What Cuts...Can Alaskans Get Some #FactNotFiction?

Last year during the 29^th Alaska State Legislature, the notion of using a portion of the Permanent Fund profits normally allocated to pay out the annual dividend was floated by several legislators and the Governor.  These circumstances came out of a decade of above-inflation deficit spending, lopsided agreements with oil companies and government growth.  Immediately into fray supporting grabbing more money from Alaskans was a coalition of corporate interests that all stand to benefit from the continued growth of Our government.  The other company he mentioned was Lynden.  Both of these companies stand to lose big bucks as state spending is reduced, so of course it benefits them for the budget to be funded as much as possible, thus there support for the coalition of businesses calling themselves, Alaska’s Future.

Almost immediately a resistance to this idea sprung up and multiple outlets were established to amplify the voices of Alaskans.  However, those voices were quite frankly ignored.  Petitions were presented and people spoke out in groves against the path being taken by Our representatives way down there in Juneau.  Readers should check out this link: http://protectthepfd.com/currently/monday-memothank-you-alaskans from last April. 

Only 13% of the legislators even bothered to read an email containing signatures and comments from 100 Alaskans.  That petition eventually garnered 860+ signatures and was forwarded to the Alaska Legislature and Governor’s Office.  We have no way of knowing what happened to it once there other than the fact that Governor Walker did in fact veto about half of the funds to payout the PFD in 2016.  This action was contrary to his position as a populist candidate that wasn’t supposed to do business as usual in Juneau.  Petition Link: https://www.change.org/p/calling-on-alaskans-to-stop-the-alaska-governor-legislature-from-using-the-permanent-fund-for-deficit-spending

Fast Forward to the 30^th Alaska Legislature…

During a Town Hall event at the local LIO on March 18, 2017; Alaska House Speaker Bryce Edgmon mentioned that he had met with several large business interests that relayed to him that they had in fact seen a decrease in their Alaska operations.  One in particular that stood out was Alaska Airlines.  Edgmon went onto to say that the airline company attributed it mainly to the reduction of ‘state travel’.  During this same exchange he also mentioned the “work” being done by Alaska’s Future and The Rasmussen Foundation, both advocates of using PFD funds and new taxes to fund growing government.  And Growing Government is exactly what Alaskans are getting… that ‘hard work of making cuts’ as claimed by the Legislature is a sham.

In the graph below with was created using the figures as provided by the Alaska Governor’s Office of Management & Budget, one can clearly see that the State of Alaska’s budget isn’t being cut at all and is growing faster than inflation. All that’s happened is a shell game of shifting money around. 

Source: https://www.missioncriticalalaska.com/shows

#FactNotFiction

#StopTheLeak

#StopTheLeak

This is the third time (3 years in a row) I am publishing this... it's still applicable despite all our efforts to steer the #AKleg towards reducing government waste and growth. This morning on Talk of Alaska... Pete Kelly said that reducing/impacting the PFD doesn't affect the private economy in Alaska. Ummm....

http://jonrcorbett.blogspot.com/2016/02/stoptheleak.html


#StopTheLeak in #Alaska:

“Everything is on the table,” said Sen. Kevin Meyer, R-Anchorage, incoming Senate president. The Alaska Legislature has pretty much said that resource revenue sharing and renewable energy development are going to get scaled back or even cut altogether. This will have to most impact in Rural regions where municipalities are strained enough already.

The 'everything' also includes the State Governments operations as well. However, the biggest hurdle We face is the fact that a great bit of the work process in the Alaska Gov't is because of Federal legal and regulatory mandates. The two-edged sword of Federal contributory spending comes swinging around and gives us the same choice on both side... do it this way or the Feds take over.

Cutting the State of Alaska's spending has to immediately start at Stopping The Leak. All giveaways and cash incentive programs that cause negative impact upon the income of Alaska per whatever quantity must be stopped immediately. On the first day, a simple bill applying to All resources should be introduced. This bill should be in the spirit of the Alaska Constitution that clearly states that the resources belong to the People of Alaska and that none should ever be favored over another and of course the financial benefit to the State of Alaska.

The tax structure in Alaska seems to change every 5 years or so, which makes truly sustainable planning damn near impossible. This has to change and as part of that change, We the people have to kick the lobbyists out of Juneau and Alaska altogether. Other resource states like Norway and Qatar have operated in this fashion and have succeeded to amass great public wealth and thriving economies from making the resource industry pay for the rights to unleash wholesale destruction upon their lands.

Right now is the perfect time for the Governor and Legislature to take the reins of Our resources and restore the benefit to Alaska First. Time and time again the oil industry has lobbied for changes in the taxation structures that have left Alaska holding the empty bag. Aren't the representatives in Juneau elected by We The People and aren't they supposed to be working for Alaska?

When asked about Alaska's revenue problem, The Senator said; ”Frankly I really don’t even want to discuss additional revenue sources other than maybe marijuana because we have to,” said Meyer, adding that the fishing, mining and oil and gas industries are already overtaxed.

If those industries that are mainly outside and foreign controlled were 'overtaxed', then Alaska would do well to look elsewhere for more income, but that's not really the case. The resource industry will continue to drill as long as the oil & gas is in the ground and they will pay what the costs are. There's no reason for Alaska to keep on selling short, because all We are accomplishing is setting up future generations of Alaskan for difficulties. We have to stop the leak now, before We have to go begging at the Federal table for more and more just to make ends meet.

2016 Elections in Alaska

In deciding how to cast your votes in the upcoming elections across Alaska, We ask that you consider these factors:

The Constitution of the State of Alaska Says…

Article I, § 7. Due Process
No person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law. The right of all persons to fair and just treatment in the course of legislative and executive investigations shall not be infringed.

Article VIII, § 16. Protection of Rights
No person shall be involuntarily divested of his right to the use of waters, his interests in lands, or improvements affecting either, except for a superior beneficial use or public purpose and then only with just compensation and by operation of law.
The resources of Alaska are held in Trust by the State and are to be used for the common benefit of the People as We are the ‘Source of Government’. The Alaska State Constitution in Article I, § 2, also affirms this. It reads; “Source of Government - All political power is inherent in the people. All government originates with the people, is founded upon their will only, and is instituted solely for the good of the people as a whole.”

The recent actions and inactions of the Alaska State Legislature and Governor clearly run afoul of the State’s Constitution. After a decade of above inflation deficit budgeting, the government is now seeking to take from the people in order to benefit outside and foreign entities. This is in effect treasonous and an affront to the voters and citizenry of Our state that rely upon Our government to take care of Our resources for Our benefit and well-being.
Remember next week as You head to the polls for the party primaries that just about every incumbent has voted in favor of the aforementioned deficit spending, government indebtedness in the form of tax credits and incentives for outside entities and a slew of other legislative actions that have contributed to the faltering fiscal health of Our Alaska. But don’t forget this as You consider the candidates that will be on the election slate in November either… many Republican and Democratic legislators have ‘caucused’ together behind the hidden doors down in Juneau to further grow the debt of Our government while the lives of everyday Alaskans haven’t been improved at all.

Is This What We Should Be Accepting From Our Government?

https://ltgov.alaska.gov/services/alaskas-constitution/

— in Alaska.

Alaska First

Original Posting Link: https://www.facebook.com/AlaskaFirst/ 

I Wonder Why...

I Wonder Why...

…didn’t a single legislator introduce a bill that said something like this:

"An Act eliminating the funding of any vacant positions within the government of the State of Alaska and providing for an effective date." ‽

‪#‎AllAboutTheBudget‬?
‪#‎ProtectThePFD‬!

I Wonder Why...

…didn’t a single legislator introduce a bill that said something like this:

"An Act eliminating the funding of any vacant positions within the government of the State of Alaska and providing for an effective date." ‽

‪#‎AllAboutTheBudget‬?
‪#‎ProtectThePFD‬!

#ProtectThePFD

Here's the petition I penned for the #ProtectThePFD effort... There's a link to where it can be signed at the bottom.

LETTER TO

Alaska Governor

Alaska State House

Alaska State Senate

Alaskans want the Governor and Legislature to work towards a long term sustainable budget plan that does not include new revenue sources such as tapping & capping the PFD and new taxes. By utilizing the Earnings Reserve and existing revenues, we can have a balanced budget at $3.8B based on $40 bbl oil. Any attempt to modify the PF formulas to decrease the dividend potential while paying for above inflation government sector growth is not sustainable, but places other assets of the public at risk too.

I implore the Legislature and Governor's office to look outside of the big money lobbyists and industry donors for help in figuring this out. If yet another special session is needed, the costs of that will pale in comparison to the losses Alaska's Future will feel if We don't develop a true plan for Alaska. The session to session legislative budgeting model has failed and We must restructure how We govern ourselves or we will soon be told by more and more government and creditors to that government. 

The time to act is now... not by waiting and seeing what will happen next.

Sign The Petition Here: https://www.change.org/p/calling-on-alaskans-to-stop-the-alaska-governor-legislature-from-using-the-permanent-fund-for-deficit-spending

Alaska Senate Finance Committee Testimony

Senate Finance Testimony 3-9-2016

Thanks to Chairman’s Kelly & McKinnon and the rest of the committee for hearing the voices of Alaskans.  I am going to quickly say a few things about my submitted testimony that you all will find in your e-mail boxes and look forward to hearing from You on.  The complexities of the operating budget make any 1-2-3 solutions all but impossible.  With the looming economic issues that are sure to arise out of oil industry downsizing, fish market gluts and above inflation government sector growth all play into Alaska’s Future.  What can the Legislature do about this?  

I want to urge you folks to sharpen your pencils and ulus when looking at where the operating budget can be trimmed or restructured to reduce waste and slush spending.  Looking to develop revenue through new fees, taxes and PFD formulas does nothing but extend the unsustainable budgeting practices that have been so prevalent in the State of Alaska for much of the past decade.  The State Constitution is clear about the role of government in Alaska.

 

““the pursuit of happiness” for We The People is not defined as having to pay Taxes that reduce “the enjoyments of the rewards of their own industry” so that Our government continues to grow.”

 

If We don’t address this promptly and properly, the slide may become too fast and then We really will have a mess to clean up.  So, tune out the big dollar special interest groups and listen to Alaskans when they say that the cuts have to be found and the spending constrained. The path We are on now is not sustainable by any stretch of the definition. 

Tomorrow the Senate is going to start committee hearings on Governor Walker’s bill that aims to cap and tap the Permanent Fund in order to cover for fiscal shortfalls in his submitted budget plans… Alaskans across the scope of politics and socio-economic standing are speaking out against this and the other bills in the docket because they also realize that the State of Alaska must cut back it’s spending just like We as Alaskans have to do.  So, when you’re considering line-items in this budget, make sure of two things… will this budget lend itself to developing an even leaner version next go around and is it something that is defined as a necessity for Public Safety and General Welfare?  I hope that you all are hearing the voices of Alaskans when they say that You have to Protect The PFD.

 

Considerations:

Requesting the State to get to $4.2B for FY2017 then down to $4.0 in FY2018 and eventually to $3.8 in FY2019

 

1. Why is DOT administrating police and fire at the airports?  Shouldn’t all public safety functions fall under the Dept. of Public Safety to reduce duplicate efforts and costs?

2. The VPSO program costs us $214000 per officer because of added administrative costs that do not go to the actual performance of the duties. A restructuring of the VPSO program can save millions annually.

3. No more funding of vacant positions like the 80 within the Alaska Department of Public Safety that cost over $6Million annually.

4. Channeling any funds into a gas line project is a waste of time. We will not find a customer who is willing to pay 5 times the cost.  We have to know what the market can bear and then adjust accordingly, putting the pipeline before the demand can only work if we can build it for half the price and take the majority interest in the output. 

5. The University if Alaska needs to get onboard and start developing their land grants.  They have to pull their own weight and they have the resources to do so.

 

Once again, thanks for the opportunity to share with you folks!

 

 

Submitted Respectfully,

Jon Corbett

Dillingham, Alaska

http://protectthepfd.com/index.html