Dunbar for Mayor Reddit "Ask Me Anything" Recap
Anchorage mayoral candidate Forrest Dunbar hosted an AMA (Ask Me Anything) on Reddit's hugely popular "Politics" subreddit yesterday. The Reddit subreddit boasts a 7.4 million membership roster.
Dunbar's AMA appears to have been well-received and successful, having received 790+ upvotes and a 92% rating hours after the event ended.
Below are a few questions answered by the mayoral candidate in the AMA.
You can read through all of his answers here.
On opening up the city up as a way to fend off the eviction tsunami potentially facing Anchorage residents, as has been championed by David Bronson and Mike Robbins, Mr. Dunbar wrote:
"We have seen in other parts of the country that did not have capacity restrictions or other public health measures that economic growth still fell sharply, and there were still large layoffs, particularly in the hospitality sector. It is the VIRUS that is causing a downturn, much more than any other public health measures, especially given grants and programs like PPP. So no, “opening everything up,” especially when the vast majority of businesses are ALREADY OPEN will not head off an eviction tsunami.
What we need is to quickly deploy federal aid, target it to those who need it most, continue some of our efforts to remove regulations and otherwise be flexible, and move quickly into recovery this summer. It is also crucial that people continue to wear masks and get vaccinated so that we can beat COVID. That’s the irony, of course: the anti-mask folks are prolonging the pandemic and the tremendous economic harm it is doing."
When asked how Mr. Dunbar planned on balancing the diverse desires of all constituents rather than just the interests of those and the party that elects him, Dunbar wrote:
"Thanks for this question! I’ve spent years listening to people from all over our community and our state -- I know there are so many people who haven’t been invited to the table, and I’m focused on accessible communication and outreach to everyone. We have one of the most diverse cities in the country, so outreach to the BIPOC community specifically is incredibly important. In terms of ideological diversity, my first job in politics was for a Republican senator, and I am eager to hear ideas from anyone, regardless of party."
On climate change, Dunbar was asked "What role do medium to large cities play in combatting climate change, and how do you sell those goals/proposals to a populace in a state so dependent on the fossil fuel industry?"
"One way or another, Anchorage and Alaska are going to become less dependent on oil and gas, given that it is a finite resource and also that innovations in green energy are helping the rest of the world shift their energy production. Anchorage has a crucial role to play in diversifying Alaska’s economy. Rural Alaska cannot thrive without a vibrant Anchorage and vice-versa. We need to be investing in the visitor economy, the knowledge-based economy, revitalizing our downtown, partnering with the university, and doing everything we can to bring the jobs of the future to Anchorage."
On the cancellation of most cruise ships for this coming summer leading to decreased tourism dollars, Dunbar was asked what his plans are to protect and aid businesses in Anchorage:
"I am still hopeful that a solution will be found at the federal level to allow at least some cruise ships to come. However, it is clear that we will need to 1) continue to direct federal dollars received by the Muni to the visitor and hospitality industries 2) try to attract more independent travelers and fill the “missing middle” of the visitor industry and 3) listen to and work with the industry leading up to, during, and after the summer."
