- U.S. House of Representatives
- Alyse Galvin
- Don Young
- Lieutenant Governor
- Care Clift
- Kevin Meyer
- Debra Call
- Governor
- Billy Toien
- Mark Begich
- Mike Dunleavy
- House District 33
- Sara Hannan
- Chris Dimond
- House District 34
- Andi Story
- Jerry Nankervis
- Senate District Q
- Don Etheridge
- Jesse Kiehl
Age
66
Family
Teresa (wife), Carl (son), Kensley (granddaughter), Christian (grandson)
Occupation
Lobbyist
Relevant previous experience
3 years Assembly member, 13 years Docks & Harbor Board, 24 years Labor Lobbyist.
Education
Graduate JDHS, various UAS courses
Do you believe climate change is caused by human activity?
Yes
How do you typically spend your PFD?
Paying bills
Budget
What are your priorities for the state budget?
The main priority for me on a budget is to come up with a stable budget that we can count on from year to year. With the boom-and-bust budget we have been living with, we cannot have a stable economy that people and business can plan ahead with any certainty.
PFD
Do you agree with using a portion of Alaskans' PFDs to fund state government? If not, what government services would you propose cutting or taxes would you propose raising to pay for it?
Yes I agree that we are going to have to use some of the PFD.
Funding health care
Do you support the state paying health care providers less? If not, how would you limit state spending on health care?
Yes, organized labor has created a health care coalition that goes out and negotiates with the providers on the cost of health care. This program saves our members a lot of dollars on health care and can provide a better coverage. The state has been invited to join this coalition but they choose not to.
Criminal justice
Where do you stand on the criminal justice reforms enacted by SB 91 and what changes (if any) would you like to see?
We need to open the entire bill up and keep parts that can be saved but throw out any of the parts that let criminals out of jail just to save money.
Ferries
Would you commit to continue funding the fast ferries as other vessels join the fleet?
No I will not commit to continued funding but will definitely not rule them out either. Nice as they are we need to look at the operational cost, maintenance cost and function and dependability to make a good decision.
Fiscal gap
We know that the state has a significant fiscal gap, particularly if you consider the Permanent Fund Dividend. What are your plans for closing the fiscal gap for the state of Alaska?
Essential state services
What do you consider the essential services the state should be responsible for, and is there anything the state is doing now that you think it should not be doing?
Cuts
Is there anything the state is doing now that you think it should not be doing? Is there anything you would cut?