Mark Begich replaces longest serving Republican Senator Ted Stevens

November 25, 6:23 AMProgressive Politics ExaminerKaren Harper

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Mark Begich has been mayor of Anchorage for five years and during that time has helped the city gain fiscal strength.  Begich entered the political arena at age 26 when he was elected to the Anchorage Assembly in 1988.  

Nick Begich, a member of the US house of Representatives disappeared in a plane over Alaska in 1972 when Mark was just three years old.

On the issues:

Education

Mark favors local control and accountability of America’s schools. Mark believes that the Bush administration’s No Child Left Behind law has been a disaster in Alaska and as Senator will work to return to an education policy that respects community values. He will fight to return control to Alaska’s parents and educators and for the millions of dollars in federal support promised, but not delivered, to Alaska schools. Mark will also work for federally-supported voluntary pre-K education to ensure that Alaska’s children get a good start on learning for the earliest age. He also supports expanded support for higher education so Alaska students don’t have to graduate from college or vocational school in debt. As an Anchorage assemblyman for nearly 10 years and now as mayor, Mark has analyzed and approved more than a dozen school district budgets. The students in Anchorage schools, where more than 90 languages are spoken, continue to outperform the national average of college entrance exams. Sadly, America is no longer the best educated country in the world, with a dangerous “achievement gap” among U.S. students.

Health Care

Alaska is blessed with resource wealth and unsurpassed potential, yet far too many Alaskans are struggling to find affordable, quality access to health care. More than 100,000 Alaskans don’t have health insurance. Those who do have insurance have watched their costs soar; health care premiums rose 14.2 percent since 2001. Older Alaskans face a growing doctor shortage. As U.S. Senator, Mark Begich will fight for high-quality, affordable health care access for all Alaskan that they can count on for a lifetime, starting from birth and lasting through your older years. Alaska needs a senator who will address the unique health care needs of Alaskans – the higher costs, doctor shortages and distances required to travel for proper medical care. Mark believes a pragmatic, solution-oriented approach to the health care crisis in America is essential to preserving American competitiveness globally and the security of American families at home. We need to build on the strengths of our existing system, reward local innovation, and ensure shared responsibility.

Jobs & The Economy

Mark will work at the national level for the same results he has helped achieve as Anchorage’s mayor: 9,200 new jobs in five years, 20 straight years of economic growth and lower property taxes for most Anchorage property owners between 2006 and 2007. Mark Begich also helped pull together more than $1 billion in public and private sector funding to create the biggest building boom in recent Anchorage history. Mark will put this same results-oriented, practical vision to work in the U.S. Senate to create new jobs and expand Alaska’s economy by launching a new energy economy for Alaska, investing in infrastructure, expanding research and development programs at the University of Alaska, and focusing on workforce development. The global economy affects Alaska more than ever. Mark Begich is ready to lead Alaska in this economy, creating new opportunities for Alaska families and communities.

Seniors

Mark believes all elderly Americans are entitled to affordable health care, prescription drugs and a solvent and reliable Social Security system. He opposes any initiative to privatize Social Security or Medicare. Mark will work to reduce health care costs for older Alaskans by increasing Medicare reimbursements and creating new incentives for doctors and health care professionals to participate in Medicare. He will also work to repeal the unfair penalties and Social Security offsets many Alaska seniors face who receive a state pension.

Middle Class Tax Cut Plan

Alaska has always been a land of opportunity for those who work hard. Unfortunately, the Bush economic plan has left Alaska’s middle class families behind, benefiting only the wealthiest of the wealthy. As a small businessman, husband, and father, Mark Begich understands the pressure Alaska families face today to make ends meet and get ahead. Rising energy and food prices, health care and education costs are stretching Alaskans’ pocketbooks. Prices at the pump have more than doubled since 2001. Health care premiums rose 14.2 percent since 2001. College tuition rose 29 percent since 2000. Food costs have risen almost 5 percent in the last year. The child care cost for two children is over $1,200 a month. At the same time, Alaska wages have stalled and job growth is slowing.

Mark Begich’s middle class tax plan will help Alaska families get ahead and reclaim the opportunities our state has to offer. As mayor, Mark has always worked for Alaska families and small businesses. As a U.S. Senator, Mark will fight for Alaska families and make the middle class the priority of economic policy, not special interests and the wealthy. Mark’s plan will help Alaska families reach the dreams they have for their families—getting their kids off to a good start, sending them to college, buying a home, moving up on the job ladder, saving for a comfortable retirement.

Iraq

Mark believes that it is time for America to safely and responsibly redeploy our troops out of Iraq. Our troops have served admirably, but political leadership has failed them with no plan, inadequate equipment and diplomatic neglect. Simultaneously, we need the Iraqi government to take responsibility for its future. While we have high expectations for the Iraqi government taking a larger responsibility for their future, Mark recognizes that the current leadership has not addressed the destabilizing nature of the humanitarian crisis stemming from the sectarian civil war.

We must end our military's participation in Iraq's civil war so we can shift our attention back where it belongs: fighting al Qaeda in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and elsewhere. Mark Begich will ensure that our military is not stretched too thin to meet other national security needs by using all the tools at his disposal as a senator to chart a new course the Bush/Stevens administration's failures in Iraq. Restoring our military will mean providing the resources to replace damaged equipment, investing in necessary training for our troops, and providing our servicemen and veterans with the full education and medical benefits and care they deserve from the country they served. With new ideas and a determination to find solutions, Mark Begich will provide the leadership needed to bring an end to the war in Iraq and restore security at home.

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