June 29th, 2009

SENATOR
JOHNNY ELLIS

Working hard
Solving problems
Getting things done

716 W 4th Suite 500
Anchorage, AK 99501
907.269.0167
888.330.3704
fax 269.0172

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Contact Other Elected Officials:
Senator Mark Begich,
Anchorage Office:
907-271-5915
EMAIL: Sen. Mark Begich

Congressman Don Young,
Anchorage Office:
907-271-5978
EMAIL: Rep. Don Young

Senator Lisa Murkowski,
Anchorage Office:
907-271-3735,
EMAIL: Sen. Lisa Murkowski

Governor Palin's Anchorage
office may be reached at
269-7450, or email her at
sarah.palin@alaska.gov
You can also visit the state
website at www.state.ak.us

COMBATING SUBSTANCE ABUSE
Summit Brings Leaders Together to Discuss New Ideas for Solving Old Challenges

Friends and Neighbors,

         Last week, I was invited to take part in a summit which brought together leaders of service providers, advocacy groups, law enforcement, and public officials to talk about new ways to combat the scourge of substance abuse in our communities.  This ad hoc think tank was sponsored by the Rasmuson Foundation, and will serve as a foundation for future work in this area on the local and state level.

Diane Kaplan of the Rasmuson Foundation and Senator Johnny Ellis during a roundtable discussion on substance abuse at an invitational think tank meeting in Talkeetna.

         This summer alone, 7 people have died in the alleys and parks of Anchorage.  All are thought by police to be chronic homeless public inebriates.  The quality of life in the neighborhoods I represent is under siege by the side effects of substance abuse, and for too many people, life and property face daily danger.

         Over the course of the program, we covered a range of issues surrounding substance abuse, including the types of substances that are frequently abused, the people who are abusing them, where those people live, ways to prevent abuse, the cost and availability of treatment, and additional problems caused by substance abuse.  Alaska has some of the highest rates in the nation of substance abusers, and although this is a complicated problem with no silver bullet, I was gratified to see so many people from a variety of backgrounds commit their time and energy to finding a solution.

Rep. Mike Doogan (D-Spenard), Sen. Johnny Ellis, and other community leaders took to the streets today to call attention to Anchorage’s dirty streets.  Street sweeping has been lacking this summer, and residents are tired of the dust in the air and the rocks damaging their vehicles.

RED BOUCHER MEMORIAL SERVICE

         Alaska lost a real public servant when Red Boucher - former state legislator, mayor of Fairbanks, Alaska Baseball League founder, and Alaska’s first elected Lieutenant Governor - passed away after a long illness.  The presence of so many people who joined me at his memorial today was a reminder of the effect Red had on so many lives – from politics to baseball to family and friends.  Click here to read a biography of this unique Alaskan.

         Until next week,

        Senator Johnny Ellis