Earlier today as I was visiting a friend’s home for a few moments… the discussion turned to local/regional politics. The same theme kept coming up in the conversation, that recovering from this ‘pandemic’ is the best time to look forward and make some shit happen for the future. After a bit, I interjected that there is a perfect foundation already begun but is sitting in a file somewhere in all those BB et al offices. The Bristol Bay Vision Project… finalized in 2011.
But in not wanting to eat my words… I looked into it yet again. Nothing at all has changed on the actual Bristol Bay Vision website (http://www.bristolbayvision.org) and the vision statement reads as follows:
“The Bristol Bay Regional Vision
The foundation of the Bristol Bay Region is committed families, connected to our land and waters.
We believe future generations can live healthy and productive lives here. Across our region, we share common values of community, culture, and subsistence.
We see a future of educated, creative people who are well prepared for life. This requires:
- Excellent schools
- Safe and healthy families
- Local jobs
- Understanding our cultural values and traditions
We assert the importance of local voices in managing our natural resources to continue our way of life.
We welcome sustainable economic development that advances the values of Bristol Bay people. Our future includes diverse economic opportunities in businesses and industries based largely on renewable resources. Large development based on renewable and non-renewable resources must not threaten our land, our waters, or our way of life.
We foster cooperation among local and regional entities to coordinate infrastructure planning for stronger, more affordable communities. Investments in energy, housing and transportation promote sustainable communities and spur economic development.
We recognize the need to locate new sources of capital to implement this vision with a goal of generating self-sustaining regional economies.
We are unified to secure a prosperous future.
—February 2011”
On the BBNA website there is a post linking to a PDF that is supposedly the Bristol Bay Vision ‘Final Report’ that was posted on June 2, 2020. The link is to the flyer/brochure that they first published in November of 2011. https://bbna.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/04b1c-bbrv-final-report-november-2011.pdf
The next most prevalent theme of the conversation was centered around how the leadership of some of the local/regional entities needs to be flushed with new people and younger people that are wanting to revive our region as a healthy and sustainable community. It’s obvious that the same ole’ same ole’ ain’t gonna’ cut it anymore and some of those old time good ole’ boys are really ding their jobs to represent Us and our best interests. When I say Us and Our… I fully mean the entire region. The disaster that we have now with rampant wasteful spending in trying to make Dillingham and other communities like Anchorage or Seattle will be left to a generation of people that are conditioned to knee-jerk emotional responses instead of critical thinking. Heck… there’s a couple of those on the current council already and at least one person that seems not to have a clue. But those are the ‘perfect people’ that often ran unopposed and remain there doing the same ole same ole that isn’t working. See folks… this cycle is spinning out of control and the one’s deciding the direction really don’t care about anything but their own immediate gratification.
I have on numerous occasions been engaged in discussion about regional issues with the elected powers that be and those billion-dollar corporation CEOs and Board Members. When practical ideas and true cooperation are thrown on the table… they balk and even scoff. Heck, just a couple of weeks ago a BBXX BoD member was complaining about something at the hospital. I told him that he was the only person in the conversation that had the clout to make something happen… he half-chuckled and sort of glared at me. But even better yet was the one time when as I was participating in a roundtable on regional energy issues… I brought up a perfectly viable option as prepared by AIDEA almost 20 years ago. One of the attendees who happened to sit on several Boards that all had interest in this topic dropped the papers I had passed out and said, “It ain’t gonna’ fuckin’ happen.” And just like that the idea was dismissed… that happens a lot out here.
Maybe it was a #ShootTheMessenger sort of thing… they only want to hear from their perfect circle.