VOICE of the Candidates
CANDIDATES FOR alaska governor
2018 elections in the United States will be held on Tuesday, November 6, 2018. Sol de Medianoche sent gubernatorial candidates Mark Begich (Democrat) and Mike Dunleavy (Republican) questions about what we thought were essential topics: immigration, education, public safety, health, jobs/finance, and the Alaska Permanent Fund. We received replies from both candidates.
IMMIGRATION/MINORITIES: 1) What is your stance on immigration, in general, to the United States? 2) Do you think states should be involved in the enforcement of immigration laws? 3) What resources, if any, would you allocate to recent arrivals to the United States? (i.e. Refugees, Permanent Residents, Asylees and United States Citizens born abroad). 4) How do you plan to protect the rights of naturalized citizens? 5) What state programs directed at minorities would you keep/scrap/change? 6) What do you think is the role of minorities in Alaska?
MARK BEGICH:
1) I believe our immigration system is badly in need of reform. As a member of the US Senate, I voted in favor of comprehensive immigration reform in 2013 – the bill included the right combination of increased border security, employer enforcement, and a clear path to citizenship for immigrants who follow the rules. We are a nation of immigrants, and it is important that we have an immigration system that provides safety and reflects our long-held values as a diverse country. 2) Alaska already faces the difficult task of enforcing state and local laws in the face of reduced public safety budgets and a vast geography – we know that the Department of Law hasn’t been able to prosecute at least 7,000 cases it normally would, not to mention the number of suspects related to violent and property crime not apprehended due to a reduced number of troopers and local police. As governor, my focus will be on strengthening public safety for all Alaska communities. I have always been a believer in federalism, which lets Alaskans make important choices about the future of our state without the federal government dictating our path. The federal government should do its own job, not try to pass it off onto states like Alaska that are already managing our own challenges. 3) It’s important that we connect new arrivals to Alaska with the community and non-profit organizations that can help them transition to a new home and forge strong community ties. 4) Naturalized citizens have the same rights, privileges, and responsibilities as any other type of citizen, and as governor, I will not tolerate any form of discrimination, including based upon citizenship status or type of citizenship. 5) believe it’s important that we continue programs that benefit under-served communities, which include minority communities in many instances, particularly in the areas of educational attainment, job training, health care access, and more. It’s important that we make sure every Alaskan is provided the support and opportunity they need to reach their full potential, regardless of their ethnicity, religion, gender, disability status, or national origin. I am open to changing any program that isn’t living up to its goals, based on data and feedback from the intended beneficiaries. If a program isn’t delivering on its stated goals, it must be changed – period. 6) Minorities, whether ethnic, religious, gender-based, or beyond, are central to Alaska culture and community. Alaska Native peoples have called our state home for thousands of years |
MIKE DUNLEAVY:
1-5) The candidate did not answer these questions 6) I am grateful for the many diverse ethnic heritages that are present in our state. My wife of 31 years is an Alaskan Native, from the village of Noorvik. We believe strongly in seeing people as equals, regardless of race or gender. These are values we’ve worked hard to pass on to our three daughters. |
EDUCATION: 1) What is your plan for addressing public education funding? 2) What is your plan for high-quality education for our children, youth, and adults? 3) Do you support Pre-K? Discuss why, and specifically, what would you do to improve educational outcomes for our Alaska students, and to encourage minority students? 4) Education College debts are still devastating to our young citizens. What is your plan to provide incentive and relief for those seeking higher education, and to encourage bringing their newly acquired expertise back to Alaska?
MARK BEGICH:
1) Stable and strong education funding is vital to our public education system – we cannot continue to allow teachers to receive pink slips except in election years. Educators, students, parents, and school staff all need to be able to count on strong education funding, year in and year out. That’s why my Invest in Alaska plan also takes education funding off the political table, enshrining it in the state constitution, with a stable, guaranteed funding stream. 2) Along with addressing the funding component of education, which is important, we need to work together to re-imagine the whole education system. This will take comprehensive, coordinated effort and bringing communities together to chart the best path forward. Particularly in rural Alaska, we need to re-think teacher recruitment and retention so that we grow our own local Alaska teachers – so that they stay in their schools because stability is important to successful learning. 3) I absolutely support universal access to Pre-K, which is included in my education plan. Pre-K has a strong impact on brain development – for every $1 spent on early education, the state saves $7 down the line in reduced public service use and increased economic activity. And we need to increase resource sharing among small schools, so that we can continue to drive as much funding to instruction as possible, rather than overhead or administrative costs. We can increase education outcomes by investing in early education and in high-quality teaching; by providing stable funding; by showing students they have a pathway to affordable higher education or career and technical education; and more. Minority students need to see results and the opportunities open to them if they work hard in our public education system. They also deserve educators and school leaders who represent all members of the community and can serve as additional role models in their lives. 4) As a former regent of the University, I know the central role the institution plays in building Alaska’s future. A well-funded, forward-looking University is key to growing our own workforce, providing Alaskans the knowledge and training they need to fill good Alaska jobs and strengthen our Alaska-grown economy of the future. Funding for our University has dropped by $60 million in the last four years, pushing higher costs on students while reducing offerings – that’s not the way to invest in long-term success. University offerings should be developed with an eye toward the emerging growth industries in our state – health care, renewable energy, fisheries, and more. For example: our state badly needs more nurses, yet our nursing education programs can at times require aspiring Alaskans wait for up to two years to start. As we expand renewable energy technology and deploy it across microgrids in rural Alaska, we’ll need Alaskans to install, maintain, and operate this cutting-edge technology – and our University plays a key role in making sure Alaskans have the knowledge and training they need for these good jobs. Every dollar we invest in our higher education system pays for itself many times over in terms of increased economic benefit. As governor, I will lead in strengthening and re-energizing the University of Alaska to tackle the needs of the next generation of students. We must make sure that every Alaskan with the desire to attend college or take advantage of a professional training program has the opportunity and means to do so. |
MIKE DUNLEAVY:
1) Education has been my career – I’ve worked as a school teacher, principal, superintendent, and a school board member. Our schools must be adequately funded, although it must be said that many issues in our education system cannot be fixed by throwing money at the problem. The key to ensuring that Alaska has sufficient funds for our public schools is to develop our natural resources. This holds the key not only for increasing revenues for state government, but also for creating good-paying jobs and strengthening our economy. 2) It is no secret that our educational system is not meeting the needs of many of our children. This is a scandal and should be treated as such. I believe we need a “back to basics” approach, where we focus on improving outcomes in core subjects: reading, writing, math, science, and vocational-technical education. We need to shift resources to teaching reading skills in the early grades. Research shows that if a child cannot read proficiently by fourth grade, he or she will be hampered in every subject for the duration of their schooling. Improving outcomes in this one area will vastly increase the chances of a child’s success for the rest of their years in school. 3) The candidate did not answer this question 4) The candidate did not answer this question |
PUBLIC SAFETY: 1) What is your position regarding violence against women in Alaska? What would you do to improve it? 2) What is your plan for addressing public safety funding? 3) How would you address Anchorage and Alaska’s opioid crisis? 4) What is your plan to remedy our state’s crime increase? What specifically would you do to reduce crime in our minority communities? 5) Currently Alaska over-incarcerates Alaska Native, Hispanic, and African-Americans at rates two- and three-times over Caucasians. How would you address this disparity?
MARK BEGICH:
1) Alaska has the highest rate of violence against women in the country, and it is beyond unacceptable – it is shameful. As governor, tackling our crime epidemic, and in particular our horrific rate of sexual assault and violence against women, will be my highest priority. I’ve put out a comprehensive plan that would strengthen our Troopers, reform the Village Public Safety Officers and Police Programs to better protect rural Alaskans, and partner with federal prosecutors to ensure violent criminals are punished harshly. 2) Public safety funding is a question of prioritization, and it will be my highest priority. I believe that without safe communities, we can’t get the economy back on track or tackle many of the other long-term challenges Alaska faces. I would never have gone along with the cuts over the past four years, which have diminished public safety. As governor, I’ll put us on a strong fiscal footing that provides the needed resources for public safety. 3) We must have adequate detox and treatment options for people dealing with opioid addiction, whether they become involved in the justice system or not. Funding must be dedicated toward increasing the number of treatment beds in local communities – when someone is ready for help, it needs to be available immediately. We must eliminate wait times for treatment and provide the wrap-around services that help people in their fight against addiction return to healthy living within the community. 4) There has been a systemic failure on the state level to address the exploding opioid epidemic and increasing crime within our communities that has led Alaska to be ranked #1 for crime nationwide – this is unacceptable. When I was Mayor of Anchorage, my administration cracked down on crime – adding more than 80 police officers as well as 2 prosecutors to the U.S. Attorney’s office who were part of a strategic effort to get drug dealers, gang members, and violent criminals behind bars and off our streets. I’ll take the same sort of innovative approach as governor – the drug business is a business, and we need to disrupt the business model by apprehending and locking up the people running it. People who are apprehended for drug possession need treatment to kick their addictions, not the same long sentences as dealers. Effective detox and treatment programs cost money– which the current administration and legislature failed to provide to adequately implement recent public safety reforms. 5) With input from impacted groups, we need to take a holistic look at the situation to determine the causes for this disparity, from the first contact with law enforcement through charging and sentencing. We need equity in all aspects of our society, and the status quo is unacceptable. |
MIKE DUNLEAVY:
1) Most Alaskans are familiar with our state’s dismal statistics regarding rape, sexual assault, and sexual abuse in our state. But behind the cold numbers are the heartbreaking stories of thousands of women who have been victimized. I see this issue primarily from the perspective of a husband and a father. My wife and I have three daughters, and we have no greater responsibility than to protect them from harm. Our criminal justice system needs to mete out swift and harsh punishment for offenders. One of the most predictive factors for someone perpetrating a sexual assault is to have committed a previous sexual assault – which underscores the crucial importance of prosecuting the crime of rape swiftly and effectively. We need to develop and deploy a comprehensive plan for preventing, intervening, and responding to occasions of child sexual abuse, domestic abuse, and sexual violence. We now have compelling social science research on the subject of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), and we need to utilize this knowledge effectively in services to abused children, to help prevent the cycle of abuse from being “passed down” to the next generation. 2) Protecting public safety is the highest responsibility of government. I will work with the Department of Public Safety to identify those areas where we need more human resources to effectively combat criminal behavior, make provisions in the budget to accommodate these changes, and then move quickly to deploy the personnel needed to protect public safety. 3) The crisis must be confronted on both the supply and demand fronts. I will seek stiffer penalties for drug dealers. We must work closely with the federal government on interdiction efforts. We must collaborate with health care providers to reduce prescription opioid abuse. For those who are addicted, it’s my intention to ensure treatment programs exist to assist them. Drug abuse not only contributes to our crime problem, it further burdens our healthcare system and undermines our economy. 4) There are multiple causes for our crime epidemic. Yet the SB 91 crime bill, signed into law by Gov. Walker, has certainly made things worse. I support a full repeal of SB 91. We must end “catch and release” of criminals. Our police, prosecutors, and courts must have the resources to do their jobs effectively. We must deliver swift and severe penalties for criminal behavior—especially for persons dealing drugs. The abuse of opioids and other drugs is a major driving force behind crime. We also must focus on strengthening Alaska’s economy, as there is no doubt that the misery caused by our economic recession creates a climate that causes crime to proliferate. 5) The candidate did not answer this question |
JOBS/FINANCE: 1) Do you have any strategies to create employment that would get our at-risk youth away from delinquency and/or drug addiction? 2) Please list Alaska’s top 5 financial priorities. What do you identify as the necessary components of a sustainable fiscal plan? 3) What role do you plan for clean energy in Alaska?
MARK BEGICH:
1) To build a more vibrant Alaska economy, we must focus on increasing educational and training resources for Alaskans – not importing high-skill workers from out of state to take the highest-paying jobs. That’s particularly important for at-risk youth, who need hope and to see a path to a prosperous future. That means strengthening our public schools and university system to prepare Alaskans of all ages for the jobs of the future. 2) At the top of our state’s priority list has to be public safety, education, a sustainable PFD, infrastructure investment, and more – I won’t rank a top 5. My fiscal plan would:
3) Clean energy is vital to Alaska’s energy future – both as part of our responsibility to confront climate change and our role in it and also to lower energy costs throughout our state. I will deliver on Alaska’s existing goal of 50% clean energy by 2025. Alaska should strengthen that goal to a renewable portfolio standard just like those that have been implemented by 29 other states. Our state has been stuck at 22% renewable energy for a decade – we can’t accept that. This means expanding access to affordable renewable energy generation and deploying this technology across Alaska’s cities, towns, and many microgrids. I will also convert the State’s vehicle fleet to electric/gas electric hybrid, expedite roll-out of electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and set clean energy procurement goals for the State. |
MIKE DUNLEAVY:
1) The candidate did not answer this question 2) My top 5 financial priorities are:
3) The candidate did not answer this question |
ALASKA PERMANENT FUND: 1) There are rumors about the Permanent Fund disappearing in the near future. If you are elected Governor of Alaska, what will happen with the Dividend? 2) Have you considered an optional PFD for those that say they don’t want or need a PFD? Is there a plan that would allow them to opt out? 3) The PFD is critically important to our less affluent Alaskans, who are disproportionately minority. How would you address dividend payments?
MARK BEGICH:
1) I am the only candidate who will protect the Permanent Fund Dividend in the state constitution. My Invest in Alaska plan takes the Permanent Fund out of politicians’ hands, guaranteeing it in the state constitution. Under my proposal, I will move almost all of the current balance of the Earnings Reserve, which politicians can raid with a simple majority vote, into the corpus of the Permanent Fund, which takes a vote of the people to change. Then, my plan uses the POMV formula to determine the annual draw – with half going to a constitutionally-protected Dividend and the other half going to fund pre-K through 12 education. This year, my approach would have yielded a Dividend of around $2,000 per person, while providing around $1.3 billion as the floor for education funding. 2) I have not. 3) As I wrote above, I believe dividend payments should be constitutionally-guaranteed with a stable, uniform formula for all Alaskans – which will provide for generations of Alaskans to come. |
MIKE DUNLEAVY:
1) I am the only candidate for governor that supports paying a full PFD, using the statutory formula that worked well for decades. I voted against every attempt to reduce the PFD, and I sponsored a bill to pay back to Alaskans the amount of their PFD that was vetoed by Governor Walker. I believe there should be no changes to the structure of the PFD unless it is approved by a vote of the people. The Permanent Fund Dividend program is actually one component of state government that has worked well over the years. We should leave it alone. We shouldn’t attempt to fix what isn’t broken. 2) Under our current system, Alaskans must submit an application before receiving a Permanent Fund dividend check. People who don’t want or need a PFD can simply decline to submit an application, so I believe the system is already truly voluntary. 3) I understand how important the PFD check is to many Alaska families, especially those that survive on a limited income. I have spoken with hundreds of Alaskans over the years who have told me how important the PFD check is for their household budget. As Governor, I will support paying Alaskans a full PFD. This year, if we had followed the law, the dividend amount would have been nearly twice as much -- $2,982. I will also work to refund to Alaskans the amount of their PFD checks that was vetoed by Governor Walker or not funded by the legislature in recent years. |
LATINO COMMUNITY: What is your message for the Latino community in Alaska? Why should we vote for you?
MARK BEGICH:
The Latino community should vote for me based upon my record in public service and my vision for a stronger future for all Alaskans, working together. Equity and inclusion have always been central values of mine, whether on the Anchorage Assembly, as the Mayor of Anchorage, or as your US Senator. As governor, I will get Alaska moving together for everyone, and I will be a close ally of the Latino community, as I have been. |
MIKE DUNLEAVY:
I want all Alaskans to prosper, but we need a change of direction. Our economy is struggling, and the worst response would be to impose new taxes and cut the PFD – which is exactly what Mark Begich proposes to do. We can’t tax our way to prosperity. Instead we must develop our natural resources to create family-wage jobs that are the backbone of our economy. We need to create a business climate that promotes investment in Alaska. How can this be done? By reducing the budget and constraining future growth with a spending cap. By not changing tax policy every few years. By eliminating regulations that obstruct investment. By actually doing these things, instead of just talking about them. Right now Alaska has the highest unemployment rate in the U.S. But with the right policies, we can build a future where Alaska will have one of the lowest jobless rates anywhere. |