October 31, 2016
Monday PM

Editor,

In response to the 'Factual Fair' op-ed published int he Ketchikan Daily News and the Wrangell Sentinel by former Representative Peggy Wilson, I would like to address the real facts.

A. I have been a registered independent/non-partisan for eight years, beginning six years before running for public office. Before that, I was a registered Republican or Republican Moderate for over 25 years and a registered Democrat for only eight months.

B. Once I was elected as an independent, I was not invited into the Republican Majority. I did not simply choose to join the minority; I had not other choice.

C. Prior to my being elected, and when asked the question of who I would caucus with, I said I would join whoever was in the best interest of District 36. The record shows that is exactly what happened.

D. Because of the group I caucused with in my first term as your legislator, the following things were accomplished for District 36:

1. Restored a total of $3.75 million to the Alaska Marine Highway system over two years, protecting Southeast from cuts approved by the Republican Majority.
2. Restored funds proposed to be cut by the Republican Majority to the Alaska Pioneer Home program and to the Senior Income Assistance program budgets.
3. Successfully restored over $4.2 million in Cruise Ship Passenger vessel tax monies to the municipalities of Ketchikan and Wrangell after this money was withheld from the budgets first passed by the Republican majorities in the House and Senate.
4. Restored some of the proposed cuts to public radio stations, such as KRBD and KSTK, by the Republican majorities.

E. I have a close working relationship with our Senator Bert Stedman. I regularly seek his advice and opinions on all important votes that impact the state and/or District 36. My voting record closely resembles his, but I have not seen his partisanship questioned.

In closing, my position in the House has allowed me to effectively advocate and vote for the best interests of District 36, and I will continue to do so if re-elected.

Dan Ortiz
Ketchikan, Alaska

Received October 31, 2016 - Published October 31, 2016

About: Dan Ortiz is an independent member of the Alaska House of Representatives, who has since 2015 represented the 36th District. He is running for re-election.

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