“Alaskans should be deeply concerned about yet another oil rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico. Due to industry neglect and a lack of oversight an egregious pattern of accidents has developed in the Gulf. 

These accidents are absolutely unacceptable. Not only do they endanger workers, threaten wildlife, the fishing industry, the economy and the wetlands of the Gulf Coast, they have a direct effect on Alaska’s oil industry and economy. Since the BP catastrophe, numerous offshore drilling permits in Alaska have either been suspended or cancelled, delaying the development of new fields, costing jobs and putting a dark cloud over the entire industry. If the industry continues to make profits the priority over safety, industry should not be surprised at being severely curtailed in their efforts to explore for and develop new sources of oil and gas.

A similar disaster in Alaska could virtually obliterate the fishing and crabbing industries, that sustain a large portion of the population, a lesson we learned all too well during and after the Exxon Valdez disaster. It is obvious that much more is required than simply changing the name of the Mineral Management Service. Oil, gas and mineral development are vital to Alaska’s future but so are the environment and the safety of the people working in the industry. It’s in the industry’s best interest to make their best effort to get it right.

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“The nomination of Joe Miller is a prime example of what can happen when a small, but dedicated minority turns out for an election and the vast majority of potential voters continue on with their lives while letting someone else speak for them. When this happens, we shouldn’t be surprised when we end up with a candidate that appeals to only those people, with the most extreme views of either the left of the right.

Voting is our right, but in a democracy I consider it to be an obligation. If you really want to phase out Social Security, stop the Federal government from sending dollars to Alaska for roads, bridges schools and health care then by all means vote your conscience. If this is not your view then please, stand up and be counted on November 2nd for a rational approach to governing our great state.”

Harry Crawford is in town this week and is available for additional comment at the numbers noted above.

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“I am pleased that this bill was passed at such a critical time for our kids’ future. Our education system is deteriorating nationally and we face serious problems here in Alaska. This bill is expected to restore 400 teaching positions in Alaska, which will have a profound effect on the lives of a generation of our children.

“According to a recent state education plan, at least a third of Alaska students will leave school without a high school diploma and about 40% of recent Alaska high school graduates who attend the University of Alaska need remedial courses. This is absolutely unacceptable.

“Students who fall behind in their education do so during the first few years of schooling. That’s why I co-sponsored a bill in the state House of Representatives called ‘The Time to Teach Act’ that would limit class sizes from kindergarten through third grade to a maximum of fifteen students. Children who study in smaller classes at these ages learn a great deal more and it gives them an advantage that you can track throughout their educational career.”

“We also need to be cognizant of how many students in Alaska are disadvantaged by not knowing English. We need to put serious resources toward improving the proficiency of these kids in the English language as a very first step in the education process. These are a couple of areas where our deficiencies are obvious but there are many areas where our educational system can be improved. If you don’t believe me, ask a teacher.”

Mr. Crawford is in Anchorage this week if you would like to talk with him directly.

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“We have rules and regulations governing the development of new mining projects in our state and across the country,” Mr. Crawford said.

“These rules were developed over decades, to avoid the failures of the past and the environmental disasters that have occurred from large mining operations. Examples of these are the pollution of the Salt Lake Valley’s aquifers in Utah by the Bingham Canyon Copper Mine and the miles and miles of tailings ponds surrounding the Climax Molybdenum Mine in Colorado. There are many more.

“In the wake of the gulf oil environmental disaster, which was caused in large part by the neglect of regulators, I find it ironic that Mr. Young would choose this time to introduce such a bill. It certainly will not pass and sounds to me like little more than grand standing and pandering to a large corporate donor. 

“I have supported responsible mineral development across the state and there are several recent success stories; however I would not consider any project that had an “unacceptable adverse effect” on fisheries, wildlife and drinking water. We have a regulatory process for a reason and Don Young is just being irresponsible trying to circumvent it.”

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“Our thoughts and prayers go out to Senator Stevens and his family and the other victims of this tragic accident. Ted Stevens was such a part of Alaskan life that he was like a force of nature. He was all encompassing, almost like the weather. He was one of the architects of present day Alaska and will go down in history as a great Alaskan and a great American. He will be missed.”

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Anchorage — Harry Crawford, the Democratic candidate for U.S. House of Representatives, today responded to reports from the Associated Press that the Department of Justice has concluded their investigation on Don Young and declined prosecution.

Harry responded, “I now call for Mr. Young to disclose to all Alaskans the full extent of the charges under which he was being investigated. Alaskans deserve full transparency in their leadership. The fact that there was a need for an investigation concerns me and should concern all Alaskans.”

Unfortunately, this has not cleared the cloud of corruption that covers Don Young; only through full disclosure will that cloud begin to lift.

With Harry Crawford, there is a way for all Alaskans to have effective and honest representation in Washington.

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For additional information or to schedule an interview with Mr. Crawford contact Brian Jones or Teresa Blume at the numbers noted above.

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“I’m pleased that Don Young has agreed to debate Sheldon Fisher August 10th. I look forward to debating the Republican Nominee. Whether the Republican nominee is Don Young or Fisher, the result is the same. Both candidates represent ideas from Alaska’s past and that’s the problem, not the solution. What we need now is a new, strong leadership for the economic future in Alaska. Alaskans need jobs now! Alaskan families need the security that we can only ensure by moving forward with developing Alaska’s rich resources—both human and mineral.”

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I know I’m not the first person to say that, but it is a rule that I live by. I wish that more people would do the same. Corruption in politics has become so common that most people aren’t bothered by it anymore. They think that it comes with the territory. Well it bothers me, it does not come with the territory and in fact it makes me mad as a hornet.

It has been an honor to serve the hardworking folks of the east Anchorage district in the Alaska House of Representatives and it’s hard for me to give that up. Really hard.

You know, I don’t pretend to have the answers to everything, but I’ll always tell you the truth and that’s a promise. In the Alaska House I always told people what I thought and sometimes we disagreed. That’s fine. That’s how the process of democracy works. We are facing serious issues and serious issues require serious debate and honest answers.

In 2008 our economy plunged into a deep recession, rivaled only by the Great Depression. People are struggling. Hard working men and women have lost their jobs and their homes. Some have lost everything.

In the past year we have begun to bounce back, but we have a long way to go. We need to get moving in the right direction. We have to address the issues without bias or conflict of interest, find the common sense solutions to America’s problems and have the courage to take them on. We can do this, but only with honesty, integrity, hard work and by saying yes to putting people back to work and bringing manufacturing back to our shores. This is my promise to you as your representative to the Congress of the United State of America. I will represent the people of Alaska, serving only their interest. By sticking to the truth, reaching across the aisle for bipartisan support and reaching out to you for your voice, we will pull through all of this and we will be better than ever before.

That was the past. This is our future. Let’s build Alaska together.

In the first 224 years of our democracy, from 1776 to 1999, there were 42 presidents of the United States. Under these presidents, the nation accumulated a total deficit of $1.01 trillion. From 2000-2008, $2.06 trillion of deficit was added. Today the bleeding continues.

The skyrocketing budget deficit is a national problem requiring a bipartisan solution. Only ten years ago, during the robust economic days of the Clinton administration, the country produced a surplus. How did this situation change so rapidly and what can we learn from this?

The critical components of a balanced budget are: a robust economy, high employment rate and no major extraordinary expenses. During the last half of the Bush years we saw a major recession, rising unemployment and billions spent in Iraq and Afghanistan. Tax cuts for multi-national corporations and incentives for our manufacturing base to move to other countries didn’t help.

We must reverse these trends. In each previous section of this summary I have described programs that will result in a serious reduction in the debt: (1) Reducing dependence on foreign oil, (2) Construction of the Alaska natural gas pipeline using American-made steel, (3) Incentivize companies to develop value added industry, (4) Bring back domestic manufacturing and create jobs, (5) Support development of Alaska’s renewable natural resources, and, (6) Reduce our involvement in foreign conflicts.

All along the road to fiscal responsibility there are common sense solutions. I am dedicated to finding those solutions and will fight for them in the House of Representatives.