Spectrum by Ruby Church

Pat Carney is running against Vic Kohring for the state House, and I'd like to tell you some things about him.

These are things that many of us don't remember, or didn't know, about when he served in the House of Representatives from 1979-1982. He was instrumental in securing funding to build the Wasilla Senior Center. He and Rose Palmquist got their heads together and the building for Wasilla Area Seniors Inc. became a reality. WASI has since added five apartment buildings for people 62 and older. One floor of "Knik Manor" houses people needing assisted living.

Due to his help, we now have a beautiful senior campus of which we can all be proud. Having an adequate building to begin with ensured the groundwork for additional services that are now offered, such as home-delivered meals, transportation, social activities, etc.

Pat helped secure funding for fire trucks and ambulances for the local service areas. He also was instrumental in getting the first traffic light in Wasilla at the corner of Main Street and the Parks Highway (1979-1980). Pat Carney has lived in the Valley 55 years, and his children went to school with ours. He was a dedicated father, and it shows in the nine children he and his wife raised here. They have gone on to become worthwhile citizens.

Pat is a longtime property owner here in the Valley, which I think tends to make him more concerned with the long-term consequences of his actions in the House.

I have to admit I have a hard time taking Vic seriously when he says this is his home, when he lives in his camper and has a house in Portland, where his wife and her daughter both live.

No property taxes in this district, no responsibilities, nothing tangible to tie him to this district. Not to worry! If things go bad, he can just jump in his camper and not even look back.

Vic's mother was so proud when she told me that he was so frugal he stayed in his camper when he went to Juneau, cleaned up in bathrooms in the state building and saved all that money. I thought she meant he wasn't taking per diem and was saving us all that money.

Well, he was saving money, but it certainly wasn't ours. He was collecting per diem for each day he was there, pocketing the money and still availing himself of the bathroom facilities in the building at all hours of the day or night.

Isn't that like paying a guy to provide his own lunch and having him bum lunch off you, day after day, and still keep the lunch money you gave him?

Here are some of Vic's accomplishments. There must be more, I just couldn't find them.

1.) HB 69 -Oil and Gas Modification. Sponsored by Kohring. Wasn't HB 69 the bill that allows coal-bed methane industry to drill on our private property and eliminates both personal control by the property owner, and all municipal control?

2.) HB 443 -- Tattooing and Body Piercing. Sponsored by Vic Kohring (June 28, 2002).

3.) HB 40 -- Department of Commerce and Rural Development (1999).

4.) I found no legislation that Kohring prime sponsored that passed in two years, with eight bills introduced (1997-1998).

5.) HB 224 -- State Plumbing Code, (March 1, 1996).

6.) HB 225 -- Permit to Possess, Etc., Elephants. Sponsored by Vic Kohring (May 25, 1995).

Several years ago, he initially failed to support keeping all extended sites (like Mat-Su College) open during budget shortfalls, then he said he didn't mean Mat-Su college should close, just the rest of them.

There are currently 1,375 students at Mat-Su College who would be driving back and forth to Anchorage to school if the college had been closed.

On May 20, 2003, Vic voted "yea" with a roll call vote on "CSSB 117 (FIN) to pass the house." This "yea" vote was to eliminate the longevity bonus, and established a date to do so.

Compare their accomplishments, which appears, to me, to be: Pat Carney helping people vs. Vic's elephants, body piercing and introducing legislation opening up coal-bed methane exploration and production on private property, without the owner's consent or knowledge.

Which one would you like representing you and your family?

Ruby Church is a Wasilla resident.