“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they
are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are
Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are
instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed…“
~ The Declaration of Independence – July 4th, 1776
On the 4th of July we celebrated the creation of our nation and the writing of its charter, the Declaration of Independence. The Charter of our nation reminds us that the purpose of government is to protect the rights of the people, and that in order to be just, all government presupposes and requires consent of the governed. As Americans, we oppose each and every regulation and policy that infringes on this fundamental principle of justice; Whether those policies come from the overreach of federal agencies into the affairs of our state, from the state bureaucracy into the affairs of local government, or from borough or municipality regulations and ordinances into our daily lives. Our system is one of checks and balances wherein each level of government is meant to serve, not the next higher level of government, but the people.
Because just government presupposes consent of the people, I support any community that wishes to voluntarily organize and form a new borough. However, I maintain that an individual have complete ownership of his land and not be held from that true ownership by any level of government. I will also fight, with even greater fervor, to defend the right of any community to remain in the Unorganized Borough, or to rejoin the Unorganized Borough if they fulfill minimum legal requirements to do so (i.e. they do not create a donut-shaped borough by their leaving, and are not attempting to abscond from their portion of any borough debts that exist at the time of their departure).
Unfortunately, many in the legislature today do not understand this basic tenant of freedom. As an outspoken representative on behalf of the No Borough community, I have been criticized by some in the legislature for taking this stand. Just this past month I was confronted by a current member the state senate who told me in no uncertain terms that every community should be part of an organized borough and that those who do not join an organized borough are not paying their fair share of taxes for schools and other state-supported services…
As most voters in Alaska reside in an organized borough or the Municipality of Anchorage, the make-up of the legislature reflects this fact. There are many in the legislature today who do not understand the importance of the Unorganized Borough to Alaska and the people who live within it and those who wish to return to Unorganized Borough Status. Because of this, we need an able spokesman and effective advocates within the legislature who can speak on our behalf and effectively oppose any attempt in the legislature to initiate mandatory borough incorporation.
“David Eastman is the only candidate in this race recruited by members of the No Borough community to run for office. David is also the only candidate who does not live in Fairbanks. He lives at the intersection of urban and rural Alaska. Thus experienced, I believe he will uncompromisingly represent all our district’s interests with dedication, faithfulness, and understanding. We need an advocate with the courage and conviction to fight for our freedoms passed down to us by this nation’s founders. We don’t need another politician. We need a statesman with integrity: David Eastman.”
—Margie Mullins, Publisher and Editor of The Delta Vanguard, Delta Junction’s Educational, Economic, Cultural, and Public Interest News Magazine, and a Strong Advocate for the No New Borough community, and Director of Alaska Visitor Information Services
