By Duncan Baumgarten “A lot has changed in the last week.” Andrew Genson’s words, as journalist and moderator, rang true at the 2018 Gubernatorial Forum. The event, held at the Fairbanks Westmark on October 24, featured former Anchorage mayor and Senator Mark Begich, and former Senator Mike Dunleavy. The forum was originally scheduled to feature Begich and Governor Bill Walker. However, amidst Lt. Governor Byron Mallott’s resignation after inappropriate comments to a female colleague came to light, Walker dropped out of his 2018 re-election campaign. Despite Walker’s absence, the energy in the room was no different. Distinguished guests, among them politicians and business owners, sat under golden lights from chandeliers. The back wall, lined with cameras and news coverage, accommodated three rows of chairs. The rows were occupied almost entirely by West Valley history students. As the afternoon began, Dunleavy and Begich gave their opening statements. “I’m here,” joked Dunleavy, a reference to his last-minute agreement to appear for the forum, in the absence of Walker. With 13 days left until election day, he emphasized the importance of the midterm elections. “This will determine Alaska’s future,” he declared. Begich drew attention to the “toxic environment” of the modern political landscape, and was glad to have an opportunity to discuss the issues affecting Alaska openly. “I’m glad that it’s to a sold out audience.” The opening question illustrated a main difference between Dunleavy and Begich; their stance on whether to maintain a capital budget. A capital budget is intended for allocating funds to maintenance of essential resources, like land, buildings and equipment. Genson referenced the $2 million worth of deferred maintenance.
“If we’re throwing debt on top of debt,” said Dunleavy, the state would be in trouble. When pressed, he affirmed that he would have a budget after November 6. Begich supported the capital budget. The current budget, said the former Anchorage mayor, “is leveraged against local projects”. Most recently, a proposal to repair several roofing problems, including the Carlson Center, by upping taxes, was denied. The question then moved to mental health funding. “The health and social services are managed poorly,” said Dunleavy, and spoke to the complexity of funding. “It’s not about walking into the legislature and asking for more money.” “The mental health crisis is real,” said Begich. “There’s not enough people working in the field,” leading into his view of involving the university in the issue. He referenced the Alaska Psychological Institute, as “not something new”, and stressed the need to allocate resources for the API. The discussion then moved to a controversial topic: the President. Becoming involved with the Trump Administration would be a part of the job as governor, and the effectiveness of this relationship in policy for Alaska was probed. Dunleavy saw little problem. Because of the path of deregulation, Trump was doing a “good job” for Alaska. “There’s some good, and some bad,” said Begich. A positive, in his eyes, was the recent arrival of the F16s. However, the tax bill left little to be desired in the former senator’s eyes. “We pay the price when the deficits are that high.” The Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce announced at the beginning of the forum that they were formally and officially against Ballot Measure 1, which would create new salmon habitat protection standards, and revise the permit requirement. The next question, whether the candidates supported Prop 1, was polarizing. According to Ballotpedia, Begich does support Prop 1. However, he seemed to be unconcerned with the ballot measure itself. “If it passes, what do you do next?” He referenced a popular concern that it could delay projects. If that were to occur, he would “make sure it wouldn’t”. “A healthy environment equals being open for business. As for Prop 1, I am a firm NO.” Dunleavy’s declaration was flooded with applause. Because of the seasonal applicability, Genson asked the candidates to describe their campaigns with a Halloween costume. Begich defined his with the “Most Interesting Man.” Dunleavy settled on “an honest broker” as his 2018 campaign persona. As the formal forum came to an end, the candidates agreed to field questions from West Valley students. As the room was broken down and prepared for another event, Begich was the first to the back of the room to listen to his crowd of future constituents. the first question, coming from Presley Simmons, a junior, confronted that very issue: should sixteen become the legal age of voting for municipal elections? “I kinda like that idea,” said Begich, referencing his various business and academic ventures at a young age, including opening the first non-alcoholic teen night club in Anchorage, at the age of sixteen. “The youngest person elected to my advisory board (when Begich was Anchorage’s mayor) was thirteen… There’s a lot people can do at sixteen.” Dunleavy said it “wasn’t something [he’d] thought about”, but would consider it. Amy Gallaway, West Valley teacher, voiced her concerns about the Alaska Performance Scholarship, which was a catalyst for many people staying in Alaska. However, with a consistently tight budget, the APS has been up on the chopping block many times, but Begich’s position was no longer up for debate. “Simply, yes,” he put it. “My opponent would cut it, so there’s a difference.” Dunleavy also spoke on the issue. “I think it’s a great idea,” he said, to have the APS. “We’re not cutting it, we’re changing it a bit.” Dunleavy could not immediately recall his vote on the issue. Answering student Abigail Sandborn’s question concerning mental health assistance in Alaska, Begich placed emphasis on peer counseling. He highlighted his work in the US senate, with his help funding “Mental Health First Aid”. Dunleavy was brought back to his earlier claim concerning the President by senior Jackson Brannan. When asked about his support of Donald Trump, Dunleavy corrected him. “I support his policy.” Brannan returned to his question, concerning the protection of LGBTQ rights. “All individuals should be protected,” said Dunleavy, promising his administration’s work to “treat all Alaskans as equals.” On November 6, 2018 Dunleavy was elected to be Alaska's next governor.
1 Comment
the jub
11/13/2018 09:48:03 am
Wow, you just keep cranking out great articles. Yet another well written, well put together article. You are definitely going to be something special. A prodigy!
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