Voters: "Legislators must find new revenue sources"

Frontiersman editorial board

Last week's Lincoln Forum gathering at Evangelo's Restaurant in Wasilla was supposed to provide an opportunity for Republican voters in the Valley to tell their legislators what they hoped to see from Juneau in 2004. About 30 voters showed up for the meeting attended by Rep. Bill Stoltze, Rep. Beverly Masek and Rep. Carl Gatto. Unable to attend were Sen. Lyda Green, Rep. Vic Kohring and Sen. Scott Ogan, though Ogan did send someone from his office. It's unfortunate that not all Valley legislators could attend, but those who did took part in an interesting exchange of ideas.

Instead of simply providing their legislators with a wish list, attendees engaged in a sort of open discussion. The discussion, as one might expect, largely focused upon fiscal matters, and the increasing challenges faced by the state. Some attendees identified themselves as independent voters, and the suggestions traced a wide philosophical spectrum -- sometimes reaching beyond the traditional conservatism that has become the prevailing sentiment here.

A limited sales tax was suggested, as well as taking a slice out of the permanent fund pie -- though others maintained a hands-off stance on the fund. Resource development as a revenue engine was also discussed -- in terms of a gas pipeline and coal-bed methane development. There was also discussion about how to trim costs from an already-lean government.

Gatto summed up the possibility of meeting all the challenges in Juneau during the upcoming session by saying, "It's not easy." He said that committee chairmanship guides the process, and that even good legislation could be stalled or stopped by the committee process. That argument may be a tough sell to at least some of the people at the Lincoln Forum, however.

Some of the attendees expressed frustration with the legislature's inability to tackle the tough issues. "I've got to tell you, you've lost it here -- the confidence of the people is gone," one attendee said. Perhaps that was the most constructive message legislators can take from the meeting. Voters are tired of talk and finger pointing. Voters want their legislators to make the tough choices that are now necessary. The populist, safe approach has led us away from the solutions to our challenges, and closer to a fiscal crisis. The safe route has been to steer clear of taxes and keep hands off the permanent fund while slashing programs and services to bare bones. Now that there is little left to cut, it's time to find new sources of revenue. Legislators can't ignore the problem any longer. People don't want to hear how hard the work is, they want someone to roll up sleeves and do the work.