Talk of Alaska: Your Topic Here

Sun, July 15, 2007
Posted in Talk of Alaska

We work hard to make Talk of Alaska, the weekly statewide call-in program on APRN stations, an interesting, insightful and timely program for Alaskans. As we look forward to new programs, we’d like to know what you think about potential Talk of Alaska topics and how we might approach them. We have some ideas we’re considering, listed below.

Please share your thoughts and ideas using the comment form at the bottom of this posting. Comment on the show ideas we listed or add your own ideas.

Does the state really owe all that money to the retirement fund?
Media Forum - the shrinkage of newspapers
UAA Debate Team returns to TOA and takes on the Polar Bear debate
What’s an Ocean Ranger? Implementing the new cruise ship law
What constitutes truly sustainable business development?
Economic prospects for rural Alaska
Are our courts writing our laws?
Health care cost and coverage
Fisherman’s marketing association tax
The controversy over dental health therapists in the Bush
Accountability of Native corporations
Re-criminalized marijuana
Is it time to junk the Missile Defense?
Are chefs a significant factor in marketing Alaska salmon?
What should a fiscal plan for Alaska look like? (Palin has suggested putting part of the Permanent Fund Earnings Reserve into the corpus)
As always, Alaska energy issues — from resource development to conservation
Rewriting No Child Left Behind
More “This I Believe” content from Alaskans
More on early childhood education
What it means to be an elder
Repatriating Native art
The right to die
What should teachers be paid?
Sheldon Jackson, schooling, missionaries and assimilation

What do you want to talk about?

Comments

4 Comments to “Talk of Alaska: Your Topic Here”

mpb on July 15, 2007 at 2:24 pm

This was going to be my next suggestion for the web site. Thank you.

Suggestions–
NOLA and YK or the ethics of “reconstruction”. This follows a suggestion from an earlier program with Deborah Williams (?) but more relevantly a post and follow-up here
http://www.chinmusicpress.com/books/doyouknow/voices/news/2007/07/hartford_safe_in_ivory_tower_p.html

How do we get news coverage in western Alaska or small places? If the local newspapers carry limited items because of the publisher or limited staff and the radio mostly repeats statewide feeds, how does a genuine journalistic endeavor survive, to separate the gossip from the news the public needs to monitor its governance?

What it means to be an elder– but not the “cute” stuff. There is a wider discussion on terms for older Americans (legally over 55) but also what do people prefer vs cultural designations. Some places being an elder is bestowed for special service; other places it is a euphemism; other places it disguises the civic efforts to eliminate senior programs and ban elders or “the elderlies” from having a say in their own programs and services and in protecting themselves from abuse and neglect.

State labor and jobs services– Alaska is a mobile economy, in time and space. Why doesn’t the jobs services be more aware of getting people and jobs together? They focus now on job etiquette; writing a resume; and low skill placements. There’s no temporary employment function. There’s no training available for those with college education. The ALEXSys system is cumbersome and frankly (deliberately?) not meeting accessibility standards, especially for those without high speed Internet. With all the mewling about not have skilled expertise, why not connect with rural Alaska?
mpb on July 15, 2007 at 3:04 pm

DHAT (Dental therapists) is about discussed out except for two areas not really focussed on–
how the program worked in NZ and
the valid point of the dentists that it seems to enforce the idea “whatever they get is good enough”–that medical care in rural Alaska (among other things here) is most often unavailable or poorly executed or costs are 150 to 200% or more than the road system (despite the fact that we have more medical professionals per community than most other states with rural areas.)

NZ–the dental nurses were in schools,
there was a concomittent push for fluoridated water and adequate nutrition (school milk program) and exercise. They made a huge difference in dental care. Nevertheless, adult teeth are not all that great. And the number one way to quiet children and infants there and here is the same– a sugar lolly.

DHATs are needed but as long as the other parts of the program are not in place, only so much can be accomplished. Also, in actuality, if supervising dentists turn over frequently, despite the skills and experience of DHATs, there may still be a block to further health improvement. (Guess what the number one infectious disease is?)
jproffitt on July 15, 2007 at 7:51 pm

Thanks MPB! I’ve forwarded your suggestions to the Talk of Alaska folks. They aren’t quite reading the site regularly yet, so sometimes I have to directly prompt them. –John
Briefs 3 « Grassroots Science on July 16, 2007 at 2:34 pm

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