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When God created the world, I suspect that he took a special interest in the area that we have named the Kenai Peninsula. There are few places in the world that can compare in natural beauty, with views of majestic snow capped mountains and volcanoes, meandering rivers and streams flowing out to a coastline featuring numerous bays, coves and beaches. The land is filled with a variety of plants and animals. The streams are filled with fish and birds glide through the air. I believe that God was pleased with His work and certainly He wanted His children to be able to appreciate this creation as well. God knew that we would want to live in such a place and build homes and communities, so He provided the resources that would sustain and provide for our communities. Not just trees to build houses and moose and fish to fill our freezers, but a surplus of fish that could be harvested to help feed the world; gravel to build our roads; oil, coal, and natural gas to power our communities and the machines that build and sustain them; and mineral wealth that could be exported and used. All of these things could be used together to provide the jobs and resources needed so we could live and raise our families in this special place.

This was not to be the Garden of Eden where God would say "all of these things you may use, but touch not the fish" or "I give you the fish and berries but don't touch the oil." All of the resources that have been provided to us can and must be used together to sustain and grow our communities.

It bothers me when I see people trying to divide our friends and neighbors to set one against the other. Some will say that it is impossible for the fisherman to live here if we allow the oil worker and the miner to live. Others will say the commercial fisherman will destroy the livelihood of the sport fisherman and the tourism operator. What a low opinion of our neighbors and our abilities as a united community people like this must have and they couldn't be more wrong! We have the ability to work together so that all aspects of our industry can work side by side peacefully, with each part looking after and relying on the other. Many of the services that we take for granted are dependent on the strength and support of a section of industry that we may feel has nothing to do with us.

There have been times and places in the past where one neighbor has been able to infringe upon the rights of another, where one industry has caused damage to another. This will happen anytime you bring people together to form a community. Each person has different needs and desires and often these will conflict with someone else. It is specifically to settle or avoid these disputes that governments are necessary. A man living by himself in the wilderness, never coming in contact with another human being, has no need of any government. As soon as someone else shows up you have to start developing rules that will allow these people to live close to each other peacefully. As disputes occur so do more rules. It is fatalistic and unrealistic to say that because disputes have happened in the past that these two cannot exist together. If this type of primitive thinking prevailed mankind would have never left the caves.

When I look toward the future of our Borough, I see that special place with healthy, growing communities. I see a place where my children can continue to live and raise their families because there are good jobs available, good schools, and a quality of live that is unparalleled. This can be facilitated through our local borough government by promoting the development of all of our resources, and by ensuring that development does not irreparably harm the very things that have brought us here. The economic growth of our Borough, when partnered with fiscal responsibility, will provide the quality schools, roads, emergency services, and other services that contribute to our quality of life, while lowering the tax burden on our citizens.

If this is the type of government that you want and the Borough that you want to be a part of, I would appreciate your vote for "CLUTTS, Jesse R." on October 6th.