Parnell's Vetoes Prompt Allegation of Retaliation

Hoffman said his western Alaska district might account for $55 million of the $400 million the governor sliced from the budget.

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By Bill McAllister
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Story Created: Jun 29, 2011 at 5:34 PM AKDT

Story Updated: Jun 30, 2011 at 10:04 AM AKDT

The $400 million in line-item vetoes that Governor Parnell promised for the capital budget arrived today -- two days before the start of the next state fiscal year.

The total amount was not a surprise to legislators -- but some of the details were.

If you remember the long, some would say agonizing first special session of the Legislature that concluded last month, you know that the logjam was this:

Senators tied all of their energy projects together in the capital budget, hoping to thwart line-item vetoes by the governor.

They said they feared retaliation by the governor because they didn't pass his bill to reduce oil production taxes.

In the end, the Senate gave up on that approach, which leaders of the House called unconstitutional.

But now, at least one senator says the governor has indulged in some payback, after all.

“I feel that for some reason I've been targeted,” said Senate Finance Co-Chair Lyman Hoffman of Bethel, in an interview.

Hoffman did some quick math after Parnell released his capital budget line-item vetoes.

Hoffman said his western Alaska district might account for $55 million of the $400 million the governor sliced from the budget.

For his part, the governor described his actions as taking a long-term fiscal outlook for the state.

"With these vetoes, you could say that Alaska is at fighting weight,” Parnell said at a news conference. “In these uncertain times, being at fighting weight is good for our state. Living within our means will keep Alaska fit and strong."

But trimming the budget from $3.2 billion to $2.8 billion was not Hoffman's concern.

"After looking at the numbers here, I think that the governor said that he was not going to be vindictive, I find that hard to believe, when I look at some of the projects that were left in and other projects, specifically in western Alaska, that were left out."

Hoffman noted that the governor left in a sports arena for the university, while striking health and safety-related projects in his district, such as water and sewer work.

Parnell denied that anyone was targeted. “But I have to tell you that the southwest region was very well represented by their senator, the co-chair of Senate Finance. They wound up with more per capita than any other district, as I understand it. So the cuts to that district, I believe still leave them with the highest per capita spending in the state."

Anchorage Senator Johnny Ellis also was disgruntled with a veto -- in this case, $4 million to preserve the Waldron Lake Park.

Parnell said the city needs to take more responsibility for its parks.

"Anchorage asked for quite a number of park maintenance appropriations. Meaning that existing parks, they can't even fund their own maintenance of their existing parks right now. And I wasn't able to fund all of the maintenance requests for those parks. And so I felt like if the city wants to add a new park, the city at this point will need to make that appropriation."

In an interview, Ellis replied: "So he was ignorant of the fact that the Boys and Girls Club had promised to maintain the park. That was in the newspaper, not that the governor gets to read the newspaper all the time. But he does have a competent staff."

The governor touted what the capital budget will do -- advancing numerous energy projects, notably the Susitna hydroelectric project.

But the immediate focus in the Senate is on what he left behind.

 

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Guest said on Saturday, Jul 2 at 10:50 AM

But doesnt the Congress have the ability to override the Veto? If not, I suppose we have a crisis on our hands. Example enough to amend the Constitution. While we are at it, we should ban civil servants from forming unions.

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