Purcell, Keller, find little common ground

WASILLA — In the race to represent a district stretching from Wasilla to Talkeetna, candidates in the primary have differing views on how to solve just about every problem the state has.

Wes Keller, R-Wasilla, is defending the seat he occupies against a challenge from former Houston mayor Roger Purcell. Saturday, they met for a Greater Wasilla Chamber of Commerce candidates’ forum at the Alaska Club. See Friday’s Frontiersman for an account of the debate between candidates Lynn Gattis and Mark Ewing, who are hoping to represent the new state House district encompassing Wasilla and points east.

As for Purcell and Keller, asked about the state operating budget, both said the budget is too big, but they disagreed on how to fix it.

“I’d take a look at the administration operating budgets,” Purcell said. “I say we have way too much upper-end management.”

Cutting from the top, he said, makes it easier to make the case to rank-and-file for why cuts are necessary and why they should do without.

Keller noted that there are two sides of the budgeting coin — revenue, or money taken in as taxes, and budgeting, or money spent on programs.

“There’s a lot we can do on the revenue end,” Keller said, having already said he thinks the state’s current surplus is precarious, but “when you have $22 billion in savings, it’s hard to resist.”

He said one of the reasons he wants to go back to Juneau is to continue working toward “zero-based budgeting,” a system that takes a hard look at what the state gets for the money it spends and if it needs it.

The candidates were also asked about apparent gridlock in the Senate. Commentators grumbled at the start of the year that the Senate couldn’t get much done. The candidates agreed that was the case, but differed on how to fix it.

Purcell said a strong advocate relying on the facts can effect change.

“It was quiet out here. We didn’t have any voices stepping up to the media,” he said.

Keller disagreed.

“You have to look at the key problem. The problem is we have a 10-10 split (between Republicans and Democrats),” Keller said. “The way to get around that, unfortunately, is not sound bites. It’s teamwork.”

Though the Senate bipartisan coalition has become a favorite punching bag for talk radio and political ads, there was a coalition in the House, too, Keller pointed out. And it worked well.

A rare point of agreement in the debate came on the question of Proposition 2, which seeks to create a program to manage the state’s coastal zones. Both Keller and Purcell said it was a costly proposition likely to get in the way of development.

Both also agreed that development at Port MacKenzie is great. Keller said that hiccups along the way haven’t dimmed his enthusiasm.

“It’s better to have growing pains than starvation pains,” he said.

Purcell sees a bright future there.

“We are the new crossroads for the state of Alaska,” he said.

And the pair wholly disagreed on the question of a 90-day legislative session.

“Ninety days is plenty of time,” Purcell said. “Get it done in 90 days and then move on to the next project.”

Keller said that 90 days wasn’t enough time to network with colleagues in the House or with state agencies.

“I respectfully disagree with the voter who believes that we should be able to get it done in 90 days,” Keller said. “We need that extra time to work with the agencies.”

Contact reporter Andrew Wellner at andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com or 352-2270.