Biographical questions
Candidates name: Vic Vickers
Party: Republican
Date of birth: March 20, 1949
Occupation: economic historian, lawyer, and businessman
Employment history: aide to Alaska Supreme Court Chief Justice George F. Boney (1970, 1971): Assistant Comptroller of Florida (1975-79), private law practice (1979-present); real estate investor and owner of maritime companies (1979-present); economic historian (1990-present); author.
Previous unsuccessful runs for office: None
Education: Bachelor's in criminology, no school listed (1971); law degree, no school listed (1976); master's in international affairs, no school listed (1986); doctorate in economic and business history, no school listed (1990)
Military service: None
Spouse name: Sandee
Children: Little Vic, age 3, Jane, age 5, Chris, age 17
Web site: www.vicvickers.com
1. Why are you running for office?
Im running against Ted Stevens to stop corruption.
2. The most important issue in this election is ____.
The corruption of Ted Stevens by Big Oil and other special interests. For three decades, Ted Stevens has allowed Big Oil to rip off the state. We must demand that all Alaskans get their fair share of oil revenues.
3. What specifically should Congress do, if anything, to address rising energy prices?
America must withdraw our troops from Iraq and Afghanistan immediately. This would balance our budget, restore the once strong dollar, and dramatically reduce the price of gasoline at the pump and the cost of fuel oil.
4. If oil and gasoline prices continue to rise, could you support government price controls?
No.
5. Do you support drilling in ANWR? If the answer is yes, tell us something new that you as a member of Congress can do to open the coastal plain to drilling.
While Big Oil has been lobbying Congress to open up drilling in ANWR, the oil companies are refusing to develop oil and gas leases in Alaska with vast proven reserves. I will force an end to this abuse. I'm in favor of drilling in ANWR, but only as a last resort, after the existing leases are developed.
6. TransCanada has suggested the federal government can help the proposed Alaska gas line by acting as a "bridge shipper." That means the federal government would agree to buy enough gas to fill the line if necessary, or at least guarantee the equivalent revenue stream for the pipeline owner.Will you support legislation to do this?
No. I support an all-Alaska gas pipeline from the North Slope to Valdez using the same right-of-way as the Trans Alaska Pipeline. Rather than waste $500 million on TransCanada, that same investment could secure a controlling interest in an all-Alaska pipeline that could be built in half the time and allow us to control our own destiny.
7. Do you support offshore drilling in Bristol Bay?
No.
8. What can the federal government or Congress do to further a natural gas pipeline should state measures such as an AGIA license fail to pass, or fail to induce a pipeline?
Exxon Mobil and its partners have been sitting on the proven reserves of the Point Thomson Unit for over 30 years without producing a drop of oil or any gas. Alaskas DNR was right to revoke those leases and I support a national Use It or Lose It bill. In fact, I will call for an investigation to determine how much of our oil and gas resources the oil companies are keeping in their back pockets while they drill in foreign countries.
9. Some say oil companies have leased vast public acreage and are now sitting on the leases without drilling. Point Thomson in Alaska has been mentioned as an example. Do you believe this has anything to do with our energy crunch?
Yes. I support Governor Palin's efforts to revoke the leases owned by Exxon Mobil and other Big Oil companies that have not developed these resources. Re-bidding these leases would attract companies who would act in good faith to develop the Point Thomson field and other productive units to Alaska's production.
10. Rural Alaska has been hit particularly hard by high fuel prices. Are there specific steps Congress or a member of Congress should take to address this?
In terms of oil revenues, Alaska is the Saudi Arabia of North America. If all Alaskans get their fair share of oil revenues, we will be able to meet the special needs of Native Alaskans in remote villages.
11. Should Congress continue President Bushs tax cuts to stimulate the economy? Explain.
Yes. The federal government has more than sufficient revenues. If America withdraws its troops from the quagmire of Iraq and Afghanistan, then we will be able to balance the budget, restore a strong dollar, and drastically reduce the gasoline prices at the pump and the exorbitant prices of home heating oil in rural Alaska.
12. How important a priority is reducing the federal deficit? Explain.
It is the most important priority of Congress. If we do not balance the budget, which has been out of control during the George Bush administration, our economy will collapse. We cannot continue to spend into oblivion by borrowing hundreds of billions of dollars each year to operate the federal government, which will have to be paid back by our children. Thomas Jefferson was right when he said that the U.S. government should limit its borrowing to what can be paid back by each generation.
13. Should the U.S. tax code be simplified? Is it fair?
It should be simplified and it is not fair. I will work with both parties to reform our tax code to eliminate tax subsidies and loopholes for Big Oil companies and big corporations.
14. What should the future U.S. role in Iraq be?
The answer depends on whether the oil-rich nations of the region are willing to pay for our continued military presence.
15. How long do you believe the U.S. occupation should continue?
The war is over. We need to bring our troops home now, especially if Saudi Arabia and the other authoritarian regimes refuse to pay for the cost of our troops.
16. Should a date be set for withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq? Explain.
The new president should give the Arab rulers 24 hours to agree to pay 100 percent of our military expenses.
17. What role should Congress have in deciding the kind of military approach the U.S. uses in Iraq?
The United States military is not a police force. We need to bring our brave men and women home now. The Civil War lasted four years. World War I lasted less than two years. And World War II lasted four years. We have now been in Iraq for five years and five months.
18. Under what circumstances, if any, would you support a pre-emptive military strike against Iran to prevent it from acquiring nuclear weapons?
None. We must comply with international law.
19. How good a job is the military and the Veterans Administration doing in providing ongoing care to soldiers and ex-soldiers who served in the war? What specifically would you do to improve services?
Neither is doing nearly enough. My father, a Navy chief petty officer, died of a service-related disease when I was 16 years old. Caring for our war veterans and their families should be our first priority.
20. What role do human-caused emissions of greenhouse gases play in global warming: None, some, most, or all? Explain.
Human-caused emissions of greenhouse gases play a significant role in global warming. Global warming is a crisis in Alaska and throughout the world. America must mobilize our full resources to solve this crisis. NASA spent $24 billion to land a man on the moon during the 1960s. In todays dollars, it would cost approximately $150 billion to create a similar program to develop alternate energy sources on an emergency basis. For America to be secure, and to restore its strong economy, we must stop our addiction to foreign oil.
21. What legislation currently in Congress comes closest to the policy you would advocate for dealing with climate change?
See my answer to question #20.
22. Coastal erosion is a serious issue in a number of rural Alaska villages, with discussions about relocating some communities. Do you believe this is appropriate or realistic? Explain.
Alaska, a century from now and beyond, must include thriving Native coastal communities that sustain the traditional way of life. Each endangered community is unique and will require major public investments once Alaska gets its fair share of oil revenues.
23. Is it appropriate to use the polar bear listing as a threatened species to limit oil and gas development in the Arctic or regulate distant greenhouse gas emissions? What other steps, if any, do you think government and industry should take to protect Alaska's polar bear population?
We must protect our magnificent polar bears, which are unique symbols of this great state. The administration of George Bush, who has the worst environmental record of any president in American history, designated the polar bear as a threatened species. I am opposed to the lawsuit filed by the Palin administration, challenging the polar bear listing.
24. Whats your position on the proposed Pebble mine in southwest Alaska? How do you plan to vote on the Clean Water initiative on the August ballot?
I am opposed to the Pebble mine. No company or individual has the right to pollute Alaskas pristine waters. I strongly support the Clean Water initiative.
25. Are changes needed in the way congressional earmarks work? Under what circumstances should members of Congress be allowed to direct federal spending to specific projects in their district?
Im against bridges to nowhere, which have given Alaska a black eye. If Alaska gets its fair share of oil revenues and diversifies its economy, we will no longer have to depend on federal earmarks.
26. What should Congress do, if anything, to help increase the supply of doctors in Alaska?
If Alaska gets its fair share of oil revenues, we will be able to expand our medical facilities throughout the state and provide health insurance for every Alaskan. With our fair share, we will be able to recruit the qualified doctors and nurses needed to provide medical services for all Alaskans.
27. Some major Alaska fisheries have been rationalized. That is, individual shares have been assigned to fishermen and even to processors. Do you support this approach for more of Alaskas fisheries?
No. I support the family-owned fishing business, not the mailbox-fishermen who live in Arizona or the big out-of-state corporations. The rationalized quota system unfairly favors big corporate interests flush with capital.
