Gov. hopefuls talk gas lines, rural schools

Four Republicans hoping to secure the state's top job in this year's election shared a stage for the first time this morning at the GOP's convention in Juneau.

Gov. Sean Parnell, who stepped up to the job when Gov. Sarah Palin resigned in July, is seeking election to the post. He's got the incumbent's natural advantage, and is facing off against lawmakers on what he dubbed a spending spree in the final 72 hours of legislative business in Juneau.

Also seeking the state CEO job is Ralph Samuels, a former state representative who has based his platform on boosting a troubled economy and standing squarely in support of resource development.

There's also Bill Walker, general counsel for the voter-sponsored Alaska Gasline Port Authority. He's cemented his candidacy on the state's need to grasp the reins of resource development by building that pipeline from the North Slope to Valdez for export.

Joining the three is Gerald Heikes of Palmer, who has a plan to develop Alaska's natural resources for the benefit of all -- a platform he says is "not just political hot air" on his campaign Web site.

The four took turns supplying answers to questions fed by convention delegates and the public. What do they think about the Tea Party movement? Rural schools in Alaska? Whether the proposed $2.8 billion state capital budget is too much, or not enough?

Predictably for Republican candidates at a forum sponsored by their own party, the answers were strikingly similar, with plenty of talk about topics from bucking federal encroachment on the state's rights to manage resources to the push for resource development, especially a natural gas pipeline.

Samuels didn't hesitate to take on Parnell directly, charging that the state's operating budget -- which grew nearly 10 percent this year -- is out of control and going to become troublesome in the near future. Parnell pushed back, pointing out that less than three percent of that could be attributable to his recommendations, and the rest due to uncontrollable health care and education formulas.

Walker said he likes to see a strong capital budget with big projects that put Alaskans to work and that bolster the network of roads and bridges, paving the way for more resource development. He'd like to see more -- specifically, the all-Alaska gas line.

"We're trying to save ourselves into prosperity," he charged. "That's not going to work."

The candidates broke apart a bit when it came to rural schools, which recently made headlines with court decisions charging that the state is failing those students. Walker said kids need the right reasons to stay in school, and the state should provide better tools, like vocational ed. Heikes backed that up, adding that village life doesn't mirror urban life, and such things must be taken into account.

Samuels, who grew up in King Salmon, said the Molly Hootch decision has "done terrible disservice to the last generation of the children of rural Alaska." He doesn't think kids should be shipped off to a few boarding schools, as they were before the landmark court ruling, but believes hub communities can be developed into regional high schools.

Parnell plugged his proposed scholarship plan, now under heated debate by lawmakers, as the cure-all.

"The single-biggest transformation item, effort, that they (lawmakers) can undertake would be merit scholarships," he said, adding that the concept abides by "very Republican" principles of rewarding hard work.

Lieutenant governor candidates Rep. Jay Ramras and conservative talk radio host Eddie Burke were slated for a 11:45 a.m. forum at the Juneau convention.