An open letter to the House majority

To the editor,

Chicken Little taught us that the sky is not falling and that the little boy was wrong about wolves.

Over this legislative session, many members of the Alaska Republican Assembly, and other conservatives, have been participating in the legislative process. You have received emails, testimony at town halls and Legislative Information Offices, as well as over the phone lines. It seems that you are ignoring these attempts to deliver some very clear messages. Those messages are:

* The Governor’s Budget, Permanent Fund and taxation bills are unacceptable to us.

* The budget level for this year should be no more than $4.5 billion.

* Use the Constitutional Budget Reserve or, if you cannot get the votes to use it, the Permanent Fund Earnings Reserve to cover any budget shortfalls.

* Health and Education budgets are not ‘sacred cows’. United for Liberty has outlined several areas where large cost-savings could be made in these budgets. Combine school districts and reduce the number of Medicaid options to which we subscribe.

* Stand as conservatives and do not accept anything less than these simple ideals, we really don’t care how long it takes.

* Representative Craig Johnson's wage freeze bill is an excellent example of having the real problem of unlimited government “put some skin in the game.”

Stand firm on the Republican platform and the goals outlined above. You must have the courage to bypass the caucus and not allow yourselves to be lured into a, “let’s just get this over with” mentality. You are tired, frustrated and overwhelmed. Please know that your intellectual and personal battles this session are of little importance unless the size of government is reduced and your constituents have at least two years to prepare for the reductions that we will personally have to endure should the governor's dire predictions run true.

Thank you for taking on this potentially overwhelming task. But, do not believe that this battle is even close to over. If you do not achieve these goals, you will be fighting and arguing your poor decisions all summer long and next year with your constituents.

We need you to speak and act for us as our representatives. Please do not waiver, do not succumb and do not concede the field.

Beth Fread

Palmer