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On Jan. 12, 2022, Forrest Burkholder, President of SAExploration, told Alaska Oil and Gas Association annual seminar attendees the one news headline he would love to wake up to in 2022: “Government leaders moderate, pull back from both extremes.” He said, “We (industry) will only be successful through moderation of the political environment.”
Most of us today recognize Burkholder’s words as sound advice. It is easy to be partisan, inseparable from our human nature. It is much more difficult to pull back from the extremes. Our future depends on us awakening to this truth. I am running for State House District 10 to represent my Anchorage neighbors once again in the Alaska Legislature because we are currently not represented in this manner.
Alaska is simply abounding with opportunities. Among these are new oil developments on the North Slope, significant federal infrastructure funding to improve the health of our communities, increased military investment to protect our state and national interests, the rapid growth of air cargo volume at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, statewide construction projects boosting Port of Alaska cargo shipments, and a booming travel and tourism industry.
Yet these are at risk without an ironclad commitment to overcoming real threats to our general welfare. Our fisheries are in decline; the Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation has identified a structural problem with the Permanent Fund threatening our ability to pay for services and dividends; producers and utility companies have sounded the alarm on a near-term gas supply crisis in Cook Inlet; and the state is experiencing a rapid decline in working-age residents, high housing costs and an inability to hire and retain police, firefighters and school teachers.
These obstacles transform into pathways when Alaskans go through the hard work of building consensus. I am running for office to continue our legacy of tackling tough issues together, resulting in a stronger, more secure state. A notable success is Alaska’s percent-of-market-value formula for allocating Permanent Fund earnings.
On Nov. 2, 2023, Adam Crum, State Commissioner of Revenue, during a fiscal update to Resource Development Council attendees highlighted the beneficial outcome to the state of the percent-of-market-value (POMV) Permanent Fund legislation that passed the House and Senate in 2018, saying because the state honored this commitment to not overdraw the fund, today it is a highly stabilizing aspect of our fiscal position, attractive to both credit rating agencies and investment banking institutions.
As a former member of the House of Representatives, I remember the partisan turmoil and fear surrounding the discussion when this legislation was passed. I am grateful the open and free debate on this critical measure was allowed to occur and that the Legislature collectively arrived at a lasting solution for Alaska. Now it is recognized as one of the most fiscally sound decisions to come out of state government.
Alaskans need similar collaborative and courageous solutions to our present challenges that will require a measure of political and economic risk. While we may differ on solutions, our shared concerns unite us, enable us to shape our future, and possess the mindset of an overcomer.
I understand this is easier to say and harder to do. But the effort is always worth it. Consensus requires a measure of death to personal and partisan ambition, grace towards those who oppose you, and a firm resolve to debate issues on the merits without stooping to misinformation and slander. The outcome is laws and policies that undergird the next generation.
I was born in Anchorage and have invested all my life in Alaska. I believe for our state to be viewed as open for business, a safe place to live, and a good bet for investment, our elected leaders must listen to and be responsive to their constituents, encourage and not suppress the democratic process, and possess the courage to invest in and fight for Alaska.
I will be working day and night to represent my neighbors in the Alaska Legislature. I understand lasting solutions that capture our opportunities, overcome the threats, and survive the next election cycle will not be the gift of a political party but the gift of Alaskans.
Chuck Kopp is a lifelong Alaskan, consultant, former State House representative (2017-2020) and is currently running for State House in District 10, South Anchorage.
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