I had hoped Tuckerman Babcock would slip away after contributing to such havoc across Alaska. Instead, he has now aimed his ideological rage at six Senate Republicans for daring to yet again hold the line against Gov. Mike Dunleavy. Here’s what’s enraging: the loss of ferry service to Alaska communities, a devastating act threatening the very lives of those communities; the ongoing funding threats to school districts and local governments that create chaos for residents and their leaders attempting to provide stabilizing public safety support services; and the total mismanagement of the state’s health systems and the reductions to Medicaid.
And for what, a Permanent Fund dividend check? The Legislature held many public hearings this year and in testimony, Alaskans made it clear that they understood the value of government services, especially in a state as geographically and infrastructurally challenged as Alaska.
Except for the elected representatives who spent days meeting in a Wasilla gym, the majority of the Legislature ultimately understood that the PFD was not the end-all. Mr. Babcock’s trashing of Sen. Cathy Giessel shows he still does not get it and, to paraphrase from the movie “The American President,” is frustrated that he can’t sell it, either.
— Randall Burns
Anchorage
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