Call To Duty: Peter Micciche and Gary Stevens

The budget deal was close - a compromise passed the Alaska House of Representatives. Democrats gave up on Medicaid expansion, but held fast on education, the ferry system, negotiated pay raises and other issues. The additional costs for those programs amounts to less than 1% f the budget. Left alone were cuts to pork projects like The Susitna Dam, the Juneau Road to nowhere, the Knik Arm Bridge and cuts to the ridiculously expensive LIO building in downtown Anchorage. Also left untouched were the massive production credits being paid to the oil companies.

Yet that wasn't enough for the Alaskan Senate. Nope, there's not been an inch of compromise offered by the Senate.

However, our two Kenai Peninsula senators, especially Micciche, who is on the Finance committee, can take a stand and buck the Republican majority.  I've heard Peter say (many times) that he is willing to work across the aisle. That he's for education. That he represents the people of the central peninsula. And from his past actions, Gary Stevens often shows that he is an old-school republican, reasonable, in other words.  Not that there's been any evidence of that this session.

So, please Senators Micciche and Stevens, show that you are true representatives of the people of the Kenai Peninsula, cut the puppet strings from the Republican majority and vote for what's right. Approve the House budget. Move Medicaid expansion forward - it's the morally right thing to do. And it's what your constituents want you to do. If you two start acting like grownups, maybe a few other on-the-fence republicans will join ranks.

Yeah, I'm not going to hold my breath either.