Happy New Year & 2014 Legislative Priorities

January 2, 2014 Voice Your Opinions! Letters to the editor make a difference. You can send a 175-word letter to the Anchorage Daily News by e-mail (letters@adn.com); or by fax or mail (call them at 257-4308). Send letters to the Anchorage Press via e-mail editor@anchoragepress.com or by mail to 540 E. Fifth Ave, Anchorage, 99501. Feel free to call us if you need factual information to help you write a letter. Contact the Governor. The Governor can be reached at 269-7450; sean.parnell@alaska.gov; or www.alaska.gov. Contact us. My office can be reached at: 716 W. 4th Ave, Anchorage, AK 99501; by phone: 269-0106; visit my website at http://gara.akdemocrats.org; or email: Rep.Les.Gara@akleg.gov

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

First - a New Year's wish to you.  It's a little different.  You've all done something good for someone, maybe lots of things.  Maybe more than lots, but I don't know the word for "more than lots".  Take a moment and think about what you've done.  Who you've helped.  How you've lent a hand.  I think you owe that to yourself.
  
As for resolutions, I'm not a big fan, basically because I can't keep most of them ("lose 25 pounds in the next two weeks"; "do something for peace between the Israelis and Palestinians").  Though I'll try a few.  Lose five pounds so I can get into my work suits in two weeks?

As always, I'd like to hear your priorities, especially if we can implement them. It helps to hear what people are thinking! 

Newsletter Summary: If you want the quick skinny - below is a discussion of why an expanded, expensive new Anchorage legislative office building isn't needed, at the cost of $3 million a year more in rent, when the legislative session is out.  Also how this project robs from greater Alaska needs: the need to reverse, as many of us have been trying, another year of public school teacher and staff cuts; the need to be smart with our money to move ahead with energy plans; and the need to avoid the temptation of over-priced mega-projects in a time when basic services, and road construction and maintenance face dwindling dollars.

Legislative Priorities & the Damage Alaskans Will Suffer Because of that Expanded Legislative Office Building.

I wish we could reverse what I believe is a waste of money being thrown at an expanded Anchorage legislative office building used when the Legislature is not in session.  This isn't likely now that the contracts have been signed.  We've asked for a Legislative report on what the penalties would be for getting out of that contract, or perhaps we can find the developers a new tenant - they have a contract, and they have a right to insist that it not be breached, but might agree to new tenants who pay the same rental price.  Longshot, but worth a push.  It's a contract the Legislature should have never signed. 

Adding $3 million a year in rent and other payments for a bigger office wasn't necessary.  It was something the Legislature didn't get to vote on, and that was negotiated by Rep. Mike Hawker (R-Anch.) - the chair of a committee that is in charge of off-session spending. 

While he had his reasons, I have a different view.  It would require, cough, cough, that both parties to treat each other fairly, regardless of who is in the majority.  The winner of an election shouldn't gather all the spoils.  Relatively equal sized offices for all, regardless of party, would have made the current space work well for legislators, many of whose offices are frequently nearly empty when the legislative session is off from May - December.  Instead, last year Rep. Hawker did the opposite.  He ordered some offices for his party members to be increased in size, and ordered smaller ones be given to those not in his party. 

And as for those bad water pipes, they should have been fixed, but no one was drinking bad water.  We had water coolers at a cost of far less than $3 million a year.

With $2 billion less in revenue than last year, this state will start eating through Alaska's $17 billion in oil revenue savings we built the past six years.  The new oil law unfortunately has no mechanism to allow for a revenue surplus when oil companies are enjoying high profits from high oil prices - so it's deficit spending for the foreseeable future, even at high oil prices when companies are raking in near-record profits. 

So $3 million a year will be spent on office space that's not needed when we are underfunding schools, children's services and the state's child abuse and neglect investigation abilities, and when we need to focus on building smart energy projects across Alaska to bring down the cost of turning your lights on and heating your home.

Legislative Priorities

1.  The cost of job training and college, so we can have a stronger workforce, is too high.  I will keep seeking bi-partisan support for our bill to reduce student loan rates for those who return to or stay in Alaska.  These rates hover around 7% at a time when you can get a used car loan for less than 3%.  If a dysfunctional Congress can come together to fix the federal loan rate, we can do that here.

2.  Cutting teachers and education staff a fourth year in a row is shortsighted.  It saves money to lay off teachers, but damages opportunity and an economy that needs educated workers.  The Governor and his legislative allies on this issue have reduced school staff by over 600 positions in just the past three years. Anchorage is now facing a $24 million deficit and a fourth year of cuts with the Governor's fourth year in a row of leaving per student classroom funding at the level it was in 2011.  Continued cuts here are the wrong way to go.

3.  In times of austerity, the Governor's proposal to have the state take on the $1 billion+ (assuming no cost overruns - how likely is that?) Knik Arm Bridge is misguided.  Just four years ago the promise was that a private contractor would build it and the hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of connecting roads, a tunnel and an approach bridge for free.  With an easily expected series of cost overruns, it could cost $1.5 - $2 billion.  That's money you won't have for road repairs and construction, harbors, schools, children's services, and reversing this state's alcoholism epidemic, and growing heroin crisis.  When we face an alcoholism and drug epidemic, it's only exacerbated when folks who actually want treatment cannot get into a treatment center without waiting lists of months, or up to a year or more for heroin addicts who want off that street drug of choice. 

Telling heroin addicts the door to treatment is closed, by the way, leads them back to the drug dealer, and to commit another crime, all the while empowering drug dealers we want to disempower.  Our current policy makes Alaska less safe, and less humane. 

4. Energy projects. I disagree with the Governor's decision, for a fourth straight year, to underfund our Renewable Energy Fund, which is supposed to be funded, according to statutory language, at $50 million a year so we can build needed energy projects across the state.  This year he proposes funding it at $20 million - not enough to make much progress in meeting Alaska's energy needs.

Also, we can't keep wasting money on studies of every energy project under the sun.  Fairbanks needs trucked natural gas while we seek a long term energy solution, and rural Alaskans need energy upgrades.  That's fine.  But last year $90 million was put into studying the "Susitna Dam" - something we won't need if a large diameter pipeline project succeeds.  Another $10 million is proposed this year. 

As long as there is a fair chance of success, which there is, we need to devote our resources to a large diameter gas pipeline.  One that is large enough to create the efficiencies of low cost in-state natural gas, and that can deliver enough gas that we can make major exports to Asia so Alaska can develop another source of needed revenue.  A large diameter pipeline will mean jobs, and a stronger economy.  I have offered to work with the governor to support this project.  I hope his staff is working overtime in finding a buyer for exported gas, to make this project work - and in getting the major oil companies that hold this gas to release it for use.

5.  Alaska's Youth.  The Governor commissioned a study in 2011 to fix the Office of Children's Services so overworked social workers could do their jobs, meet parent and children needs, visit foster youth as they need to, and investigate abuse and neglect cases.  They are currently so overwhelmed that roughly 1/3 of new workers quit within the first 18 months.  The study aimed at an efficient solution - hire non-Master's level support staff so social workers could do their investigations, and parent and child support, rather than cumbersome paperwork.  I have written about this in more detail.

The study came out in 2012.  It shouldn't gather dust on a shelf as lives are ruined. 

This study was held from the public until a few weeks after the budget was finalized, so it couldn't be funded in 2012, though I tried.  And though I tried working with the Governor and others, it was not funded last year.  So we still have a child protection system that breeds too much failure for foster youth, which costs us as we pay for prosecutors, public defenders, jail, police and public housing and public assistance for those we'd rather get on their feet so they can lead prosperous, prideful lives. 

Implementing the study will breed more success.  It will allow social workers to detect child abuse and neglect in a more timely and effective manner.  It should be funded.

That's about as much as I want to make you digest for now.  My staff will be in transition to Juneau soon, and they have no office as the current one is being wrecking balled for the new one that I mentioned above. 

But we'll answer our phones an e-mail and help if you need it, as always.

My Best,