*Editor's Note: This is not a full transcript of the complete interview between KMXT and John Wayne Howe. However, what is written includes excerpts from the full interview which can be heard in its entirety by clicking on the audio link in this post. This interview was recorded over the phone on Oct. 15, 2024.
John Wayne Howe: I am running this time around because the office is open. I'm not a person that's set on one particular office. I just try to do what I can, if I can, to help out my fellow Alaskan. And my points of view are toward Alaskan independence for individuals. I'm totally against taxes and anything that oppresses someone.
KMXT: As you just mentioned there, you represent the Alaska Independence Party. We currently seem to have more of a two party political system in Alaska and, of course, in our nation right now. So what are your thoughts on the dynamic of the political system, and how would you hope to maybe change that if you were elected?
Wayne Howe: Well, I would hope that it would make a big difference to people that someone from what is commonly considered a third party, which, you know, in the past, the Republican Party was a third party. We had Wigs and other ones in the past; things have changed many times. And right now, I really see us as a one party system. I really don't even see two realistic, as far as the main ones, the Democrats and Republicans… there's some things that they spar on, like one of the key things being finances, the U.S. dollar. Both of them are moving towards a central bank digital currency.
KMXT: Following up there on what you were mentioning before, I understand that you want to talk about economics and a stable currency. What are some of your other top priorities if you were to be elected?
Wayne Howe: Well, land is a top priority, which is also economics…And the state government has 24%, the Native corporations as a group have 10%, the federal government has the rest. And I disagree with the federal government having that. However, even more so is the way that the state government acts like a puppet of the Feds, and the Feds would not want to see individual Alaskans actually prosper and grow and become a major influence. So for that reason, they keep us from using this other ground. The state keeps us from using it.
This 24% that we've got, that would still be a large amount that would help a lot of people if that were let out freely to people. By doing that, we would then have a basis for an economy that we could build upon and further later on, go and ask, or demand our ground that has been stolen by the federal government.
KMXT: I'm going to switch gears a little bit now, of course, we got to talk about fisheries. Knowing what the commercial fishing industry as a whole is facing right now in terms of market pressures and processors closing and selling off assets, what are some of your ideas to help address some of these issues that the industry is facing as a whole?
Wayne Howe: If the economics of selling fish at a given time doesn't make sense because the market is flooded by other people, then we shouldn't be selling fish. However, a lot of our market that we miss is right here in Alaska, and I really… I don't understand that. I understand why we don't want to spend processing to the point where it's a $12 product and then ship it into the interior of Alaska, because that's not cost effective, but with a lesser processing, because it doesn't have to go so far, I would think that there's a great market. A lot of people would much rather eat fish instead of hamburger for the same price, which is a lot more than what the fishermen are getting directly on the dock.
KMXT: My last question for you, are there any other specific issues or topics that you wanted to address that I didn't ask you about today?
Wayne Howe: And the truth is, the US government is in default. You can go down all of the amendments, first, second, third, fourth, fifth; those are the most important ones, and they are not respected or followed by the U.S. government. So by that contract with U.S. government being in default, they are essentially a non-functional government, but yet they still have power. So any power that we can garner to give rights to the individuals is of great value.
