Congressional Fisheries Debate Today - Begich and Hill; Sullivan and Peltola

Today, the Congressional Debate on Fisheries took place in Kodiak.  The Governor's debate was Wednesday.  You can watch it here.

The debate is about fish policy.  I include it here because there aren't a lot of chances to see debates between the candidates these days.  Public debates used to be common.  No longer.  

On the video below, first you hear the debate by the House candidates Rep. Begich and Bill Hill.  Then the Senate debate between Sen. Sullivan and Mary Peltola.  I'm not sure why the other two candidates in the race were not there.  Were they not invited?  Did they choose not to attend?  I don't know.  

All four candidates in the governor's race were at that debate Wednesday.  

I have a few reactions to how the candidates did, but I'll give you a chance to view the debate first.

I'd note the Bill Hill came out first and shook hands with the questioners.  Rep. Begich did the same.  Then Bill Hill went over to Rep. Begich and shook hands and spoke to him.  

We first see Sen. Sullivan and Mary Peltola sitting at the table, so I don't know whether they greeted the interviewers and each other, But the body language at the table isn't warm and fuzzy.  

Fisheries might be the least partisan big Alaskan issues.  That makes these debates less revealing, perhaps, than if we had debates that dealt with more controversial issues.  

Thoughts on Begich and Hill debate.  

I was impressed with Begich's manner and knowledge of the issues.  Hill also knew the issues. Hill's answers brought in the view of Alaska Natives and subsistence fishers.  I thought it was telling that when the questioner said a zero percent bi-catch target was unrealistic. That wasn't the question, it was an assumption underlying the question.   Hill's response was that it should be the goal.  Begich agreed.  Would Begich have said that if Hill hadn't first?  I don't know.  Mary Peltola in the second debate said no fishery has zero bi-catch but when bi-catch is in the metric tons, that's a different story.  

Begich said he had written and passed more legislation than any freshman Congressman ever.  Later he gave numbers:  13 bills, nine passed into law.  I'll see if I can find out what they were and how you research the number of bills freshman Congressmen have introduced and passed into law.  

I'd also take issue with Begich's statement that he travels the state and listens and responds to every Alaska.  I don't believe that he has spoken to an open forum in the Anchorage area the whole time he's been in office.  He speaks only to private groups that limit who attends.  These generally are not announced publicly before the event takes place.  I've written a number of letters to his office and I have not received any responses.  

Thoughts on Sullivan and Peltola debate. 

Sullivan was able to tout various bills he had passed that had improved Alaska fisheries.  He contrasted the number of bills he passed to Peltola's no bills passed, without mentioning he has been in the Senate for 12 years, almost half of that time with Trump as president.  Peltola was in Congress for only two years.  

Both candidates knew the topic.  One thing that struck me was Sullivan's tone.  Whiney isn't quite the right word, but he sounded like someone who felt like he had being unfairly attacked  and was exasperatedly trying to defend his record.  Not like a successful and confident two term Senator.  I'd note that Sullivan acknowledged that climate change was one of the factors resulting in fewer fish reaching subsistence fishers.  

But you can judge for yourself.