.png)
Candidates’ answers about governor’s mansion reveal much — but not necessarily housing plans — at forum in Juneau
Replies of yes, sometimes and a dodge offered by the three participating candidates, who similarly diverge on other issues ranging from energy to tourism management
By Mark Sabbatini
Juneau Independent
Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins says he’ll live in the Governor’s House. Dave Bronson says he will during the legislative session and at other times when more important matters aren’t happening elsewhere. Bernadette Wilson says Juneau will have a new registered voter if she wins, but doesn’t actually say she’ll live in the mansion.
Those responses by three of the four candidates for governor who participated in a candidate forum in Juneau on Wednesday reflected broader differences between them about the city’s role as the state capital and other issues raised during the 90-minute event hosted by the Greater Juneau Chamber of Commerce.
Many of the questions focused on issues raised at other forums, such as the candidates’ approach to a long-range fiscal plan and resource development in the state. But an early question asked the candidates "what executive leadership, agency functions, and state investments should be maintained or expanded right here in Juneau…and will your cabinet and commissioners be based in Juneau?"
The question addresses the decades-old issue of "capital creep" — which has seen many state agencies and functions relocate outside Juneau — as well as current Gov. Mike Dunleavy being absent from the governor’s mansion for nearly the entirety of his two terms.
Bronson, a Republican former mayor of Anchorage who answered first, said commissioners will need to be based in Juneau if their departments are, "but at the end of the day the thing we've got to look at is talent."
"And if the talent says ‘I live in Anchorage’ (or) ‘I live in Fairbanks…are you going to lose talent to compel them to live here, and change and uproot their lives that much?" he said. "I don't think so, because you got to have talent, and you just pay for airline tickets for them to come down when they need to come down and do their job."
As for living in the governor’s mansion, Bronson said "I've committed to folks in this room that during session I will live here, and much of the rest of the year I will live here. But I won't be here all year because a lot of government is spread out throughout the state."
Kreiss-Tomkins, a Democratic former state legislator from Sitka, said "I will live in the mansion. I'll make sure that it is a key part of this community."
"More broadly speaking, I want to restore Juneau's position at the seat of government and have as many commissioners as possible living here," he said, adding there was "a degree of camaraderie and a degree of connectivity" under both Democratic and Republican governors about 20 to 30 years ago that has seen a significant decline.
Wilson, an Anchorage business owner, said "Juneau is going to get a new registered voter and it's going to be a Republican, not a Democrat. I look forward to absolutely calling Juneau home 100%."
She also offered plenty of praise for the governor’s mansion and said "I think that there is a lot of opportunity there" — without actually discussing living there herself. She also didn’t address whether her commissioners would be based in Juneau, instead referencing cameras installed throughout the Alaska State Capitol and suggesting "turn them on — let's let Alaskans watch what is going on in Juneau."
"The reality is we have the technology, you guys," she said. "We can bring these things to Alaskans. We don't just have to turn it on when there's a committee hearing going on."
The fourth gubernatorial candidate on the ballot, Treg Taylor, a Republican former state attorney general, did not participate in the forum.
A common theme of agreement among the three candidates when discussing other issues during the forum is many aspects of Alaska’s state government are problematic at present. But there was a fundamental difference in their proposed fix: Kreiss-Tomkins largely focused on how state government could do better. Bronson and Wilson frequently suggested government needs to get out of the way.
The first question to candidates — which would be revisted on more specific topics such as energy and transportation throughout the forum — was what they would do "to create a more competitive, business-friendly, and predictable environment in Alaska" during their first two years in office.
Kreiss-Tomkins cited energy as his top priority, with an "all of the above" approach in furthering hydropower, natural gas and other sources, and said he favors a statewide energy bond to pay for infrastructure investments.
"The other priority is just making sure that the state works and works well. And it's incredibly important for industry to have certainty on permitting," he said, adding that is difficult. "when you've got agencies that have hemorrhaged staff because of an inability to attract and retain employees."
Wilson, also putting an emphasis on the permitting process, said she plans to implement a "shot clock" for processing applications so "you're going to be given an immediate, clear, and concise timeline for when you can expect to get your permit." She said she also favors automated renewal of some licenses and rolling back a sick leave law passed by voters in 2024.
"We need to talk about how we get our trade schools and vocational schools back in the high school level so that we can have good a pipeline of our youth coming up, so workers can be fulfilling these jobs that we're now going to push for," she added.
Bronson said "we do need to get government out of the way and sometimes that means hiring more government workers to get the work (done)," because a shortage of them means an inability to handle the permitting process.
"You can have any mechanism you want to accelerate things, but if you don't have the people in place to actually sit down and do the permits the projects aren't going to happen," he said, adding one of the reasons there’s a workforce shortage is state employees aren’t paid enough to lure people into applying for those jobs.
At the same time, Bronson also said in response to a subsequent question he favors repealing both the mandatory sick leave law and the minimum wage.
"Small business will figure this out," he said. "The marketplace will figure this out."
Kreiss-Tomkins said he generally supports the paid sick leave law, but is open to discussing exemptions "in particular about seasonal businesses and seasonal industries where there are real challenges."
Wilson, expanding on her previous comment about rolling back the law, said she favors repealing it because "overnment had no business coming in and mandating that, and crushing small businesses in this state." She also said one of the reasons many business owners are struggling is because they can’t find employees.
"If (sick leave) is that critical for the employees then leave it up to the business to say, ’You know what? I have to offer this on my own volition because I can't find the employees,’" she said.
Among the specific economic management questions the candidates were asked was "What role should the state play in supporting a strong, competitive visitor economy, while partnering with communities to ensure that growth is sustainable and benefits Alaskans?"
Kreiss-Tomkins, answering first, said "I think the state has a responsibility to help market and sell Alaska to national and international audiences, and that has has been on the downslide over the years — and really decades — at this point."
He said the state has also provided money to projects such as a cruise facilities in Hoonah and elsewhere that have proven successful, and also favors a greater focus on marketing winter tourism.
Wilson said "we absolutely need to invest in infrastructure — road, rail and ports" so visitors can get around easily. She also said the state needs to get its budget under control so meausures such as increasing taxes on tourists aren’t being considered. In addition, without specifically using the word homelessness, she said "we got to clean up this damn mess Alaska has turned into."
"You have at least half of the state's population, if not more, where when you go into those cities you have a drug and psychiatric problem with garbage strewn all over," she said, adding "there is no amount of advertising that can overcome that."
Bronson, following up on those remarks, said "I do not think Alaska is a mess. Certainly, we have challenges." But while he also said he sees "very nice, well-run, clean cities" when he visits Southeast Alaska during cruise season, he also questioned state government directly funding efforts to boost the industry.
"I think before we start talking about government spending on things we look at what the cruise industry can contribute on their behalf to this," he said. "I don't like it when government always steps up and has to subsidize private enterprise. We're way too invested in the business of what's going on in private enterprise in the state."
• Contact Mark Sabbatini at editor@juneauindependent.com or (907) 957-2306.
_edited.jpg)
