Three cheers for Alaska Conference of Mayors.

• Author: McCorkle, Vern
• Position: From the Publisher

Whether they realized it or not, when the Alaska Conference of Mayors lambasted Alaska's impotent Legislature, they actually spoke for most Alaskans, the way we hear it.

When the conference advanced upon the Juneau hidey-hole of the state Legislature in late January beseeching them to get down to work, the vaunted body arose in righteous indignation and scolded the mayors for turning on the lights.

"It's rather disingenuous," wailed House Speaker Pete Kott, R-Eagle River, "for them to complain to us in this way. After all, we've only been here (in session) three weeks."

Disingenuous, indeed. Only three weeks in Juneau-balderdash! What is disingenuous, Mr. Speaker, is that the Legislature has only been in session for three weeks. No, the Legislature has disavowed Alaska's fiscal fiasco for more than a decade! Alaska is beginning to feel a lot like ancient Rome. When the city burned, Nero fiddled. Here, when the state went up in smoke, the Legislature diddled.

Within the past few weeks, no fewer than 19 blue ribbon organizations, Alaska's finest, representing businesses, trade associations, civic organizations, communities and education interests, to name but a few, comprised of hundreds of Alaska companies and tens of thousands of Alaskan workers, did the same thing: brought the Legislature up short, calling out in a single voice, to affirmatively address the fiscal gap.

Departing from customary de riguer, mayors, who traditionally have chosen to "go along to get along," taking the high road and not rocking any boats, have been pushed to the point where they have had to throw down the gauntlet and tell it like it is--Legislature, do your constitutional duty.

The mayors were polite. They did not storm the parapets or torch the hallowed chambers. They wrote a letter, a resolution, in which they said unanimously: (We) "express no confidence in the willingness of the Alaska...