Vote Yes on Ballot Measure 3
On July 10, the ongoing and painful saga of Alaska's corruption probe showed itself again. Three former legislators are currently serving time for corruption, while another has been awaiting trial. Now, another Alaska legislator has been indicted on federal corruption charges, which include bribery and conspiracy to commit bribery.
While it is painful to watch these indictments and convictions unfold, it also serves as a reminder of where our priorities should be.
The newest indictment quotes the conspirators saying on two separate occasions that the only leverage they had to change votes on the 20/20 PPT oil tax legislation was "through campaign contributions and by hosting fundraisers."
Without concluding that every legislator is corrupt (and having served two terms in the state House, I know the majority of my colleagues are honorable people), we can conclude that the current campaign funding system makes us vulnerable to repeated corruption.
I hope that Alaskans will seriously consider this and will vote yes on Ballot Measure 3, the Clean Election Initiative or Public Financing in Campaigns, on the Aug. 26 primary ballot. This is a critical step in fighting for good government in the best interest of Alaskans.
-- Rep. Berta Gardner