Imagine Alaska the way it can be. Remember America the way it’s supposed to be. I can, and I do, and that’s why I’m running for the United States Congress.

As Alaskans, we pride ourselves for being an “energy state,” but we pay too much for energy. This problem hits rural Alaska particularly hard, packing an added punch because communities already suffer from the loss of municipal assistance and revenue sharing, and our seniors have had their Longevity Bonuses taken away. While the state treasury counts billions in extra cash from the high price of oil, rural heating bills have gone through the roof, and in hub communities gas at the pump costs almost $5/gallon. In the most unfortunate cases, elders have had to chose between heating and eating, and some villages report paying almost $1 per kilowatt hour, ten times the price in Anchorage. That’s why it’s important that the debate over the gasline include solutions that will lead to lower cost energy.

I’ve participated in discussions across Alaska about our health care system. The conversations don’t usually start out about health care. They are stories about life – about our families, our businesses. They’re about money and the quality and availability of medical treatment. They’ve taken place in villages and hospitals, on city streets and in rural clinics, in homes, businesses and airports.