By WILLIE KEPPEL
We have a once-in-a-generational opportunity to clean up the Alaska Legislature: The retirement of Lyman Hoffman, after 40 years — with the bonus of Senate President Gary Stevens throwing in the towel with 24 years.
The icing on top may yet appear with an announcement from Golovin-based Sen. Donny Olson, with 24 years, announcing retirement due to medical complications from a recent serious ailment.
These are just some of the poster politicians for why we need an opportunity to vote on a constitutional change that defines and mandates mandatory term limits.
It just gets better. The rumored possibility is if Donny resigns, Nome Democrat Neil Foster will apply for Donnie’s seat, or run in the next election.
With the retirement of Sen. Stevens, Kodiak Rep. Louise Stutes, with 10 years in the House, two of which she served as a speaker, has announced a run to succeed her buddy, Stevens in the Senate.
The icing on the cake gets thicker with Hoffman encouraging current House Speaker Bryce Edgmon to run for his seat. Edgmon will have 20 years in office at the end of the next session. The beauty is both Stutes and Edgmon will have to move out of the comfort zones they have created in their districts by throwing our PFD funds to their favorite special interests for as much as decades. This applies to Foster also.
The reason I am happy is we have an opportunity to wipe the slate clean of the power brokers in Juneau. No matter how you may want to slice the budgetary cake, these folks have already decided on the portion sizes for government and private economy, with wiggle room left on the size of the PFD to be stolen, before they even gavel into a new session. These are the folks that have controlled the Finance committees, the House and Senate gavel that steers new bills to committees, and have appointed the committees. Which has led us to what??
If you are already thinking, BILLION AND A HALF DOLLAR DEFICITS, you will not be alone in your thoughts. If you suddenly have a flashback to tens of thousands of your family’s PFD dollars being ripped out of your pockets, it’s not a bad dream — it’s theft by their design.
I see the opportunity for change. I see the opportunity for fresh faces to change juno. I see fresh faces that trust Alaskans to go to the polls and vote for term limits, constitutional PFDs and laws that define where a legislator is required to live and for how long.
I see a brighter Alaska, one where we live within our financial means. I say to those listed above, thank you for your service and do not let the door hit you in the rear on the way out.
Willy Keppel is a longtime trapper and fur trader in Western Alaska.
