ALASKA NATIVES COMMISSION
JOINT FEDERAL-STATE COMMISSION
ON
POLICIES AND PROGRAMS AFFECTING
ALASKA NATIVES
4000 Old Seward Highway, Suite 100
Anchorage,
Alaska 99503
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Witness List | Exhibit
List
| PDF Version
Deposition Exhibit #4 - Testimony
of Bob Coghill, Jr.
Alaska Native Commission
from Bob Coghill Jr., 1603 College Rd., Fairbanks,
AK 99709 452-8119 (w) & 457-2667 (h)
Commission members,
it is an honor to speak to you. This Commission is made up
of sincere dynamic people involved in Alaska Native
issues. I appreciate this body giving up a summer weekend day
to hear the people of the Interior.
I am the manager of K'oyitl'ots'ina,
Limited. K'oyitl'ots'ina is the ANCSA corporation for Huslia,
Hughes, Allakaket and
Alatna. Our corporation operates two stores in those villages
and other
investments.
I am from Nenana. My Uncle Jack, like my father,
was a small business owner in Nenana before retiring to Junaeu.
My comments are not those of my corporation.
They developed from my experience with K'oyitl'ots'ina and
the community
of village
corporations.
Government spending such as Airports, fire
fighting and municipal revenue sharing have allowed our traditional
villages to
remain active.
Our corporation has had modest success
through conservative investment and careful operation of our
village stores.
Regrettably, government
policies that seek to improve life in the village limits
our potential for business development in the village.
State subsidies and grants pushed on the villages
create artificial services that can be pulled by political
expediency. Many of
these services can only be funded through the municipal
government. In other cases not-for-profit entities
can receive the funds.
The individual or the corporation
must compete for investment dollars on the commercial market.
When
the State subsidies
the service at a level that the private entities
cannot compete. Dollars going directly to government
circulate
in the community
the least number of times.
Some services provided
by government could be provided by ANCSA corporations are:
| |
Government |
Private Investors |
| Television |
RATNET |
cale television
VCR rental |
| Retail Fuel |
Municipal operations |
Private fuel sales |
| Laundry facilities |
Municipal operations |
Private Laundromat |
| Dirt and Gravel |
Municipal heavy equipment |
Privately owned equipment |
We all agree that certain levels of services are
required. Some of those services are beyond
the ability of the
local economy to provide. What I ask is for
is a policy that strikes a balance. A policy that allows private
and ANCSA corporations to provide services before public
funds
pour into the communities.
In this period of
income reduction in the State of Alaska, fuel subsidies may
be eliminated
leaving the community
with an expectation of utilities
that outstrip
it's economy.
The political winds are growing stronger every
year against public radio and RATNET television.
Perhaps it
is too late for the well capitalized ANCSA corporation to take
over those services. Will or can a community pay
for the level
of services
that
it has experienced through government subsidy and grants?
With the creation of unaffordable
expectations have we set up villages for destruction?
Our governor has promised to use State resources
to create jobs. This is a policy I enthusiastically support.
Beyond
the creation
of jobs,
what
the villages
need
is the development of economies of their own. Planning
must allow village services to reach the level the economy can
support while creating options to create
sustained
economic
development.
This document was ocr scanned. We have made every attempt to
keep the online document the same as the original, including
the recorder's original misspellings or typos.
