What’s next for #AKfiscal after “no special session,” the Dunleavy admin drops the ball on this yr’s PFD announcement & why the APFC’s coming push for PF changes is disingenuous — Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind here at Alaskans for Sustainable Budgets — for the week of September 25, 2023. The Weekly Top 3 is a regular weekly segment on The Michael Dukes Show. The Show broadcasts on…

We update projected state revenues, spending — and yes, still deep, neverending deficits 🤦 - for the most current information — Last year, we began the practice of using columns in June and September to fill in gaps we believe exist in the Department of Revenue’s (DOR) regular cycle of state revenue forecasts. As we said at the time: The Department of Revenue publishes two formal revenue updates each fiscal year…

The ADN ed bd’s double standard for “fairness;” Sen. Giessel’s transparent hypocrisy; and how the #AKGov & #akleg can stop oil price spikes turning into unsustainable spending spikes — Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind here at Alaskans for Sustainable Budgets — for the week of September 18, 2023. The Weekly Top 3 is a regular weekly segment on The Michael Dukes Show. The Show broadcasts on…

Historically, oil price spikes have led to highly problematic spending spikes; the FY24 budget uses an approach that, if continued, could bring those under control. — One of the little realized things about the FY2024 budget is that, whether intentionally or not, it is based within one dollar of the rolling 10-year historical average Alaska North Slope (ANS) oil price. While the Department of Revenue’s (DOR) FY2024 projected ANS oil price reflected in the Spring 2023…

It’s not just D’s, some R’s are pushing spending also w/o addressing #WhoPays; the theater around ANWR; & some new weekly charts that we think are important — Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind here at Alaskans for Sustainable Budgets — for the week of September 11, 2023. The Weekly Top 3 is a regular weekly segment on The Michael Dukes Show. The Show broadcasts on…

Some interesting things are going on with the ERA financial statements; we take a look under the hood — Monthly following the publication by the Permanent Fund Corporation (PFC) of its Financial Statement and History and Projections, we publish four charts that follow the state’s two main investment funds: the Permanent Fund and the Alaska Retirement Fund. The first chart follows the combined amounts over time of the Permanent…

Yes, the oil industry is important, but so are other things; what’s missing from the push for increased K-12 spending; and is Willow facing a breaking point? — Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind here at Alaskans for Sustainable Budgets — for the week of September 4, 2023. The Weekly Top 3 is a regular weekly segment on The Michael Dukes Show. The Show broadcasts on…

The need for additional state revenues arises from current government spending levels, not to fund the PFD; we chart a number of better ways to do that than thru PFD cuts — In a recent article carried by Alaska Public Media, reporter Robert Woolsey references Senator Bert Stedman (R — Sitka) in concluding that overdraws from the Permanent Fund earnings reserve would be for the purpose of paying a Permanent Fund Dividend (PFD). At other times, Senator Stedman has claimed that taxes…

The push for state subsidies for childcare, the wholesale replacement of the Admin’s key players on fiscal policy & a strange defense of Rep. Will Stapp’s position on fiscal issues — Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind here at Alaskans for Sustainable Budgets — for the week of August 28, 2023. The Weekly Top 3 is a regular weekly segment on The Michael Dukes Show. The Show broadcasts on…