s resided in Juneau most of the last 50 years and through the course of a normal day, I find myself… Continue reading

Noa Shkuri reacts after an Iranian missile struck her home in Rehovot, Israel, on Sunday, June 15, 2025. Israel and Iran exchanged more missile attacks on population centers on Sunday, brushing aside international calls to halt what has quickly become the fiercest clash in decades between the two sworn enemies. (Avishag Shaar-Yashuv/The New York Times)
A Palestinian flag at a rally in Chicago, on Tuesday, June 10, 2025. Voices at the demonstrations are often a mix that includes calls for more explicit support for racial justice, Palestinian freedom and socialist politics. (Jamie Kelter Davis/The New York Times)

My Turn: Today’s pro-Palestinian rhetoric masks deep-rooted antisemitism

People can peacefully protest to express dissatisfaction with policies or actions, to raise awareness about a cause, to connect with like-minded individuals, and to push… Continue reading

A Palestinian flag at a rally in Chicago, on Tuesday, June 10, 2025. Voices at the demonstrations are often a mix that includes calls for more explicit support for racial justice, Palestinian freedom and socialist politics. (Jamie Kelter Davis/The New York Times)
(Juneau Empire file photo)

Letter: Another poison pill for American democracy

Among the “remedies” in the drug store known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill” is Section 70302. It is a single sentence, but has the… Continue reading

(Juneau Empire file photo)
President Donald Trump speaks to reporters at the White House on Thursday, June 12, 2025. (Doug Mills/The New York Times)

Opinion: The king of hubris

On Monday, President Donald Trump was asked if he planned to deploy members of the U.S. Marine Corps to quell the violence in Los Angeles.… Continue reading

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters at the White House on Thursday, June 12, 2025. (Doug Mills/The New York Times)
(Juneau Empire file photo)

Letter: Don’t want to see Juneau turned into ‘Florida of the North’

I am beginning to notice that numerous very well-loved Juneau trails and beach access points are falling into disrepute. It appears to me that the… Continue reading

(Juneau Empire file photo)
The Juneau Assembly hears public testimony during its meeting Monday, June 9, 2025, at City Hall. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)

Opinion: Assembly set to mandate another complicated cumbersome voting system

In spite of dissatisfaction with the city’s unilateral decision to impose vote-by-mail a few years ago, on June 9 our Assembly moved to consider mandating… Continue reading

The Juneau Assembly hears public testimony during its meeting Monday, June 9, 2025, at City Hall. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)
(Juneau Empire file photo)

Letter: A tribute to the sun of Juneau’s music

First-time bass player Jacquelyn Davis spoke at a recent Saturday night “Homelands” Juneau Symphony concert about the importance of Juneau Alaska Music Matters (JAMM) in… Continue reading

(Juneau Empire file photo)
(Juneau Empire file photo)

Letter: Dispersed camping and trail users

When I came to Juneau over 30 years ago, I felt very comfortable walking by myself on local trails. Bears were not a major concern… Continue reading

(Juneau Empire file photo)
The present-day KTOO public broadcasting building, built in 1959 for the U.S. Army’s Alaska Communications System Signal Corps, is located on filled tidelands near Juneau’s subport. Today vehicles on Egan Drive pass by the concrete structure with satellite dishes on the roof that receive signals from NPR, PBS and other sources. (Laurie Craig / Juneau Empire file photo)

My Turn: Stand for the community radio, not culture war optics

Alaskans are different and we pride ourselves on that. If my vehicle got stuck in a ditch, or if my house got hit by the… Continue reading

The present-day KTOO public broadcasting building, built in 1959 for the U.S. Army’s Alaska Communications System Signal Corps, is located on filled tidelands near Juneau’s subport. Today vehicles on Egan Drive pass by the concrete structure with satellite dishes on the roof that receive signals from NPR, PBS and other sources. (Laurie Craig / Juneau Empire file photo)