Meet the candidate: Dave Bronson

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - Dave Bronson is running for mayor of Anchorage. Alaska’s News Source asked him to answer some questions about his campaign. Here’s what he said.

Can you give me a short description of yourself?

Dave has lived in [Alaska] for 30 years. With over 24 years of military experience, retiring as a Lt Colonel, he went on to have a successful 30 year career as a commercial pilot. Dave has raised his children in anchorage and plans on growing old here. Dave is a strong leader, pro business and truly wants to put Anchorage in a new direction.

How long have you lived in Alaska?

30 years

Why are you running for mayor?

I am running for Mayor because the former Mayor, the acting Mayor and the current Assembly have ignored the City Charter, ignored existing Ordinances, and ignored the rule of law. They have misappropriated COVID Cares Act funds, mismanaged city resources, mishandled the homeless issue making it increase four-fold, caused Anchorage businesses to shut down, and increased the burden of taxation to fund misguided social programs. Their agenda is causing the deterioration of Anchorage’s quality of life and it’s we stopped this and took Anchorage in a new direction.

What will be your focus while in office?

Open all our businesses by ending the shutdowns. Using all available resources to deal firmly and quickly with the drug-fueled crime and vagrancy epidemic our city is facing. Making it easier and far less expensive to build the homes that we need. I will get our city back on track and to prosperity.

What do you plan to do about the COVID-19 pandemic?

I will end the shutdowns, allowing all businesses to open freely. I will make wearing a mask a personal choice. I will use all available state and federal funds to stimulate our business community. I will restore to those businesses forced to shut down that portion of their property taxes for the period of their shutdown.

What is the largest issue outside of the pandemic facing the municipality and what do you intend to do about it?

Our drug-fueled crime and vagrancy issue is the single greatest threat, after the shutdowns, to our city. Failing to firmly and quickly deal with these problems will prevent any progress in reinvigorating and rebuilding our city. I will work with and create public-private partnerships in providing the resources essential to resolving the greater homeless problem even as we move those individuals living on our streets and in our parks into effective programs which compel them to not return the previous homeless lifestyle.

There’s a lot of political division in our city. How can you bring people together?

I will unite our city by communicating and working with everyone who is willing to solve our problems using demonstrably effective fact-based methods. Nothing unites a city more than solving our critical problems together.

Do you think the state’s vaccine distribution has been fair for all?

I believe it has.

People have been leaving Anchorage over the past few years. How can you make Anchorage a desirable place to live and do business?

By reducing property taxes through less spending, focusing first on essential services. By firmly and quickly resolving our drug-fueled crime and vagrancy crisis. By making it much easier and less expensive to build the homes that we need. By making our parks and our bike trails safe and clean again. By getting back to being Anchorage [again].

Did you agree or disagree with the municipality’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic? If not, what would you have done differently?

I did not agree. I would not have shut down our businesses, sports activities, churches or our Assembly. I would have stayed with the original plan which called for those who were elderly and/or had multiple comorbidities to stay home as everyone else went about their public lives, even as they voluntarily practiced social distancing and wore masks.