Have we forgotten that on Nov. 6, 2018, we, the people of Alaska, voted in support of Mike Dunleavy to serve us as our governor? 145,631 citizens voted in his favor out of 284,891 registered voters (51.44%) because we share his vision for the future of our beloved state. Thankfully, Dunleavy continues to Stand Tall for Alaskans as he diligently works to keep his campaign promises which were and still are simple and straightforward. Let us focus on his first campaign promise: The Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend belongs to the people of Alaska, not the government.
Sadly, our former governor, Gov. Bill Walker, did not keep his campaign promise that he would not touch our PFD’s. But, instead, he spent the next four years of his administration raiding our PFDs. Giving the government our PFD’s is not the solution to our state’s economy problems. We must live within our means and reduce our spending which requires trimming the budget. Yes, it is true, individuals and families will feel the pain of the governor’s budget cuts. However, we will recover from this pain as we creatively work together. Dunleavy, thank you for keeping your promises and pushing the reset button on the spending spree. We, the citizens of Alaska choose to stand tall with you.
I apologize for silently standing by, for too long, as a minority of Alaskans continue to spread lies and rumors about Dunleavy. I am thankful for the rights that we share, as citizens of this great country and great state to express our beliefs in the voting booth. I urge all Alaskans to take a stand and speak up. Let us be part of the solution instead of being part of the problem.
Leitoni M. Tupou,
Juneau
• My Turns and Letters to the Editor represent the view of the author, not the view of the Juneau Empire.