9-27-2006 Candidate Forum

Alaska Professional Design Council, Alaska General Contractors and the Alaska State Homebuilding Association sponsored this candidate forum. The forum was open to the public. The organization leaders had agreed on four questions to ask each candidate and then to allow questions from the floor as time permitted.

You can read each statement below and view the candidates responses.

Opening Statements:

Each Candidate was asked to give a three minute opening statements. You can watch each opening statement here.

Click here to watch Sarah Palin’s opening statement (.wmv)
Click here to watch Tony Knowels' opening statement (.wmv)
Click here to watch Andrew Halcro's opening statement (.wmv)

Question #1:

Transportation Infrastructure: There state of Alaska currently receives a significant amount of federal funding for transportation infrastructure projects in Alaska. Given recent attention on some of the larger projects and congressional pressure to limit earmarking, how do you see your roles as Alaska’s Governor in maintaining federal support for development of Alaska’s transportation infrastructure?

Tony Knowels' response (.wmv)
Sarah Palin’s response (.wmv)
Andrew Halcro's response (.wmv)

Question #2:

Gas Line: The gas line has been the topic of extensive discussion in recent months, given that a delay in implementation of a contract could mean a significant delay in beginning of project construction, how do you plan to proceed as Governor to minimize project delays while insuring a viable, successful project for Alaska?

Tony Knowels' response (.wmv)
Sarah Palin’s response (.wmv)
Andrew Halcro's response (.wmv)

Question #3:

Workers Compensation: Construction contractors are currently faced with skyrocketing worker’s compensation costs. What would you do as Governor to decrease those costs? Would a director of the Insurance Division under your administration be supportive of establishing self-insurance mechanisms for contractors?

Tony Knowels' response (.wmv)
Sarah Palin’s response (.wmv)
Andrew Halcro's response (.wmv)

Question #4:

Infrastructure: Many of Alaska’s major minding discoveries are located in remote sites that have neither roads nor electricity. Do you believe that the State of Alaska should assist these developments by subsidizing the development of the basic infrastructure, providing a tax holiday for a period of time, offering state financing of the necessary infrastructure, or perhaps, all of the above, none of the above, or some of the above?

Tony Knowels' response (.wmv)
Sarah Palin’s response (.wmv)
Andrew Halcro's response (.wmv)