LETTER: Questioning Mead Treadwell’s conservatism

To the editor:

Mead Treadwell is a 40-plus year veteran of Alaska politics. His political experience encompasses federal and state appointments on commissions and advisory boards and the Lt. Gov.’s office. Treadwell did not run for reelection as Lt. Gov. in 2014. He ran for U.S. Senate against Dan Sullivan and Joe Miller in the Republican Primary. His run was unsuccessful.

Treadwell also has an enviable private sector record. He’s made money. That’s not a bad thing.

There are aspects of Treadwell’s record and his conduct in this election that give rise to questions concerning his commitment to Alaska versus his Outside business interests and the specter of a potential for Outside political influence.

One has to wonder if the Mead Treadwell running for governor is really the conservative he claims, given an opinion piece dated 5 April, 2016 in the ADN and an article regarding his 2014 U.S. Senate run dated 21 June, 2014, also in the ADN. The 2016 piece is titled “Alaska needs to act now to resolve budget, and all Alaskans need to pitch in.” Former Lt. Gov. Fran Ulmer was the co-author. Ulmer’s record is that of a spend-and-tax liberal, making this cooperation interesting and of note. In the opinion piece, the authors expressed concerns about state spending and a worsening recession.

Reducing government spending, cutting taxes and deregulation were not recommended in the opinion piece.

Recommendations 2 and 4 should raise questions regarding Mead Treadwell’s conservative representations and his view of government. “. . . 2) We need a combination of cuts and new revenues. . . . 4) Everybody benefits from state services and everybody should help pay for them. It is important for people to help pay for governments so they are connected to how government funds are spent.” (Mead Treadwell, Fran Ulmer, Anchorage Daily News, “Alaskan needs to act now to resolve budget, and all Alaskans need to pitch in”, 5 April, 2016)

New revenues mean new taxes and user fees.

Everyone should pay for state services? Is that everyone across the board, or just the users of a particular service?

Interesting commentary for a gubernatorial candidate espousing a conservative fiscal philosophy. Since there were no qualifications on Treadwell’s part, his silence is assent to the article’s recommendations.

A 21 June, 2014 article in the ADN titled “Candidate Profile: Treadwell’s underdog run for US Senate draws on 40 years of Alaska work” characterized Mead Treadwell as a “. . . moderate Republican or even forward thinking on matters like climate change . . . “. The article also stated that Treadwell held fund raisers around the country.

It appears from APOC reports that there are three PACs formed to support Treadwell’s run for Governor, one that appears to be local in composition and support, and two that are headed by Outside political strategy firms’ employees. One of which is an attack PAC named Alaskans Against Dunleavy.

Workers For Treadwell and Alaskans Against Dunleavy are headed by employees of Axiom Strategies and HenryAlan, LLC. Axiom Strategies has offices across the U.S. HenryAlan, LLC is Ohio based. Alaskans Against Dunleavy’s officers are Justin Matheson of Axiom Strategies, and Robert Phillips III of HenryAlan, LLC. Justin Matheson is a resident of Gig Harbor, WA, and the Chair of both PACs. Robert Phillips III is a resident of Anchorage and the Treasurer of both PACs.

The third PAC is Mead Treadwell for Alaska’s Future, which appears to be an Alaska PAC, headed by Alaskans. Christopher Nelson of Anchorage is the Chair, and Christy Strutz is the Treasurer of record.

Treadwell’s first fund raiser was hosted in June, 2018 by Vern Martell, Sen. Lisa Murkowski’s husband, at the Murkowski home in Washington, D.C. On 12 June, 2018, Suzanne Downing reported in Must Read Alaska that her informants alleged that $20,000 was raised from D.C. sources.

D.C. influence and Outside political strategy firms involvement in supporting Treadwell are not good signs that Mead Treadwell will put Alaska first in any dealings with the federal government or Outside interests.

The fact that his fund raiser was held at the Murkowski D.C. residence gives credibility to the 2014 ADN article’s representation of Treadwell’s standing as a “moderate Republican or even forward thinking on matters like climate change” that also raises a serious question about his conservative credentials.

Mead Treadwell’s ties to Outside political strategies firms and D.C. money need serious consideration before making a decision regarding one’s Republican Primary vote.

— Larry Wood

Lazy Mountain