ALASKA IS
FLAGGING
les, for comparison, also spent
$60,000.) Galena received $1.5
million in federal grants in return.
Such a sum would suggest that
the town would be bursting at
the seams by now with glittering
municipal buildings and commercial activity.
But even setting aside the recent flooding, Galena is far from
a robust and prosperous community. What buildings remain
are faded and drab, and the roads
are pockmarked and muddy. The
town’s airport consists of a tiny
ramshackle building, inside which
travelers listen to their flight statuses via an old transistor radio
patched into the cockpits of inbound planes. Apart from the gorgeous expanse of rolling hills and
wild flowers encircling the town,
Galena is not a terribly attractive
or vibrant place.
Signs of a recovery were few
and far between during Begich
and Cantwell’s visit. One local law
enforcement official tried to remain upbeat as he sifted through
papers in the back of his bangedup pickup truck. His patrol car,
the officer explained, was destroyed in the flooding.
After being given a tour of the
wreckage, and taking a 30-minute
HUFFINGTON
01.26.14
trip downriver to a fishing camp,
the senators and their staffs assembled in a community center to
discuss town business.
There was no talk that day of
domed cities or billion-dollar
dams. Instead, discussions centered around far more practical
concerns, like how red tape had
prevented local FEMA officials
“It’s not ‘Oh, jeez, here
he goes again with
another rant.’ They
know I’m serious.”
from responding in a timely manner to the disaster, and how rising
temperatures were affecting the
annual fishing harvest.
Begich responded with a characteristic mix of technocratic
curiosity and political savvy, referring questioners to relevant
officials but also touting his own
efforts on their behalf.
“We’re trying to show our committees what you know,” he said
of his work in Congress, “that it’s
more expensive here.”
But earmarks were out of the
question, and it was unclear
whether Begich’s discussion of
his spot on a Commerce subcommittee provided much comfort.
Evacuation planes were initially