As Senator, Mark will work hard to reign in the out-of-control national debt. In 1968, each American owed $1,500 to pay down the national debt. Today, every American owes $30,000. It is not fair, and not responsible, to pass this burden on to our children and grandchildren. Mark supports strengthening pay-as-you-go budgeting requirements. He also believes that we need to create a more open and transparent budgeting process to ensure American tax dollars are spent wisely.

At the same time, we need to reform federal tax policy to make it fairer for middle-income Alaskans. This means closing special interest tax loopholes and eliminating offshore tax havens. It means permanently extending the $1,000 child credit and permanently eliminating the marriage penalty.

As mayor, Mark has always had to balance the budget. He has ensured that Anchorage citizens receive quality services for the property taxes they pay for those services. Under his administration, the portion of property taxes required for public services dropped from 59 to 46 percent. Mark supports federal property tax relief for middle and lower income Americans to turn around the economy. He opposes tax holidays for companies that have shipped jobs overseas.