Possible Ferry Cancellations - Alaska
If you have a reservation for an Alaska Ferry for this summer, you might want to read this: http://www.ktoo.org/2015/04/10/travelers-not-told-ferries-may-canceled/
Forum Discussion
I believe I paid Alaska Income tax and School tax from the first summer I worked in Nome, 1962 till about 1974. Not sure of the ending date of the income tax but early 70s sometimes. Because so many seasonal jobs exist in Alaska, it was always difficult for the state to know who was working there or not.
A large number of folks have always lived out of state, worked for an out of state company, and commuted to work in Alaska. Usually these companies had contracts with the federal government so the state never knew they were working in Alaska. Hard to get those people on the tax lists, even when the state had an income tax. The fishing fleet is much the same but many of the cannery employees are foreign citizens, brought over just to work the summer and the go back home. Approximately 95% of all the Alaska canneries are now foreign owned and operated.
Very few Alaska residents are employed in the Alaska tourists industries. The cruise ships are a good example, they are owned and headquartered out of state, all fuel, food, etc., are purchased in their headquartered state, usually Washington. The hotels they own, the employees of those hotels , bus drivers, etc are seldom Alaska year around residents. Many of the tour bus drivers and guides may have been in Alaska less time than you have driving your RV.
Unless new revenue sources develop, such as a new oil field or two, a natural gas pipeline south to the Lower 48, within just a few short years, Alaska is going to be in a world of hurt.
A large number of folks have always lived out of state, worked for an out of state company, and commuted to work in Alaska. Usually these companies had contracts with the federal government so the state never knew they were working in Alaska. Hard to get those people on the tax lists, even when the state had an income tax. The fishing fleet is much the same but many of the cannery employees are foreign citizens, brought over just to work the summer and the go back home. Approximately 95% of all the Alaska canneries are now foreign owned and operated.
Very few Alaska residents are employed in the Alaska tourists industries. The cruise ships are a good example, they are owned and headquartered out of state, all fuel, food, etc., are purchased in their headquartered state, usually Washington. The hotels they own, the employees of those hotels , bus drivers, etc are seldom Alaska year around residents. Many of the tour bus drivers and guides may have been in Alaska less time than you have driving your RV.
Unless new revenue sources develop, such as a new oil field or two, a natural gas pipeline south to the Lower 48, within just a few short years, Alaska is going to be in a world of hurt.
