Issue Position: Economic Stability for Alaska and Good Jobs for Alaskans

Issue Position

Alaska's boom-and-bust economy and deep budget cuts are hurting Juneau's children, safety and jobs. We must balance our budget and fund the things that we value: good jobs for Alaskans, education and opportunity for our children and workforce, and safe neighborhoods for all of us. A fiscal plan pays for these priorities and provides economic certainty so that Alaska can grow again. My ideas to stabilize the economy and create jobs include:

A long-term and sustainable fiscal plan that provides stable funding for priorities like education, public safety, healthcare, reliable transportation and more;

A robust and perpetual PFD that stimulates the economy and supports the needs of Alaskans;

Strategic investments in education and public safety, to improve the lives of our children and keep our neighborhoods safe;

Finding efficiencies in healthcare and continuing the expansion of Medicaid, to improve the health of our communities, reduce spending, and create good jobs in the healthcare industry;

The return to a defined benefit pension option, to attract and retain quality teachers, police officers, and other employees, reducing training costs, improving quality of services, and providing economic certainty for retirees and seniors; and

Re-establish a significant capital budget that invests in local infrastructure projects, putting Alaskans back to work and building or maintaining things Alaska needs: roads, bridges, harbors and more.

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