Another quirky commentary by Andrew Halcro is as unproductive and full of hot air as his tenure in the legislature.

Lawmakers will have a lot of big issues before them when the legislative session starts next month. We expect a contract between the administration and the producers to build a natural gas pipeline, how to prioritize the additional revenue and the question of how to allocate the 450 million dollars of federal transportation money sent to us by our congressional delegation.

Another issue that ties into the additional revenue is whether or not to revive the Municipal Revenue Sharing program. Revenue sharing was a program that distributed state funds on an annual basis to subsidize local governments. From the beginning of the program, it was assumed this stopgap funding would be phased out. The administration eliminated the program two years ago due to severe budget constraints.

Looking at this year's additional revenue, officials have pleaded with us to reinstate the subsidy. However, oil prices can change in a heartbeat and legislators can suddenly find themselves having to make hard, tough choices about what to keep and what to cut from the budget. A cash subsidy for local government is just not a priority when times are tough.

What lawmakers have accomplished is to continue to provide substantial financial assistance to local governments in the form of targeted appropriations. We allocated hundreds of millions of dollars this year for transportation improvements, new schools in rural and urban areas and boosted education funding statewide by 70 million dollars.

The legislature and the administration are also more than helping our cities, boroughs and school districts with their biggest financial burden, the five billion dollar deficit in the public employee and teacher retirement plans. $108 million went to governments and schools just this year so retirees will get the pension checks and medical care they were promised.

All sixty lawmakers listen to what their local leaders say is needed and work together to come up with an operating and capital budget that meets as many of those needs as possible with available revenue. That is our fiscal plan. When Andrew Halcro complains about no fiscal plan he really means taking some of the PFD, an income tax or some other way to make you pay more out of your pocket.

The Mat-Su area alone received $81 million dollars in capital funding and $91 million in education for our youth. That means the roads, schools and other infrastructure necessary to meet the needs of the Valley's exploding population won't be taken out of your pocketbook in the form of sales and property taxes. That is real concrete support for local government and local citizens, but not good enough for Mr. Halcro.

Do you wonder why we hear Halcro on the radio, television and in the newspapers pitching his business? He is shamelessly using a loophole in the system to push his voice, name and photo in a thinly veiled promotion of his run for Governor. He has spent tens of thousands in corporate financing that for any other candidate would make them blush. But that is Andrew Halcro sitting in his glass house throwing stones at everyone else.

There is a world of difference between those who work cooperatively, pass legislation and are chosen by their colleagues to serve in leadership. And then there are those like Andrew Halcro who cannot work with others, can not pass legislation and do not earn respect from their colleagues.

I will gladly have my record compared to Halcro's anytime, anywhere.

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