Gubernatorial candidates stopped in Homer Tuesday to campaign, meet with residents and square off in a governor’s forum. The event drew four prominent candidates including Governor Bill Walker, Mike Dunleavy, Mark Begich and Mead Treadwell. It also drew lesser-known candidate Billy Toien.
On Tuesday, most of the governor candidates who arrived in Homer spent at least part of their day speaking to voters in an intimate setting such as a restaurant or coffee shop. There, they spoke to a handful of voters at a time, reminding them of their accomplishments and addressing specific questions on topics such as the PFD, the fishing industry and state revenue.
But in the early evening, five gubernatorial candidates sat side by side on the Alice’s Champagne Palace stage to answer questions in front of roughly 150 residents. The Homer Chamber of Commerce sponsored the forum and grilled candidates on issues from healthcare to the economy.
All candidates agreed healthcare expense was an issue but differed widely on how to address it.
Republican candidate and former state Senator Mike Dunleavy said he wants to convene experts in the healthcare field along with providers and insurances to decide how to reduce healthcare costs.
“We need to interject some private health care plans for small businesses,” he said. “We need to look at potential block grants coming from the federal government to the state of Alaska in dealing with Medicaid.”
Block grants are a lump sum that the federal government would give the state to pay for Medicaid along with giving the state more control in managing the program.
Republican candidate and former Lieutenant Governor Mead Treadwell is also a strong believer in block grants. He mentioned he has brought it up to congress many times.
“I think that we do need to fix Obamacare,” he said. “I hope that our delegation comes together to do that. We do need flexibility to make deals with the major providers in the state so that costs down.”
He also proposed appointing an insurance director to lower cost and increasing competition.
Governor Bill Walker agreed that more competition is critical but otherwise took a much different stance.
The independent candidate touted his role in the Medicaid expansion, saying it helped to insure about 44 thousand people and saved the state roughly $17 million. He also spoke about a bill he recently signed to ensure more transparency surrounding healthcare costs.
He said block grants are not the way forward.
“We've got to be really careful about that,” he said. “Alaska comes in last on a block grant because it's done on a per capita basis on population. It does not work that way for us because our costs are higher due to the distance and how we’re separated. So I get nervous when I heard people talk about block grants. That’s very bad for Alaska.”
Democratic candidate and former U.S. senator Mark Begich focused on other ideas for decreasing costs.
“We have to change this issue of how we buy prescription drugs,” he said. “We should be allowed to import into Alaska from Canada. One state has done that through legislation. It helps lower costs.”
He mentioned concentrating on prevention, supporting community clinics and growing Alaska’s healthcare workforce.
Begich also proposed a new way of funding education by taking money from the Permeant Fund after 50 percent of it goes to dividends.
“The other 50 percent of it should go to education, constitutionally guaranteed,” he said. “Why do I say that? Because every single year at the last week of the session, for my lifetime, they negotiate away education.”
Begich also mentioned increasing the amount of Alaskan teachers and ensuring equal opportunities across the state.
Walker mentioned passing a bill earlier this year forward funding education. He also emphasized respecting teachers and adding more technical education.
“There are some incredible examples around the state, around this community, around the peninsula of what happens when a young person picks up a welding rod and learns how to weld, learns how to run equipment, learns how to pound a nail, pull some wire, weld something together, they becomes a different person,” he said. “We need to make sure that that's available.”
Treadwell agreed that technical education was important but emphasized outcome versus input for education.
“We have to really seriously understand what works and what doesn't,” he said. “And that means the state and the school boards have to work much more closely together. If you want more money for education, keep more kids in school. That's an automatic way to get more money for your school district.”
Dunleavy, a former educator, said funding education begins with fixing high healthcare costs.
“I proposed when I was in the Senate, a bill that would have consolidated the 54 school districts healthcare into the state's healthcare system,” he said. “That would have saved upwards of a 100 million dollars a year for school districts and taken that off the table so they wouldn’t have to worry about this escalating costs.”
Dunleavy also proposed a land endowment for public schools.
A libertarian candidate, Billy Toien, was also present at the forum.
“Although I am seeking the office of governor, I don't want the job,” he said. “The only reason I'm seeking it is because so far I'm the only one that's addressing the comprehensive finances of the state.”
At the end of the debate, Toien signed a pledge to protect and restore PFD and oppose taxes, among promises.
After the gubernatorial candidates spoke, seven candidates for lieutenant governor addressed the crowd. The primary election is August 21.
