Alaska is too big for partisan politics

July 9, 2007

This isn’t Sarah related, but interesting enough I felt it deserved a reprint here in case you might have missed it in the Anchorage Daily News.

Any Alaskan that attaches themselves to a party should really give this a read.

WALLY HICKEL
COMMENT

(Published: July 8, 2007)

As we approach 50 years of statehood, it’s time to recognize that the partisan political party system we borrowed from the South 48 doesn’t fit Alaska. No one party has a corner on the issues and beliefs important to Alaskans, and we shouldn’t let partisanship divide us when the door is open to many great opportunities awaiting our state and our people. Historically, when the battle was joined on the biggest issues facing us, Alaskans closed ranks and dropped party labels and symbols. We did it when we won statehood in 1958, and we did it to gain passage of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act 13 years later.

Today as we debate who should build and benefit from a natural gas pipeline and whether needy seniors and the state’s education budget should receive adequate funding, the majority of Alaskans stand together. And the politicians from both major parties stand with us.

New arrivals to our state and each succeeding generation need to understand that being a citizen in Alaska requires more thought and involvement than it does in the rest of the country. It demands more than bumper-sticker politics.

Our constitution and the Alaska Statehood Act mandate that all Alaskans are co-owners of Alaska’s 103 million acres and the resources they contain. In this unique Owner State, we have the obligation to use these valuable assets for the benefit of the people and the region and not some leader or corporation. And we have the obligation to care for lands and resources and make sure they are not abused.

At the state level, the overall economy and state revenue depend on the management skills of those we elect and those they appoint. They must have an understanding of business and government that matches or surpasses the Outside interests with whom they must deal. And what business would pick its executives and board of directors on whether or not they are Republicans or Democrats?

Partisanship carries with it risks and dangers. Special interests can capture political parties and use legal loopholes to funnel campaign funds and campaign workers to the politicians who vote their way.

And who are the party leaders who allow this to happen? Few Alaskans know who serves on the executive committee of the political party they belong to and help finance. Few media carry stories or images of these people. And yet these insiders wield great influence and can become so entrenched that even the grass-roots central committees they are supposed to represent are often powerless to clean house when needed.

It can be argued that political parties provide a simple means for voters to identify the philosophies of candidates for public office. Take another look.

The Republicans have traditionally advocated reduced government and being tough when it comes to law and order. But for the past generation, it has been our all-Republican congressional delegation that has secured billions of dollars of government funds to help Alaska catch up with the quality of life enjoyed by the rest of the nation. I commend them for putting Alaska before the party platform.

And when it comes to law and order, nearly all of the politicians being investigated today by the FBI for bribery and corruption are Republicans.

The most obvious benefit of the party system is the convenience it provides to organize elections. Through the primary process, the number of names on the ballot is reduced to a manageable number of candidates in the general election. And party labels serve as shorthand, especially for those voters who haven’t taken the time to listen to, read about and meet the candidates.

But I think we can do better. As we prepare to celebrate the 50th anniversary of statehood, let’s brainstorm and debate this issue. The Alaska Constitution does not require the formation of political parties. Let’s take the time to design a nonpartisan Alaska. If we succeed, future generations will be well served.

Walter J. Hickel was elected governor of Alaska as a Republican in 1966 and as an Independence Party candidate in 1990. He served as secretary of the interior from 1969-1970. With former Gov. Bill Egan, a Democrat, he co-founded the public policy forum Commonwealth North in 1979.