Session: State Capitol, Room 24 Juneau, AK 99801-1182 Phone: (907) 465-2186 Fax: (907) 465-3818 Interim: 600 East Railroad Avenue Wasilla, AK 99654 Phone: (907) 373-1842 Fax: (907) 373-4729

Staying the Course

The following is the text of a speech given by Rep. Kohring to a group in Palmer, Alaska on Saturday, April 27, 2002:

Good morning ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for inviting me to speak to you. I am mindful of the view you have out the window of your meeting room overlooking the Fairgrounds toward Pioneer Peak. How I envy you! I'm stuck in rainy Juneau-which has two seasons, rainy and less rainy!

In 1994 when I was first campaigning for the Legislature, my friend Fred James gave me a business card and asked me to answer the ten questions on the back of it. He told me not to think about the questions, but simply answer them on a quick, gut level. I did so and handed it back to him. His eyes widened and he began grinning, "Vic!" he said, "You have answered them all with a yes! You are not what most people would call a Conservative. You are a Libertarian!!" Well, I told Fred I disagreed and have debated this with him ever since, because I don't espouse to all of the positions of the Libertarian Party's platform. I will explain as I go though, how the World's Smallest Political Quiz and I have got along.

I'm sure many of you already know, the mass media in Alaska, especially the Anchorage Daily News, AKA: "The Daily Worker," has been feeding us the Big Lie for several years now, especially during the current legislative session, when it has attempted to convince us of the need to pass new taxes or raid the Permanent Fund because of what it calls…"the fact that we have cut the budget to the bone and simply can't cut any further." But those who take the time to really study the matter, to actually learn what has been spent each year and what has come in to the state treasury, are very much aware that, government, far from being cut, has increased - and increased substantially.

The problem in getting to the truth is that there are many portions that make up the overall budget. There is the general fund, the federal portion, the capital projects and program receipts, which, when you put it all together, confuse even the most able economist. Through this shell game of different budgets, big government advocates can say we have responsibly cut spending. But what they omit is that, overall, we are spending more and more each year. To the tune of hundreds of millions. Thus, the Big Lie is made up of many little truths, canceled by unstated falsehoods.

So many people are being led by the nose to the ineluctable conclusion that, even if we call ourselves "conservatives," which is no more than just a cliché, we have no choice but to find new revenues (for example taxes) to sustain our huge government. Now, we are at the other side of the Big Lie. The other side is the unstated, and therefore assumed, notion that government must do all the various social and economic engineering it now does.

What do I mean by government social and economic engineering? I refer to the literally hundreds of government "programs" such as the Alaska Science & Technology Foundation, which is supposed to help business come up with new ways of exploiting Alaska's wealth, giveaway welfare programs labeled with cute names like "WIC," "Kids are People," "Denali Kid Care," "Children's Trust" and "Smart Start" that are run by high paid bureaucrats who seem more concerned about their big salary and benefit packages than helping people (typically program "directors" who haul in well over a hundred grand a year under the guise of…"we're doing this for the children").

Then, there's the "Power Cost Equalization" program that gives Bush communities free money to pay for their electricity-at the expense of urban people, who have a portion of their monthly electrical payments applied to this Bush subsidy. All of these programs have some things in common. First they are totally socialistic. That is, they rely on taxation to exist, where one group of people pay the bills of others. Second, they are arguably unconstitutional, because there's no clear reference in the constitution that says it's OK to rob from one person to give to another.

So we have a state government, which for the last 40 years (thanks mostly to the legislature), has been able to gradually create and pay huge sums to bureaucrats (currently over $1.3 billion a year in salaries and benefits to 23,000 workers) to manage hundreds of unnecessary costly social programs. The result is the creation of a society of dependency, while at the same time making the State all powerful-a very dangerous combination.

The culprit is the billions we've received from Big Oil. If the man working in a drugstore in Anchorage or Wasilla does not pay an income tax because of North Slope oil production, yet gets a dividend check every year from government, then it's easy for government to create a few, noble, helpful and nice sounding very altruistic "programs" to help the poor or whomever, without him paying any attention.

That's exactly what has happened to us. It has happened so slowly and gradually over the years, that the average Alaskan never really noticed. Now that we have a major fiscal crisis, people are starting to recognize how government has grown unchecked over the years with little opposition. The high-level bureaucrats, used to their big salaries and cushy jobs, the liberal media, the performing arts leeches, now see their beloved "programs" in jeopardy! They have become used to living on the dole, as if it's the norm. Now that people like me have come along with a plan to cut them, they will lie, kick, scream, malign-basically do anything to keep themselves from being removed from government dependence.

This is where I am right.

Before I go down my list of ten steps we can take to get ourselves out of this financial mess, let me say that the most important part of it is the moral aspect of having the courage and knowledge to let go unneeded government workers and create a new economy that enables them to get honorable jobs within the private-sector. Of course, many will scream bloody murder that we are going to "hurt kids and families"-and even create anarchy! We have to have the confidence that A) We are right to cut government's growth and stranglehold on Alaskans, and B) Anyone worth saving should have little trouble finding a job elsewhere in the private-sector.

Let's free Alaskans from government's shackles, from its burdensome regulations, grossly excessive spending, and the pending doom of crushing taxes politicians now demand.

I propose a more direct approach. It's going to require a colossal effort, but it's the only way we're going to take back our state from Big Brother Juneau. The following 10-point outline should be put in place immediately:

1. Cut spending by $500 million this year and another $100 million for each of the next five years, for a total of one billion dollars. Have Legislative sessions every other year, and restrict them to 60 days.
2. Place a moratorium on new taxes, prohibit spending the Permanent Fund, cap spending and contract out numerous services, like road maintenance. Remove half of the four thousand-plus laws enacted since statehood and eliminate 80% of the tens of thousands of regulations government agencies have created.
3. Release the State's massive land holdings to the people with no strings and create tax incentives to spur private-sector, small business growth.
4. Break up the government-controlled monopoly on schools, giving parents tax credits for sending their children to the school of their choice. Consolidate school districts of 100 students or less.
5. Cut non-essential government workers by 25% a year for four years, put in place a hiring freeze and cap salaries at $70,000.00.
6. Merge half of all agencies, including Natural Resources, Environmental Conservation, Law, Economic Development and Fish & Game. Eliminate the Department of Administration.
7. Cut welfare and public assistance by 50%, and eliminate "welfare" to cities in the form of Revenue Sharing.
8. Close money losing rural campuses of the University not on the road system (excluding the University of Alaska Southeast in Juneau), and cut 20% of highly paid administrative positions.
9. Eliminate tax dollars to tourism, fisheries, agriculture, public TV, radio and the arts, and close the Governor's mansion. Then turn the mansion into a museum featuring exhibits of Alaska's socialistic past. This will serve as a reminder to future generations, so we can prevent it from happening again.
10. Close half of government office complexes throughout the state, including the Capitol Building and the State Office Building in Juneau. Close half of the state's prison facilities by contracting out 50% of the inmate population to less costly, out-of-state private prisons. Move capital into the state-owned Atwood Building in Anchorage, including all department headquarters.

When we've done this, when liberal newspapers and the government parasites are told firmly that we intend to fight for our liberty, then and only then can we rejoice and take pride in Alaska!

When I use the term "bureaucratic parasite" I know of what I speak. I grew up in Chugiak, Anchorage and Wasilla watching my father work in construction, first as a laborer, then as a skilled tradesman and finally as a land developer and entrepreneur. He is 80 years old and still works every day. I never saw my father in all that time cheat anyone or do anything dishonest. He is a tall, quiet man of great honor, integrity and simplicity. He has always spoken the truth. Because of his qualities, people have come to respect and like him.

But I've noticed that he has always been engaged in an unstated "war" with government-with inspectors, agents, "officials" bureaucrats and "code enforcement officers" who interfere with his work, demanding unrealistic things. And when my Dad would quietly explain how they were being unreasonable because their actions would create a financial hardship, he would occasionally get them to change their minds. But not always.

I've witnessed this ceaseless battle over the years and have come to the conclusion that all of the great Randian themes of honesty, productivity, hard work and minding your own business were all embodied in my father who taught them to me and my brothers and sisters, without a word-but by the example he set. When I was growing up, he was my hero, and still is! He was like John Wayne and Gary Cooper rolled into one. Without ever reading Rand, Rothbard or Friedman, without ever taking a free-market economics course and being able to describe Adam Smith's "Invisible Hand," I was given a complete course in morality and private-sector honor by my father who lived it-and still does!

So when Fred James asked me in 1994 how I came to answer those ten questions with all "yeses", I told him about my life. I have a great father who is a living economics course. Not to leave my mother out, she has been an absolutely wonderful example to me in her own right as well.

Now you know why I want government dramatically cut back. And now you know why I have voted consistently for less government, often in contrast to nearly every single member of the House of Representatives. I believe I have a good grasp of the vital importance of individual liberty. But you certainly won't find that in Juneau, Alaska.

However, you do find it in the hearts of many, many individual Alaskans. I sense that you, the people at this convention, share this same belief. I do too and always will. So let's join together for the purpose of cutting government, getting rid of all the wasteful spending, and as Alaskans take our freedom back, which is our rightful heritage. I will continue this course no matter what the consequences.

Thank you for your time.

# # #

Rep. Kohring is a 4th term conservative Republican from Wasilla and Chugiak who advocates a scaled down, efficient government, and individual rights and freedom for Alaskans.

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