Mayor Mark Begich remarks
Alaska Village Initiatives Small Business Conference
1 p.m.; Feb. 15, 2005; Sheraton Hotel

Thanks, George Quinto. George was key member of our transition team – he helped us get off to a good start.

Anchorage is honored to have you here again for your rural small business conference. I was pleased to address you last year and happy to do so again.

As I’ve noted before, your meeting here is good business for this city. But I believe Anchorage’s relationship with rural Alaska and rural businesses should be much more.

Much of what’s good for Anchorage is a result of what happens outside our city’s borders. Much of Alaska’s wealth - both in terms of natural resources and our rich cultural diversity - comes from rural Alaska.

As Anchorage benefits from the wealth produced by Native organizations and rural communities, I believe we have an obligation to you. To open the doors of our community to you. To partner with you for our mutual economic benefit. To stand arm-in-arm with you for fair and equitable state and federal policies and funding.

Just this past weekend, I participated in a legislative caucus meeting in which an Anchorage legislator proposed a special tax on rural Alaskans for schools. Our school superintendent strongly opposed that, as I did. We’ll always stand with rural Alaska, even if it might benefit our community.

As mayor, I have directed that the city work closely with Native and rural organizations to improve conditions for every resident of this community.

One of the best ways is keeping our economy healthy so the private sector can do what they do best – create good-paying jobs. Already I believe we’re off to a good start.

Just last week, a national publication - Business Development Outlook – said Anchorage is America’s top city among “best places for a thriving economy.” It looked at issues like lack of taxes, income levels, unemployment and job growth.

That comes on the heels of other national ratings putting Anchorage high among places to invest, raise a family and retire. Anchorage is currently enjoying its 17th consecutive year of economic growth, with about 2,100 new jobs predicted for this year.

I want to keep those good news numbers coming for this community, and find ways to extend them to other parts of Alaska.

One way is improving our basic understanding of each other. To improve Anchorage’s appreciation of the needs of rural Alaskans, we have explored the establishment of a Rural Affairs Assistant in my office. This would be a first for our city.

Last summer, we were honored to temporarily fill the position with a young Gwich’in Athabascan woman from Fort Yukon and Nenana - Jessica Black. Thanks to funding from the Denali Commission, Jessica thoroughly researched relationships between Anchorage and rural Alaska. Her work was excellent.

She found very close economic and social relationships between the urban and rural peoples of our state. For example, Alaska Native corporations employ over 12,000 people with a payroll of over $400 million. She also found that the number of Alaska Native people living in Alaska’s urban areas, especially Anchorage, is projected to grow from 42 percent today to over 50 percent in just 15 years.

The implications of these many relationships are enormous for our future together.

Jessica’s report recommends a full-time Rural Affairs Coordinator within the city. We’re in the process of doing that.

Another step to improving the relationship between urban and rural Alaska is sticking up for each other. I was troubled to read the federal budget proposed by President Bush would do serious damage to rural Alaska.

Consider these proposals by the White House:

• Cut Denali Commission funding from $120 million to just $50 million.

• Cut village water and sewer funding from $45 million to $15 million.

• Eliminate $21 million for assistance for areas of high joblessness.

• Wipe out $28 million for rural energy assistance.

These proposals are shameful and would turn back the progress we’ve made in rural Alaska. I’m in the process of urging our congressional delegation to stand tall against these cuts. And I’m asking the Bush Caucus in the Legislature to work with us, too.

Many times in recent months, proposals have come along which may benefit Anchorage but hurt our neighbors in rural Alaska. From state budget cuts to rural education funding. I’ll oppose each one of them because I know the very existence of some rural villages is threatened.

I believe our agenda must include: fair school funding, adequate public safety, good jobs, and decent health care for every Alaskan - regardless of where they live.

I believe solutions to these problems are best achieved when Alaskans work together. I know one of my dad’s proudest achievements in Congress was working across party lines with Senator Stevens and others, to help pass the landmark Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act.

Your efforts to improve the lives of the Alaskans you work with are welcome and appreciated. I know Anchorage and rural Alaska can prosper if we work together and respect each other.
 
Thank you for allowing me to address you.

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