KMXT 100.1 FM Public Radio in Kodiak, Alaska
27 percent of Kodiak residents are without pay due to shutdown
Coast Guard, CG employees, federal employees continue to work without pay
Many others on furlough without pay
Those who live here know Kodiak is greatly dependent on the Coast Guard base and other federal employees. The community is being hit hard by the partial government shutdown. Now the rest of the world knows as well.
The story of how Kodiak is being hit financially by the shutdown is being reported by the New York Times in an article dated Thursday. Jan. 18.
The article tell how the U.S. Coast Guard is both as a vital rescue agency and an economic engine for the community. It says Air Station Kodiak has conducted at least seven medevacs since the shutdown began. Coast Guard personnel are working without pay as are many people who work for the Coast Guard.
A number of local residents, non-military as well as Coast Guard members, are quoted.
The story also credits local businesses and tells of efforts to offer discounts and to raise money to help those not getting paid, even as local businesses suffer financial loses because of the shutdown.
The community will get a large audience thanks to this story. The New York Times ranks in the top three among largest daily newspapers in the country, depending on source and whether they combine print and online editions. It boasts a combined paid circulation of 4 million subscribers, 3 million of those are digital-only.
CLICK HERE to go to the New York Times article on the Kodiak and the Coast Guard.
