School Board Seat G: Ryan Smith Round 2 Q & A

What is your day job?
I am an Advisor for UAF Engineering Students. I see many of them entering UAF with a 7th to 9th grade math level. They then need to take remedial math courses to get up to the level they need to be at to begin work on their degree. This is why I’m running.

What is your stance on the propositions?

1) School Bond Ryan: I don’t like it. Too much money is going to a weight room and dance floor. The science part good. If it was separated I would vote yes on the Science part and no on the weight room and dance floor.

2) Healthy Air Now Citizens Initiative: No, it is poorly written, too vague, and too open to opinion/interpretation.

3) School Bond Salcha, Woodriver, North Pole schools: Yes, it is obviously needed.

Who is responsible for educating?
This is a 3 tier response: teacher, parent, student. If all three are not working for same goal success will be limited.

Should sex education be part of the public school system? If so when should it start and what should it encompass? If not, why?
Definitely not in K-6, middle school should consist of health informative classes due to puberty. High school yes. The High School level should have an “opt in” for parents with a notice as to what will be taught. The program can’t overlook abstinence and should also touch on preventative measures.

What is school for? What is education for? Are they the same?
They are not the same, School is more a body or place, you go to the school. You don’t need the structure of school to get an education. You can find education at school to achieve and take with you.

Assembly Seat D: Van Lawrence Radio Interview

On 9/21/2011 I listened to Problem Corner on 660am. On this program Steve Floyde interviewed Mr. Lawrence and callers were able to ask questions as well. Here are my notes from the interview:

Q:Mr. Floyde asked about a solution for our energy problem.
A:Mr. Lawrence responded that the near term solution is trucking natural gas.

Q:Mr. Floyde asked, "Is it the governments job to make sure people have heat in their home?
A:The infrastructure is too expensive for a local business to take on. The Borough government can take a vital role as far as infrastructure goes. I don't know of any other source to help with high priced oil.

Q: caller: Frank Turney: Do you agree with Jury Nullification?
A: No, this is a country of laws. There is an objective standard as to what that law is.

Q: caller: Randy: Is concealed carry okay?
A: Yes, it's okay.

Q: caller: Gary: Where do your rights come from?
A: Mostly from the Constitution of the United States. It is a law interpreted by courts and not by jury. Jury Nullification creates uncertainty and unpredictability.

Assembly Seat E: Guy Sattley

I interviewed Mr. Sattley via phone on 9/23/2011. Although I emailed questions he preferred the phone method of answering questions over writing.

Please explain your thoughts on Jury Nullification.

No to jury nullification.

What is your stance on the Propositions?

Prop. 1 - Yes
Prop. 2 - No
Prop. 3 - Yes

Many politicians (whether they run for Senate or School Board) always claim their best for the job due to “experience”, is experience all its cut out to be or are there other attributes we should be looking for?

Experience helps. It's especially important for assembly members to be property owners and have experience in paying property taxes. This provides a vested interest in the budgeting process as property taxes are a large portion of the borough budget funding. Mr. Sattley also feels it's goo for "young blood" to get involved with the political process (like Natalie Howard who is 35).

Mr. Sattley is the one who informed me that there will be no Voter Guide Supplements mailed out this year. He expressed disappointment in that.

Assembly Seat D: Michael Dukes Round 2 Q & A

These questions were answered by phone interview on 9/23/2011

Please explain your thoughts on Jury Nullification.

Mr. Dukes believes there is a place for it. The Founding Fathers were concerned with the Judiciary having too much power and saw Jury Nullification as a way for the citizens to check that power.

Can a tax rate be so high that it’s not acceptable?

Yes, a tax rate can be too high. The FNSB is 2nd or 3rd highest property tax rate in the State. A balance between services offered by the Borough and property tax rates is necessary.

Please explain your thoughts on affirmative action.

The concept is a great idea but in practice it creates inequality. It's a bad deal. Jobs should be based on ability for the job.

What is school for? What is education for? Are they the same?

School is something with a limited timeline. It should be used to instill a love of learning. Education is continual and forever. They are two interlocking halves of the same hole.

Assembly Seat E: John Kohler, Jr. Round 2 Q & A

Please explain your thoughts on Jury Nullification.

Its a great way to end up in US supreme court. The mear mention of 800-tel-jury during jury questioning will free your calendar quickly from jury duty. They have not called me back for jury duty in YEARS.

Can a tax rate be so high that it’s not acceptable?
yes of course. We have a nice group of folks at the ITA that works hard to make sure our local mil rate remains stable and attractive. It would be nice to see a flat tax federally.

Please explain your thoughts on affirmative action.

I have been a victim of affirmative action. Reverse descrimination sucks just as bad as non-codified descrimination. I rose above, and made my own work happen. Most folks can, it's just fun to whine.

What is school for? What is education for? Are they the same?
Schools should teach you how to learn and give you a baseline level of knowledge. Education is lifelong, and is driven by the learning skills and love of learning you get in schools or at home. If you were to draw a venn diagram , the two terms would largely overlap, but not completely.

Thank you for running for a seat in this election. Also, thank you to those candidates who responded to my first round of questions. I look forward to reading everyone’s thoughts and posting the results on my blog.
You are welcome. October 4th can't come soon enough for me. I hope you do your best to get out the vote.

Regards,
John kohler jr

Questions for Candidates 13

13. Can a tax rate be so high that it’s not acceptable?

• If so, name a tax rate so high that citizens would be under no moral obligation to pay it.
• If you can’t name such a rate, are you saying the government has a right to take 100 percent of what we earn and what we own?
  

Taken from: http://www.thesocialleader.com/2010/10/questions-political-candidates/

Questions for Candidates 9

9. Should it be legal for police to search automobiles without a warrant?

• Is it okay for police to tell drivers they have to consent to such a search?
• If a police officer searches a car without a warrant, should the police officer be arrested and put on trial? If not, why not?

Taken from: http://www.thesocialleader.com/2010/10/questions-political-candidates/

Questions for Candidates 7

7. Should judges tell jurors they have a right to decide whether the law in question is constitutional?

• Is it a fair trial if the judge tells the jurors they do NOT have a right to decide the constitutionality of the law?
• Should judges be allowed to prevent defendants from presenting any defense they choose?
• If not, what is the proper recourse in the case of a judge who refuses to let the defendant do so?

Taken from: http://www.thesocialleader.com/2010/10/questions-political-candidates/

Questions for Candidates 4

4. Are residents of our state free to engage in any business they choose?

• Is operating any local business for profit a privilege, for which a citizen should apply for a permit, paying a fee or tax?
• Would you favor any changes in this regard?

Taken from: http://www.thesocialleader.com/2010/10/questions-political-candidates/

Questions for Candidates 1

1. Can lawmakers enact legislation for any purpose “in the public interest,” or are they limited to those functions for which they’ve been delegated specific powers?

• Can you name some areas where government could probably do some good, but where it has no delegated power to act?
• If you can’t name any such areas, is it still accurate to say Americans have a “government of limited powers?” Does this matter?

Taken from: http://www.thesocialleader.com/2010/10/questions-political-candidates/