Contributed by Adam Crum, Candidate for State Senate Seat F
Growing up in Alaska is truly a privilege. To have such vast wilderness as your playground allows for many adventures and opportunities, but it can also be challenging. Often we have to work away from home, travel long distances, or be creative in how we provide for our families. My family is no exception, as we often joke that our parents had so many kids so they could have their own work crew. We worked construction, built houses, operated equipment and drove trucks. For as long as I can remember I have worked, and worked hard.
Building our family company, Northern Industrial Training, LLC (NIT) into a successful business has required years of hard work and sacrifice. But it has been worth it as we have grown our company into a community fixture, and there is nothing like the pride felt of a job well done.
When Senator Stoltze announced his retirement, it inspired me to step up and work directly for my community. Campaigning is definitely not easy, but being out in the public, knocking on doors and meeting engaged citizens has encouraged me to work even harder so I can be your senator in Juneau.
I am honored to have local groups standup and endorse me, such as:
• Alaska Outdoor Access Alliance – They know I will fight for access to state and public lands and waters.
• MatSu Business Alliance – They trust I will fight for the private sector by removing government barriers.
Alaska is at a cross roads. We are in the unique position of having savings, but no revenue coming in. But if we don’t drastically reduce the size of our government we will burn through our savings in just a couple years, leaving Alaska in dire straits.
We need action. We need energy. We need people willing to roll up their sleeves and go to work for you by addressing the tough issues, because it is the right thing for Alaska.
There can be no sacred cows. No program and no agency should be safe, and the cuts and pain will be felt by all. But making these cuts allows us opportunity to look for efficiencies. To find models of success and to duplicate them. We can put Alaska on the path to sustainability, so we can manage the ups and downs of oil revenue, and not dip into the pockets of private citizens to fund a bloated government.
We must address the biggest cost drivers of our budget: healthcare and education. Both of these subjects bring emotional responses from their defenders, but we must address them. For example, according to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), in fiscal year 2013 Alaska had the highest median expenditures in the country: $26,476 per student. While the next nearest state doesn’t even break $20,000 per student. And this amount of spending doesn’t bring success, as Alaska has below-average National Assessment for Education Progress (NAEP) scores. Traditional models have to be evaluated and challenged.
Healthcare costs in Alaska can be addressed by removing government barriers to allow for investment and competition.
There is a lot of work to do to correct our state. But it can be done. Vote for Adam Crum on August 16, and I will go to work for you.
For more info please visit CrumForSenate.com.