State campaigns and myriad penalties fail to dampen Alaskans’ penchant for tobacco
Despite expensive public health campaigns, multiple fines and penalties and myriad restrictions on where Alaskans can even use tobacco products, the number of residents who occasionally light up, chew or vape has remained steady over the past decade or so.
70% of Alaska’s public school students fail reading and math
By Sarah Montalbano – Alaska Policy Forum INTRODUCTION Results from Alaska’s new statewide standardized assessment, the Alaska System of Academic Readiness (AK STAR), offer a glimpse of how Alaska’s students are doing post-pandemic.
EDITORIAL: Book bans, bonfires & depravity in Alaska’s libraries
Book banning is generally frowned upon these days, but when Alaska’s publicly funded libraries peddle filth that encourages children to text naked photos of themselves, explore internet porn and consider the benefits of anal sex experimentation, we’ve got
OPINION: The sweet lies of organized Crime in D.C. & Juneau
Lies are believed because they taste good. The truth is detested because it is sour. We now can safely assume that the default position of citizens should be that most of what comes out of both the federal and Alaska government are sweet-tasting lies. We
Alaska Assoc. of School Boards wants hundreds of millions more for failing public schools
The Alaska Association of School Boards (AASB) is lobbying state lawmakers to pump hundreds of millions of more dollars into Alaska’s failing public school system next year. In particular, the AASB wants the State Legislature to approve a massive expansion
Do Alaskans get paid to live there? The who, what, when, where & why of the PFD
By ED KING – KING ECONOMICS GROUP Editor’s note: This article first appeared at King Economics Group. It is republished here with permission. Whenever I travel to the Lower 48, I usually get asked this question: “Do you really get paid just for
Alaska in 2023: Trends, predictions and prescriptions
Editor’s note: This article is adapted from a talk given for the Valley Republican Women of Alaska’s Jan. 19 meeting in Wasilla. I want to address a few major trends and developments in Alaska as they relate to our population, education and political
OPINION: Why Alaska should never pass a budget exceeding $7.7 billion in state funds
By Vance Ginn and Quinn Townsend – Alaska Policy Forum Introduction While revenue estimates for the state of Alaska hit a record high last fiscal year, this upcoming fiscal year 2024 (July 2023 – June 2024) is another story. The Fall 2022 revenue
What’s driving Alaska’s ongoing workforce shortage?
A new report from Alaska’s Department of Labor and Workforce Development predicts that the ongoing worker shortage, which has plagued businesses for the past two years, will continue in 2023. “As Alaska’s economy continues to recover, the worker
Churches prepare to welcome religiously unaffiliated visitors for Christmas
Some of the largest religious gatherings in Alaska and across the country typically occur around Christmas when infrequent church goers take time to attend holiday services with friends and family members. Christmas Eve, which is particularly popular across
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