There is a very old saying: “A person is foolish who gives pearls to swine.” The implications and application are to avoid giving time, energy, and wisdom to those who do not appreciate or value what is given. Anchorage has acted as one who has not appreciated the pearls of the people, values, and desires of Chugiak / Eagle River (CER). Today, this is more prevalent as Anchorage ignores the CER Comprehensive plan, community councils, Service Areas, and the general voice of the people.
Over the decades, the people of CER have had a strong relationship with the Mat-Su Borough in the support and development of CER. In the ‘50’s and ‘60’s when CER sought for electricity and phone services, it was Mat-Su who came through with MEA and MTA. When resources were sought, it was often Mat-Su who supplied them on the Palmer Hwy, which later became known as the Old Glenn. When CER reflects on its values of life, opportunity, and government, it is with kindred spirit of Mat-Su, not Anchorage.
Throughout the years there has been discussion of detaching from Anchorage. In 1974, a positive vote of the people of CER occurred to detach, but the outcome was overturned by the Alaska Supreme Court in 1975. For the past decade, there have been discussions to detach, but they have been unfulfilled. Despite Eaglexit’s best efforts, including its recent pursual of an informal technical review by LBC, the home rule borough solution faces formidable obstacles and may never come to fruition. Continued concern is that Anchorage is out of control and is taking down communities like CER, which means we need to act now to detach. Annex Now offers an alternative…