Electric issues spark HEA candidacies — 11 board hopefuls have different views on what’s best for co-op

By Jenny Neyman
Redoubt Reporter

The Homer Electric Association Board of Directors elections this year have drawn extra attention due to skyrocketing electricity rates, dwindling natural gas reserves, questions over coal power, the pursuit of renewable energy sources and a proposal to merge elements of the Railbelt utilities.

Ballots were mailed out Friday and are due May 6, or HEA members may attend the annual meeting May 7 at Homer High School in Homer to cast their vote. Eleven candidates are seeking three seats in three districts. District 1 covers Kenai, Nikiski and parts of the Soldotna area. District 2 is Soldotna, Sterling and Kasilof. District 3 is Kasilof south to Kachemak Bay area. Members may only vote for one candidate in their district.

Following are questions asked of each candidate and their answers. Candidates’ resumes can be found online at www.homerelectric.com.

1. Gov. Sarah Palin has suggested merging the power generation and transportation functions of the Railbelt electric utilities, which is now being considered by the Legislature. Do you support this move? Why or why not?
2. What’s your take on renewables?
3. Do you support the proposed hydropower projects near Moose Pass? Why or why not?
4. Do you support HEA’s involvement with the Healy coal facility? Why or why not?
5. HEA’s contract to purchase wholesale power with Chugach Electric will be up in 2014. What should be done to secure a sustainable power supply for HEA?
6. What should be done to stabilize and/or lower rates for HEA members?
7. Are there any other issues facing HEA that are a priority for you?

District 1

Alan Bute
1. “The bottom line on anything is my pocketbook, so, financially, if it’s the right thing to do. We don’t want to get into a boondoggle. It sounds like a good idea because it would give us the strength to build whatever we got to to give us a stable power rate.”
2. “I guess you can’t beat it. I look at like the dams and stuff like that where you don’t have no pollution and stuff where you have a lifeline of power, and the same thing with wind power. The bottom line is cost, it always comes back to that. The people who have to put food on the table and stuff like that have to watch the bottom line.”
3. “I know they’re doing studies as far as what, economically, what’s the most feasible. If you can’t get anything pushed through, what can be done? You can’t hurt the fish. If we can build small dams that don’t mess up the community too much, and the bottom line is if the community don’t want it, it’s not a good deal either. You can’t push it down their throat.”
4. “Back to the dollar sign again, if we can do it economically. … You want to make sure the smokestacks are burning clean, but I guess you have to look at it because you have coal everywhere you look — it’s all over. I don’t know about a long-term contract, maybe just something to carry us over until we get something renewable that everybody can agree on.”
5. “Whatever we do, if we get together with other utilities in the state, and we gotta make sure we have some kind of control over the price, as far as how it affects our bills and stuff like that. You can’t in the middle of winter find 20, 30 percent increase in their bill. People on a real tight budget, it’s just too much for them.”
6. “Basically the direction they’re going with the study group out there is seeing what’s the most viable thing we can do, with the bottom line being the cost and affecting the rate payers. All those options, (wind, solar) sound good, we just gotta use some common sense and get a stable power source that’s affordable for everyone.”
7. “No. Over the years it seems like a really solid organization.”

Andrew Patrick
1. “I’m not necessarily a proponent of it. … From what my understanding of it is, it wouldn’t necessarily allow a local co-op like ours to meet the specific needs of our members, by taking control (away), which, I’m sure control would leave us here and go to a distant location. That is not usually a good direction.”
2. “I’m for them. I think it’s something that’s an ideal long-term goal, but I also know not every renewable source out there has true economic viability to use in a commercial application, such as a major utility. But, you know, it’s an avenue that needs to be actively pursued with the utility.”
3. “I think that they’re a good direction in the sense they are renewable. One of the biggest concerns we could have with them is they are small scale, so a lot of the overhead costs (environmental studies, engineering costs, etc.) will be almost the same as a large-scale project. … As far as their impact, there is no perfect project. They’re always going to impact somebody. Unfortunately, maybe here it may just seem like the lesser of the evils that are out there.”
4. “I support the diversification direction, for sure. Whether this is the best direction or best step I can’t tell you right now. It’s something they’re looking at to analyze what are the other alternatives out there, is this the first one that came to the door or the best one to pursue in light of the other alternatives that are out there?”
5. “We’ve been fortunate to have a low-cost power source with natural gas. That era I think is coming to a close. … Once we know the alternatives we can weigh which direction or generation source would give us the best benefit. Not necessarily cost, but also overall impact on people.”
6. “The more our production sources are diversified, the more stable our rates will be. It’s a principle that’s been applied to a variety of industries and types of businesses. … Tied with that is a certain amount of efficiency must be monitored. That’s the job of the board. … Cost controls and efficiency, combine the two and that will give us price stability.”
7. “I’m not critical of anybody. … They do represent the membership, so as such I think they do as good a job as any board can be expected to do.”

District 2

Jim Fassler
1. “I strongly support this. … Every time a kilowatt of power passes through someone else’s hands it costs us. … Right now, we HEA members own about 12 percent of the power that’s generated at Bradley Lake, that’s all we can use of that. The rest of that belongs to other co-op power companies and they sell it back to us. With a generation co-op, wherever it’s generated it will be used there first.”
2. “Those are all terrific. I think that we should be exploring those and moving to them as quickly as possible, but it’s going to be very expensive to do that.”
Fassler noted concerns about the noise wind turbines may generate, and about reliability of wind on calm days and of solar in the winter, and also said he’d like to see tidal power, possibly attached to drilling platforms in Cook Inlet.
3. “I haven’t seen the studies on those, I would support them if its not going to cause problems with spawning and etc.”
4. “Yes I do. One of the things that I understand is that the state wants Homer Electric to enter into a 25-year contract. I think we should go in increments of five, but we definitely need to be looking at power from that source again in order to get through to the point where wind or whatever will take it over. I would just as soon we do not burn coal, but the technology to get us to wind and solar — we need a bridge to get from here to whenever that would be.”
5. “We need to look to coal, we need to look to solar, we need to look to wind and water.”
6. “I think that we need to have the lowest possible rates. The economy the way it is today, hopefully the job loss from the Lower 48 isn’t going to hit us as hard as it has down there, but I’ve run into people who just can’t afford their Enstar and HEA bills and still eat. I really do believe we need to keep them down as low as possible. I’m not going to try to tell you I’m going to lower rates — that would be like the president saying I’m going to cut out all your taxes — that’s a lie. But I’m going to do everything I can to keep them as low as possible and still be sustainable.”
7. None.

Ed Oberts
1. “My first thought is that I would be very apprehensive to merge all the utilities, there’s different equity in each of them and the local control is important.”
2. “I’m supportive of renewables, but I think we have to realize our base load on the coldest day in the middle of winter, we’re not going to have any wind and there’s no sun. We’re going to have to rely on natural gas or coal.”
3. “I don’t know the details but I’m supportive of hydro power in general and suspect that I would be supportive of those projects.”
4. “Again, I don’t have the detailed knowledge on that issue, but I do support coal power generation. I think it’s an economically feasible resource that we need to take advantage of.”
5. “That’s the biggest question out there because it affects rates. Long-tem I think we need to work hard to find a good answer to that. If I get elected I’ll be working positively with all the other utilities around the state to address that issue and find a long-term, stable source of electric power for everybody.”
6. “I believe they need to be stabilized and lowered. My experience working at the borough for the borough mayor’s office, I have extensive knowledge of how to read and understand a budget. I think HEA’s a big organization and needs to have strong leadership at the board level to make sure that a good budget is adopted and adhered to so that we don’t incur expenses that are out of line and force our rates up.”
7. “I think the biggest issue out there is skyrocketing rates that they’re basically out of control, and the utility needs to address them and find a solution. This is my fourth time running for the HEA board. I really look forward to getting elected and representing the members of the association.”

Terry Johnson
1. “Yes, I support it. I think that’s one of things making our utilities so high, pretty much (Chugach) has us where they want us. They charge us obscene rates for our electricity. I think if it’s consolidated, I think it would help us.”
2. “Renewables up here are going to be tough. Those 60-foot blades on them wind generators. Everyone that you talk to says they’re an eyesore. I think there are places in Alaska where people could agree to put them, but right now the biggest problem is the storage. I think we have other ways to go right now.”
3. “It’s a good idea if it’s not cost prohibitive. I think a lot of it would have to do with the bids on what’s out there to build it. The other thing is the permitting, that’s going to be the hard one.”
4. “Yes, I think that that would be one of our best options if we could get a tie-in up there and burn our coal instead of sending it to, right now it’s going to Korea and other places. I think if we could burn our own coal here I think it would be better for the environment all around.”
5. “Everybody’s talking about the (natural gas) bullet line with the price of natural gas where it is and getting permits and being able to build the bullet line in a feasible amount of time. I think it’s going to be a real challenge. I think HEA has quite a few options open to them. I think HEA itself has a lot of costs they can reduce, but nobody seems to be in the cost-reducing mode.”
6. “The biggest thing is to get a low-cost power supply. … I believe coal is going to be one of our best options, being that the natural gas on the peninsula, the supplies are going down. … I think that’s a big one we’ll have to face is what can we do now to ensure power within the next five years?”
7. “(I don’t want to sound anti-growth, but) somewhere down the line it’s going to get where HEA has got to screen how much new growth can come into our community because there’s not enough electricity to go around. With Wal-Mart coming in, and if Pebble Mine gets built, our community now is at the point where, how do we let new businesses in when we can’t provide power for them?”

William Tappan
1. “I think that some kind of coming together and getting rates down for everyone is a good idea. The part I’m not sure about is whether or not it’s necessary — and it may be in the future, but not today — to eliminate or do away with the six Railbelt utilities and make them into one.”
2. “They don’t really add to the base load capacity to keep the lights on. What it does is it helps with peaking. … We must go to renewables. Here on the peninsula there are tons of options. … We have to evaluate the tradeoffs of the cost versus what we get for it.”
3. “The one at Grant Lake seems to be the most proactive and I do support it and I’m a big fly fisherman, by the way. I’m very pro-environment and pro-fishing.”
4. “I do, and the reason is that HEA is not going to own a coal-fired plant. We are only going to buy power. We need to diversify off of natural gas, and that is where that 200 years of coal supply is. Right now they’ve been running unit one cleanly, and I’m impressed with it. If and when they get unit two going, that’s when we will be buying power, which should theoretically be less cost to our ratepayers because coal should be cheaper than natural gas.”
5. “We may get into another deal with them and we may not. We won’t do it if it isn’t right for our members since it’s pre-negotiated. … If that greater Railbelt thing in some form goes forward, that issue may go away anyway.”
6. “I would like to see how (merging Railbelt utilities and creating one, “postage stamp” price for all members) that’s going to work. I would be for it if it’s going lower our rates. If it’s going to raise rates for our members, I’m not for it. We’re just not there yet. It’s a new notion.”
7. “Unity of the board. There is, and I’m not implying that there’s friction, but I think that we all need to have a plan and support the plan. There are a few who certainly are entitled to their views and opinions that don’t share the view of the majority right now. I think everybody wants what’s right for all the members but how we get there is an issue.”

District 3

Steve Franklin
1. “That’s a hard question to answer. I’m not really familiar with it. … I wouldn’t know why that wouldn’t be a good thing if it’s managed properly and handled correctly, I think everybody could gain from that.”
2. “I really think Homer Electric needs to take a real close look at the options and get into renewable sources just as fast and as quick as we can, and what we can afford. Certainly for renewable wind energy, solar, tidal, whatever it may be, I think we need to take a close look at it.”
3. “I do support it for the simple fact it is a renewable type of energy. It is something that we can count on, I think, for the only reason it’s not using fossil fuels. It is something that we can pull off of nature and utilize.”
4. “I think it would be a great partnership. If we can satisfy the environmental needs, keep it a clean coal-burning plant, I think that would be great. But I’m not sure we can afford it in today’s industry in Alaska, to meet all the necessary emissions. … I’m leaving my options open on that one.”
5. “We get back to renewable resources — wind, solar, whatever. … We need to have the energy that we control. We need to be in the saddle. We need to be in control of the energy that we receive and distribute, versus relying on someone else to make it work for us.”
6. “I’m not quite sure but I do think that the renewable energy is what the key is. It’s going to be a major investment, but I think in the long term that’s the best way to go. As long as we’re relying on another entity to supply us with the energy like it is today, it’s very difficult to stabilize it because of the demands and of the increases and decreases of fossil fuels.”
7. “The only priority I have is to speak for the membership. My personal views are the bottom of the priority list. My number one priority is to listen to the members and do what the members want. I may not always agree with it, but if the body as a whole wishes it to go a certain direction, that’s the direction I will vote on.”

Jim Levine
1. “I guess in concept I support it. It seems like a pretty good idea as long as we get what I consider to be the right kind of energy mix, which would be a lot more renewables than what we’re doing right now. I guess I wouldn’t support it if it’s going to be more of the same, more coal and what not. I think it would be economical to have all the utilities joined together, there’s obviously some kind of economy of scale.”
2. “I’m highly in favor of them. I think it’s really the wave of the future. … Solar, wind and the ocean, we have so much potential down here for those types of energy power generation. … A lot of different systems are up and running and ready to be used around the world.”
3. “In general I think that hydropower’s a good thing. It needs to be taken on a case-by-case basis. Obviously whenever you dam a waterway there’s always going be some conflict, so you need to be really careful in that respect.”
4. “I don’t think that they know all the costs involved, so I don’t think that it’s a wise move. I don’t think they should get involved for 50 years. … The Healy plant in particular has never been operated successfully yet. I don’t have any idea what it will cost to operate successfully, if they even can. I think renewable is a much better way to go and trying to go to a coal facility is just sort of looking backwards instead of forward.”
5. “I think a temporary solution would be just to continue with the natural gas system. I think natural gas is a more, I don’t know, earth-friendly means of supplying power in the meantime, until we can get renewable systems online and operating.”
6. “I think moving toward renewables will start to stabilize the rates because there’s no fuel costs once you get these systems up and running. On a more short-term basis, we just need to kind of watch our pennies and see what we can do to keep the costs in line while we’re developing these other systems.”
7. “I would like to see a much more open and transparent type of board meetings where you invite the co-op members to participate, rather than, from what I can see, consider them to be kind of a problem to get around.”

Pete Roberts
1. “Well, I don’t support Enron and that’s how I see it. The economies of scale idea is completely blown out of shape. … There’s no way you could combine these co-ops without taking them into the state or private industry, and I believe HEA is trying to privatize itself.”
2. “If they’re economical I think it’s a great idea. HEA historically does not like renweables, contrary to SNAP, which is bulls---. I like renewables, I think it’s a great idea. I want to know why don’t we have more than 12 percent of the power from Bradley Lake for the peninsula. Actually, I know why — it was purely legislative and politics.”
3. “I’m generally favorable but want to see more details. I start to hear the issue about salmon, but salmon are brought up to knock down everything in this state and we have got to have a balance. If they’re not going to make a significant, say 10 percent, cut in the salmon, I think we need to set that aside because we have other things that are important on this peninsula.”
4. “Whether or not coal power is good or bad is besides the point. You never buy into something where the title is clouded and the management of it is also clouded. That’s been the situation with MEA and the state and we shouldn’t touch it with a 10-foot pole.”
5. “We need to drill gas wells. HEA needs to contract for gas wells and can put a generator on the top of each one of them. It’s cheaper than sending it through a pipe. We’re in trouble because we haven’t acted as a G and T (generation and transmission), just a transmission utility. We do have a little generation ability but we need to hire the expertise.”
6. “They have to plan ahead. They have all sorts of capital credit money that can be used to balance out the fluctuations between the cost of energy and what it is. What happened with the December, January, February deals was uncalled for for a member-owned co-op. I think the members need to take co-op back from the industrial people who would privatize it and don’t give a damn about their customers.”
7. “The policies that affect the owner member, the customers. The policies need to be reviewed and checked and modified for the benefit of the owner member. I want the co-op back for the cooperative.”

Don Seelinger
1. It’s difficult to take a position on the governor’s proposal when it is still a moving target. I have reviewed the draft proposal dated Feb 11, 2009. I’ve reviewed SB143 and HB182 and have been monitoring the continuing discussions. That said, I could support a unified transmission grid by which there would be a postage stamp rate for wheeling, thereby standardizing the rate for wheeling for all utilities. In some cases this could lead to a significant savings.
2. Renewables must be an important part of HEA’s generation portfolio. I propose that we take renewables to the maximum the system will allow as long as it does not negatively impact rates.
3. Until the studies have been completed, thereby providing us all the data we would need, I have not taken a position on the low impact hydro projects. However, I cannot support any hydro projects that would significantly impact water quality or fish habitat.
4. With regard to HEA’s involvement with the Healy Coal facility, I need to clarify involvement. If by involvement are you asking, do I support HEA being an owner of the facility in part or in whole?, or have an obligation for the start-up of the plant? This I am not in support of. However, I do support HEA’s position of first right of refusal to purchase up to 27 megawatts of power from (Golden Valley Electric Association). If there is an acceptable contract for such a purchase, that is in the best interests of HEA’s members, then I could support it. As of this date, no proposed contract has come before the board for consideration.
5. The stage has been set, the wheels are in motion, the potential sites have been selected to assure HEA has the required generation available by 2014. This will be accomplished by a portfolio that reflects present generation technology and renewables. It may also require, but has yet to be determined, a contract/purchase spinning reserves. The power sales agreement between HEA/(Chugach) is a take or pay contract.
6. I refer you to my answer in #1, and also by HEA becoming a diversified, independent power provider with its own dispatch. These are big ticket items, but I will continue to look for opportunities for cost savings thereby stabilizing rates. Bringing generation and dispatch to the peninsula will mean jobs.
7. None.
Editor’s note: Seelinger composed and e-mailed his comments, rather than participating in an interview as all other candidates did. All grammar and punctuation is printed verbatim, except for parenthetical references added for clarity.

Doug Stark
1. “It would increase efficiency. The estimate is it would be $40 million a year, because most of the utilities at this time are getting ready to build additional generation. Those would be small projects compared to what the giant co-op for transmission and energy production could do.”
2. “I’m very much in favor of them. They’re not going to solve the problem within the next 10 years. They’re certainly the way to go in the interim.”
3. “I’m not that familiar with them. In general I’m in favor with most hydro projects. I would have to have more information before I could say definitely. In a hydro project, there’s always pluses and minuses, mostly dealing with fish on the minus side, and with what the hydro does, is it controls the stream flow, and that makes people nervous.”
4. “The federal government and the state put more than $100 million into it. I think it’s just really sort of obscene the thing has sat there for close to 20 years. I think it’s got to be brought online so it isn’t just a wasted resource. You’ve got to remember that that’s a clean coal facility. That isn’t just a coal-fired power plant. That was designed and a lot of money was put into that to make it a facility that would burn coal cleanly.”
5. “I think what we should do is go into the proposal that the governor is pushing, which will resolve that question.”
6. “I don’t have the information to answer that right now. There’s a lot of stuff going on internally and I understand some of it’s pretty volatile. One thing I would believe in is a little more sunshine and transparency. Springing these rate increases on people, this is a co-op, remember, it’s supposed to be owned by members. I think springing 40 percent increases on members with no notice is absolutely beyond the pale.”
7. “I’ve got some ideas that HEA can do that would help members. I don’t think they’re big deals, but one or both have been done by other electric utilities, is set up a program for reduced cost for buying florescent lightbulbs. The other is to set up a program for funding through local improvement districts the provision of lines for supplying gas to homes when the gas line comes down to the south peninsula.”

Editorial — Electing to serve a good cause

Like most notes of thanks, this one arrives a bit after the fact. We would like to thank the candidates, campaign workers, those involved with the initiatives and all the election workers for the election on Nov. 4.

Elections are divisive affairs. Candidates spend months sparring back and forth, looking for the slightest bit of imperfection on the part of the competitors. As soon as that imperfection is found, it is trumpeted to the world.

While this is disturbing on some levels, it also is necessary. Whether the position is vice president, U.S. senator or state representative, those running for office deserve a thorough, and perhaps at times unfair, vetting process. These public officials will be taking our money and deciding what to do with it, so it is important we know as much about them as possible.

Candidates submitting themselves to this process deserve our thanks. We may grow to revile certain candidates and their views on some issues, but we must keep in mind that even the candidates we don’t like are part of a democratic system in which thesis and antithesis hopefully leads to synthesis that is better for all.

Three of the 10 races for state Senate and eight of the 40 races for state House of Representatives had only one candidate on the ballot. In one-sided races, constituents usually only learn that the candidate is thankful for support. This shows the value of a competitor. It also shows that running for office is not easy.

Take Sarah Palin, the polarizing candidate for vice president. Quite a few loved her, and quite a few did not, but there is no denying that, for our democracy, she submitted herself to months of hectic travel and unforgiving, harsh criticism.

It’s no mistake that on the night of the election, many candidates thank their families. Skeptics may say this is just politicians being politicians, but it’s clear that the time, effort and thick skin required to run for office places a huge burden on family.

And it’s not just the candidates and the family. The “Alaska Ear” in the Anchorage Daily News reported on Sunday that it’s not uncommon for election workers to gain weight in the months leading to the election. The 17 people working on the Mark Begich Senate race turned that around by entering a fitness pact, resulting in lost weight.

The sacrifices campaigns make for democracy become even more admirable in light of the apathy in which many Americans hold their democracy. The Daily News reported Alaska voter turnout was relatively high this year, with 65 percent of registered voters casting ballots.

The problem is, 65 percent is not very high in light of the sacrifices our armed forces and their families are making at home and abroad right now. 65 percent is not very high in light of similar sacrifices that have been made before and since the 13 colonies declared independence in July of 1776. 65 percent is not very high considering voting is relatively easy and gobs of money are spent begging people to vote.

Americans may disagree about whether government is a necessary evil or a necessary good, but Americans agree that government is necessary. Those who go above and beyond to contribute to the election process deserve our thanks.

Editorial — Increased interest should be the new politics as usual

And now back to our regularly scheduled programming... .

Well, not quite so fast. Even though the election’s over, it’ll still be awhile before the dust settles. It will probably take weeks before the last campaign sign disappears from roadsides, yards and windows, and we’ll be seeing bumper stickers for years yet to come.

Long after the physical signs of this election are gone, supporters for various candidates will still be marked by it.

It’s been a whirlwind political year, with tightly contested presidential, state and local races. And even little ol’ Alaska, usually ignored on the national scene, has taken center stage.
Gov. Palin’s bid for the vice presidency and Sen. Ted Stevens’ corruption trial focused a spotlight on Alaska, heating up what was already a hot election season.

Jockeying for control among Republicans and Democrats in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives gave Alaska’s races more weight there, too. Democrats had a better chance than ever before to unseat Stevens and Young. On a national political scope, the outcomes of those races were important to both parties.

All that translated into a nearly unprecedented level of local interest and involvement in the election season. “Who are you voting for?” has unseated even the weather as the conversation topic of choice. And with winter arriving in early October, that’s saying something.

Unfortunately, along with involvement comes animosity. There have been some ugly moments this election season. A rash of campaign sign thefts and vandalism plagued some candidates’ supporters. A Kenai business owner said he had a customer call him a communist because of the campaign propaganda displayed at the store. And sign wavers on election day were met with the usual shouts of profanity and one-finger salutes.

We’re all entitled to our opinions and to express them as we see fit. But being vulgar, rude or obstinate about it doesn’t do anyone any good. It makes the aggressor look like a jerk, and causes anyone within earshot to tune out the message.

It’s unfortunate, but unavoidable, that some election fervor will turn into fanaticism, especially in an election with so much at stake. But now that the votes are cast, it’s time to put the campaigns behind us. We need to stop being just McCain or Obama supporters, Stevens or Begich fans, Young or Berkowitz voters, and remember that we’re all Alaskans, too.

The candidates are elected. They need to do their jobs, and we need to stop fighting for or against them to do so. That doesn’t mean blindly agreeing with anything they say or do, and it certainly doesn’t mean we should stop paying attention. But it does mean our neighbors are still our neighbors, even if their guy or gal didn’t get your vote.

Heightened political awareness is the best thing to come out of this election, and hopefully that level of interest and attention will continue long after the campaign signs disappear. But it should be in a manner that’s reasoned and respectful to each other, and our newly elected officials.

Let’s make that the new politics as usual.

Conventional wisdom — Nikiski students get political

By Naomi Hagelund
For the Redoubt Reporter

Presidential campaigns took a break from talking about economics and the Iraq War to address such weighty topics as wearing hats in school and reopening the snack bar.

Three hundred and two students acting as delegates from all 50 states had a three-hour, hands-on civics lesson in voting at the 2008 Political Mock Convention at Nikiski Middle-High School on Oct. 22.

Students were allowed to debate on 12 different issues, ranging from high school policies to state politics and federal issues. After voting on the resolutions, the student delegates heard campaign speeches from fellow students representing four different presidential candidates, and voted on the next president. John McCain got the most votes.

Bob Bird, government and U.S. history teacher at the high school, as well as candidate for the U.S. Senate seat in the upcoming election, has been staging a mock convention as part of his curriculum since 1984 in order to teach students the ins and outs of the political process.

“The goal is to let students know that just voting is not being a good citizen,” Bird said. “You have to get involved on a local level. To really be a good citizen you have to pick your party, work within it and bring the ideas to the general public. That’s what a convention does.”

The first three resolutions passed, first with students voting for the freedom to wear hats and coats in school, despite an argument from an Indiana delegate who said, “If you have your hat on and you stay warmer, then you’ll just sweat more and we’ll have to smell it.”

A senior lounge was voted in, and then a resolution reopening the snack bar was passed despite arguments that it would contribute to obesity rates and make students fall asleep in class.

The fourth resolution failed, which would have banned sexual relationships in school, including hand holding and any kind of touching. One Colorado student delegate offered his own awkwardness toward public displays of affection as a reason why the resolution should fail, but a girl representing Massachusetts responded, saying, “If schools are going to start deciding student’s morals, what’s next? Religion?”

The students next decided against lowering the smoking age, and then voted to reopen Nikiski beach access to the public. The next resolution would have required all females from 13 to 18 years of age to use birth control, enforced by the state of Alaska. Some students argued for it, saying it would save some girls from the responsibility of raising a child during their teenage years, but others said the girls should be forced to take responsibility for their own actions, and the resolution failed.

Reflecting on the need for jobs in Alaska during harsh economic times, students decided to build the Denali gas pipeline, despite other students’ protests that wildlife would be adversely affected.

Student delegates then voted against a resolution that would require people under 19 to wear a helmet while riding in a car.

Loud boos met the announcement of the next resolution, the legalization of homosexual marriage in the United States, and students voted it down.

Finally, drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge was allowed, and the No Child Left Behind Act was voted to be removed from Alaska.

Students said the convention was a success.

“It’s good to have and it’s fun,” said Nebraska delegate John Phillips, a senior in Bird’s government class.

Co-secretary Tyler Mabrey, who was responsible for reading resolutions and taking roll call, said she thought the convention went well, and that the juniors and seniors took the convention seriously. But she wasn’t sure about the middle school students, she said.

In the middle of the resolutions debate, three local politicians took the stage and gave the students a bit of advice. New Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor Dave Carey told students how they could change the world.

“Never give up your belief in God, in country, in family, in your school,” Carey said. “As long as you believe in these four things, you can believe in yourself. As long as you believe in yourself, you can truly change the world for the better by changing the way people perceive it and respond to it.”

After greeting the students with “What’s up, dogs?” Mike Chenault, Republican candidate for state House District 34, told students it was their duty and right to vote, and to make sure they research candidates and their positions. Dr. Nels Anderson, Democratic candidate for state Senate District Q, wrapped up the guest speaker segment of the convention.

The state delegates took turns announcing each of their delegates’ votes for president following the two-minute campaign speeches given about the candidates by student representatives. McCain took the election with 209 votes, Barack Obama followed with 44, Republican Ron Paul came in third with 26 and Green Party candidate Cynthia McKinney took 10. “Other” candidates nominated included Sarah Palin, Bob Bird, Chuck Norris, Jackie Chan and Optimus Prime.

The convention precedes the upcoming presidential election and was formed as a tool to teach students how the government works.

“It really helps give our kids a chance to express their own opinions and express opinions that they discuss around the dinner table at home,” said David Means, a Nikiski High School teacher. “I think that being involved in the organization of putting the convention together from the ground up under the tutelage of Mr. Bird is an excellent thing that they wouldn’t get anyplace else.”

Stevens should show honor we once thought he had

It’s a sad day for Alaska.

Sen. Ted Stevens, Uncle Ted, Alaskan of the Century, Lion of the Senate, Senator for Life, added a new title to his name: convicted felon.

Stevens was found guilty Monday of seven counts of lying on his campaign disclosure forms by not recording gifts and remodeling services he received from Veco and its president, Bill Allen, Double Musky owner Robert Persons, Penco Properties owner Bob Penney, and the Kenai River Sportfishing Association.

Sadder still was Stevens’ reaction to the guilty verdict — defiance, finger pointing and blame. He didn’t show a hint of remorse or offer any sort of apology to Alaskans.

He probably thinks he doesn’t owe us one. He must figure that after all he’s done for the state, Alaska should be indebted to him for life. That’s the mentality that led him to ignore ethical rules and the law in accepting gifts without reporting them in the first place.

On one hand, he has done more to make Alaska what it is today than anyone else. Communities across the state show the stamp of his service in the Senate — from water projects to airports, even the Challenger Learning Center of Alaska in Kenai was part of the gravy train of federal dollars he consistently drove to the state.

But he’s wrong in thinking his service gives him special ethical privileges, or makes him in any way above the law.

He’s wrong in not taking accountability for his actions. Even if prosecutors didn’t conduct as smooth a case as they could or should have. Even if there was drama with the jury. Even if all the conspiracy theories he and his closest supporters maintain about the investigation and trial that brought him down, it doesn’t obscure the clear, unavoidable truth: He took gifts and didn’t report them.

He’s guilty.

Stevens needs to resign from the Senate, drop out of the re-election race and apologize to his constituents.

If he won’t, it’s up to Alaskans to show Stevens and all our elected officials that we won’t tolerate that kind of behavior by voting against him on Tuesday.

He doesn’t deserve to represent Alaska in the Senate, and he can no longer be an effective legislator. Even if the Senate doesn’t kick him out, as it should, the stigma of these violations will follow him wherever he goes, and in whatever he tries to do.

No other course of action makes sense. If Stevens honestly doesn’t think he inappropriately accepted gifts, or if he truly was clueless that Veco was footing the bill for his house remodeling, then he clearly lacks the intelligence to remain a senator.

If he knew what he was doing and thought he was entitled to his behavior, he lacks the ethical compass needed to be a senator.

That makes him either stupid or corrupt. Neither are qualifications Alaska needs in its representatives.

If Stevens doesn’t want that to be the only thing remembered about him, he needs to step up and prove he’s capable of the integrity and honor Alaskans once assumed he had and be accountable for his actions.

May or may not — Carey vs. Williams: Only 1 mayor will get borough post

By Jenny Neyman
Redoubt Reporter

Soldotna Mayor Dave Carey is hoping to follow in former Kenai Mayor John Williams’ footsteps in moving on from city government to the position of Kenai Peninsula Borough mayor.

He’ll have to unseat Williams to do it, since Williams is running for a second term.

Voters on the central peninsula are familiar with both men, as they’ve both been active in the local communities and politics for decades.

Williams has lived on the Kenai Peninsula for 40 years now. He helped found Kenai Peninsula College, worked in the oil and gas industry and has owned and operated a real estate business. He served as mayor of the city of Kenai for 18 years, and has been borough mayor for three years.

Carey moved to the peninsula in 1961. He is a retired teacher with the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District and an adjunct professor at Kenai Peninsula College. In the political realm, he is the president of the board of directors of Homer Electric Association, president of the Kenai River Special Management Area board, and is nearing the end of his third term as mayor of Soldotna.

Anyone attending com-munity barbecues, food bank fundraisers, parades, ribbon cuttings or similar community events likely knows the candidates. But getting to know their stance on the myriad issues facing the borough in the next three years can be more difficult to do.

To help get better acquainted, representatives of several segments of the community were asked what they considered to be the most pressing issues the borough mayor will likely face in the next three years. Mayoral candidates were then asked to respond to those concerns.

Business

Proposition 1 on the Oct. 7 ballot — the grocery sales tax exemption initiative — and handling of the borough budget led the list of interests in the business community.

“It seems like taxes have been kind of at the top of the mind for everybody, especially the grocery tax initiative,” said Tina Baldridge, director of the Kenai Chamber of Commerce.
“And the financial status of the borough budget was discussed, how the budget was going to be organized and where they’re going to appropriate money, how they’re going to manage that,” Baldridge said.

Animal control in the borough has also been of interest, said Michelle Glaves, director of the Soldotna Chamber of Commerce.

Williams has come out against the grocery tax initiative, largely because it would disrupt the borough budget in the middle of the fiscal year, he said.

“If you’re going to do something like this, come in and talk to the administration and talk to the assembly, set the wheels in motion at budget time, not midterm. The budget, once set, is like a balloon, you push your finger in one side and it pooches out the other side,” he said.

Carey has declined to say whether or not he favors the initiative while he still is serving as mayor of Soldotna, since the city is seeking an exemption that would allow it to collect sales taxes on groceries, even if the initiative passes.

Both pledged they would make the budget work with reduced revenues if the initiative passes.

For the borough’s general fund budget, Carey said he would present the assembly with a budget that would cap borough spending at no more than inflation.

Williams also said he has no plans to increase the general fund budget, and pointed to his work to cut and balance the budget in the three years he’s been in office.

Neither Carey nor Williams foresee pursuing a change in tax rates in the near future, although tweaks in how taxes are collected may come about.

Carey proposes supporting an Alaska Municipal League proposal to increase property tax exemptions from $200,000 to $500,000.

“I want to be sure people living in homes can stay there,” he said.

Williams and Carey suggested pursuing changes in how property tax assessments are done at the state level.

“Working with (legislators and the state assessor’s office) to try to draft some kind of alternatives to give us extra tools to work with so we’re not hamstrung with such an onerous, one-way-fits-all state law,” Williams said.

On animal control, Williams said several proposed options have been discussed over the years, including having the borough help shoulder the costs of city animal control programs, but nothing will happen unless residents want it to.

“Until the general public convinces the assembly that this is something we need, I doubt very seriously that the office of mayor would go through with it,” Williams said.
Carey has a similar, if more forceful, take on the issue:

“Absolutely not. I don’t believe it is a function the borough should take on unless a service area is set up by voters,” he said.

Tourism

Tourism operators hope the borough mayor will invest in the industry.

Shanon Hamrick, director of the Kenai Peninsula Tourism Marketing Council, said tourism businesses want to know that proceeds from the recreation sales tax that went into effect in April are reinvested in the industry. Of KPTMC’s $600,000 budget, the borough contributed about $300,000 last year, Hamrick said.

“When you tax an industry it’s important to give back to that industry,” Hamrick said. “… With the issue with the grocery tax, anytime that the borough loses a source of income, tourism is kind of seen as low-hanging fruit. KPTMC would like to know what the stance is from both candidates on investing in the future of the Kenai Peninsula by investing in tourism marketing.”

Infrastructure, including road maintenance and visitor services such as rest stops and visitor centers, are a concern in the tourism industry, as well.

Carey said he is in favor of supporting KPTMC and its marketing efforts, though he doesn’t want publications outside the borough to be paid for advertising. He also is not in favor of the recreation sales tax that currently generates some of KPTMC’s budget.
“I think it’s just another way to hurt the tourism businesses,” he said.

Williams likewise is in favor of supporting tourism marketing efforts, and noted he placed an extra $75,000 in the budget for instate tourism marketing to offset the expected drop in out-of-state visitors.

Roads have been one of Williams’ main campaign points this election.

“All three years we’ve been working to build up the road money pool,” he said.

Between reserves, money from the federal government and the state, and if voters approve the state roads bond issue on the upcoming ballot, Williams estimates having about $28 million for roads projects. He said he’s already hired a new roads engineer and a priority list is being developed, on which $5 million to $7 million will be spent a year.

“We need better roads all over this borough. I’m tired of living in 1930s roads conditions,” Williams said at the League of Women Voters forum.

Carey said he would like to see a comprehensive, five-year funded plan from the state to address infrastructure needs.

“We have so many more roads than we can possibly service at this time,” he said. “What is needed is a very large infusion of state money to bring those roads up to standards. Five years would give us a chance to look at all roads in the borough to assess priorities to look at as many roads as possible.” Carey also said he is very concerned with the restriction of a beach access road in Nikiski.

“I want to examine how that’s occurred,” he said.

Industry

The borough mayor needs to be a partner with industry on the Kenai Peninsula, through supporting current projects and new initiatives, as well as trying to solve the energy puzzle, said Milt Allen, project manager for the southern district of Udelhoven Oilfield Services.

“We need industry now, so that we secure things for the future,” Allen said. “There’s an awful lot of potential right here on the peninsula that we need to enhance. There’s all kinds of proposals for new industry, and we need those things.”

Working toward getting a natural gas bullet line to the peninsula also is crucial to the peninsula’s industrial future.

In Carey’s view, the best way to support industry on the peninsula is to have a stable tax base and lower energy costs.

“Working with HEA and the projects they have in terms of alternative energy and to keep costs as low as possible when you’re talking about taxes and energy has the largest effects on industry and their ability to stay here,” he said.

Carey supports bringing a natural gas line from the North Slope to the Matanuska-Susitna area, so it can be routed to the peninsula. He supports the proposed Chuitna Coal Mine across Cook Inlet if it proves feasible. Likewise, he supports Pebble Mine.

“If all the studies show that it’s a good thing and has the strictest environmental safeguards, then yes, I would support it. It gives us jobs,” Carey said.

Williams said he has been working for years to promote the peninsula’s oil and gas industry, including testifying on behalf of the All-Alaska Gas Line project with a bullet line to Cook Inlet. Williams supports building a plant at Glennallen with two pipelines from there, one carrying natural gas and the other liquefied natural gas that could be piped to Cook Inlet and manufactured on the peninsula.

He voiced a similar stance to Carey on Chuitna and Pebble mines.

“With any major project two things are foremost — can they permit it under the current regulations and maintain a safe environment, and can they design it so that it runs safely and properly within the boundaries of the permitting system. You never rush to judgment on those kinds of projects,” he said.

Fishing

Both Dwight Kramer, chair of the Kenai Area Fishermen’s Coalition, and Ricky Gease, executive director of the Kenai River Sportfishing Association, want to see the borough continue to support the repair of blocked and deteriorating culverts on the peninsula to allow unobstructed salmon migration. The borough contributed $100,000 last year and another $100,000 is in this year’s budget to address hundreds of blocked or soon-to-be blocked culverts.

Infrastructure, again, was a concern. Gease said he wants to know that easements along the river and infrastructure for public access to the Kenai and Kasilof rivers remain on the borough’s radar screen. Facilitating fairness in the fishing industry will also be important for the mayor.

“The borough needs to do a good job making sure that there’s equal support for all the fishing industries. … It seems like they’ve gotten off track and just supported one particular segment. All of them are important to the well-being of the community as well as the borough’s financial well-being,” Kramer said.

Carey would like to see culvert remediation included in the comprehensive five-year infrastructure plan he wants from the state.

He also believes the borough should take a more active role in safeguarding the health of the Kenai River.

“The borough must be much more proactive in making sure we protect all the life in that river. At the same time, we must promote local people, not for-profit people, taking their children down to the river and having a favorable experience,” Carey said.

He agrees the borough should promote all fishing user groups equally.

On culverts, Williams said he put the money in the budget for culvert reclamation, which was parleyed into even more funding by the Kenai Watershed Forum.

He said that money is a way to support all river user groups, since improving fish habitat and migration means more fish survive and come back to spawn, helping all fishing user groups.

Williams also noted he’s changed his mind on banning two-stroke motors on the river. He was skeptical of the plan at first, but since seeing water quality reports showing less hydrocarbon pollution since the switch to four-strokes was made, he’s now a believer.
“I was somewhat against it when it came out but the proof is in the clean water. No more pudding,” he said.

Education

Carey and Williams have faced the same question repeatedly during their campaigns: Will you fund education “to the cap,” meaning the maximum amount a local municipality is allowed to spend on education under state law?

“Education funding to the cap is absolutely essential to the continued well-being of our school district,” said Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Superintendent Donna Peterson.

Carey is hesitant to commit to full funding without knowing what the cap will be.
“I do not think it is prudent, managementwise, to promise three years in advance when you have no idea what the amount will be,” he said.

Williams counters that the borough does know what the amount will be, thanks to the Legislature passing a forward funding plan for education last session that spells out the state funding formula and increases to it in the next few years.

“Yes, fund to the cap. Absolutely,” he said at the League of Women Voters forum.
The general health of the borough contributes to the health of the school district, because student enrollment generates funding for the district, Peterson said. In that vein, having an equitable, balanced budget and sustainable jobs will encourage families to live on the peninsula.

Vocational education is another topic of interest in education, at the secondary and postsecondary levels.

“I hope the mayor takes our message to truly get through to the Legislature and to the governor of this need in their borough in order to support the workforce demands of our state,” said Gary Turner, director of Kenai Peninsula College.

Turner said KPC’s technical programs have a year waiting list because he doesn’t have the resources to expand the programs enough to accommodate everyone. Part of the crunch is space-related. KPC needs student housing in order to expand, especially in vocational education, he said.

“KPC is looked at as leaders in these programs in our state, but I can’t graduate them if I can’t house them. There’s a huge demand for it, and that’s today. What happens if we get a gas pipeline or any other projects that might be out there?” he said.

Carey is in favor of funding for student housing at Kenai Peninsula College, and of expanding vocational education opportunities for veterans returning from service.

He doesn’t think the state or university system will pony up all the money necessary for these initiatives, however. He favors putting an education mill rate increase on the ballot, so voters can decide whether they want to make the borough a more active partner in KPC.
“We need to have a good discussion and talk about whether we want to move back to being a community college, specifically for the purpose of vocational education,” he said.

Williams thinks the current level of borough funding for KPC is adequate, but said he intends to work closely with University of Alaska Chancellor Fran Ulmer and the Legislature to secure $12 million for KPC housing.

“I think that it would be a most worthy addition to the college,” he said.

Editorial: Sign thefts a sad campaign reality

Mary Toutonghi is angry. She’s got a right to be.

She’s got a right to free speech, too, but that’s been stolen along with her yard signs promoting candidates in the upcoming general election. Which gets back to why she’s angry.

In all the years Toutonghi has lived on the central peninsula — it’s been many — and all the years she’s put up signs in support of candidates, she’s never had them outright stolen before.

Well, once. A tenant’s son didn’t agree with her politics and took down a sign from the yard. After a long chat about respecting one another’s views and the rights of property owners vs. renters, Toutonghi’s sign went back up, with the renter’s son putting one of his own in his apartment window.

But earlier this month, Toutonghi’s signs were stolen altogether. Others have gone missing, as well.

When asked about sign thefts and vandalism, perennial candidates and campaign workers had a similar take on the situation: It happens. It’s a disappointing, but expected, part of campaigning.

How sad.

It doesn’t matter who the signs were promoting. Or that they cost money, which they do. And it’s illegal to steal them, but that isn’t really the point, either. This is one of those situations where there shouldn’t have to be a law to keep something from happening, like kicking puppies or pulling up flowers at gravesites. You just don’t do it.

It is staggering to imagine the ignorance, intolerance and inability to put yourself in someone else’s shoes that goes into stealing a campaign sign, or any other form of stifling someone’s ability to support whatever politics or politicians they choose.

“Kids will be kids,” is one thing. That’s not a valid excuse for any kind of misbehavior, especially vandalism, but it’s much less disturbing than the alternative explanation — that adults stole the signs in a purposeful attempt to hinder someone else’s ability to express their views.

It’s senseless, stupid and, in this case, ultimately useless, since all it’s done is made Toutonghi even more dedicated to supporting her candidates and spreading their message.

As she has every right to.