Dunbar will make a great mayor

The ballots have been mailed for the mayoral runoff.

The choice is easy if you define yourself as hardcore conservative or progressive. For those of us not tethered to those flimsy poles, we need to think about this.

My support goes to Forrest Dunbar. I’ll tell you why.

We’re hiring someone to run our city. I look for governing experience, commitment, clear thinking, an outstanding work ethic and the ability to work with all others.

The two candidates have very different approaches to the COVID-19 pandemic. That will be a moot point when the new mayor takes office.

On July 1, all the other issues come into play. When you blow away the chaff, the candidates address the same main issues, and their approaches will be surprisingly similar when the reality of the constraints come to play.

I know Forrest, so I’ve mostly been trying to learn about Dave Bronson’s “New Direction.” I haven’t met him, but drawing from his website, flyers and candidate forums, the themes are clear.

Both support the police. Bronson says he’ll put 200 more on the streets. That’ll take at least five years and cost something like $35 million per year. He could eliminate Parks and Recreation and the Health Department to pay for it. Realistically, the huge support for the Anchorage Police Department we’ve seen over the past six years will continue.

Both are concerned about the homeless. Bronson promises common-sense, “tough love” solutions. Those will violate Ninth Circuit Court rulings. We’ve been there and done that. The past few years, we have carefully danced around the rulings. This year, we funded year-round camp abatement and abatement in 72 hours instead of 10 days.

I was glad to hear Bronson say he will focus on public-private partnerships to solve homelessness. We are fortunate to have faith-based groups, nonprofits and businesses carry most of the burden. Until COVID-19 forced the city into the shelter business, the effort was mostly private, with little city funding. Putting more public funds toward this would be a new direction.

Bronson recognizes the cost of affordable housing is hurting the city. Forrest and I have worked to change requirements that increased housing costs. We have two more ordinances heading to the Assembly. Other changes in code, like fewer restrictions on accessory dwelling units, will also lead to more affordable homes.

I was glad to see this on Bronson’s website: “We must put more resources into drug and alcohol treatment for the homeless.” We have failed at this for 50 years. The city can’t handle it alone but the new alcohol tax, spearheaded by Forrest and strongly supported on the ballot, is specifically dedicated to address this. The sale of Municipal Light and Power included a requirement that $15 million go toward addiction recovery. The purchase of the Golden Lion used part of these funds and will help significantly.

Bronson’s “New Direction” looks like the current direction, and it should. We all know what the problems are. When the campaign claims meet real-world constraints, the direction of the last few years lines up.

We have two candidates. Who has experience governing? Who has enduring commitment? Who understands the complexities and has shown he can address them? Which candidate has shown he can work all sides of an issue? Forrest Dunbar.

I’ve worked with Forrest for 5 years on the Assembly. While he has been painted as far-left, he is not. I have seen a fundamentally practical guy. His focus has not been on extremes but on solutions for the problems right in front of us.

Forrest Dunbar will be a great mayor.

John Weddleton is a local small-business owner and member of the Anchorage Assembly.

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