At Tuesday's 15th-annual Ecotourism Conference of the Alaska Wilderness Recreation and Tourism Association, Ethan Berkowitz surprised many by stating that mining has a greater potential for Alaska's future than ecotourism. Or all types of tourism, for that matter. His statement surprised both Jake Metcalfe and Diane Benson, and a number of people in the audience. The three Democratic Party candidates for Alaska's sole seat in the U.S. House were presenting ideas and answering questions on a number of issues important to the association in a panel discussion format.Things went downhill from then on for Ethan.
When asked by moderator John Tracy about the current legal troubles of Rep. Don Young, the office-holder the panelists hope to replace appears to be embroiled in, Berkowitz turned on Tracy, stating, "If we're going to change the kind of politics that we're engaged in, we're going to have to lift ourselves up.
"And throwing rocks at an obvious target doesn't elevate the conversation."
People in the audience turned toward each other, wondering. Before the panel began, they might have been in Berkowitz's palm. They were giving each other "WTF?" looks.
Jake Metcalfe was the first to respond, saying, in part, that, "If you're spending $850,000 on legal fees and you're a public servant and you're not telling people what it's for," he said. "How do we know you're doing your job?"
Benson, who has been fighting Young now for two years, and was David to Young's Goliath in 2006, added, "I think that we do need to hold individuals accountable. Sometimes it takes someone strong enough to stand up and say something.
"We've seen this as well with whistleblowers and problems within the oil industry that have not been addressed until a strong individual came forward and did something and said something."
My take, after talking to Benson and Berkowitz supporters afterward, is that Ethan, in spite of his wan wish for "lifting ourselves up," continues to understand what that term means to Alaska voters this cycle less than do Jake and Diane.
image of Don Young by Darkblack
images from the forum by KTUU