Dear Voter,
I'm Representative Alan Dick and I believe that the best way to help someone decide how to vote is to provide a clear contrast between the candidates. This can be done by pointing out the challenger's position and responding with one's own position.
The following flyer was sent by Representative Guttenberg to voters throughout the district and is available for anyone to review. I've reproduced it here in order to contrast our positions on the points he's raised. I've highlighted his claims in red and will respond to each in order in purple.
I will state up-front that I find this flyer to be nothing but schmooze - with nothing of substance in the entire flyer and I'll point that out line by line.
I hope that you find my positions persuasive - if so, please vote for me on November 6th, but if not, I suggest that you vote for me anyway - because being in the majority will allow me to represent you better than a representative in the minority - and I will listen to you no matter which party you are in. Thank You!
Here is Representative Guttenberg's flyer together with my comments:
Re-Elect
David Guttenberg
Standing Up for Alaskans
Dear fellow Alaskan, I believe in doing what is right for Alaskans. Let's work together to help each other improve our communities. We'll do this by reducing high energy costs, Raising our
standards of education, building infrastructure, creating more jobs, protecting our
retirement benefits for our future and improving health care. We owe it to our future
generations to work together today. The current divisive, destructive, polarizing
politics is a disservice to our children and grandchildren. The new House District 38
is huge and diverse. You need someone who can best represent your interests
effectively and efficiently. Your vote is critical in this election, make it work for you.
Vote for the candidate with the longest, strongest record of steady, effective
representation of Alaskans. Please join me on November 6th and vote for our future.
This is a very nicely laid-out piece. But does it have any substance? Let's evaluate it.
1.) Doing what is right for Alaskans.
This first point is very subjective and doesn't tell us much. I too believe in doing what's right for Alaskans! And the nine points that follow are merely a list of things that are important to the state. Pointing out what needs attention, without providing details of what he proposes to do about it, isn't a plan - it's just a list.
Representative Guttenberg has been in office for 10 years and doesn't point out anything in this flyer that tells us what he has done during that time to improve these concerns. What will he do over the next ten years?
2.) Work Together.
It's easy to blame the other side - to say that its someone else's fault that we don't get anything done. Representative Guttenberg spouts the party line - doing what we've all seen President Obama do - which was to blame George W. Bush for four long years. I spent the last two years in many committee meetings with Representative Guttenberg and Kowasaki and we weren't dealing with bills they had presented. Instead we heard objection after objection from them rather than proposed compromises or solutions. In some instances their objections prevented any progress at all.
3. Reducing High Energy Costs.
Again, this is an item on a list. Where is Represenative Guttenbergs proposed solution for declining oil in the pipeline? Short term help in the form of a state payout does nothing to truly reduce high energy costs [and would take a large amount of money out of state coffers that could have been used to help fund legitimate long-term solutions].
Contrary to Representative Guttenberg's claims I do not support a $2B giveaway to the oil companies and I do have a plan for helping get oil into the pipeline and reduce the high costs of energy.
4. Raising our Standards of Education.
Again this is only an item on a list. Where is Representative Guttenberg's proposed solution to our Education problems? I spent the last two years as the chairman of the Education Committee. I have real proposals that offer real solutions.
5. Building Infrastructure.
Same as above - its only an item on a list. Where is his proposal for building infrastructure? I not only proposed building new infrastructure - I was successful in getting a $6.5 Million bridge, and roads to resources, allocation into the transportation bond package which should open up as much as a million acres to resource development.
6. Creating more jobs.
Same as above - its nothing but an item on the list with an allusion that locals might be hired if broadband projects and other needed infrastructure are built. Where is his bill proposing such projects and what evidence does he have that he will be able to get such a bill passed? My bridge and roads project was successful and lots of Alaska Jobs will be created as a result.
7. Protecting Retirement Benefits.
Same as above - an item on a wish list. No plan, no proposal.
8. Improving Health Care.
Same as above - an item on a wish list. No plan, no proposal.
9. Need someone who can best represent your interests effectively and efficiently.
There are no details offered in support of how effective and efficient he is. The reality is that he is not in the majority and a representative in the Majority is much more effective than one in the minority. Majority representatives are appointed as chairmen of committees, they are given more staff to accomplish their additional duties, they have a much better likelihood of having their bills passed.
In two years I have been more effictive than Representative Guttenberg has been in ten and that was the two years while I was still learning the ropes in Juneau. Additionally, I have spent spent virtually my whole life living in both worlds - rural Alaska and urban Alaska. I married into the native culture 45 years ago and have lived and taught in villages for years. I have also spent years working in education roles that have sent me to deal with schools throughout Alaska. I am just as familiar with the Fairbanks portion of my district as I am with the rural portion and I can serve both areas equally well - and I want to. Unlike Representative Guttenberg who was active in support of a lawsuit to keep from having to represent the rural portions of our district and made clear in public testimony that he DID NOT WANT to represent the Lower Yukon.
10. Strong Record of Steady, Effective Representation.
Again, nothing of substance is offered as evidence of this claim except that he does have a strong record of having introduced very few bills to deal with the items on his list and even fewer being passed. That does not make him an effective Representative.
I have been an effective representative for the people throughout my district as indicated above and I will continue doing so as long as I serve in the legislature.
Energy
· Alaskans deserve affordable energy. Alaska's oil wealth belongs to all of us. All Alaskans should enjoy its benefits. Where's the plan?
· Alaska's Constitution declares our natural resources belong to all Alaskans. Let’s put our resource wealth to work for all of us. How? What's the plan?
· The House Republican majority prevented short-term energy cost relief. They would not schedule a hearing on a measure put forward by a bipartisan coalition. For your family, the Republican majority's partisan attitude cost you as much as $3,600 last year. Is this his plan for filling the pipeline - giving us money each year while the production declines further and further?
Education
· Education is the key to solving current problems, building a promising future, and fostering
healthier and happier communities. Educated people are prosperous people. Again, where's his plan?
· Alaska's education system should help all students succeed, regardless of privilege. I agree with this postion - but this statement includes no plan and none can be found elsewhere in this flyer.
Building Infrastructure
· We can create jobs improving broadband projects and other needed infrastructure, hiring local Alaskans to do the work. No Plan.
· All Alaskans deserve clean drinking water, reliable sewage treatment systems, safe solid waste disposal options, and efficient, well-maintained transportation corridors, be they on land, on water, or in the air. No Plan.
Experienced Leadership We Can Trust
Paid for by David Guttenberg for State House P.O. Box 80731 Fairbanks, AK 99708 Find out more at www.david.guttenberg.orc
We are all Alaskans, no matter where in the
state we live. Urban or rural, we all deserve our
fair share of the wealth Alaska has to offer.
Republicans supported outrageous tax breaks
and giveaways to giant multi-national corporations. I voted NO; we stopped them. All minority members combined could not have stopped HB110 from passing without Majority support. Republicans and Democrats together stopped HB110 from passing.
This land is our land, those are our resources.
The Alaska Constitution mandates we develop our
resources for the maximum benefit for all
Alaskans.
My priorities are:
· creating jobs. How?
· reducing energy costs. How?
· improving education. How?
· providing affordable health care. How?
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Experienced Leadership We Can Trust
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