OPINION: Alaska can’t afford to get ensnared in another pension trap
The choice before the Legislature is not between “doing nothing” and “supporting teachers.” It is between repeating a proven failure and building a sustainable system that serves both employees and taxpayers over the long
Gov. Dunleavy releases draft budget, blasts lawmakers for failure to stabilize state spending
Dunleavy acknowledged that this is not sustainable for the long-term and he blasted lawmakers for failing to produce a long-term fiscal plan to stabilize state finances without having to impose new taxes or annually divert Alaskan’s PFD
OPINION: Univ. of Alaska’s $365M ask should spark skepticism & support
Let’s continue to support what works: funding for programs that train Alaska’s workforce, innovative research like UAF’s, and infrastructure investments that keep campuses running. But let’s also ask tough questions. Are we funding marketing fluff?
OPINION: Wyoming weighs nixing property taxes – Alaska should too
Wyoming has a population size similar to ours and charges a per capita property tax almost identical to Alaska’s, making it a close comparison to our state when discussing taxation. So, when their state legislature says they are considering eliminating all
Despite tanking enrollment, Anchorage school board refuses to close 2 schools
While enrollment in traditional brick and mortar public schools continues to decline, the Anchorage School Board voted to keep two elementary schools open for business even though they are at just 55% capacity. The Nov. 18 vote rebuffed the district
OPINION: Bloated design failures plague Alaska’s public education system
For years, Alaska’s education establishment has perfected the art of crying poverty while sitting atop one of the most bloated bureaucratic structures in the country. The chorus is always the same - “we need more funding” - but the song never changes:
OPINION: Government ‘aid’ distorts market prices and we all burn money faster
Government distorts the marketplace when it tries to "help" people - making goods and services more expensive for everyone. College tuition assistance is a great
OPINION: Jones Act is a century-old anchor dragging Alaska’s economy under water
The Jones Act is economic colonialism under a different name. Washington, D.C., Washington State, and entrenched special interests grow rich while Alaska pays the
OPINION: How politicians turned Alaska’s PFD into a hidden head tax
This is not the fiscal discipline of a free state. It is the quiet reappearance of corporate government. This is the very structure that the American Revolution and Alaska’s Constitution sought to
OPINION: Plan to link Alaska’s Permanent Fund accounts is all about growing govt. spending
Changing Alaska's Permanent Fund structure to provide a stable revenue source for the state is a mistake. It hurts the fund, and it hurts the rest of us who don’t depend on government for a
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