It's Time for Voters to Refocus on Alaska's Greatest Resource
Natural resource development and economic growth are the primary metrics we have used to determine the successes and failures of Alaska for decades. How much coal is mined or oil produced? What size of PFD will people receive? These are the areas candidates campaigning for election often focus on, and not without reason. Alaska has an incredibly unique state identity, and the natural resource industry and PFD are critical components of our state’s well-being. However, just as these topics dominate on the campaign trail and in the minds of the electorate, so too should Alaska’s most precious resource: the next generation.
This election, the single greatest way to ensure a prosperous future for our state is to vote in the best interest of Alaska’s children, youth, and families. Children represent 25% of Alaska’s population but are 100% of our future. Yet Alaska consistently ranks low among states when it comes to child well-being, coming in 41st in the nation just this year. While ensuring the overall economic health of our state is undoubtedly critical to Alaskan families, so are a number of other key policies that impact their daily lives. Ask any parent – we face massive shortages in childcare access and affordability, a reality only exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. For every one child in an afterschool program in Alaska, three more are waiting to get in, leaving many working parents in a bind for a safe place for their child to go. Plus, 52% of children don’t have access to a program at all. Alaska’s teen suicide rate has long been among the highest in the country, as have our child abuse and neglect rates. Yet when was the last time we saw a special session in Juneau dedicated to one of these issues? How many bills addressing these very concerns have taken a back seat, only to fail in the final hours of session?
A direct prioritization of our children and youth is long overdue. It’s time for candidates running for office to speak to, and run on, how they will uplift Alaska’s children and be a champion for child well-being. And it’s time for voters to lead this conversation as well. We must learn how different candidates stand on issues affecting Alaska children, youth, and families before we vote; issues such as childcare, the youth mental health crisis, and public education. Those in office hold the ability to make great change for our children and youth. Providing the next generation of Alaskans with adequate knowledge, skills, supports, and resources that ensure children, youth, families, and economies thrive today and for years to come.
Elected officials, from the local and state level to all the way to DC, have the authority to protect and make positive change for our children and families, and we as voters have the power to put them there. Before going to the polls on Tuesday, let’s make sure to do our research. Whether that’s by reading online campaign questionnaires, listening to recorded debates, or contacting candidates directly, think about what’s important for the future of Alaska’s children and make sure those we are voting into office prioritize issues impacting them. The responsibility lies in those campaigning for office to actively advocate for our children and families, but it also with us, the voters. Let’s make sure our future elected officials hear loud and clear from Alaskans today, Election Day, that children, youth, and families are our top priority.