Fairview Block Party, city-wide transportation survey, and a higher education update.
Don’t miss the annual Fairview Block Party this Saturday from 11 am to 4 pm.
Hello friends and neighbors,
Earlier this month, I participated in the National Conference of State Legislatures’ Higher Education Task Force. State lawmakers from around the nation joined together to discuss the current roles and responsibilities states play in ensuring access and affordability of higher education, as well as identify potential barriers or challenges.
Much of the conversation centered around the federal reconciliation bill and many of the proposed changes to student loan borrowing and federal data collection that would push significant financial burdens onto state governments.
The conversation was lively and insightful. I hopefully brought a unique perspective into the room as I am confident I was the only state lawmaker under age 50 as well as one of the few in the room with direct experience with student loan debt. I had the opportunity to share my own failed story of participating in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF).
PSLF is a student loan forgiveness program that was signed into law under George W. Bush in 2007. The promise made by the federal government was to those students who made the 120 qualified payments while working in public service, they would see a portion or all of their student loans forgiven.
The unfortunate reality is that the federal government did not uphold its end of the bargain. By 2018, the denial rate for qualified applicants was over 99%.
Over the past four years, the Biden Administration prioritized honoring the promise made to those students who met program requirements, including making the 120 qualifying payments. Over the past two years, I have celebrated as I learned of many state legislative staff who received that welcome email in their inbox, announcing that their student loans have been forgiven.
It is the memories of seeing that deep relief cross their faces. The burden of student loan debt drives many away from work that fills their bucket and serves their community, or forces folks to work unsustainable hours that break down their bodies and cause medical harm.
There is quite a bit to be said about student loan debt. Last year, I had the opportunity to attend the State Higher Education Executive Officers conference, where researchers broke down much of the disinformation that surrounds student loan debt. It was an eye-opening conference and very much highlighted to me the multi-pronged approach our state and federal governments must take in securing a reality where pursuing higher education is attainable and affordable for all.
At any rate, bringing my colleagues’ stories, as well as my own, to the decision-making table allows those without direct experience to understand the varying perspectives and insights. I am thankful to be able to serve with so many public service-oriented folks in the Alaska State Legislature, and since the recent release of the salary survey for government workers, I know it’s not always the paycheck that guarantees folks will stick around. To entice folks to work in public service, we need to be holistic and collective when we think about how to attract high-quality candidates, and just like in education or the medical field, student loan forgiveness is a powerful incentive.
The task force will meet again in December, and lawmakers are encouraged to bring senior leadership from their state colleges or universities along with them. I, for one, have already asked if I can bring faculty leadership as I noticed those voices were also absent from the discussion.
With gratitude,
lgt
Join us for this year’s celebration on Saturday from 11-4 pm. Special musical guests PowerPlay are returning, as well as the U.S. National Guard Rock Wall. PeopleMover will be on site with a full bus, along with AARP and other community vendors. Stop by and grab a cold one in the iconic beer garden or maybe take a bounce in the bounce house.
Around Anchorage: 2025 Coordinated Plan
The Around Anchorage 2025 Coordinated Human Services Transportation Plan (CHSTP) serves as the Anchorage-area roadmap for planning, funding, and organizing transportation services for seniors, veterans, individuals with disabilities, and low-income or limited English-speaking communities.
It serves to benefit transportation-disadvantaged populations in the Anchorage Bowl and Chugiak-Eagle River region by highlighting areas where transportation gaps exist, suggesting ways to address them, and offering ideas to improve mobility and enhance the effectiveness of services.
The 2025 CHSTP covers fiscal years 2025–2030 and is an update to the 2023 CHSTP.
Kayla’s Corner
Dear Friends or Neighbors,
We discovered a hidden gem of a park in Fairview, guarded by a friendly raven.
What an unexpected surprise at today's (7/13/25) clean-up at Fairview Park on 11th and Latouche. Nine of us showed up for a serious clean-up work party. When we spread out, we were gobsmacked! This small park was clean. Under the steady watch of the guardian totem, Raven, the neighbors had loved and cared for their local pocket park. Thank you! Clean painted lines, durable equipment, nothing chipped or broken. Filled with a variety of age-appropriate (6-12 year-olds), sturdy large-muscle-group playground apparatuses, along with a decent-sized blacktop area for games, including several basketball hoops.
I have seen young children running and playing on broken concrete, rusty swings, riding their bicycles, and skateboarding amidst the weeds, dog feces, broken bottles, used needles, and trash in too many parks in Anchorage. This Fairview Park had no such problems. An hour in the park and I found only one dog poop to pick up. Mostly lollipop sticks, Hershey Kisses strings, cigarette butts, and plastic water bottle tops. An almost immaculate but empty park.
For a park so loved, you would expect it to be full of families on this beautiful Sunday afternoon. However, while we were there, from 1:00 to 2:00, we observed only one family enjoying lunch on a park picnic table. We were told the park fills up with families after church services around 4:00 on Sundays. Looking for a place to take the kids to play basketball, a spot for your dog to walk and sniff, or a barbecue? Then consider this quiet, green gem in a slow traffic neighborhood, an underused oasis waiting for you and your family.
After our clean-up efforts, we shared an informative conversation with Senator Tobin about the special session. Tough challenges, but we have come through tough times before. What she shared was not good news, but was worth the price of admission (picking up trash), plus she offered Cheetos, juice boxes, and energy drinks.
We hear too much trash talk about parks in Fairview. Come by this park to shoot some hoops, let your grade school kids or grandkids work off a surplus of healthy energy while you relax under the covered picnic tables. So, when you hear someone say nothing good is in Fairview, quote the raven, “Nevermore"!
From a lightly sun-tanned,
Kayla