Contributed by Tom
November 3rd, 2020 is fast approaching and the General Election this year is an important election for Alaska.
To put it bluntly: Alaska is in a fiscal crisis and is under a pandemic that is stressing our healthcare system in Alaska.
Three years ago, I saw the fiscal crisis coming and elected to voluntarily not apply for the PFD. The State of Alaska has been drawing from the Earnings Reserve for the past three years to keep the government running.
I wonder how many legislators can make the claim that they didn’t apply for the PFD while authorizing the draw on the Earnings Reserve?
It’s easy to say we need to cut the budget, but it is harder to say we are in a fiscal crisis and voluntarily not receive the PFD. There is the motto “Lead by Example”.
This election, Senate District D has three other candidates who all claim to have the answers to solving the fiscal crisis while promising a full PFD and wanting to build a Knik Arm bridge.
When a candidate states that they support a full PFD and building a Knik Arm bridge, they are either pandering for votes or are clueless on the severity of the fiscal problem.
I have taken the unpopular view of the PFD is on the table, more specifically for five years and a draw made to finance the Knik Arm bridge.
The federal government and its Highway Trust Fund is insolvent and federal dollars for road maintenance will be focused on repairs not new large projects.
When you look at how the government has distributed its money in Alaska, the Mat-Su has been pretty much been left out. There was six hundred and eighteen million dollars allocated to upgrade the Port in Nome, the bridge at the Eagle River on ramp to the Glenn Highway was built, the bases supporting the F35 boondoggle to name a few.
Time and again, Mat-Su voters have elected politicians who make promises they can’t keep.
A promise I can make and keep: I will work to lock down funds to build a Knik Arm bridge and work with our federal legislators to appropriate defense funds for the building of a naval oceanic research facility at Port MacKenzie.
My background in meteorology while in the Air Force, has provided me with the insight and experience to understand how the lack of data can affect modelling and forecasting the weather. With my military experience I understand how important it is to have a strong military presence in Alaska.
In 2016, Stanford University research has found how hydrothermal vents on the floor of the North Pacific can negatively impact the Pacific Ocean. In the Gulf of Alaska, the federal government is mapping seamounts.
Moreover, just recently the Russian navy harassed our fishing fleet in the Bering Sea and we have no Navy here to provide a show of strength.
Bottom line is a Knik Arm bridge and a Navy presence in Alaska is needed.
Last, at the writing of this Op-Ed I am finishing my position on fixing Medicaid fraud through developing blockchain technology and education funding is detailed.
You can visit my campaign website at lamb4senate.com to read more on the issues in detail and I offer my thanks for those who voted in the primary. This general election will set the course for Alaska’s future.