October 22, 2002
Tuesday - 12:05 am

Anchorage - Alaska gubernatorial candidate Frank Murkowski on Monday pledged that his administration would give the state's ferry system the attention it deserves by shifting its management from the state's bureaucracy to either a separate authority or to management by a board of directors appointed by local communities.

Murkowski, however, said he was not proposing privatizing the ferries, only making the Marine Highway System's management more responsive to local concerns.

"Growing up in Southeast, I know the value and critical importance of water transportation connections for our coastal communities," said Murkowski. "I strongly support a responsive marine highway that will provide consistent, economical service throughout coastal Alaska."

Murkowski earlier this fall said he supported a proposal by the Southeast Conference to have the ferry system overseen by either a board of directors made up of representatives of the communities served by the system, or possibly to have the system shifted to a separate state Marine Highway Authority - just as the Alaska Railroad is managed by a separate state authority. Recently rumors have spread in the region that Murkowski was proposing to privatize the ferries, harming current ferry workers.

"It is a sign of the growing viciousness of politics in this state that anyone would characterize my proposal to make ferry management more responsive as an attack on the system's workers," said Murkowski. "Elevating the management, so the system is not buried three layers down in the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities bureaucracy, will guarantee that the marine highway gets the attention it deserves. There is no reason improved management will hurt the current hard-working, dedicated employees of the system. In fact, it should make their jobs easier."

Murkowski, who unveiled a comprehensive transportation policy Sept. 14, has said he also supports the efforts of the Interisland Ferry Authority that has opened ferry service from Ketchikan to Prince of Wales Island. He praised the IFA for increasing the frequency of service in the region.

Murkowski noted that he and the other members of Alaska's Congressional delegation in 1998 won up to $120 million in earmarked federal funds for construction of a new mainline and several high-speed ferries to replace the state's aging ferry fleet. That was after the federal government in 1991 largely funded construction of the last new ferry, the Kennicott.

Source of News Release:

Frank Murkowski For Governor Campaign
Web Site

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