Capitol move would be a costly action
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Since the days of disco, Alaskans have been torturing themselves with the on again off again debate about moving the seat of state government. Few discussions in Alaska have provoked as much emotion as the location for the state’s capitol.
With the community of Juneau’s recent proposal to construct a modern Capitol building, the age-old debate is on again. A recent survey by local pollster Dave Ditman showed that a majority of Alaskans oppose any long-term commitment to the Southeast community. At 46 years old, Alaska appears to be going through yet another capitol identity crisis.
For decades, advocates of moving the capitol have contended that better access will ensure better government. The common sentiment being that having the process closer to the population center – read Anchorage or the Valley - would result in more trustworthy government. I’d beg to differ.
Meanwhile local talk radio and letters to the editor have all been peppered with opposition to any new capitol not within a leisurely Sunday afternoon drive. “They’re isolated in Juneau and surrounded by lobbyists” one local talk show caller proclaimed. Move the legislature to Point McKenzie and turn Juneau into a casino town suggested a recent letter to the editor.
But the reality on the ground is quite different.
Moving the capitol to Anchorage or the Valley will always be a political non-starter. Aside from regional opposition – read everywhere in Alaska other than Anchorage or the Valley- there are insurmountable economic and practical reasons. It begins with your definition of moving the capitol.
If moving the capitol includes the state jobs from Juneau, the economic impacts would be devastating. It would cripple Juneau’s economy and the resulting movement of employees would drive up local property values wherever they shift. In addition, at a time when many communities including the Mat-Valley are struggling to keep up with schools, roads and police, forcing more people into the region while taking land for a state buildings off the tax roles is the last thing property taxpayers need.
If moving the capitol means just the legislature, the costs clearly outweigh the return. The framers of Alaska’s constitution envisioned a part time citizen legislature and voters later confirmed that desire by limiting the legislative session to 120 days. This was always supposed to be a part time gig that is still 30 days too long.
With a proposed fy06 budget of $42 million dollars, the legislature is the smallest branch of state government. Moving the legislature won’t save government any money while new debt incurred would continue to drive costs. With growing demands coming from all cost centers of state government, proposals to move a part time branch of government fail to recognize the reality of state finances.
Even the practical arguments for better access ignore the legislature’s accessibility through technology and that residents rarely engage lawmakers when they’re in the neighborhood. And it ignores that voters have the ultimate access, the ballot box.
With toll free numbers, email and live coverage on television and Internet, the public has instant access to their lawmakers. Legislators also attend community council meetings and hold constituent events throughout the session. But Alaskans lead busy lives and attendance at these events has always been sparse. During four years of highly publicized town hall discussions and regular Anchorage Caucus meetings, public participation was always light.
And if Alaskans still can’t trust their legislator 900 miles away, they can always vote for a candidate they can trust. But the truth is, the more we hear of self serving legislators isolated on a remote island, the more we keep returning the usual suspects to Juneau.
At the end of the day, the location of the Capitol doesn’t have any correlation to the trustworthiness of government. Instead, we need reforms like term limits, a 90-day legislative session and sensible cost management that would make a dramatic difference while actually reducing the cost of the legislature.
If trustworthy government is what we want, the most affordable and effective route is to reform the capitol don’t relocate it.
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