Parnell Refuses to Withdraw Misleading Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - September 23, 2010

Anchorage, AK – Ethan Berkowitz, Democratic candidate for Governor of Alaska, issued the following statement regarding the continued posting on the Parnell campaign web page of a purposefully misleading press release:

"Yesterday the Anchorage Daily News printed a front page story describing dishonest campaign tactics conducted by the Parnell campaign. In that investigative news story, the Daily News reporter caught the Parnell campaign attempting to use a study authored by UAA Professor Scott Goldsmith to distort the positive impacts of my proposal to allow Alaskans to Own a Piece of the Pipe. According to the details of the article, Parnell representatives deceptively called Professor Goldsmith to bolster their attack.

"Sean Parnell continues to use misleading numbers in a purposefully dishonest way, even after Professor Goldsmith told Alaskans that Parnells' numbers and analysis are wrong.

"Yesterday during our debate in front of the State Chamber of Commerce in Juneau I asked Sean Parnell to retract his false and misleading charge. Sean ignored me. To date, he has made no apology, and he continues to perpetrate this falsehood even though it has been thoroughly refuted in the media.

"Again, I call on Sean Parnell to at the very least remove that misleading press release from his campaign web site so that he stops knowingly peddling false information.

"Alaskans know we need growth and stability to help our struggling economy and the proposals I set out in the Alaskan Ownership Stake are the only actions offered to meet those needs. Allowing Alaskans to "Own a Piece of the Pipe" provides economic opportunities of the All Alaska line to all Alaskans as individuals. Most importantly, it would allow individuals to make investment and spending decisions on their own, and in the best interest of their family, unlike my opponent who seems to want to direct and control what people do with their money. I believe in the power of the free market and that's what my plan is built upon."