Anchorage Daily News

Looking to claim a second three-year term representing South Anchorage, Assemblyman Chris Birch says he wants to see if the city can save money by having private businesses handle services like plowing snow at schools.

His chief rival -- Mike Kenny -- says it's time for the Assembly to start listening to people instead of debating topics like dog droppings in baseball fields.

Meantime, a third candidate in Tuesday's election, Jesse Busick is running a shoestring campaign, calling for better public transportation and incentives for small business.

While the leading candidates disagree on taxes or how Anchorage should grow, one issue might divide them most of all.

UNIONS

"Mr. Birch has made a career, first in Fairbanks with the Fairbanks Assembly, of crushing, as much as he can, union contracts," said Kenny, who is former head of the Teamsters Local 959.

Birch -- who called on the city to renegotiate a Teamsters contract last year because he said, for example, it included padded benefits such as excessive vacation time -- in turn questions who Kenny would represent on the Assembly.

"He has the potential for, you know, having them (unions) in mind ahead of the ratepayers and the taxpayers," Birch said.

In reply, Kenny said that his job with the union was to represent middle-class Alaskans, and that's what he'll do as an Assembly member, too. "I see a synergy more than any conflict."

Birch and Kenny are also divided on the evergreen issue of taxes.

In 2006, Birch voted to put a 3 percent sales tax on the ballot. Voters shot it down by a 7-to-3 margin.

There's talk of a more aggressive sales tax, aimed at replacing property taxes altogether, Birch said. He said he might support putting that proposal before voters, after some study.

Kenny said he opposes a sales tax because it burdens poor people much more than the rich.

Busick said that if people don't want a sales tax -- and voters have historically rejected the idea -- he won't vote for it either.

DEVELOPMENT AND DONORS

A more regional topic for South Anchorage voters is Legacy Pointe, a senior housing project proposed for about 100 acres of undeveloped land off Goldenview Drive.

The Planning and Zoning Commission approved the 400-unit project -- earlier plans called for 700 units -- in October. Kenny testified against it at a public hearing, and the nonprofit Home and Landowners Organization appealed the decision.

The project, said Kenny, is "completely and utterly outside the norms of the surrounding neighborhoods and communities."

"Most of us are chagrined that Mr. Birch didn't fight hammer and tong against it," he said.

Birch said he'd supported an earlier proposal that called for single-family houses on the land.

"When that original subdivision came up, I thought it was a good idea for the single-family homes. It was well-conceived; it was actually larger lots than the adjoining property. ... It would have been a good addition," he said.

As for Busick, he said if people who live in the area don't support the Legacy Pointe project, neither does he.

As of March 22, Birch led the fundraising race with $43,500. His donations have come from Assembly chair Dan Coffey, developers Robert and Henry Penney, the head of a builders' trade group Rebecca Logan, and the Alaska Realtors political action committee, among others.

Kenny had raised about $29,000. Union political action committees contributed more than one-third of that total. Mayor Mark Begich, fellow candidate Elvi Gray-Jackson and former Assemblymen Brian Whittle and Dick Tremaine donated to his campaign.

Busick filed paperwork with the state saying he doesn't plan to raise or spend more than $5,000 on his campaign.

Local court checks show Kenny and Birch have both been arrested for drunken driving.

Police arrested Kenny in 2000 on a drunken driving charge, and he pleaded down to reckless driving, according to court records. Birch was arrested in late 1990, and convicted of drunken driving by jury, according to published reports at the time.

All three candidates are looking to join the 11-member Assembly, which writes local laws and approves city spending.

Here's more on the candidates for Seat K.

CHRIS BIRCH

The son of a geologist and a mining engineer, Birch served on the Fairbanks Assembly for two terms in the 1980s and managed the Fairbanks airport. He came to Anchorage to work for the Alyeska Pipeline Service Co., which runs the trans-Alaska oil pipeline.

In Anchorage he's been a Department of Transportation manager, a director at Stevens International Airport, a member of the Chugach Electric Association board and now works for NANA as senior vice president for business development.

Birch ran unsuccessfully in Anchorage against Assemblywoman Janice Shamberg in 2001 and defeated incumbent Dick Tremaine in 2005.

A registered Republican, Birch said that if he's re-elected he hopes to improve the quality and connectivity of roads in the district -- particularly considering the amount of undeveloped land in South Anchorage and in Girdwood.

"It's very important that we take a real hard look at what we're doing to accommodate the people that have been investing and paying real estate taxes on their land for the past 10 years, waiting to build their dream home," he said.

JESSE BUSICK

Busick grew up in Southern California and said he moved to Anchorage four or five years ago to help with a fishing business run by his wife's family in Seward.

In Anchorage he's worked as a bus driver, and said he's now the night manager for a group of Hudson News stores at the Anchorage airport.

Busick is a registered Republican.

"I'm not a big government guy -- I believe it should provide the basic fundamentals to run the country. I'm not a big tax guy," he said.

He said he's also interested in issues that staunch conservatives might not be, such as investing in better public transportation.

Busick said he wants to improve the local bus system and to create incentives for small businesses -- maybe by pushing for lower licensing fees or for tax cuts for young entrepreneurs.

If elected, Busick said he'd quit his job to focus solely on Assembly duties, from attending Assembly meetings to working on a rewrite of city land use rules. (Assembly members make about $24,000 a year, according to the city clerk.)

"I should go to bed at the end of the day exhausted," he said.

MIKE KENNY

Born in the South Side of Chicago, Kenny grew up in the Midwest. In 1969, he started hitchhiking and ended up in Alaska in 1970.

His reasons? "Just an overabundance of sense of adventure," Kenny said. "Maybe reading too many National Geographics as a lad."

Within weeks, he ended up on a geodetic survey ship headed for the Bering Sea.

Soon, Kenny became a surveyor -- living in Anchorage and working across the state. The Teamsters hired him to be a business representative for surveyors in 1992.

In 2003, he successfully ran against Jerry Hood to become head of the Teamsters Local 959. He lost re-election to the post in 2006.

Kenny is a registered Democrat. He said he sees the current Assembly sidetracked by wedge issues such as illegal immigration and wanted to see the city step back and tackle looming topics like homelessness and hunger.

"There are universal issues that I saw the Assembly not even raising an eyebrow towards," he said.

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Candidate bios

Chris Birch, 57

Occupation: Engineer

Spouse: Pam

Political party: Republican

Neighborhood: Hillside

Education: Bachelor's in mining engineering and master's in engineering management from the University of Alaska.

Public offices: Anchorage Assembly and Fairbanks Assembly. He ran unsuccessfully for the Anchorage Assembly in 2001.

Campaign Web page: www.chrisbirch.com

Campaign phone: 346-3265

Jesse Busick, 35

Occupation: Retail supervisor

Spouse: Alicia

Political party: Republican

Neighborhood: South Anchorage

Education: Some college

Public offices: This is his first time running.

Campaign phone: 223-5522

Mike Kenny, 60

Occupation: Retired

Spouse: Val

Political party: Democrat

Neighborhood: Near Potter Marsh

Education: Bachelor's in business administration from Marquette University.

Public offices: This is his first time running.

Campaign Web page: www.kennyforassembly.com

Campaign phone: 345-8046

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