Blog: Dermot Cole
Campbell files for Lt. Gov.
Published Monday, October 12, 2009
•Lt. Gov. Craig Campbell, who says Alaska residents should "never have to pay an income tax or statewide sales tax," is starting his 2010 campaign.
He filed papers with the elections office today in Anchorage to run for lieutenant governor, the office he was appointed to this summer after Gov. Sarah Palin quit and Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell moved up to the top state job.
The announcement from Campbell said he wants to make sure that the state doesn't threaten the freedom of Alaskans.
“I’ve always been a budget hawk, and I want to make sure Alaska residents never have to pay an income tax, or statewide sales tax, to receive the services that government is obligated to provide to the residents,” he said.
“I will work with the governor to produce results for the people of Alaska, not create a divisive atmosphere that would hinder Alaska’s potential.”
•Sarah Triggs and about 20 other volunteers from the Safeway stores are inviting the public to a dinner and auction Wednesday at the Westmark. The evening is a benefit for the Breast Cancer Detection Center.
Tickets are $20 and available at the Safeway stores and the detection center. About 100 items are to be auctioned off, following the dinner.
Artist Barbara Lavallee will be there to sign her new print.
For more information, call Triggs at 460-2221.
•The canvassing board is continuing to sort the unopened questioned ballots today — making sure that those who cast them are registered and did not vote twice. The final count for the municipal election is expected by Tuesday afternoon.
When the questioned ballots are opened and counted, the procedure works like this:
One worker opens the outside envelope, the only one with a name on it.
That worker hands the ballot, enclosed in a "secrecy sleeve," to another person who removes the sleeve.
That workers hands the ballot to another person who puts it in a box.
•Bob Poe, a Democratic candidate for governor, brought his Poe-Mobile Camper to Fairbanks over the weekend and parked outside Wal-Mart.
Poe was here for the quarterly meeting of the state Central Committee of the Democratic Party and to meet with North Slope workers, UAF students and others.
He has been campaigning full time for governor since January and spent much of the summer traveling from Haines to Homer and points in-between in the camper. He held regular "Sausage and Politics" sessions at the camper to talk with voters.
The warm weather has been a good break for the gubernatorial camper, but he's not going to push his luck any longer, concluding that the season is over for the Poe-Mobile.
"Never" is a long time.
Dermot, thanks for reporting this quote by Campbell "I want to make sure Alaska residents never have to pay an income tax, or statewide sales tax, to receive the services that government is obligated to provide to the residents."
Now the question that you media types should pursue is to find exactly how Campbell intends to provide for free government services. The oil is running out, and we still have the most expensive state government in the country- spending about $18,000 per person. Campbell and Parnell have not articulated how we will diversify our state's income with natural gas sales which are needed in less than five years to avoid disaster.
Without ANY viable strategic plan offered for diversifying our revenue base, where does Campbell propose to get funds for his "free" government?
Please.
Put Alaska First- it is a cliff hanger for politicians, you have to tune in to the next episode of their career and see how it works. After you elect them, right?
Note he said services that government is obligated to provide. Read your constitution Put Alaska First, there is very little that the government has to provide and no where does it say the government needs to build a gas line for the Port Authority. I am sure you will respond with the several other names you write comments under.
The Federal Govt. got along just fine for 80 years with no income tax. Then Lincoln entered into a war to oppress States' Rights, and needed to pay for it somehow (Started at 3%... now we're at 10-35%)
Then they decided they wanted to spend more. Enter the Income Tax.
"Never" is just fine by me. Once it's in, it'll never go away. Don't let it happen in the first place.
Darfur, are you a stalker?
Most of what the state does is, in fact, required under many of the first nine articles of the Constitution:
# Introduction & Preamble
# Article I – Declaration of Rights
# Article II – The Legislature
# Article III – The Executive
# Article IV – The Judiciary
# Article V – Suffrage and Elections
# Article VI – Legislative Apportionment
# Article VII – Health, Education and Welfare
# Article VIII – Natural Resources
# Article IX – Finance and Taxation
The schools, the university, and public welfare are all required under Article VII. The definition of public welfare is broad, so that would include things like clean drinking water (ADEC) and (AST) as well as the prison system.
Elections and the executive branch functions all fit under Articles III, and V. The Legislative functions under Article II, and the Judiciary is found under IV. The governor is, under Article III, section 19, "...commander-in-chief of the armed forces of the State..."
To conclude, there is very little the state is providing right now that is not required by the Constitution.
How is all of what the state provides going to be paid for as the oil continues to decline without income taxes or sales taxes? Is Campbell going to plant money tress?
The voters have mandated that the trillions of dollars of natural gas we own be monetized- a far better option than bankrupting the state. The problem is, Parnell has not presented a plan to monetize our gas before we go bankrupt.
Dear "FreeDarfur"
How the heck can you criticize another anonymous poster when you are anonymous yourself? The last time I checked there were no "FreeDarfurs" in the phone book, though my eyesight is not what it used to be.
For all we know you might really be SlaveDarfur or FreeFredonia in disguise!
Oh well, I know one thing about you; whoever you are, or pretend to be, you don't seem to see the irony in the situation.
Darf, are you really criticizing PutAlaskaFirst for commenting under multiple names? You, of all people, have got no legs to stand on!
Why don't you ask your buddy Sisu about multiple names? Huh?
I love that bit about the "Poe-Mobile"! I think I saw Bob Poe's camper this summer in Tok...he sure gets around...and gets points for working so hard!
terrencemcole:
It troubles me that someone would be more concerned with looking up the names in the phone book of people who post here than they are with the substance of what the posters have to say.
Maybe now you know why these posters would prefer to stay anonymous.
Native Son, Thank You!
Glad to see the members of the Port Auhtority are at their smear campaign again against a private citizen. Amazing what a board member and former board members will lower themselves to do should anyone challenge their organization. Be careful anyone who disagrees with this group, they are bent on revenge . Heck John Reeves even called into a local talk show and tried to spread his smear on a person. Just goes to show you how low this group will go. Glad to see their are candidates coming out who are not buying into their nonsense. Dermont will not do anything, because he hasn't agreed with my comments and he probably enjoys this type of assualt. heck even a newsminer employee went on the radio and tried to tell the public who Free Darfur is, don't kid yourself there is an employee at the NewsMiner who is giving out your information.
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