Begich has been Mayor of Anchorage since 2003, where he has been a smart fiscal manager. He previously served 10 years on the Anchorage Assembly, including 3 years as Assembly Chair.
A talented politician and leader, Begich was named in 1997 and 2004 as Alaska's top official by municipal officials.
Begich's stances reveal robust respect for individuals' rights, including gun rights and privacy, and for youth programs and support.
Mark Begich is a lifetime member of the NRA, and strongly supports Second Amendment protection of individuals' gun rights. His '08 Senate campaign was endorsed by the Anchorage police and fire unions.Begich believes in "standing up against government interference, including warrantless wiretapping, the assault on habeas corpus, the pursuit of Real ID cards, and retroactive immunity for telecommunications companies that illegally helped the federal government spy on Americans."
Begich supports "high-quality, affordable health care access for all Alaskans that they can count on for a lifetime."
From 1988 (at age 26) to 1998, Begich was an elected Assemblyman on the 6-member Anchorage Assembly, including 3 years as Assembly Chair and 2 years as vice-chair.Begich, considered a political prodigy, was appointed to the Anchorage Youth Commission at age 17. At age 19, he was appointed to the City health department.
Wrote the local newspaper in 2003, "Foes and friends alike give him high marks for political skills -- his ability to decipher budgets, line up votes and marshal support for projects he supports, and resist those he opposes."
On Ethics, Earmarks and Sen. Ted Stevens
"Recent ethics reform legislation doesn't do anything to shed light on what other special interest projects the senator may be seeking. The earmark requests made public are available only by going in person to the Appropriations Committees' offices in Washington, DC.
"Every earmark requested by a senator should be posted online so Alaskans know what & who their elected officials are fighting for. Senators should disclose on whose behalf the earmark was requested & how it will benefit their constituents...
"Senators and senior senatorial staff should disclose all income and assets, down to the dollar for themselves, their spouses and dependent children."
---- May 21, 2008
On Giving Back to Community
"My first business license was at 14. I opened up the first teenage nightclub in Anchorage at 16. I owned real estate. I've been in the vending business, restaurant business, printing business. I've been in a lot of different businesses.
"But each time I've done that, one of the things, as time progressed, I learned from other people more about my dad's history and things because at 10 I didn't know a lot about what he had done.
"But also through my mom's (as I call) survival of six kids and raising, what I did know that as a member of a community you need to give back. And it could be through your church, it could be through a non-profit, it could be through political life."
--- MyDD.com interview, July 24, 2008
On Education and the No Child Left Behind Act
"Mark believes that the Bush administration’s No Child Left Behind law has been a disaster in Alaska and as Senator will work to return to an education policy that respects community values.
"He will fight to return control to Alaska’s parents and educators and for the millions of dollars in federal support promised, but not delivered, to Alaska schools."
--- Begich for U.S. Senate website
On Withdrawal from Iraq
"Mark believes that it is time for America to safely and responsibly redeploy our troops out of Iraq. Our troops have served admirably, but political leadership has failed them with no plan, inadequate equipment and diplomatic neglect...
"We must end our military's participation in Iraq's civil war so we can shift our attention back where it belongs: fighting al Qaeda in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and elsewhere."
--- Begich for U.S. Senate website
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