Challenger Vince Beltrami: It's time to change the lineup

They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. In the last few months, as I have gone door to door, the message is clear: We can't afford to give the do-nothing Legislature another chance. I agree. That is why I threw my hat in the ring. We need leaders who will get our state back on track.

My neighbors are worried about the state's fiscal situation. They are looking for our representation in Juneau to come up with a plan so we can stop wasting away our savings. Yet this session, the Legislature managed to kick the can down the road five times, costing us millions in per diem. Somehow, legislators found time to buy a second Legislative Information Office but took no meaningful action to address the fiscal gap, other than taking away half of your Permanent Fund check. Is this leadership we can trust?

[Duncan, Beltrami: Legislature must act swiftly, use Permanent Fund to fill budget shortfall]

We have some tough choices to make. None of us wants to pay more for services than needed, but the times of oil revenues carrying the full burden of our bloated budgets are in the rear-view mirror. We need a multipronged approach to solve the deficit, including a combination of cuts and specific revenue options. For the health of Alaska's economy, we need to diversify, look at our massive potential of traditional and nontraditional natural resources, including renewables, and figure out how to add value to raw goods here in Alaska instead of just shipping them out.

The opportunities in the Arctic are plentiful, from taking advantage of the newly laid high-speed fiber optic cable, to new open-water shipping lanes, to a strategic and necessary Coast Guard base that would protect America's Northwestern flank.

We are going through some tough times, but we must take advantage of our unique global position and the pioneering spirit that helped build Alaska. With steady leadership, our state can again prosper and be on the leading edge of new and developing industries.

The potential for tens of thousands of new jobs exists throughout Alaska. I've trained directly, or been involved in the training, of thousands of private sector workers in the construction and health care industry over the past 20 years. I have a pro-development and pro-jobs record. I was chair of the state's Renewable Energy Fund Advisory Committee for six years, creating nearly a thousand jobs on around 75 projects around the state, which have weaned us away from a million gallons of diesel fuel and counting. I was president of the largest building trades council in the state, am currently a Denali Commission commissioner, and serve on the state's Oil and Gas Competitiveness Review Board. My opponent, on the other hand, has talked about advocating for job growth, but her record on that count is questionable.

We need leaders who have walked the talk. Alaskans are tired of a do-nothing Legislature that has saddled us with a multibillion-dollar budget deficit. This is unsustainable. Because of their failure to act last session, we will run the Constitutional Budget Reserve dry by 2018. We must get our financial house in order. It will be my No. 1 priority in Juneau.

In addition to addressing the fiscal gap, I will work to bolster public safety, will defend your personal liberties, will fight to make sure that Alaskans have a fair shot at jobs in our resource industries, and that we can all fish and hunt and enjoy Alaska's bounty.

[Alaska's budget stalemate is no mystery; blame majority leadership]

Alaskans are tired of politics as usual. You deserve to know what I believe in and what I will do in Juneau to solve our fiscal situation. I've been very clear in this campaign about forming a balanced and responsible fiscal plan. I will go to Juneau and make the tough choices we need to move forward. My opponent has said she will do the same, but she was there, and she didn't. If we send the same people back, we will get the same results — reduced credit ratings, diminished home values, and rising property taxes as local governments are forced to close the deficit on the backs of their residents.

I'm ready to roll up my sleeves and get to work on solving our massive budget deficit. That is what Alaskans want. That is what Alaskans deserve. Don't send the same "leaders" back to Juneau and expect a different result. I have a longtime proven track record of working with Democrats and Republicans. I would be honored to have the support of voters in District N, and will work hard every day to keep that support.

Vince Beltrami is president of the Alaska AFL-CIO and an independent candidate for the state Senate in District N (East Anchorage, Muldoon, Hillside, Indian, Bird, Girdwood, Portage).

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