Running; Interviews with the Candidates for Governor

Boedi the new moderator of Washington Week in Review. Every Friday evening at 8:00. You watch Channel 7. Unclear. Whether. It. Is. Welcome to running. I'm Dave Hammack for program series producer and host. We're continuing in this program with our series of conversations with candidates for governor of Alaska. Tonight we'll talk to the candidates from the Green Party of Alaska. And later the candidates running on to the Alaska Independence Party.

Both the Alaska independence party the Green Party of Alaska and the Democratic Party candidates will all be on the general ballot available to all voters on August the 23rd in the primary election. The Republican party candidates if you'll remember will be on the GOP ballot available only to Republican registered voters and two nonpartisan or independent voters. But all of the candidates. Our first candidate tonight is seeking his party's nomination. A fairly sure thing to run as governor in the general election under the banner of the Green Party of Alaska. Jim Sikes is the candidate. Jim welcome to running 94. Thank you Dave. Thanks for taking the time and good to see you once again. It's always a pleasure. Well you are doing this again. Let me ask you the question we've asked. We started with sort of all of these with. Why is Jim Sikes running for governor and why in 94. Well let's go back four years I ran for governor in 1990 and started the Green Party because I believe that the Democrats and Republicans weren't doing the job. They had not dealt with

economic issues subsistence sovereignty health care. And I felt the need to build something better. Something different. We use the consensus process and we are indeed the fastest growing party. My views haven't changed in the past four years after seeing an administration try and cram a narrow minded agenda down the throats of Alaskans after seeing citizen rights taken away that are supposedly guaranteed by our Constitution. I feel even more strongly that we are headed in the right direction to make sure that citizens have the most power possible as possible over their own government. And that's what I've been doing for the past 10 years in my own community. We have clearly inspired other communities and I come at it from a very different point of view. Many people who seek the governorship come from it from a position of power having gathered some money and heading up a large corporation or having held some high office where they're used to telling people what to do. I come from the viewpoint where you need to go out and gather support for the

ideas going to the citizens and making sure that they have a maximum say in what they're doing. And I see these rights being taken away at a frightening speed. There were a number of bills in the last legislature that really took away people's rights and gave commissioners godlike authority which should never happen. I think that that's one of the major issues we're going to have this time. And in fact as far as consumer protection for the voters goes I have challenge the other governor candidates not to take any funds from outside of Alaska. None of them have given me a real good reason why people outside of Alaska should be using money to influence the race of who is governor inside Alaska. And I think what we're going to see very shortly is that most of the other candidates are taking a significant sum of money from outside. And if you look at particular particularly fishing issues you're going to see a lot more outside fishing money than in state fishing money. And if I were a fisherman Frankly I'd be worried about some of these other candidates. So we want to make sure the citizens of Alaska have the opportunity

to not only have control over their lives but to use resources for Alaskans first and break this cycle of having a colony mentality. We are exporting our raw resources oil fish timber and tourism to outside companies to outside corporations to foreigners. And we are left with really very little. And I want to change that. I think that I've seen other places where small communities that were very colonial in in economic stance have kind of taken charge of their own lives again and tried to get a handle on it and I believe that's one of the most important things we can do. The other thing is I'm not afraid of controversial issues when I was the only candidate to raise the sovereignty issue on subsistence issues and the last campaign the other candidates didn't even use the word. Now several of them are beginning to talk about it but it's really too late to talk. We really need action and I believe I'm the only candidate who's likely to take that action. The same with health care in 1990 I confronted the other candidates and said What will you make. What will you

do to make sure all Alaskans have access to health care and they had no answers because they had looked at the problem they didn't care about the problem. And now strangely enough in 1994 I find that very little has changed. We've basically got the same crowd of candidates. And one thing that I learned from the last election is that none of these other candidates are smarter than I am. But that isn't quite what it is. No I'm not. I don't claim to have better ideas than than anybody else. But I claim to be able to go and find solutions. Asking the people who know going for the local knowledge and wisdom. So at least I'm not less smart than the other candidates that's maybe how I should phrase it. And so I have no no holes to bar me from running for this office and I think if I'm elected that we will do an effective job. I am predicting that the next governor will only get somewhere between 25 and 28 percent of the vote which will make him look like a landslide. And I think that it's going to be very very important for the next governor to seek public support for what they want to do. In other words an Alaska unity

government. So that's kind of a long answer but we've got a long ways and four years in terms of our understanding in terms of seeing very little change. But at the same time we've also seen a government that can be very bad for people. And I believe the past administration is going to have to account for many of the things that it did that I think were hurtful particularly on people issues or talking a bit more timid about the Green Party and the platform that you're that you're proposing. But first Jim Sikes for those who may not know you who is Jim Sikes what attitudes or ideas or values or experience do you bring to the race and to the job. I have been a reporter which may not give a lot to recommend itself but considering what's happening in our modern but that was in the past that was when reporters were breaking stories and getting information to people. But I really think that's an important makeup of my being is getting information to people so they can consider it and develop policies themselves. My

first political experience when I was 14 years old was working on the Barry Goldwater campaign in 1964. And while I don't share the political beliefs that Barry Goldwater has. I believe that he was a man of honesty. He spoke what he believed and that's one of the things that I think we need to bring back to the political process because people tend to. Say anything for a vote. I think we need to put a stop to that. I have been very active in my own community northeast of Talkeetna helped start a community council I chaired a regional citizen's comprehensive plan for four out of five years. I got a public radio station on the air in Talkeetna And right now we are actually in supreme court suing the Mat-Su borough over a citizens rights case. And if we do win that case it will mean that local citizens do have a great deal more clout than they do under the present law. So we're hopeful to win that case. And so I consider myself an information gather somebody who starts things I have started a lot of things I started the radio

TV production class here at the Martin Luther King career center so that I'm always willing to push the frontiers. I like putting an idea out maybe if it isn't entirely accepted by a lot of people but close enough so it can be grasped it's close enough so it can be discussed. And I believe that's the kind of governor we need because the legislature is generally behind the people. And so you need to put an idea and a concept in a way of getting somewhere slightly ahead of the political process so that when it gets dragged down and the inevitable political compromise they may only give you a half over a third a loaf you've at least made some positive progress. I believe most of the other candidates only see what they perceive to be politically possible and that's a very narrow range. And if you support some of those politically possible things generally don't get very far. And so we need to talk about election reform Preferential ballot a lot of ideas that aren't out in the public at the present time but they're very important to our process of democracy if that's going to succeed.

So I enjoy doing it. I really enjoy talking to people finding out how they live what they think. And if somebody has a better idea than I've got Hey let's go for it. I'm very open minded in that sense. How would you describe the platform or the goals of the Green Party. I think a lot of people associate greens with what we hear from Europe. Are we talking a similar political movement. I think there are people who have a reaction that the Greens are some kind of radical. Environmental Earth first movement how were you how do you characterize the Green Party of Alaska. What's what's your spin on what's the green spin on the green. I think that we have taken the very best from the other political parties and strong American traditions. The Green parties in Europe basically started as environmentally oriented parties the American Green Movement has been much broader and they have taken a very holistic view of economic social and environmental issues so it's been a much much broader agenda. I like to talk about

economic issues because they are really the force at which we have to deal with how we're going to get through life. And for example we cut down trees. We export raw logs abroad. Why are we not processing those logs doing the sawing and the milling here before exporting. Interestingly enough British Columbia recently passed a law saying that they would not export raw timber and a lot of states and U.S. companies were laughing at them saying You guys are nuts you're going to lose your markets. They are now selling as much processed lumber as they can make in British Columbia and they are having their Sawyers their carpenters their people do the work on the lumber instead of shipping it off somewhere else. We have the same thing here and fishing. I was very heartened in Cordova while I was campaigning recently to find two groups not one but two independent groups of fishermen trying to do their own processing and marketing. In other words instead of simply selling the fish to the buyer and getting that take they're they're trying to have a handle on the product and as they

established that marketing they're providing jobs that are sustainable for that effort. So the greens are I believe very very different. What green really means is grass roots and that means that the communities most affected need to try and develop their own vision of what they want for their future and think about it long term think about the economics the source you know the education the other societal things that need to be done. And think about them how they are going to last for future generations. That is our message and we've been walking our talk. We will make sure that people have as much power as they want to take responsibility for and the power of government is not fun it is meetings it is talking to people it's arguing it's all of those things. But what it results in is when people do take part in their government and do become active and do decide a direction that all of the other political entities the boroughs the states the federal governments they have to listen and that is what I believe has been missing in our political process because the top the state or the federal government assumes that's doing the right thing

unless they hear some complaint. And generally when they hear the complaint they say Well thanks for the complaint but we're going to do what we want to anyway. So it's basically change the man and changing the management of government to make it citizen based instead of bureaucrat based. And I think that has a very resonant message I say that that we are more fiscally responsible than any Republicans we care more about social justice than any Democrats and we care more about freedom than any Libertarians So I think those are the main American heartfelt issues and we take them very much to heart and do something with them and we hope that it's better if Jim Sikes and the Green party is elected and you show up in Juneau. First of the year. What will be the first item on the agenda or the biggest item on the agenda for the. New psych's administration. Well being a green and having everything being interrelated I'll give you two. The one thing that I think is most important is to pass a single payer health care system that serves all Alaskans in fact had I been governor this year and had they passed

SB 284 which was on the docket but did not pass. I would have signed SB to 84 even though I think the bill can be strengthened. We need something right away and we need it before the federal government deals because they may actually make some things illegal that we need to do here in Alaska. So I think that's a top priority. The others are subsistence. This the last governor said that he would deal with it as a first item and he how he kept his promise he tossed it on the table and ran away from it never touched it again until just a couple of weeks ago when he thought about maybe running for re-election. We have to make sure that we establish a rural subsistence priority and I think the way to go about it is to involve a large public process that's very visible what previous governors have tried is to go to the special interest groups and try and cut a deal and then go to the legislature with it. But I think that's left the legislature too much room to push their own personal beliefs instead of the interests of the state. A recent poll showed that more than 70 percent of Alaskans favor a rural subsistence priority amendment to the

Constitution. So I think if we make that a very public process like we did when I worked for the Birger commission the Alaska Native review commission we had experts from all over the world listened to other people's experiences heard public testimony. I think that's the kind of pressure we need to bear to focus the legislature on this problem. And the other thing is I would like to recombined the budget to make sure that the budget kept on operating on the same budget. You don't separate them out at home. If you buy food you say I was just coming on the operating room while we of course the operating budget or if you put a new mirror in the bathroom wall you don't say what I want to see. I'm going to go to capital budget now to go down to the store and buy Eimear. So I think that we need to recombine those as they were before. I think I have the ability to force the legislature to focus on the problems that we've got. In essence I'm willing to use the bully pulpit the media and go directly to their constituents to make sure that we do deal with the most serious problems that we've got. And until we solve this business with subsistence and fish and game management we're going to be very very hard pressed to be a real

state because as you know the federal government and it's very ironic that the sitting governor who talked about states rights has really done everything possible to invite the federal government to come in and manage fish and and game. And if we want to get back to doing it ourselves we have to again trust the people with the local wisdom and knowledge to be a part of that decision making system and get the co-management because if we want to manage it as Alaskans we've got to do it together not try and cram some agenda down somebody else's throat. What kind of CEO would Jim Sikes be. What style of chief executive officer of the state's largest employer. The Alaska government if you're elected it has to be a combination. You have to delegate the details. For example when dealing with state employees to find somebody to negotiate in good faith with the state employees to make sure they have their rights. On the other hand for the items which I just mentioned

building a more self-sufficient economy dealing with health care subsistence and sovereignty and making sure that we have consumer protection. Those issues I believe have to be a leading force. You have to be able to to talk to all 60 legislators individually. You have to try and gain cooperation as much as possible possible through successes through consensus. But you don't have to be afraid to try and use a big stick if necessary. And I think it has to be a combination of those things as finding the most important job a governor can do is appoint good people and delegate the authority to make sure that they support the management style and I've already told you it's citizen based. That is a major change. And I believe that the legislature will support that. But it will take some talk it will take some persuading but I think I'm fairly good at persuading people on the first hand. But if it doesn't work I am not afraid of being forthright. And if that doesn't work I'm not afraid of being

downright nasty. And if it is what the job requires and I will work hard to make sure that the citizens of the state take back control of their government the subsistent fishy already brought up is one of a couple of deja vu items on our political agenda this election year and other what is capital move does it make any difference to Jim Sikes whether you're a third floor seat as in Juneau or so it makes a great deal of difference. I do not want to have a third floor seat in WA so. And I'll tell you a good reason why wherever we have the capital in Alaska that capital city should look to the rest of Alaska more than it looks to the lower 48 or to foreign markets or foreign political divisions. Anchorage and while Scilla in my opinion both look more to outside of Alaska than they do to the rest of Alaska. If we were to move the capital I would think a sensible place might be Fairbanks because the town of Fairbanks really looks to the rest of Alaska more than outside. And that's that's one of the main criteria. The other one as I just mentioned a whole list of serious problems

and we're going to have to think about roads and schools and public safety and all these other things I mentioned and way that whether we want to spend the money to move the capital and I think that it may be a want for many people but it's not a need and it is still more important who we send to the Capitol rather than where it is. So I will be voting no on the capital move and I will be voting yes to make sure that we review of course if the people vote to move it. I will not attempt to stall it. I will I will make sure that the move is accomplished but I just think our plates a bit too full to be talking capital at this point. We're coming out of the end of our time. Before we close I want to give you a chance to give us a parting shot if you will. What would you like our viewers to remember about Jim Sikes on August 23rd. I would like the viewers to remember that I have been working to make sure people have as much power as they can have over government. I would like them to know that I understand subsistence and tribal governments on a very

personal basis that if they have any care about making sure Alaskans want health care that where my name is on the ballot is a good place for their vote because on the Democratic side it looks like Knoll's is going to walk away with the race on the Repub AP ballot. It looks like Coghill is going to walk away with it. So you can be safe to put your vote with Jim Sikes because the most serious problem is that we represent I believe are the ones that I have the best handle on. And if people put their vote there you can bet that the other candidates will recognize it and so check the record. Ask what the other candidates have done to make sure people have as much possible control over government asked what they've done over the last five or 10 years and check their records. I think mine is very clear and I think it's a good one and I'll be prepared to stand on. Thank you very much. Jim Sikes dream party of Alaska a candidate for governor of Alaska. I'm Dave Hammer. Coming up on running we'll be talking next with the candidates

running under the banner of the Alaska Independence Party at. On the August 23rd primary election the general ballot that contains the candidates for the Democratic and green party will also contain the names of five Alaskan Independence Party candidates seeking their party's nomination to run for governor the next segment of our program will talk to the candidates of the Alaska Independence Party. The first of these candidates and the incumbent lieutenant governor for the state of Alaska is Jack Coghill former state senator as well and participant in the Alaska constitutional convention. Jack Cargill welcome again to running. Thank you Dave. Thank you it's a pleasure always a pleasure to come in and talk with you and visit with you and it

always proves to be quite an experience and good. I hope it will be no different today. We do appreciate your taking the time in your schedule. Let's get right to it. I guess the basic question is Why is jack Cargill running for governor of Alaska in 1994. Well I think that. Where my theme for the upcoming election is to keep the promise to fulfill the promise we made several promises four years ago. I made several promises to the constituency when I was in the Senate and to fulfill those promises and those promises basically are to get private land holding get land back into the hands of private ownership to encourage small businesses to. Be a major part of our community to get the land instead of purchase to have a homestead

program where the people can get sweat equity. It's a shame that only one percent of this great land of ours is in private ownership. I have always maintained that people came to this country to get a piece of the rock. And I think that we ought to provide that opportunity for him not to purchase it necessarily. We can have part of that too. But to homestead a to be able to have a part of it and also that's the the private ownership side. The other part has the commercial ownership side is to be able to put our state lands back to work to be able to build and to create a new stream of wealth into our society society can only exist if you have new wealth injected into it all the time. The problem with Alaska is that Alaska's wealth stream is mostly coming from the oil patch and as of course you know the oil patches is disillusioned with Alaska that they've got several

problems. I think that we can turn that around also. I understand there are 24 sedimentary basins in Alaska and we've only basically tapped two of them. I think part of that is access. Getting access to the lands to be able to get more of the Federal land back into production. And I plan on using one elected part of the non-renewable monies out of the oil to bolster up the GI of physical and identical survey program so that we know where all of our mineral belts are and where our mineral wealth are in Alaska. And then what we will do Dave is that we will systematically get that open by bid or by some structure so that we can get new jobs. The society needs to have a new commercial attitude about Alaska. I don't mean rape ravage and ruin and do things Helter-Skelter I'm talking about creating new wealth

so that new wealth creates commerce so commerce creates jobs and it's not just in the resource base that it's in the service industry and the transportation industry. And that's part of my thrust. Why is jack Coghill the man to move Alaska in the direction of those goals. Well I think that I've served my apprenticeship. I have I am I'm a spring chicken but still I have served in the legislature then I think that a chief executive should be an ex legislator because I think that you have to deal with that other branch of government. You have to understand them. I served 16 years in the territorial House and the state Senate. I've helped write the constitution. I'm the only person that's still active in government. That was a delicate constitutional convention. I served two years as the chairman of the statehood commission. When we evaluated how we were

doing as far as the state of Alaska with the federal government I have served four years as a standby governor or the lieutenant governor. And I think that I have the knowledge I think I have the experience and I think I have the they know how to put it together where that we can make this a much better place to live a much neater place and much more or you might say productive place. How did Jack Cargill of Montana come to be so politically active was there other people historical characters or events in your life that inspires you to have an interest in politics or how did that come about. Oh yes. And the story is quite. Colorful. I. Served in I was born and raised in the interior raised in the Gnana. My father was a trader on the Yukon River we had

a general store in Havana and I was you might say reared in that business and I got a good work ethic out of that. I joined the Army and 19 44. I served two years in Alaska ending up my service in the Aleutian Islands on the election campaign. And when I returned home why I was going to go on to school and my father passed away on expectedly. And so I stayed help my brother and I to pick up the pieces and put the story together and to expand it and to get it role in. And that led to my getting married. And and Frances she's a Fairbanks girl and born and raised in Alaska and Joe Montana who was a the the.

He was the Northern Yarde master for the. For the railroad and he unexpectedly passed away and so his wife Opal McNabb who was on the school board came and asked me and said I'm going to be leaving. Why don't you take over my position as treasurer of the school board. In those days there was only three on the school board. I said OK I'll do that until the next election. Well the next election came along. Or 12 years later. I got interested in it and the territorial school system was something to be desired. I mean it was there were five systems we had to be a system and we had the Procul mission system and we had the large district system and we had the city district system and then we had the Territorials school system. And so it was a mishmash and I got to complaining to Andrew

knurling who was then a senator and he he said you know we're looking for people like you to run for the legislature and he said I'm going down to court over to the Republican convention a couple of weeks. Why don't you come down with me. Well so I decided to do that. We took the train to curry and stayed overnight Curry and then we got to Seward and we took the Alaska steam from Seward. To Cordova and the convention was going full full bore and of course in the territorial days this was in 1950. One was the canned salmon industry versus the mining industry and the Republican side there was the what they called the white Republicans and the black Republicans. And of course. The white Republicans the Al white because they called it the white Republicans because Al White was the secretary general and he was kind of the guy that was in that pocket of the canned salmon industry. He was he. He was the rule maker and

the issue was that he who had the the gavel was the rule. The convention and I come into the convention hall a little early after lunch and here was cash. Cole and Henry Bentsen rolling on the on the in the aisle fighting for the gavel. And I thought you know this is a bad political party to belong to. And so. When I ran for the legislature and was elected in 1950 to to the territorial house and then they called me schoolhouse Johnny in those days. And then I went to the Constitutional Convention and it just became a part of kind of like you Dave. It became an avocation not not a job but an avocation something that I had a lot of interest in the Alaska Independence Party is the banner you're running under.

For many years if there was a Mr. Republican in Alaska it was Jack Cargill. How are how are you. Are you comfortable with the AARP. Well I feel about its platform and direction. Well Dave I I'm I'm not I can't come on as Mr. Republican but I can come on as Mr. Conservative. And I'm probably more conservative than any Republican that goes down to the legislature. I am fiercely independent of the federal system and I'm running under the banner. And we changed the direction of the Alaska Independence Party in February when we had our convention and we are now a Constitutional Party rather than a secession party. Joe Vogler wanted to take the the process to the International Court in the United Nations I'm not a United Nations fan. I'm not for one world government. I am more for the constitutional

structure of the United States and I don't think that we should diminish any of our constitutional values on the federal level or on the state level. And so to put it in one sentence I am I'm no Alaskan constitutional conservative. All of this Alaska constitutional conservative gets elected and heads to Juneau in January. What would be the biggest problem facing the new administration will will the current administration tackle. Oh I think that the first thing that we have to do is straighten out the legal process. And what I will do is I will put a section within the attorney general's office and I'll call it the federal section and we will have constitutional lawyers and constitutional experts or scholars that will be in that section that will challenge the federal government had every turn then your interference or infringement on the

rights of Alaskans. I'm going to challenge the Brady Bill. I think that the Brady Bill is one of the the areas that we should not have anything to do with because it doesn't fit the front here attitude that we have. Number one I think that constitutionally they're way out of step. I think that the other area that we will have to challenge the federal government on is that Alaska is art. We are the only state in the union that is in the Arctic region of the world. All the rest of them are in the temperate region of the world. And for us to be put in to the same bag or into the same attitude on wetlands air quality water quality doesn't make any difference. We're different. Because of where we live. Not that we shouldn't have values to those things but let the states do those. Let the state be the the the deciding factor and not those

people in an on the Potomac because the people in Washington D.C. have the tendency to say do as we say but don't do as we do. And they're saying we want to make sure that you are mandated to do this but you find the money to do that. I will tell the federal government to bug off when it comes to mandating us to do things with our taxes and then if they take our money our wire our highway money or anything. Why then what we should do is that we should challenge them on taxation without representation and we should we should put the embargo on on their taxing of Alaska other Alaska federal government issue that is before us again sort of deja vu is subsistence. Four years ago in the gubernatorial campaign it was a hot topic. Still seems to be unresolved the federal government not only is managing game resources but has moved into managing some fisheries resources fight it and it's going to get worse.

What's the Cargile administration plan to deal with Coghill administration plans on taking that article 3 of the Federal Constitution says that whenever there is a federal disagreement between the state government and the federal government the Supreme Court of the United States is the is the court of original jurisdiction. I will take it to the Supreme Court and I will I will ask them to return those rights to the state government. On the issue of a state constitutional amendment versus changing of a bill to the federal law. You have a. Will and I don't think I think the number one is that the federal law can have their their their structure on federal lands but when it comes to the management of state game and state fish and the fish are all on waters that belong to the state. It's my position that we should have the zones that we should give preference rights

of zoning around villages in their traditional hunting areas but that we should give them a like we used to do like we would we had we had early seasons for villages to allow them see I was born and raised out there I know I know what they're going through because they have nurture bull moose out in some pasture and they watch them and they keep them you know so that they will be able to bag them when the time comes and when when the meat ripe and all the rest of it and then somebody flies in and lands on their lake behind their their village and takes the moose that's wrong. You know there's a difference between being legal and illegal on him western structure of law. And there's the difference between being right and wrong. And that is wrong to do that. So I think that what we need to do and we need to have zoning we need to

have early seasons for for good for the advantage give the advantage to those people that live in rural Alaska. But you don't give them a preference right because you don't divide our society our society is one we're one people early in the ministration which you're serving as intended Governor you got quite a bit of press with your review of state government employees and staffing level. My question is what kind of a CEO of the largest employer in the state would Governor Jack Cargill be. Well I think that what we have to do there is we have to manage. We've got 15 agencies and we got duplications of effort in each one of those agencies Dave. And what we have to do is that we have to get the mission statement right and the mission statement is we have to be servants of the people we're not masters government. Government should never be the master. Government should

be a service and a service to that society that it's serving. And how you do that is if you don't become masters to a bureaucracy and what my doc charts is what you're talkin about it was that in order for us to be able to to you you might say operate on this massive structure of government we have we have to know the anatomy because you have to be able to reorganize the middle management structure of government. My charts showed this administration and they chose not to use them. They used them to some degree but they didn't use to the intent. I was hoping that they would that about 40 percent of government is bureaucratic all paper shuffling. And what we need to do is we need that when the legislature cuts 5 percent of a government agency usually cut in the service side of it. They usually cut the greater operator or the social

service person or they get down into into the service provider. And there are some of those areas that we can prioritize. But what we need to do. Number one we've got to cut off duplications out of the 15 agencies. We've got seven agencies that have major habitat divisions. We should have one. We should have one half of that division and we should have one government. Right now we've got 15 governments that kind of they're kind all go in their own direction. And so what will Jack Coghill do. Jack Coghill will be a strong chief executive officer who will delegate but will but will require accountability of the of the commissioners. We are just about out of our time. Before we do get away I want to give you a chance to give us a last thought. On August 23rd when our viewers step into those red white and blue striped booths What would you like them to remember about

Jack Cargill. I like to have them remember Dave that Jack Coghill is a proven leader. Twenty two years as a mayor. I have my I have 37 years in private business my own business I've I've met payrolls. I have I've met deadlines. I've proven that I have been a good leader in the political arena and that I'm a constitutionalist and I will be their servant and not their master. Thank you very much. Jack Cargill current lieutenant governor of Alaska candidate of the Alaska Independence Party banner banner for governor. I'm Dave Hammack. This is running just ahead. More candidates running from the Alaska Independence Party. She is. The second Alaska Independence Party candidate whose name will appear on the August 23rd

general primary ballot is June HENSLEE. Jude welcome to running. Thank you for taking the time and spending a few minutes in our studio with us. Thanks Dave. Why is Jude Henslee tossed his hat in the ring in 1994. Are you running for governor. Well it's about two years ago the state was awash in fear of deficit spending and I believed that we were deficit spending. I've been pretty much a wallflower Politico. I've voted but I've never really tried to be involved in politics. I've always been interested in how the state operates and how the financing operates. So I started to look into this deficit business. And if you keep in mind I didn't think about it at the time but if you keep in mind that our Constitution requires that we balance our budget each year then how can we have a deficit. And as I started to look into it I discovered that

we didn't have deficits that we had in fact surpluses most years for the last deficit we had was 1987 when we went in the tank and we probably have a deficit this year. But if you were wanting to find out about the finances of say an organization we're going to invest in the last three places you'd go to would be politicians or university professors and I can't remember the third now but you'd go to the documents in the state documents clearly show that we're in pretty good shape that the production of oil is dropping and dropping about 3 percent a year. I don't mean that we're awash in money. I just mean that we're in the short term we're in pretty good shape. It's like going into a bad season when you when you're broke or when you've got money in the bank. And we've got money in the bank so we need to think about how we want to get down. Where we're

going to be in from a financial standpoint with the knowledge that we are in pretty good shape. How did your appreciation of this situation with the finances and the perception of deficit or the political perception of deficit how that influenced you to go ahead and make the right. Well once I learned about the situation I went to the newspaper the Daily News and Anchorage Daily News and I talk to them about it and they said well why don't you write an opinion piece. And I said Well it's really not an opinion we either have a deficit or we don't have a deficit. But I thought about it for a while and I finally did write an article and it got absolutely no interest. I did. I tried to mention all the players that were touting the deficit and I got no rebuttal. There was no rebuttal it just was it just fell flat. The only one that did comment was Fritz petty John in his radio program and he said you know I think Ken is

right. I've been wrong all these years. And as that didn't seem to stir anyone. It made me angry when I found out that we were in pretty good shape and we weren't having deficits. And I thought well how can I can I let the state know about this and then where can we go from there. So then well file for governor. What the hell. And so that's how I got where I'm at now. It's not the only arrow I've got in my quiver I've got a lot of background in rural issues and rural economic development issues and in subsistence and items like that. Like to follow up on that I was going to say we'll come back to the financial issue but I want to give the viewers a chance to find out who Julianne's is and. What share what perspective would you bring to the office of governor. Well I I I live in. I reside in Anchorage. We've been my wife and family have been here since 1977. Before that we lived in Fairbanks. I think I went to Fairbanks in 1954.

I started going to the university there and we were married in 65 here in Anchorage but we lived most of that time in Fairbanks raised our family we still have a house in Fairbanks on Chino Ridge. And I've I've done all kinds of things sort of. Alaskan things. I worked as a bartender I worked as a gold miner. I worked as an assistant guide. I've just spent a lot of time traveling and trapped. But mostly I've been a construction server and that's what we did particularly in Fairbanks for many years was construction. I mean we the state some of the coastal areas of fished in the interior and Anchorage did construction mostly. So that's what I did. I also was a business manager for an engineering firm here for three years and that was in the late 70s early 80s and I don't know whether you were here. But we went in kind of a dip at that time and

business was pretty slow so that a business manager is overhead so I laid myself off and I went back in the surveying business. At that time the gas pipeline was being surveyed and I did that. And since 1987 I've been working for Bering Sea fishermen's association with fisheries issues primarily economic development in villages in western Alaska and some in northern Alaska and some in the interior. What are the political influences what are there where there are people or events in your your life that shaped more than more than others the political attitudes and values you bring to the election in 94. No I don't. I don't have any heroes. I thought Greening was was probably about the the best politician that we had. But I

was never in. I never joined the party. I was always a nonpartisan. I joined the Alaskan Independence Party just to make this run. If you want to make a run for office you have to do it by petition. If you're a nonpartisan and that's very complicated and as I had never been political I wasn't very well know and I didn't know whether I could find that many signers but I already had the good example of Wally Haikal and John Coghill on how to go about this business so that's what I did. Well let me make my next question moot. I was going to ask about the Alaska Independence Party and whether there are any other there's anything in their platform that is or isn't representative of how you feel actually there. Their platform is pretty mild there. It's a pretty big tent. There aren't a whole lot of people under there. I mean you've got two extremes from both sides so I'm not

I'm not a wild side. So I don't know whether a mild person can really fit in the Alaskan Independence Party. Now what I'm really about is touting this business of where the state's finances are. Well what do you think is the biggest challenge facing Alaska's next governor. Is it the one way or another dealing with the financial future whether it's a crisis right now or simply a long term issue we have to deal with it. What what will be the biggest job facing Alaska's next governor in your opinion. We think that it will be it. I think that the whole world in a way is in for a rough time economically. I don't mean that we're not going over a cliff or anything but I mean as one economist said it's a race for the bottom it seems to be a race for the bottom. The unions are weak. We don't no longer have good union representation to bring wages up. We're competing

with countries that pay very low wages. Our resources are going to be expensive. The whole world is trying to sell their resources now. So I just I just think we're really going to be in for a ride and we're going to have to ride it out. What can the governor of Alaska do to help Alaska on this ride. What are the steps you think the state should be taking. Well I think that the governor I think the administration can advise the Alaskans on just what our situation is. I don't think they know at this time and I don't think the administration's done a good job of informing. That's one of the things that I really am about is informing people what what situations are ideal with people a lot in the villages. And I think everybody can understand that once it's brought to their attention and we're we're all in it together we're all going to have to go get down together.

I kind of amused by most of the forums I go to I really didn't know what to expect but most of the forums I go to the the organizations want to know how you're going to protect their subsidy. Well you take everybody else's out sort of like the what's the bar over Charlie's or you know the name of the bar over in spinor. That's it we cheat the other guy and this is sort of what they want to do here. And we badly want savings I often said how will you ensure this or how you will you ensure that. And we've just watched over the last four years we watched the whole nation fall apart that ensured everything we guaranteed they guaranteed wages and guaranteed work. And you know it's really tough to make those guarantees. Well it seems that in any formula for dealing with whether it's a gradual or precipitous decline in revenue and income projected income you've got two

tools want to increase revenue one is to reduce expenditures. What are your ideas about. How the governor should wield those tools. Well the governor really. He does a lot about five things. If we look at our civics lesson he signs bills into law. He vetoes bill proposed bills. I can say he because we don't have a female running this time yet. Anything can happen before November but administers the affairs of the state and has a bully pulpit if he chooses to use it. Before we raise taxes or before we cut spending we ought to really figure out where we're at. And one thing that the governor in the state of Alaska has is a line item veto authority. If we can take the documents of the state plus the fact that that

the oil is declining and production is declining at 3 percent a year we can we can calculate where that where that budget ought to be next year. And the governor can hold on to that. Right now I'm sure in some office high over Juneau where the administration is working on that very number. And no matter who is in office he will live by that budget number because there's just not time between the November 2nd election and what I think it's December 15th when the governor gives his budget that there's really not time to create a new budget documents so they'll pretty much for the first year go with whatever that prior governor has come up with the administration. But with line item veto authority the governor can say to that to the legislature. Look this is my top line. And if you want to cut it lower which is unthinkable with legislators. But if you want to come down you can

do that. But this is as high as it goes and I'll start cutting now I'm sure games would be played and the governor's budget would be the first part that would be cut but that wouldn't bother me I could live with that. You know they might cut police protection extremely just to test the waters. But I would hope they wouldn't be that foolish. Well one you've alluded to the governor's responsibility the governor does act as the CEO. Of the largest employer I think still in the state. State government the largest single. Signer of paychecks. What kind of style would you bring into the executive part of the job. Well I I have an instinct for cooperation. I would be tested by the legislature I'm sure but that's who I would turn to to see how we wanted to do this. And many of the legislators

constituency consists of state employees. They're not really the enemy in many cases particularly I suppose in the Juno area and in the Anchorage area. I'd like to take a moment if I could and show you what document I'm talking points here. The decision regarding this is there are several This is called the comprehensive annual financial report. This is for 1993 the fiscal year 94 just ended a couple of days ago. But this is the this is the graph I don't know whether we can pick that up or not but you can see you can see the series of surpluses in 91 which is Desert Storm That's a night that's over a billion dollars in surplus. That's the same time that the good Professor Goldsmith was talking about. We are in deficit. And next year we'll will be in deficit again. And that doesn't include the money that's turned into the Permanent Fund. And this the last couple of years have been a little weird because we forget

that taxes these back taxes coming in. So and another complication is that fully a third of our budget now is federal money. Ten years ago it was about $200 million dollars. Now it's over 800 billion dollars so it's fully a third of the total budget. Federal money comes with federal strings can only be spent in certain ways. There was a letter to the editor several weeks ago some woman plaintively wondering why are we paving the Denali Highway why don't we take that money and use it for the homeless which is a lofty thing to do. But if you want to make that change you have to go back to Washington D.C. because that's where that money comes from and that's where the rules come from. Well speaking of federal rules are one of the questions I wanted to touch on the state. Four years ago in the last gubernatorial elections one of the questions I was asking all the candidates are how do we resolve this subsistence dilemma. We have the

federal government moving into management areas Alaska's game. Subsequently certain fisheries resources are now being managed by the feds. Is this a problem be as governor. How would you go about restoring Alaska management authority. Well I'll tell you one of the things I did when I was a student at the University was I ran a tape recorder on the floor at the Constitutional Convention and the issue that was the most contentious was who would manage Fish and Game and how would it be managed. There was an uproar. Hundreds poured into the building where the hearing was held. Nothing I can do or any other governor can do is going to calm the seas. I would definitely try to put an amendment before the constitutional amendment before the people regarding rural preference beyond that I don't know

what I could do. I mean it would just keep on keeping on. The on the not on the primary ballot but on the November ballot there will be a number of initiative this year. For those of us who have been around the state familiar tunes will be we'll be humming them again this fall. I think as a capital move initiative on the ballot and it's companion Frank initiative regarding spending I guess the question I'd ask is. How do you feel about that. Does it make any difference to you whether you work with your elected or your state as governor. The answer is no it wouldn't matter to me where I said I will vote to keep the Capitol in Juneau. And I did sign the petition on that regarding the Franken initiative. But if that's the right term Yeah. But I I wouldn't if the people want to move the Capitol let it move you know years ago and there was this as you say this a new a new old story somebody in Fairbanks proposed in a letter to the editor that at that time there were a lot of ships being mothballed.

This was in the West have been in the 60s some time. And he suggested that we get one of the more the smaller aircraft carriers that was being mothballed put enormous caterpillar tracks on it and just drive it all over the state building roads where we went and let that be the capital. I'd never heard a better suggestion of it. I'm satisfied to leave it. It will hurt people to move it. And I don't really see any reason for it coming down to the end of our time. I do want to make sure that you've had an opportunity to cover the bases you want to cover if there are. Topics or issues that you think the governor and ex-governor Alafia should be facing. We have included to. Give you a moment to Minimoog us on any other areas. Well the only. Sort of the same nature as your question. I think the word crisis has easy currency in Alaska. I don't think we really have very many crises but the

biggest problem that Alaska has other than the financial problem and that's a that's a big one is is the abuses that go along with the consumption of alcohol. And I would use the the the governor's office as a bully pulpit to talk about them. A lot and stress that. I I don't know whether we're in it at an end. I would like to make my point we've got to say that absolutely we've got about 30 seconds and give you what you like folks to remember about Judy Hensley when they step into the voting booth on August 23rd. Well I I would like them to know that I'm not doctrinaire I'm not I'm not a Democrat I'm not a Republican. I'm really I hope that I'm an Alaskan and I would like to speak for that. What roughly 54 percent of the people who are not registered to either party. And let's And if you are interested in doing something for the state I hope you'd keep me in mind. That's it.

That's my pitch. Thank you very much Judy. Thank you. I'm Dave Hammer. Coming up more gubernatorial candidates here on running. As. You're watching K.A.. Channel 7 Anchorage. Also on the Alaska Independence Party section of the general ballot on the primary election will be the name of our roll out welcome to running 94. Thanks for taking the time to join us on Saturday night. It's an honor. We're glad to have you with us. I want everyone to start out just cutting right to the chase. Why is Al Rowe running for governor in 1994. Dave I'm the only one that is embraced Joe Vogler philosophy and his dreams and his goals. Joe Vogel and I started and made

the Alaskan Independence Party and we had interlopers come in and ran for our on our ticket. And then they double crossed us. I have to run to keep the integrity into the party and old Joe Vogler. He's raised me since 1949. All so the people need honest government. What change. We'll talk a bit about the Alaskan advance party platform in a minute but before I do I want to ask who's our row. What what sort of experiences attitudes values do you bring to the campaign and would you bring to the job as governor. I spent her 19 years in the United States Navy. I was Alaska state trooper the top Alaska state trooper. They told me I was the most decorated trooper there was I was the chief of police I was the captain in charge of the entire pipeline when it was being built and I was also a labor

foreman and I. Have no. O in to any party any particular person of the government special interests. And this is why Alaska has got to help. I'm the only one with the intestinal fortitude to get the job done that needs to be done. The rest of them can't do it. What what motivates our role politically how do you get involved in politics. Was there a person or an event. Or is there. What's the inspiration that that got Altro involved in the political process. Joe Vogler how that come about. I came up here in Alaska in 1949 and I met Joe Vogler and he took me under his wing. And I really believed in the man and I still believe in him and I believe in what he wants to do for the people. I believe that Alaskans should be given a choice to vote not just vote this time whether they want to remain a state of becoming

independence or territorial. And just like Puerto Rican we need and deserve a vote and I intend to fight for no one else is going to do this for them. Well let's let's talk a bit about the Alaskan party. I've asked every candidate to basically talk about the platform of their party. Why they're running in that party and whether there are things in the platform they're comfortable with or not comfortable with. So don't you give us some of the history of the Alaska Independence Party and and just let us know what that platform is or what do you think it should be. Well it hasn't changed at all since Joe Vogler started it in 1973. And even though he hit Jack Coghill ran on our ticket and they completely dishonest and they still disowned us disavowed us they adopted none of our platform. They hired none of our people and. They don't like Jack cargo right now. He's still running under. He's a Republican running under our party ticket and I'm the only Alaskan independence. Party member that's running and I have

to do this again. Redundancy for the people of Alaska Alaska the people have to have an honest person they can vote for and they've have to have a goal of a vote and they have to have the miners have the mining and the fishermen have the fish and the teachers have to teach they have to have new schools up here. They have to have a teacher with a salary educated good salary that they can concentrate on educating our young people. The oil companies they can drill. If I get in there they can drill anywhere they want to. But this time they'll have to pay the fair share of royalties to the state. And in spite of the people if the body own body and soul like the speaker and house down there they will. Damn sure pay their fair share of taxes and they will pay all of them. The Alaska Independence Party. I think a lot of everyone has heard of it but I don't know how many people are really familiar with the what the goal of the platform really is. I think we just think in terms of all they will they want to do is secede

from the union. How would you describe for us what the what the goal of asking this party is. OK. First of all it's not to succeed from the union. This succession has nothing at all to do with it. We do need a vote. An honest vote which we've never had. Also all Alaskans need a better and brighter future. This is a place that Joe dreamed of that I dreamed that we could live that our children could live and that our children's children could live. And now you've got these politicians they're in bed with this tyrannical government the special interest people that that owns a body and so when they get into office they make these promises and they cannot carry them out. They don't carry them out and they don't intend to. All they tend to do is it's just a boondoggle to the minds of the people Mersch memorize them and hypnotize them with their big money ads. Somebody like me that comes along that can do the job. I don't have any money but I have truth working for me and I have the future of Alaska working for me and nobody else does this.

The got it touched on a theme that I've talked or asked about and a lot of these interviews. The. Public in Alaska as well as the country at large. Gordon all the polls hold politicians the legislature the government in general in very low esteem. What do you think is the reason that people are so unhappy with the government with politicians and how would you go about. Making people feel better about participating in the in the public process. First of all the reason that the people have this disgust against politicians is because of lies lies and more lies. They are corrupt. I don't consider myself a politician. I consider myself an arm of Joe Vogler. I want integrity in this government. I don't want anyone to come up and say we're going to do this and we're going to do that. I.

What a bunch of crap. The environmentalists up here are slaughtering our state. These environmentalists these pose the sniffers. Joe finally calls them. They can either join us or they can become extinct species their self and I tend to do this. Well let me ask about some of the jobs facing the new governor if our role is elected you'll be showing up in Juneau with a new a new team in January. What will be the biggest task or the first task facing the new administration in your mind when they get to Juneau. The first task is to clean up that legislature group down that is owned by special interests. I want to get them focused on what they were sent to the office to do and that's to serve the people of Alaska and Alaska. It's not to serve themselves and it's not to serve their masters. That put them gave them the money to the bone boggler people to get into that office. We've got to come back to the basics. They've down to show you for instance on the on the crime scene

Alaska's population the increase in crime has escalated. Their answer to it do away with some of the troopers cut back cut the budget by I say double the trooper force and the police force and triple their budget. This can be done. Well we got overcrowding in jails. Well I'm going to intend to build a jail out on em. Chickaree Dacca one of these islands in the Aleutian Islands. And when we put a prisoner out there and he does he is released. People want to go back and he damn well show want to escape. The the governor of Alaska is constitutionally one of the most powerful chief executives of all states. But how can the governor corral those 60 people on the second floor. How would you say use in the governor's office to get the legislature focused. You have to go to these people and set them down and tell them I'm the boss. You people are not the boss. You are serving the people and that's what you intend to do. You see a governor gets in there he owes so many people in so much of these special interest.

I refuse to take any money from anyone. I'll go down and serve the people the people of Alaska. Alaska is my goal to serve and only them I don't serve anybody else like they do. And you have to be able to take control you have to be able to take charge. There's nobody else out there with the cronies to do it. Just me. If I have to do it with my best I'll do it that way. I prefer to do it intellectually. But if they don't have the intellect down there then I'll educate some of them of what they're supposed to do when they're in Juneau. All right. The. Alaska has been focused on the financial problems facing the state. Now we haven't actually run out of money yet but it's been nip and tuck for a couple of times and we've funded our operating budget with essentially windfall revenue tax settlements and such. Looking at the next four years if you're a governor what how do you see getting the state's budget or spending balanced with income do we raise more revenue or do we cut spending.

What sort what how would you use these tools as we will cut some spending but we will hire some more people and in in government. But they don't have to have a hundred thousand dollars a year salary. We just we have that we have to encourage our educators to educate our children mainly Alaska is got to learn how to operate on their own. I was up here before all companies came and we've done just fine. And now everybody seems to be money crazy or looking up to the to their masters for their guidance. I want to get them focus back to Alaskans to Alaska's future. The hell with the lower 48. Alaska. This is what we're doing here. This is what we're supposed to be doing here. This is what I love here in this country. I wouldn't live anywhere else in the whole wide world. And I want to live with people that think Alaska first and nobody else. If they want to come up here and live here one day if they plan on staying here then they're Alaskans as far as I'm concerned. Steve babba said this many times he's a dear friend of mine but they must they must be Alaskans and Alaska must come first.

There are a couple of issues that are going to be facing in the administration one of which. Has. Is nothing new. It's a problem the state's been dealing with one way or another for most of 15 years and that's subsistence. Four years ago when the governor's race everyone was alarmed because the federal government had resumed management of game resources on federal land cause of the conflict between state and federal law. Arab campaigned very ready running for governor had a plan to resolve it. Four years later. The feds are still managing game on federal land they're beginning to manage some fisheries resources. My question is What do you see is what kind of a problem for us is subsistence in the federal. The assumption of management. And how would a an Al ro administration tackle the problem no problem at all on any of the things. First of all we all tell the federal government what to do. I'm tired of them telling us what to do. It's for the fishing game. I will as soon as I'm in office one minute

after I'm sworn in as governor I will give the natives their sovereignty I'll give them reservation they will control their own fish they will control their own wildlife they will control their own judicial system and this they will control their own future. This is the way God meant it to be. I'm telling these other politicians they pop the top but they don't walk the walk. And it's time that the natives quit being third and fourth class citizen. They are very intelligent now you've got leaders like mayo. It's time for these people to come forward. All they have to do is register to vote and they can send anybody they want to and you know and if they don't send me you know that's their mistake. The Another issue that has might come off the deja vu list back in front of Alaska again. Is the capital move not of the primary but on the general election there'll be a capital move issue on the ballot. Zeile row have any preference for your third floor governor's chair is in Juneau or Wasdale. I'll tell you one thing. You know it would be fine for it to be in my Scilla. Juneau is a

fine place but Juneau is inaccessible to the people they need to move the capital of the downtown Anchorage or downtown Fairbanks. I prefer it but I would prefer to see it right next to this campus up here. At least somewhere where the people can have access to it. I've got nothing against the Junho people and I know they depend on the Capitol because you go down you have to do is go going by hamburger and you'll see what you pay for it and you'll know why they want the capital to stay there. But it's not serving the state. I will move the Capitol with or without a vote. I will move the capital if I have to pick up my own front to put it in a in a pickup truck and say follow me because the next session that I will be in the Capitol in June or wherever. I've got a trailer to rent. I prefer to see it in Wasilla. That's reasonable place. The governor of Alaska is the CEO chief operating officer of the largest employer in the state. State government. What kind of CEO would Al Roby of this big state bureaucracy the best.

And for one time I'll be the one that takes charge. I will be what it is the chief executive officer with the power and with the intestinal fortitude and with the intellect and experience to do it and no one else can do it. They just can't do it. First of all they're post-landing us type people which I'm not demeaning because they're weak. I'm just telling you that they're not strong enough to do this thing and they own their own by way too many people to do the job that the people of Alaska. The best thing that they could do is put me in that office for a year. They've been lied to and lied to and lied to forever for years. They stand the same rotten maggots back down there. A Democrat or Republican they get to you know it's the same little maggot poo you pick up a maggot New-England it says I'm a Republican. You pick up another rag my little maggot I've then we get this. I'm a Democrat. What the hell's the difference for a Coghill. You've got to take the little pea coat off of him and wiggle him to say he's a Republican. I mean send me down there let me do the job. Let me give Alaska back

to Alaskans. The one of the most important things a governor does is in that manager role as appoint cabinet. And in fact there. Are a couple of hundred potential appointees by Gov.. What sort of philosophy what are you looking for. Would you be looking for people who became part of an Al ro administration. I'm looking for intellectuals and I'm looking for the man on the street. I will put a third native minority people into the into the control branch of the government. I will put a third of white people in there if you will and I will put a third of women in there. We have marvelous leaders up here. You have some of the best leaders and the most intellectual and educated people in the world. When not taking advantage of it. We don't need this corner here. Corn and ism are this old buddy or this old Bubba club or nothing. We need a Alaskan's to run Alaska. We need Alaskans that has not only tend to elect intellect and the ability to do it but we need

them the heart's in the right place and I'll pick those people the heart's in the right place. If I've got to go downtown on second and fourth avenue and match when I'm out of the gutter and sobering up and sitting down there and one of those chairs. But I get the right people around the last of which should be run. The. Another hue and cry you hear from everybody around Rothfuss pretty much is the need for economic diversification and economic development. Alaska's big industries seem to be on hard times. Oil companies are pulling out of Bruto pulling out of Alaska as it will flow declines explorations on the wane. Fisheries have some trouble with prices. Timber has been trouble. What is the proper role for it. How can a government stimulate the economy. What's the right thing for the government to be doing. Far as relating to the economy the first thing that the governor has to do is to confront the federal government say fellows it's a new ballgame. I'm in charge. This is the way we're going to play this ball game. These are the rules we're going to play by and then they can drill anywhere they want to they can draw on Fourth Avenue if they want to but they

will share their wealth this time like they've never done it before. But they will do it this time. And the fishermen I ask needs to do their own fish. Ask a Timberman Alaska minders last good first and you got to have the man up there to say the hell with you people. We're not going to do what you tell us to do. You're not controlling us no more. We're going to control ourselves and I'll slow that all out and I'll make it a better and brighter place for all of us to live. Go about making that step I mean that's a tough call. Federal government is pretty pernicious. Hey all we were asking is What are they going to do come in here and shoot us. I've got to we've got a National Guard Air Force. We've got some. Soldiers here. We've got National Guard the SWAT they put the soldiers here to do their bit is to threaten us with our kick all of the soldiers asses out of here. Everybody else don't want to do what Alaskans want to do. Alaska will be for Alaska it's one way or the other. I love the military.

I'm a retired military. I love them and they contributed a lot to Alaska. They're decent people and they need more breaks than they do. But it is time to fight when the going to do their mothers and fathers. I'm going to take Alaska back from the federal government and I'm going to take Alaska back from the special interest I'm going to give it to the people. And at the four years this is what they want and see that they've got a better place to live. They've got the magic the magic of Alaska the magical place to live fantasy land where all their dreams come true. Then this is what I'm going to give him. It's going to be a lot of hard work. But you can it's very easy if you've got the moxie to do it. Just about out of time before we do wrap it up I want to give you a chance to give us your parting thought. What would you like our viewers to remember. It is wanger. Remember about our role on August 23rd. I want them to remember that I love Joe Vogler and I think Joe wherever you are for being there for me Joe. And I'll continue your

dream Joe and I'll continue your goals. Plus my own. And this is all I ever wanted was for a better life for laughter. We will make this come true. All we have to do is just put that little check by my name. Hey it's a different world. It's going to be something new. It's going to be a glorious future for all of us and I thank them so very much. Do something for yourself Alaskans put me on office. Let's watch it. Let's watch what happens. All right well thank you very much Al Roker. Hey my pleasure. Al Rosas candidate for governor on the Alaska Independence Party ticket. That's the last of our candidates tonight. There will be four candidates from the Alaska Independence parties names on the ballot. This is the general ballot along with the candidates from the Green Party and the Democratic Party. The fourth VIP candidate Larry Sipher did not respond to our invitation the next program that our running 94 series will feature the candidates for U.S. Congress. I want to thank you all

for watching. I think the facilities of UCTV as well as KCI MTV for producing this program. Thank you for taking the time. Don't forget to get out and vote on August 23rd. I'm Dave Hammack. This is running and that's it for this program. Thanks. We. All. Do. What is it. There are many different effects produced by the same forces which create the visible Northern

Lights. For signs. The search has been to find their cause. When standing beneath such an enormous presence as the Northern Lights. People of the north and every century have tried to depict the spectacle with whatever image they could from their earth bound ground level view of it. Technology has extended the perceptions of scientists and explores. Today's technologies allowing us to voice farther into the auroral environment using such technologies. Science not only gains new images of auroras but also new approaches to investigation. Researchers can go physically closer to the Aurora where they can study it experimentally and then move

scientifically closer to solving century old mysteries. Often the analogies which scientists use to develop theories for solving the mysteries can make understanding the Aurora easier for us. Not so full auroral physicist explains the Aurora as an electrical discharge in a vacuum. The arthritis and I have had this phenomenon. The easiest example is a neon sign. If you want to make a neon sign you have a thing grass to the bike in there and then put a little bit neon gas in but it on them they connect this one to a high voltage surprise. If you do that. Then electrons run from the castled. To the analysts when they run through this. They collide

with gas. The neon gas atoms are left to become image and as they go back to the lower stage the light. I'll be out by. Now. While we're. On the runway. About a mile away. I hear. The natives call it Denali. Call. And explorers named McIlwain.

What are you thousand three hundred forty feet above sea level. It is the tallest mountain. In North America. There is a unique group of people. Who make a living. They are. The. Dunalley. At. Least. 90 miles north of the lowlands at the foot of gently is the town of to help keep the place where rivers meet. This tiny village is Home-Based for air taxi operators to service the needs of hundreds of

climbers and sightseers who visit the mountain each year. To. Got to. Watch. The. Rise by special permit from the National Park Service to operate

within the boundaries of Denali National Park. These are the only air taxis in the world but land on glaciers as a daily routine. These are taxis are more than just ride. The pilots and machines that make up this unique service are the last and the first contact climbers and adventurers have made the world. Fun. In 1896 near Dawson in the Yukon Territory the discovery of gold brothers stampede of men and women to northwest Canada and the Alaska territory miners and entrepreneur is headed north to seek their

fortunes in the gold fields. Stories abounded with tales of gold and copper deposits and of extensive coal fields. These discoveries drew the interest of investors and speculators. J.P. Morgan the Guggenheim and a host of others. A major factor in this rush for well was transportation. There were a few ways for the miners to get their supplies and themselves into this region. A water route from the ports of San Francisco Portland and Seattle ran northwest to say Michael. Travel is then transferred to riverboats that steamed up the Yukon River to Dawson a second sea route terminated at Skagway. Then goods were hauled by mule team dog sled and snowshoe over the summit of Chilcoot or White Pass to Dawson where even the most adventurous routes into the gold field were

few time consuming expensive and physically demanding a rail road was needed to solve the problem. Too. On May 27 1898 construction began on the first railroad on Alaska's soil. The first 20 miles of the White Pass and Yukon railroad lay in the territory. It was the first of what would be more than 50 railroad ventures that would be proposed and promoted in the territory for Alaska. Most railroads existed only on paper but some companies did in fact survey preliminary routes and