1985-73 Urging the Alaska Legislature to Enact Legislation Giving Preferential Hire to Alaskans.KODIAK ISLAND BOROUGH
RESOLUTION NO. 85 -73 -R
A RESOLUTION URGING THE ALASKA LEGISLATURE TO
ENACT LEGISLATION GIVING PREFERENTIAL HIRE TO ALASKANS.
WHEREAS, because of its unique climate and its
distance from the contiguous states, this state has histori-
cally suffered from unique social, seasonal, geographic and
economic conditions that result in an unstable economy; and
WHEREAS, the unstable economy is a hardship on the
residents of the state and is aggravated by the large num-
bers of seasonal and transient non- resident workers; and
WHEREAS, the rate of unemployment among residents
' of the state is one of the highest in the nation; and
WHEREAS, the state has one of the highest ratios
of non- resident to resident workers in the nation; and
WHEREAS, the state has a compelling interest in
reducing the level of unemployment among its residents; and
WHEREAS, the construction industry in the state
accounts for a substantial percentage of the available em-
ployment; and
WHEREAS, construction workers receive a greater
percentage of all unemployment benefits paid by the state
than is typical of other states; and
WHEREAS, historically the rate of unemployment in
the construction industry in the state is higher than the
rate of unemployment in other industries in the state; and
WHEREAS, it is appropriate for the state to consi-
der the welfare of its residents where it funds construction
activity; and
WHEREAS, it is in the public interest for the
state to allocate public funds for capital projects in order
to reduce unemployment among its resident construction
workers; and
WHEREAS, in- migration of non - resident construction
workers contributes to or causes the high unemployment rate
among resident construction workers because non - resident
:workers compete with residents for the limited number of
available construction jobs; and
WHEREAS, non - resident workers displace a substan-
tial number of qualified, available and unemployed Alaska
workers on jobs on state funded public works projects; and
WHEREAS, the state has a special interest in
seeing that the benefits of state construction spending
accrue to its residents; and
WHEREAS, the natural resources of land owned by
the state belong to the citizens of the state; and
WHEREAS, the vast majority of the state's revenue
is derived from these royalties rather than from other forms
of taxation; and
WHEREAS, because the state has no personal income
tax or sales tax, non - resident workers use services provided
by the state but do not contribute fairly to the costs of
those services; and
WHEREAS, Alaskans, more than residents of other
states, suffer economically when non - residents displace
qualified residents since resident workers contribute local
taxes as well as their share of the royalties from natural
resources.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, by the Kodiak
Island Borough Assembly that the Kodiak legislative delega-
tion be urged to enact a bill giving preferential hire to
Alaskans.
ber, 1985.
ATTEST:
PASSED AND APPROVED this 5th day of Septem-
f -d-.� fJ. /J-t
Acting Borough Clerk
Page 2, Res. No. 85 -73 -R
KODIAK ISLAND BOROU
By
oug a'or