Dunleavy country? Not so fast

KTOO published a piece written by Jeremy Hsieh April 13 titled, “What’s up with the Mat-Su, and why is it steering Alaska’s politics?”

As a lifelong Valley resident, I couldn’t have disliked this article more. Though the reporting is sound, I believe it paints a one-sided picture of who is active and engaged in Valley politics and policy making. Much of the Dunleavy rhetoric that has been spewed in multiple public comment sections over and over again by the same folks belonging to the ‘majority’ is not the way all Valley residents feel. Despite how red the Valley precincts voted in the 2018 general election, there is a growing group of progressive citizens who are truly making a difference in the community and making their voices heard in Juneau.

We’ve always know the “squeaky wheel gets the grease.” We could easily change that to say the loudest voice is the one most repeated in this situation. You’ve all seen them, the people who consistently make public comment both online and at forums, meetings, and virtually anywhere else a soapbox can fit. I applaud these folks for being engaged, staying informed and attending meetings. However, their word is not the Valley gospel.

The view of this majority simply does not represent the whole picture of the Valley and, if you pay attention, you will see that the Valley brand of conservatism is not David (insert reference to any awful thing he’s said while representing the Valley) Eastman, but a balanced approach of fiscal conservatism leaning a little more toward the center. If you take an even bigger picture look at Valley politics, aside from the couple very-outspoken that have been elected governor in the last couple decades, you may see a progressive movement at the forefront of Valley politics on the local level.

Locally, where I believe engagement is most important, you’d notice that non-conservative majorities exist and enact policy on the Borough Assembly and Palmer and Wasilla City Councils. While not all part of this progressive majority, the women of the Valley are especially representing us — two Valley mayors, a majority on the Palmer City Council, and four of nine Valley legislators. Women ran for six out of the seven open offices this last election cycle and there were no male candidates in House Districts 11 and 12.

Most importantly, outside the walls of formal politics, if you look at the massive grassroots efforts in the Valley like the Opioid Task Force, teen homeless coalitions, No More Mat-Su, the Mat-Su Zero Waste coalition, the livable communities movement, the plastic bag ban, etc., you’d be hard-pressed to find one of the extreme, far-right, particularly loud public commenters that Mr. Hsieh quoted in his article. Instead you’d find engagement from both sides of the aisle and respectful community activists, many of whom are among the 25 percent on average that did vote for Mark Begich in the last election.

Yes, it’s a minority. But I refuse to be labeled as living in “Dunleavy Country” as one of the commenters said at a recent House Finance Committee meeting in the Valley that Mr. Hsieh referenced. We are a diverse group of people with a multitude of talents and responsibilities. We care about education. We care about the senior population. We care about the ferry system. We care about inequality. We care about opioid addiction. We care about holding our elected officials accountable. And while our voices are not always as publicized or loud as those quoted in Mr. Hsieh’s article, make no mistake that we exist, we are mobilized, and we are fighting for what’s best for our communities.

Sabrena Combs is a life-long Palmer resident who was elected to the Palmer City Council in 2017. She is also a wife, mother and an avid volunteer in her community.