In a Facebook post, independent gubernatorial candidate Bill Walker fired back at Gov. Sean Parnell over what Walker said was a misrepresentation of his support of Obamacare. Last week, Parnell’s campaign manager Jerry Gallagher sent out a fundraising email, calling Democrat challenger Byron Mallott and Walker “two peas in a pod” when it comes to supporting Obamacare.
“Two peas in a pod? How about Parnell and Gallagher as two oil industry lobbyists?” Walker wrote. Gallagher worked with Parnell at ConocoPhillips, where they were both lobbyists.
Walker wrote that while Obamacare isn’t the answer to the country’s health care issues, he did support accepting federal funds to expand Medicaid and thereby insuring up to 40,000 Alaskans through federal funds.
“By rejecting the expansion, Parnell in fact, supports ‘Obamacare; by forcing uninsured Alaskans into the ACA exchanges,” Walker wrote. “I continue to have two words for you, Governor Parnell. ‘Debate me.'”
Here’s the Walker’s post:
Not only is Governor Parnell misrepresenting why he has thrust Alaska into deficit spending, in a desperate attempt he is also misrepresenting my position on “Obamacare” (ACA). In Facebook posts and donation letter statements by his fellow ConocoPhillips lobbyist/campaign manager, Jerry Gallagher, Parnell claims Byron Mallot and I are “two peas in a pod” supporting “Obamacare”. (Two peas in a pod? How about Parnell and Gallagher as two oil industry lobbyists?) Parnell is pulling a play from Gov. Hickel’s playbook when he ran a successful “two peas in a pod” campaign against his two opponents in his Independent run for governor. I knew Wally Hickel. Wally Hickel was a friend of mine and Governor Parnell is no Wally Hickel. Hickel always put Alaska’s interests first.
Is our health care system broken? Yes. Is ACA the answer? No. But in agreement with the Alaska State Chamber of Commerce and other fiscal conservatives, once ACA became law, I supported Medicaid expansion with the caveat of continued federal funding. My support is due to the sheer economics of Alaskans paying for the expansion in federal taxes and increased premiums if we reject the expansion, the creation of 4,000 new Alaskan jobs, billions of dollars flowing into our communities from the expansion and lower cost coverage for 40,000+ Alaskans. By rejecting the expansion, Parnell in fact, supports “Obamacare” by forcing uninsured Alaskans into the ACA exchanges.
Stop trying to pull the wool over our eyes, Governor. Alaskans are smarter and deserve better than this. I continue to have two words for you, Governor Parnell. ‘Debate me.’
Contact Amanda Coyne at amandamcoyne@yahoo.com
Oh I couldn’t agree more. Liberals have way, way, way too much influence in this state and hold far too many elected offices and top corporate positions. Damn libbies!
Cat fight !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am constantly disappointed in the Governor. He’s weak and seems afraid of his shadow. His policies aren’t all that bad. Wish he was more creative and pro-active. Frankly, I’m surprised that Alaskans allowed Captain Zero to become Governor Zero. I wish he would debate Walker so we could see what he’s made of. I want a Governor not afraid to stand up for Alaskans and fight the liberals ruining our state.
Sean Parnell has made a mess of Alaska and seriously jeopardized our children’s future in this state. He is above all a loyal national party member totally dedicated first and foremost to the destruction of the other party regardless of the impact on Alaskans. He damaged this state by failing to demonstrate fiduciary responsibility which he should have and could have done by exercising control over spending – an authority granted to him in Article 2 Section 15 of the Alaska Constitution: “He (the Governor) .may, by veto, strike or reduce items in appropriation bills”.
For example, his refusal to provide for medicade expansion simply supports a national Republican agenda and certainly makes no sense coming from a guy who has approved record breaking state budgets in the $7 billion range (a billion is 1,000 million) yet would complain about a $30 million state obligation to pay for this protection for Alaskans. I can appreciate saving $30 million yet where was the Governor’s objection to the legislature spending $40 million on a palace for themselves in downtown Anchorage? If this $40 million was already appropriated then a real leader would have spoken out against this then gathered these legislators together and announced 40 million was coming out other their hides next session to pay for this folly.
Now he is desperate and is playing a shell game that would have you believe that he has reduced unrestricted state spending for the 2015 state budget to an acceptable level of 5.6 billion, down 1.3 billion from last year. Looks good, doesn’t it? Well 700 million of that 1.3 billion reduction requires a taking of 3 billion from our budget reserves of 17 billion to reduce state pension obligations. Next, he will take another 1.1 billion to make up for revenue shortages to cover this new “reduced” budget. And finally he needs another 2 billion from our reserves to cover the previous budget caused by the unanticipated loss of oil revenue resulting from his failure to appreciate the immediate impact of oil production costs rising from 30 to 41 dollars per barrel.
So now we can have a 5.6 billion dollar unrestricted budget but we have to reduce our budget reserves $6.1 billion from $17 billon to $10.9 billion. How many years can we keep that up?
We can no longer run this state on “auto pilot” just spending our way out of every problem. We need a competent fiscal manager at the top.
Governor Parnell made the right decision on Medicaid expansion for now. He didn’t say NO. He said NO for now. Until Congress gets the whole mess figured out and fixed, Alaska stands a huge chance of getting stuck with a federal mandate without funding. You don’t have to waste your time debating Walker for my vote governor.
I copied asted Janelle’s posting below. For some reason, my additional comments didn’t appear. Here they are : This posting is angry and has a point of view. She share her struggles and hopess the point is everyone should be entitled to health insurance. To me, it is a basic right. My sister needs insurance and thank goodness there is something called Obamacare. Jannelle needs insurance. My sister needs insurance and so do tens of thousand of other Alaskans.
I am a registered Republican and I am a supporter of the Affordable Care Act. I support the second amendment, believe in school prayer and school choice. I think we develop our perspectives and positions based on our life experiences. My sister was born with a medical condition that will follow her to her grave. Her monthly medical expenses are very high. Until recently, shw was on my father’s insurance policy; however, now that she has completed college and my father retired, she no longer has coverage. She has a job but doesn’t make too much money. She may have qualified for insurance under an expanded medicaid program. She’s signing up for the federal exchange insurance. The few months of non-coverage has cost my parents and I thousands of dollars. She’s not lazy, doesn’t collect welfare, has a good work ethic and job. She just needs insurance. I would love to hear a debate between all the candidates on the ACA, medicaid expansion and the federal exchanges. I suspect that the Governor if he hadn’t been a reciopient of state insurance his entire life might be more empathetic to those hard working Alaskans that haven’t been as lucky. Governor Parnell, you’re making it very hard to continue to support you.
You go Walker. I work everyday and aint got no insurrance. The President made a program that could help me and the Govner done threw me under the bus. I am wanting to know why. Govner, I have 2 words for youDEBATE WALKER.
Parnell and Walker are the “two peas in a pod”. Both are lawyers and both were lobbyists. If you have problems with Parnell’s pro-oil policies you won’t feel much better about Walker. Hear me out, I understand the importance of oil to our state’s treasury and economy. In fact, I will vote to oppose the repeal of SB 21. I will also cast my vote for Byron Mallott for Governor, Hollis French for the second spot on the ticket even though I wish he wasn’t so liberal, Don Young for Congress and either Mead Tredwell or Dan Sullivan for Senate. I am so done with Parnell, the ethically challenged Mayor of Anchorage, Bill Walker and Les Gara. In fact, Parnell, Mayor Sullivan, Bill Walker and Les Gara are corn heads on a cob. They all represent extremist politics that are bad for our state and our country. Tired of the Ted Cruz types and the liberals on the other end of the spectrum too. Time that we worked together without philosopkical agendas for a change. That’s what this Alaskan wants.
You go Walker. I work everyday and aint got no insurrance. The President made a program that could help me and the Govner done threw me under the bus. I am wanting to know why. Govner, I have 2 words for youDEBATE WALKER.