Through an effort I’m pushing as mayor, the Haines Borough, Chilkoot Indian Association and Haines Chamber of Commerce will hold three lunches in February aimed at connecting with residents 40 and under.
The “40 and Under Summit” is intended to be a quick and easy polling of our younger generation, who they are, why they’re here, what they need to succeed and what dreams they have for our community. Four questions and done.
Why is such an effort necessary?
It’s my contention that government efforts skew to the loudest and largest majorities of a given population. By virtue of their dominance in sheer numbers, older residents, including Baby Boomers (residents aged 60-78), hold tremendous influence over our government and the direction of our community.
When we survey our community for efforts like the borough comprehensive plan, the voice of the younger generation gets diffused amid the larger population. But in 20 years, Boomers will largely be out of the picture and a younger generation will be building our town and leading our government and business sectors.
Further, today’s under-40 generation will likely face tougher times and harder decisions than those of us who came of age here in the late 20th century, when our town still enjoyed generous support from the State of Alaska and federal government.
If current patterns hold, Alaska faces a leaner future where residents will have to work harder and sacrifice more to enjoy the comforts and lifestyles of their parents’ generation. What our town’s future will look will be determined largely by the goals of young people not yet fully enfranchised or invested here.
Finally, I hope these small gatherings provide an opportunity for younger adults to mix and perhaps make new connections that will benefit our community into the future. Older folks tend to segregate themselves into groups, by geography, by politics, by other interests. But my experience has been that friendships formed when we were all young adults have endured, regardless of politics or things that came after.
If you’re 40 or under, please come to one of these events and fill out the brief questionnaire or answer the above four questions verbally. We’ll write down what you say and compile the results. Plus, we’ll provide some lunch.
To start plotting the future of this town, we need to hear from you.