Friend,

When I was a kid, the owner of the old Lee’s Jewelry would pay me 25 cents to take the trash out. On the weekends, I helped at my dad’s corner gas station. Later, I worked my way through college at a variety of mom-and-pop shops, became the first in my family to earn a degree, and started two small businesses of my own. Small businesses have always been at the center of my life.

That’s why I am very concerned about the businesses across our state who had to close their doors to keep our communities safe from the pandemic, and in doing so, had to risk their livelihoods and their employees' jobs.

Every day, I hear from small business owners who are doing everything they can to keep their businesses going. I was recently on the phone with a proud Alaska businessman who broke down in tears as he told me he made the tough decision to lay off 80% of his employees.

When Congress made emergency funds available for small businesses, it seemed like a step in the right direction. But Alaska’s small businesses received fewer funds per capita than any other state from the emergency Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). 

Large corporations exploited loopholes to secure funds that had been intended to keep small businesses afloat. When Congress attempted to fix this by enacting proper oversight, our one representative in Congress, Don Young, voted against it. The stakes are just too high to allow these political games to get in the way of what is needed.

We will come back from this crisis stronger and even more resilient. As we begin to rebuild our economy, our work must be guided by our Alaskan values of self-sufficiency, hard work, and strong communities. Large corporations and big-box stores come and go, but small businesses are a critical part of our comeback and shared future. 

In Congress, I will be a proud champion of Alaska’s small businesses and I will work every day to provide what they need. If you share these values, I hope you’ll consider pitching in what you can to show your support for our campaign. 

Keep believing in better, 

Alyse