The initiative process is a vital part of the Alaskan Political process, and I have watched it used and abused over the last two decades. The good side can be when an initiative forces the policy makers to do what they lack courage for.

The misuse comes when signature gatherers are duplicators and exploit the process for one of more of the following:

• To build a mailing list for fund raising or get out the vote efforts.
• To put a popular but misguided issue on the ballot to motivate voters of a particular bent to flock to the polls to elect policy makers of a specific party.
• To embarrass candidates who do not favor a popular, but bad, piece of legislation by making them take a stand on it during a campaign.

The recent flap over the filling of a vacancy in the US Senate is an illustrative example. Several years ago, the Republican led legislature clarified the law to keep Tony Knowles from appointing a replacement for Frank Murkowski in the very brief time before the new governor assumed office, as he insinuated he might.

The resentful Democrats, called "trust the people", started an initiative drive to force a special election of a person to fill the vacancy. The Legislature, not wanting to have to run on the same ballot with that issue, and like me, probably thinking that a special election was a good idea, changed the law to provide for the special election with an interim appointment to give Alaska a voice in the Senate during the 3-5 months before the election. The Democrat sponsors of this initiative all voted for the law change.

Because this interim appointment was the only real difference between existing law and the initiative, the Lt Governor put language on the ballot to make this clear and posted it on the web site for all to see. The "trust the people" cabal waited until after the ballots had been printed to complain to the court about the language clarifying the change. The only reason I can see for their timing is to provide the maximum amount of embarrassment to the Administration. I have to admire their political skill at manipulating the process for political gain, but it appears to me to be outside of the rules of ethical conduct and a gross misuse of public funds and process.

I have known Loren Leman since he was in Junior high School, and he is a man of impeccable integrity. To insinuate that he bent the process is a cheap shot and unwarranted. Alaskan politics are robust and certainly a full contact game. Being clipped and blind-sided by people who know better doesn't make it any easier to get honorable people to serve or to elevate the civility of the process.

Fred Dyson
694-6683

Sent to: Chronicle, Star, Homer News, News Minor, Frontiersman, Juneau Empire

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