State of the State: another perspective

Frontiersman Editorial Board

Today's Spectrum is written by one of the Valley's long-time Republican representatives in Juneau. It describes Rep. Vic Kohring's feelings about Gov. Frank Murkowski's State of the State address. Kohring was understandably pleased with the Governor's plans for Alaska. Indeed, the governor discussed some of the difficulties facing our state, and he remained consistent with his philosophy for facing those challenges. Every philosophy can be viewed from different angles, however, and it is fair and responsible to do so.

The most consistent Republican argument in recent years is that Democrats want to tax hard-working people and use the money to create free-ride handouts for those who would leach off the system. Republicans, Kohring and Murkowski say, want to relieve the tax burden to allow business owners the freedom to create jobs and boost the economy and to allow hard-working people to spend more of their own money. With less tax money available, government will have to tighten its belt and live within its means. Murkowski also admitted that this would require sacrifices on the part of all Alaskans. "Controlling spending will require unpopular choices," the governor said. The question, then, is not whether Alaskans are willing to make sacrifices, but whether we are willing to sacrifice tax money or services.

After all, the government tightened its belt last year, and parks in our borough were squeezed out. The government tightened its belt, and our schools will receive less state funding in 2004. The government tightened its belt, and the people in Willow lost part of a roads maintenance crew. The government is not a distant, undefined concept. We are the government. When the government tightens its belt, Alaskans will have to suck in their guts.

There is no doubt that government can be run more efficiently, but Democrats have not cornered the market on flabby bureaucracy. We should not forget that President Bush's economic stimulus plan will put a few dollars in your pocket, but it will also produce the largest budget deficit in more than a decade. In the end, your government is more simple than it's been made to seem. It's a basic "T" account with revenue -- mostly in the form of taxes -- on one side, and expenditures -- mostly in the form of services -- on the other. It's never a win/win. You can pay less and get less, or you can pay more and get more. If you choose to pay less, you can't, then, open your park with bolt cutters. You can't pay for a cheeseburger and get a Big Mac.

The governor's plan to reinvigorate the state's resource production also gets rave reviews from conservatives. This comes at a time when British Petroleum has relaxed its stance on giving job preference to Alaskans. Alaska's resources are her own, and while Outside companies will ultimately extract and ship them, Alaskans should be guaranteed their fair share of the benefit. And those Outside companies should also be held explicitly responsible to respect and protect our greatest resource -- our environment. When the mines are tapped out and the oil fields run dry, Alaskans shouldn't be left holding the broom and wastebasket. The plan for our future has to be for our long-term future, and it's going to require sacrifices no matter which side of the aisle you prefer.