Please donate to Seniors of Alaska

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To Senator.Robert.Myers, Senator.Mike.Shower, Senator.Click.Bishop, Senator.Peter.Micciche, Senator.Jesse.Kiehl

Dear Chairman Myers and  Transportation Committee Members,

On March 4 you will be hearing from Commissioner Tshibaka about her “Transitioning"of the DMV office’s plan.
This plan as detailed in the Department of Administration budget is a discriminatory action against Alaska’s Senior, Disabled, Rural, Lower Income and Native Alaskan residents.

The plan will require Seniors and others to either travel long distances or pay 100-300% more in “Convenience Fees” to private companies selected by the Commissioner.  All residents will also be required to pay excess fees.
The term “transitioning” is totally misleading.  The budget itself, in writing and signed by the Commissioner states “Deleted” for the offices and personnel.  Seniors and others are MANDATED to in person DMV visits.  Estimates are that 20-30% of Alaska Seniors and others do not have internet access, making the availability of a State DMV office an obligation of our State.

The Transportation committee  should be aware that the closure of the 6 DMV offices, the potential penalties to Seniors and others via unregulated Convenience Fees above the State DMV Fees, or unreasonable travel requirements for equal treatment, violates the Elder Justice of 2010, which is vigorously enforced by the Federal Department of Transportation.  DHSS Commissioner Crum has also signed a similar document for Senior Services on July 24, 2019, under the portion, Elder Justice “financial exploitation”.
The Alaska DMV is a solid and profitable revenue generator for the State of Alaska with recent annual revenues of over $70.0 Million at a cost of only $17.0 Million.
Discrimination against Seniors, Disabled, Rural, Lower Income and Native Alaskans should not be used as a punitive political tool for budgetary purposes.
Seniors of Alaska, Inc.  asks that you reject these DMV closure budgetary proposals. 

Protecting Alaska's Seniors and vulnerable residents should be considered a sacred obligation

Seniors of Alaska is a non-profit organization, consisting of Alaskan Seniors and established to represent Alaska Senior Citizen perspectives and to guarantee their equitable treatment by municipal, borough and state agencies. This effort includes oversight of Alaska legislative actions and their effect on our Senior population.

Seniors of Alaska will have a statewide focus, by helping to bring Senior issues to the forefront of public attention, and addressing the challenges they and the organizations supporting them face.

Why is this needed?

The many great Senior Citizen organizations that exist in Alaska focus on providing information, promoting activities and awareness of Senior activities.  Seniors of Alaska will supplement the missions of these important organizations as a separate but strong, non-partisan advocacy  voice dedicated to safeguarding the treatment of all Senior Citizens and programs statewide. 

Seniors need a strong political pressure group and Seniors of Alaska fills that requirement.  While politicians voice unconditional support for Senior causes during elections, that support usually evaporates during legislative sessions. 

In the next session, Legislation affecting Medicare, Senior Benefits, Senior organizations and the well-being of Senior Citizens will receive pressure for budget cuts, or even elimination.  Seniors of Alaska will make sure that Alaskan legislators not only listen, but cast their vote in favor of Alaska’s Senior population. 

Seniors of Alaska takes positive, strong positions on legislative actions related to Senior programs. We reach out to Seniors statewide, to engage them with their local district House and Senate representatives to ensure Alaska’s legislators know Seniors are active constituents who insist their voices be heard.

Typical Senior issues include: Benefits programs; Medicare/Medicaid; Veterans programs; Voter registration and protection; Housing programs; access to technology; Full PFD distributions, and “Get Out the Senior Vote”. The necessity for protecting the rights and benefits for the Senior community is here NOW.

Seniors of Alaska engages Seniors utilizing technology—social media, digital media, radio and TV-- to bring the voting power of Seniors into focus on legislators as they act on bills related to Senior issues. Using the power of numbers, and Seniors who vote, Seniors of Alaska will advocate to legislators and municipalities for positive results. 

In the Covid era, Seniors have been designated as an extremely vulnerable group, but who is truly looking out for their health and safety? It’s more important than ever to protect our Senior Citizens by giving them the voice they deserve, and a seat at the government policy table.  

We are your parents, grand parents, great grand parents, friends and neighbors. The State of Alaska has bestowed the Senior designation upon us at the tender age of 60 and gradually increases our Senior benefits until full realization at age 65.
We paid income taxes, property taxes, sales taxes and all forms of fees for over forty years. We contributed to the Social Security system and Medicare system throughout our lives. When we began our contributions to Social Security it was called "contributions to your retirement fund", not the current term "entitlement program". Medicare taxes were a prepayment of retirement medical insurance.
We built the roads;; schools, buildings and many of the places people now call home. We built those once secret sites like White Alice, RCS and BMEWS. When times were tough we worked two, or three jobs to make ends meet. We looked at adversity and said we can get through this.

Alaska’s Senior veterans fought the wars of the 20th Century, protecting democracy and freedom around the world, while keeping our homeland safe.

Seniors were brought up to respect their elders and honor them for the sacrifices they made to keep our nation free. Gentlemen would rise and seat a woman when she came to the table and always offer his seat to a lady or elderly person on a crowded bus or train. (Probably illegal today)


We recited the pledge of allegiance;; hand over heart each morning without fear of being ridiculed. Many recited a prayer to start the day (yes in public school).
We built the Alaska pipeline and worked the oil fields, built the Parks, Richardson, Glenn and Sterling highways connecting Alaskans to Alaskans and rebuilt Anchorage after the quake of 1964 and Fairbanks after the flood of 1967.

We are the fishermen and women who built our great fishing industry, and welcomed tourists with open arms to enjoy the beauty of the Kenai, Cordova, Seward and towns around the State while building local businesses and communities.
We built the infrastructure of utilities and technology that so many now take for granted. Wireless, Internet, television, communications technology did not fall from the sky, it was not always here;; the Seniors of Alaska built it.

The Senior women gave birth to the next generation of "Seniors in Waiting".

We live on our own, with assisted living, in retirement homes, in Pioneer homes or with our children. We are all successful in our own ways. We have always praised and respected those who worked hard and were fortunate in their finances. We lent a hand to those needing an assist, but we do not decry those who do not.
As did our parents, we turned over the mantle of leadership to the next generation assuming they would have the same view and respect of their elders that we do. This is not always the case in some political circles.
So, who are the Seniors of Alaska? We are.  
And who are the future Seniors of the Alaska? You are.
Seniors are not an alien species thrust upon the world at the age of 65 as some would have you believe, but just like you, we were born:

                                      "Seniors in Waiting"