It's been beautiful this week. After a couple of days of freak snowstorms last week that reminded us that we still live in Alaska -- it seems that summer might actually be on the way.
Another sign of summer being on the way is the legislative session ending yesterday -- sort of. Legislators punted and emptied an education fund, using $1.3 billion to help pay for government. The plane tickets are on hold however, due to a special session ordered by Gov. Walker to deal with Medicaid reform, Erin's Law and, to pass a "fully funded" budget.
Meanwhile in downtown Anchorage the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce hosted the first debate of the runoff election. Some conservatives were surprised and maybe a bit disappointed, to find out that private sector business owners support LGBT rights and are against AO-37.
Many private sector business folks seem to understand that if they treated their employees the way this current administration has treated municipal employees, they would have a hard time finding employees -- just like the Anchorage Police Department lately. Amy Demboski and Ethan Berkowitz traded jabs with each other, as one would assume with only eight days to go until Anchorage voters make the final decision.
All of this along with tragic stories from overseas, Baltimore riots and Republicans and Democrats rushing to prove who can be the most hateful before the 2016 presidential election is enough to give you a migraine.
Unable to wrap my head around all of this hate and discontent and not wanting to make my head feel worse than it already was, I went for a walk.
One of the great things about Anchorage, especially in the summer, is the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors. The Tony Knowles Coastal Trail, disc golf courses, Kincaid Park and plenty of chances to enjoy wildlife enhance our lives here in the greatest city in the country.
It's a funny thing about migraines in a person that has an overactive mind, the fogginess and pain in your head clears the mind a bit. It slows reactions and helps you appreciate the little things going on around you since your brain isn't cluttered with thoughts.
I walked around downtown. Anchorage's downtown is a great place to take a walk in the middle of a weekday. Hot dog stands, Town Square Park and plenty of people-watching opportunities abound.
Downtown needs a little work, there's no doubt about that. In the closing statement of a KTUU mayoral forum, candidate Andrew Halcro said it needs "a little polish," and that can't be denied. However, we still have a vibrant and beautiful downtown. Great cities deserve great downtowns, and downtown Anchorage has the perfect infrastructure to grow and become electric.
The polish is crucial. Bad bar owners need to be rooted out of downtown, street patrols need to return and public inebriates need a place to live. They call this "housing first" for a reason. We need to do it not only because it's less expensive, but because it's the right thing to do.
A cloudy brain, cup of coffee, beautiful day and a migraine pill can make for a much different walk downtown than I was used to. It's an emotional experience walking though my city and thinking about the future.
I don't know what direction our city is going to take. Nobody can say what is going to happen on Tuesday in the runoff election. Regardless of what happens, we are going to have to live with the decision we make for the next three years.
Likewise, we don't know what will happen with the price of oil, or how the Legislature will decide to fix the budget gap, if they ever do decide to actually deal with it instead of cheating in the way they did this week.
As for the racial tensions around the nation, natural disasters and other issues, well, my migraine-laden brain can only handle the local problems at the moment. My thoughts and prayers will always be with the victims of such horrific events, and honestly, I wish that could be the focus of our discussion on that.
So while trying to process all of this, I will take a walk, drink my coffee and soak in the summer weather. My emotions will get the better of me, and I'll breathe in the fresh air that is my city -- the greatest city in the world.
Mike Dingman is a fifth-generation Alaskan born and raised in Anchorage. He is a former UAA student body president and has worked, studied and volunteered in Alaska politics since the late 90s. Email, michaeldingman@gmail.com.
The views expressed here are the writer's own and are not necessarily endorsed by Alaska Dispatch News, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a piece for consideration, email commentary(at)alaskadispatch.com