ANSWERS FOR AKPIRG AND RAY METCALF

I leave early tomorrow for an out-of-country trip (will Blog on it when I return – meanwhile I’ll be off blogospace for awhile). While trying to get packed I received two important communications which deserved prompt answers.

One was from Steve Cleary, Executive Director of the Alaska Interest Research Group (AKPIRG). The other was from the indomitable former Representative Ray Metcalf. Both gentlemen wanted specific information about polling done by VECO, or contacts with Bill Allen or Rick Smith of VECO (both of whom have plead guilty to bribery of public officials). I applaud the efforts of Messrs.Cleary and Metcalf to bring transparency to public office.

The following is a copy of my communication FAXed this afternoon to AKPIRG and Mr. Metcalf. I thought my Blog readers might like to read what I said to the gentlemen. Please see below:

FAX 1:

From the Personal Home Desk of
Representative Bob Lynn
District 31, Anchorage, Alaska

September 28, 2007

Steve Cleary, Executive Director
Alaska Public Interest Research Group (AKPIRG)

Dear Steve,

I’m in receipt of your Legislative Survey of September 25, 2007. I offer the following comments for your consideration:

In the past I have talked with Bill Allen and Rick Smith of VECO about oil and gas issues. They both urged me to approve Governor Murkowski’s gas pipeline proposal. I told them I would talk to constituents, legislative colleagues, the administration, and study the issue, but I made no commitment whatsoever as to how I might vote on such issues. One of those meetings occurred at the Baranof Hotel in Juneau, I think in 2005.

I don’t recall any issues discussed with VECO people other than oil and gas issues.

I talked with numerous people in 2006 about the PPT: constituents, fellow legislators, then administration, my staff, oil company representatives, and lobbyists. You can check my Blog (RepLynnBlog.com) on what I thought about some of the issues.

To the best of my knowledge, direct or indirect, VECO never conducted any poll regarding any of my campaigns. Certainly, no information was ever conveyed to me by VECO about any poll results about me or anyone else. Obviously, it would have been absurd for anyone to conduct a poll during my 2006 campaign, as I was unopposed in both the primary and general elections. Likewise, so far I have never personally conducted, or had conducted, any campaign poll. I have, however, conducted a couple surveys relative to my own district.

I have worked diligently to represent my constituents and the state honestly and ethically, and have never violated the public trust. I have been a leader in getting improved ethics legislation passed, and will continue to do so. Communication with all manner of people is essential for any public servant. If a legislator can’t sort out potential motivations of people communicated with, he/she shouldn’t hold public office. When all is said and done good government can only exist when there is a strong foundation of trust between elected and appointed officials and the public.

Thank you for contacting me.

BOB LYNN
Alaska State Representative
State House District 31

FAX 2:
From the Personal Home Desk of
Representative Bob Lynn
District 31, Anchorage, Alaska

September 28, 2007
To: Ray Metcalf, and to Whom it May Concern:
I was elected to the Alaska State Legislature, House District 31, in 2002, and was sworn into office in January 2003. I have served continuously in the House of Representatives since that time. I have already filed for re-election in 2008.
I have no knowledge, direct or indirect, of VECO conducting a political poll about any of my campaigns for District 31. Certainly, I never received any information of any such poll results from VECO if any such polls were, in fact, conducted. Of course in 2006, I ran for office unopposed. Ergo it would have been absurd for anyone to conduct a poll relevant to my campaign.
During my term of office, and all my campaigns since 2002 to this date, I have never personally conducted a political poll. However, I did conduct some surveys of District 31, paid for out of my personal campaign funds.
As for campaign polls allegedly conducted by VECO for other elected officials, I only know what I’ve read in the newspaper, or seen on TV.
When I learned from the media of VECO’s involvement in actual or alleged illegal acts, I promptly wrote a letter to the Alaska Public Offices Commission (APOC) to inform them that, at the conclusion of my 2006 campaign, I would donate contributions from VECO executives to charity (and that I did). APOC has a copy of that letter. I did not return the VECO contributions to VECO, because I didn’t want to “contribute” to any political defense fund for such VECO executives.
Thank you for your interest in good government.

Yours truly,

BOB LYNN
Alaska State Representative
State House District 31