Contributed by Pamela Goode
I am Pam Goode and I'm running for State House District 9, which spans from Delta Junction down the Richardson Highway to Valdez, from Glennallen along the Glenn Highway to rural Palmer and also includes Whittier. This large diversified district and my lifetime experiences have a lot in common… missile defense, oil and gas, maritime, rural living, fiscal responsibility, conservative values and liberty!
With a change in leadership, our strongest and brightest days are ahead. I see it clearly! Am I ready for the legislature? Absolutely! Some run for office and you seldom hear from them again unless it's a campaign season. I run for office and whether I win or lose my race, I double down and go for the gain in knowledge and involvement. I have been actively engaged in the legislative sessions for well over five years. When I hear and learn something of importance, I like to share. My dedication is not just full-time, but overtime!
There are few candidates, if any, running that have worked harder to inform voters of the attacks that were coming on their PFD and hard-earned income. Since 2014, I have been sharing with the people of my district and beyond that if the continued overspending and over committing by the legislature and governor did not cease, the PFD and your earnings would be at stake. Those warnings came to fruition in 2016, and unfortunately continue today on the same trajectory. The good news is, with 2018 elections, we can change it!
Three major issues impacting our state are crime, the PFD and the economy:
1) Crime: The increase in crime throughout my large district has been attributed to SB91, drugs and the economy. I was never a proponent of SB91, and spoke out against it before and after it passed. Tough on crime is where I stand!
2) PFD: The PFD belongs to the people and families of Alaska! For almost 40 years, the traditional PFD calculation and distribution was never a problem, why is it today? After draining almost $17 billion of Alaskans’ savings, our government determined that the next largest and easiest pot of money to access to continue their excessive spending is the PFD. Your earned income is next. No to both! Enough said.
3) Economy: The key cause of our struggling economy is our government. The main problem for over a decade is, and always has been, “government overspending”, which needlessly put Alaska in an unsustainable artificial economic bubble. After being forewarned to stop, the continued funding of these unsustainable budgets led to the rapid depletion of the savings needed for long-term sustainable budgets. Mismanaging the people's money and future is not to be tolerated.
Remember when oil prices skyrocketed? Alaskans felt the pain at the pump, in heating their homes and going to the store. Tourism decreased and small businesses suffered; many were forced to shut down, especially in rural Alaska. All the while, the Alaska government was growing in scope and size. When oil prices plummeted, the people breathed relief, though many small businesses never recovered. The government cried out, “Oh no!” but kept spending and failed to right-size to a sustainable budget level.
This year's budget will cost Alaskans more than last year. With our savings nearly gone, for the first time in history, the Permanent Fund Earnings Reserve will be drawn down to continue the overspending. This fiscal train wreck was foreseeable, avoidable, irresponsible and fundamentally immoral. Alaskans and their future deserve better!
Am I ready? I've been ready. I'm Goode2Go! Always listening and looking out for you!
Email me: pam@goodeforalaska.com Call me: 907-251-1528
Vote Pam Goode on August 21st!
Republican Primary. You'll be glad you did!