I have an 18-year-old car that runs very well; last week, the exhaust pipe separated from the muffler. Did I rush out and buy a new car? No, I made a temporary fix and made arrangements for permanent repair.
The Alaska Constitution is a little like my car. It is working very well. Written by 55 men and women, it is recognized as one the best in the country.
For me, Article 1 is the most important as it delineates the rights of the individual and curtails the role of government in the personal and private lives of the citizens of the state of Alaska. Although the government must exercise some control for the orderly and efficient running of the state, the Alaska Constitution keeps this to minimum. The authors knew that it would need to updated as conditions changed. They included a very workable mechanism to amend it, which has worked well on 28 occasions.
A constitutional convention would mean starting all over again. There is no reason to think that the end result would be any better than the current one and it could be a lot worse. I will eventually replace my car because it is physical object, but the Alaska Constitution is based on ideas concerning rights, privileges and responsibilities.
Please vote no on Ballot Measure 1 in the upcoming election.
— Peter Jenkins
Eagle River
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