Letter to the editor: Opposing Proposition 3

To the Editor:

Proposition B-3, on the Borough’s October 2nd ballot, proposes to move the Mat-Su Borough election date from October to November. B-3 would be bad public policy, and folks are beginning to realize that B-3 is not exactly what it’s cracked up to be.

There would continue to be two elections with all the trimmings, including: two ballots, two waiting lines, two registers to sign, two ballot boxes. Costs would go up; not down.

There has been a lot of discussion lately about these increased costs and convoluted logistics. And also discussion about how these problems would be compounded if the cities of Palmer, Wasilla, and Houston did not agree to go along with the November date or if the state legislature did not change state law to allow the borough and state elections to be combined. Regardless of what the State does or does not do, we are looking at a potentially colossal mess.

Not discussed quite as much, but critically important, is how moving our borough election date to coincide with State/Federal elections would insert our local issues and candidates, right into the middle of campaign frenzy. It is a challenge in the best of circumstances to get one’s message out to voters. And it will be that much more difficult if federal, state, and local candidates and issues are bombarding tv, radio, print media, and social media at the same time.

Local Alaska elections are non-partisan and are held at different times than the state and federal elections for good reason. Potholes are non-partisan, and our common day to day concerns, like roads, schools, emergency services, bonding, capital projects, parks and trails, etc., are much more easily debated without the distraction of arrays of local, state, and federal issues and candidates, mixed with lots of money, media, and contentious political party politics.

When the focus is local and undistracted, the solutions offered tend to be better and more in line with the interests of our communities.

Losing local focus would be very unfortunate, and that is reason enough for me to oppose Proposition B-3.

John Strasenburgh

Talkeetna