Tamara Kruse Roselius, Democrat
State Senate, District A
Why are you running for office?
I believe in our families, kids, schools, energy and food security, smart women making their own health choices, healthy food and air, our strong sense of community, and mutual respect. But we must keep living here affordable. By providing the necessary services and the right economic climate, we need to foster strong Alaska jobs for Alaska families. To do this we need a unified delegation from Fairbanks. My platform is common sense bipartisan solutions for all Alaskans.
The biggest problem facing the state of Alaska is
Energy delivered efficiently and cheaply to homes/businesses. With our energy resources, we need legislators to deliver incentives and solutions. Our resources are to benefit all Alaskans, but Interior and rural Alaskans are being left out in the cold. We need options that include piped or trucked energy from Cook Inlet and/or the Nenana basin (50 miles from Fairbanks and adjacent to railroad transport) and not wait for companies to come to us with viable solutions. It is time to start leading.
Describe three ways in which the state should try to grow and diversify Alaska's economy
A gas pipeline and priority infrastructure can make Fairbanks the hub of an energy network, creating good jobs. Affordable energy will attract new business. Strong schools train the top workforce our expanding state needs, while creating new jobs in value added industries. A vibrant university system should continue to attract even more grants and private partnerships in the expanding fields of renewable energy and arctic research. Our state should lead the way in arctic growth opportunities.
What amount of state spending do you believe is sustainable? If cuts need to be made, where should most of the money come from, the operations budget or the capital budget?
We need to base a budget on the money we have. Just like every household in Alaska. We also need to stop the scattershot approach to spending; throw money at every big project and hope something sticks. We can not at the same time fund the $5 billion Susitna Dam, a large gas pipeline, a small gas pipeline, and trucking gas while building a North Slope liquification plant. All while spending on a $500 million Juneau road and the $1.7 billion Knik Arm Bridge. A $2 billion deficit is unsustainable.
What additional steps can the state take to promote construction of a natural gas pipeline from the North Slope?
SB138 needs modification before the pipeline becomes a viable conduit for cheaper energy and state $$. We need smarter financing for our state share than the deal with TransCanada; a larger revenue share than the current proposed plan, which gives us one of the lowest in the world. During this pre-FEED stage, with its refined cost estimates, we must work on our participation agreements with TransCanada and the producers, and elect a legislature that approves only what is good for Alaskans
The voters have chosen Senate Bill 21 or the More Alaska Production Act to generate most of the state's tax revenues. How will you determine whether this tax structure is effective? Do you think any changes should be made to the law in the upcoming legislative session?
To know whether SB21 is an efficient tax structure, and whether our revenue is satisfactory, we need to make sure we perform timely audits. We can use 2010-2014 as a measurement. During these years, we had large profits, our economy grew and jobs grew. However, we know that SB21 guarantees us billions in deficits for decades, with its zero production revenues from new oil fields. Much will need to be done to make up this shortfall to our roads, schools, and public employees, or change this.
The state's savings is being depleted. How low should the savings go before you begin to seriously discuss implementing a widespread tax, such as as a sales or income tax, or reducing Permanent Fund Dividend checks to help pay for services?
Before these unpopular options, we need to revisit SB21, see above, consider smarter policy choices in regard to corporate and severance taxes where there exist inequalities, and come up with a 5 year plan for our savings accounts. We can prioritize our spending and not spend on pet projects that don't generate income until we can bridge to additional revenues from a gas pipeline.
Should the state subsidy program for films and reality television programs continue? Explain.
There exist good questions about whether this is in the public interest. But before we get there, we need good audit information as to what exactly this program is bringing us and whether the revenue owed us is funding film programs. The structure put in place in 2011 may not be good enough today, if this is only being used for reality shows and not good jobs and higher wages.
Taxation on oil and gas production in Alaska is ___ (Generally higher than it should be, About right; Generally lower than it should be, other):
Too low when prices/profits are high, and should include Alaska investment incentive.
Taxation on other industries in Alaska is ___ (Generally higher than it should be, About right; Generally lower than it should be, other):
We should consider the severance tax on metallic sulfide mines, as about 2% here is low in comparison.
Taxation on individual citizens in Alaska is ___ (Generally higher than it should be, About right; Generally lower than it should be, other):
About right
What are your specific plans to address the serious problems of leadership, morale and accountability within the Alaska National Guard?
We first need to address the non-compliance on the part of Governor Parnell's office concerning the unlawful length of time it took to answer record requests and lack of forthcoming information. It is hard to answer this question without access to the information that is being withheld from the public. The legislature should have already requested verifiable and accurate reports. With this information, we need to waste no time getting rid of the bad apples.
What are Alaska's three biggest education challenges? What is your plan to address each of them?
First, pre-K and full day kindergarten offered for district students. Second, teacher attraction and retention. We need to reinstate a cost neutral defined benefit plan. Third, forward funding education for planning purposes, and adequate resources for our teachers to achieve the effects we desire. This would include funding for appropriate class sizes, classroom support, curriculum modifications and dropout prevention resources.
What are your suggestions to increase accountability of public schools?
This is asking the wrong question. What can we do better to be accountable to our schools? We provide the resources they need to continue the choices they offer; homeschooling, alternative scheduling, outdoor emphasis, school explorations; all while keeping class sizes low. We have an abundance of choices in our district. Teachers need be no more accountable than other workers. Maybe we should pay legislators based on budget reviews and deficit spending.
Would you support a constitutional amendment that would allow public funds to be spent on private or religious K-12 education? If such an amendment were to pass, would you then support voucher or some similar grant to parents of state funds that they could spend on private or religious education for their children?
Not now. Private schools have no accountability, and we have only private religious schools here anyway. We are in the midst of a 3-year austerity plan for our public schools already, and to even suggest, with billions in deficits, to add the estimated $100 million this would cost to our education budget is ludicrous and unconscionable. Defying common sense by funding religious schools is not my cup of tea, while our schools are already underfunded and provide many choices.
What are your plans for improving the quality of education offered through the University of Alaska system?
Turn out students ready for existing job markets and Alaska's needs. Concentrate in STEM studies; expand nursing program, teaching more students, getting them into communities needing them/tuition assistance; partner with industry engineering programs and use internship pathways to jobs; while recruiting and retaining excellent teachers with Alaska's unique offerings. We have to make sure our programs have the necessary resources to continue to attract research and grants. $ make $$$.
Do you support or oppose expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act? Explain.
Support. We have much to gain economically accepting funds we are already paying for through our taxes. States that have accepted the expansion have achieved a $4.2 billion reduction in uncompensated care (costing hospital and insurance companies less and lowering our bills), and our state would stand to gain 4000 good paying jobs, and cover 41,500 additional people. Studies show the economic boon to our state ranges upwards of $2.49 billion by 2020. Accept it.
Are you confident that the current level of state environmental regulation and oversight of offshore oil and gas drilling and shipping is adequate to prevent a major spill in Alaska? If not, where are we deficient and what will you propose to achieve adequate protection?
The past two years, Alaska hasn't been prepared. However, with the Arctic as a great untapped frontier for offshore drilling (with the potential of a million barrels a day) and if the Interior Department approves Shell's new exploration plan with fortified safety features, Shell will head back into the Arctic as expected in 2015 and we had better be. Alaska will need to have the resources and manpower available to DEC to ensure compliance, with the appropriate regulations written and in place.
What is your assessment of Alaska's transportation system? What, if anything, would you change?
Our system includes roads and highways (in need of safety upgrades before we spend $1.7 Billion on the Knik Arm Bridge); Alaska Railroad; petroleum distribution; air services; the marine highway and transport. Priorities must be set. For example, the Northern Rail Expansion, providing military training access, and no further guarantees, doesn't sound near as valuable as expanding rail north along the Dalton to expedite development of oil and mineral resources.
The Legislature has approved the use of state funds for four mega-projects: the Knik Arm Crossing, the Susitna-Watana dam and two gas line projects. Can the state afford all four, or should one or more be dropped? If so, which?
Priorities must be set as unprincipled scattershot funding has led us down an irresponsible unsustainable deficit laden path. If we would have led 30 yrs ago we would already have a gas line and the interior would have affordable energy. We must move forward with short and long term planning, first the provision of affordable resources to the interior, through infrastructure expansion to include the large diameter gas line project, while we consider trucking of natural gas for short term.
State your position on abortion. When should it be allowed, and when should government pay for it? Do you anticipate pushing any legislation, policies or budget proposals that would change the status quo in Alaska?
We need to move past unconstitutional legislation (SB49) based on religious beliefs and closely held views, and focus on the very specific and real issues facing our state. Especially, considering our Alaska constitutionally guaranteed right to privacy. If my opponent wouldn't have spent so much time trying to push changing our constitution to rid us of the separation between church and state, we would have ended up with a more knowledgable legislature and better debate on AKLNG, earlier.
When is it appropriate to appoint a non-Alaskan to a state board or commission?
I would have voted against the law allowing non-Alaskan appointments. We can hire any outside experts if it becomes necessary, we don't need to put them on an Alaska state board.
Are you satisfied with the process by which judges are selected and appointed in Alaska? Explain.
Alaska has one of the best judiciary systems in the country. With judicial council vetting and merit based judges, we don't risk politicized or unqualified judges. Ours is a model to copy. To think about trying to change this (requiring a constitutional amendment) by changing the makeup of the judicial council so public members outnumber attorney members 2-1, is unsupportable. What I am not satisfied with is my opponent's backdoor attempt to get unconstitutional laws past the judiciary.
The number of Alaska State Troopers and Village Public Safety Officers is ____ (More than necessary, about right, less than necessary):
Less than necessary
If you answered more or less, what specific steps would you take to achieve the right level?
Again this past week an incident arose showing how important this issue is. We can not continue to have such serious village incidents with police presence a day away. We must work harder at maintaining a police presence in all areas. To implement this we must work creatively; job sharing, or using split schedules. Small villages without a police presence had 40% higher incidences of serious injury caused by assault; more officers will help with prevention and domestic violence issues.
Bio
Age: 53
Occupation: Advocate, Tutor
Current employer: FNSBSD Fall 2013
Employment history:
FNSBSD Response to Intervention Tutor, Fall 2013-
Disability Law Center Volunteer Advocate, 2003-2013
State of Alaska Court of Appeals Law Clerk, 1997-1998
WA Attorney Generals Office, Natural Resources, 1995-1997
UW Mediation Clinic, Mediator, 1995-1996
Street Law Program, West Seattle HS, Teacher, 1996-1997
Sears, Fairbanks AK, Area Manager, 1991-1994
Lamonts, Puyallup WA, Personnel Manager, 1989-1991
Lamonts, Fairbanks AK, Area Sales Manager, 1984-1989
UAF Bookstore Clerk, 1983-1984
Previous public offices held: N/A
Previous unsuccessful runs for office: N/A
Postsecondary education:
University of Washington School of Law 1994-1997, J.D.
University of Alaska Fairbanks, 1983-84, Tourism Path, credits only
Western Illinois University, 1979-1983, B.A.
Military service: N/A
Spouse's name: Scott Roselius
Children: Jake 17, Gus 11
Website: www.tamaraforalaska.com