Dunleavy receives warmer reception in hometown

WASILLA — Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s budget road show has drawn criticism from Alaskans of all kinds. Displays of civil disobedience headlined the Anchorage and Nome events. A ‘Recall Dunleavy’ sign was silently unfurled by two women in Anchorage, and Brenda Evak was arrested for aggressively walking toward Dunleavy in Nome.

In his home district, Dunleavy received a much more welcoming reception from the Valley voters during his appearance at Everett’s March 29 in Wasilla. Few outbursts were made during the budget presentation and subsequent question-and-answer session, and any who chose to attend the event in protest were positioned far away at the Everett’s driveway on Bogard Road. While a handful did turn out to show their distaste for Dunleavy’s cuts, another handful held signs in support of the governor. Opponents of Dunleavy’s budget cuts showed up from all walks of life, from teachers to former Mat-Su Borough Assemblymembers. Signs in hand, dozens of people stretched along the roadway.

Colony High School English and French teacher Stephanie Haase was one of several teachers that joined the protest. She said that Dunleavy’s budget was, “scary.”

“I think it’s frightening for me,” Haase said.

Haase said that she was born and raised in the Valley, the third generation in her family. She said that she was worried that the effects of these cuts will stipend opportunities for her three children and future generations.

As an educator, she would of course be affected by any education cuts in some capacity. She said that it seems like there’s a trend that goes after education frequently in situations like this current political climate.

“It does seem like one of those things that are first on the chopping block,” Haase said.

Haase said that she was there for more than just education cuts. She said there is a lot on the line in Dunleavy’s budget, including healthcare and overall job opportunities. She said that the rising trends of polarization between parties doesn’t help either.

“I think a lot of good comes from productive debate but shutting people down, that’s a recipe for stagnation and decline,” Haase said. “Alaska needs a conversation to move forward.”

Prudence McKenney is the Colony High librarian. She was at the protest wearing red in support of Red for Ed, a national movement that promotes more funding for public education. She said she staunchly opposes Dunleavy’s plan for a bigger PFD that cuts education.

“A well funded PFD and a well funded education are not mutually exclusive,” McKenney said.

The protestors weren’t alone atop the hill. Just a few yards away from the protestors, Nick Brockett was wearing a red “Make America Great Again” hat, surrounded by a like-minded Dunleavy advocates. He said they weren’t there to protest and in fact, quite the opposite. He said they were there to support the governor.

“I’m a patriot and I believe in liberty and that’s why I’m out here, to save our country and the state and our kids because they’re being robbed. All the money that’s going to education isn’t getting to the kids,” Brockett said.

Brockett said that opponents of the education cuts say they are in it for the children but cannot be since they want to, “take the PFD away from the children.”

“That doesn’t make any sense to me. Take the PFD and do what with it? Put it into a bloated system, waste it on bureaucrats instead of spending it wisely on children. That doesn’t make sense to me,” Brockett said.

Dunleavy echoed his sentiments during an interview with Frontiersman editorial staff that he still believes the majority of Alaskans are not willing to sacrifice their PFD.

“The audience seems to be divided into two parts. One part are those folks that are intimately connected to state government money. Whether it’s school district, whether it’s medical, whether it’s something related directly to state and then the other is the person that is not. They have a small business, they’re working for a private individual, they’re private carpenters or plumbers, etc. etc. Those folks have been adamant that they would like to see no more money taken out of the private economy because, like I said they’re on their backs,” Dunleavy said. “We’ve been all over the state like today, for example, there will be protestors out there, 100, 200 protestors, 300 maybe. There’s 730,000 people in the state of Alaska. It’s not representative of everybody in the state.”

Mike Alexander is a retired nurse and he seconded Brockett’s sentiment, saying that the teachers are afraid to lose their jobs.

“Obviously they don’t have enough talent to get any other kind of job. I don’t know. I never worried about worried about losing a job when I was younger because I knew I could find another job,” Alexander said.

Alexander said that he wasn’t happy with Alaskan teachers and how money has been in the state.

“If we cut this back and make it lean, we are gonna have some really good jobs up here,” Alexander said.

Teachers all over the state are not coming up with feasible solutions, according to Alexander. He expressed distrust in the whole union. He said that he was, “kind of, basically disgusted with the Alaskan teachers.”

“They’re not giving any offers. They’re either yelling for more money again but they’re not offering any solid stances,” Alexander said.

Dianne Shibe has been an educator in the Valley for several years and is the current president of the Matanuska-Susitna Education Association. She wore red to the protest and said that their entire profession is in danger.

“Our profession is being destroyed,” Shibe said.

Shibe said that Alaskan teachers have no social security and no defined benefits. She said that it’s the only state that’s like that and teachers are “incentivised to leave” and any further cuts to education will ultimately harm the children the most.

“Who’s going to be here to teach them?” Shibe said.

Frontiersman Reporter Tim Rockey contributed to this article.