The Weekly Top 3 Now Available at AK4SB’s Medium Page

Starting with the December 9, 2019 podcast (our 100th), Alaskans for Sustainable Budgets “Weekly Top 3” podcast is moving to the project’s page on Medium. As before, the weekly podcasts also are available at the project’s YouTube and Soundcloud pages, as well as the project’s newly created podcast page on Spotify. Thank you for your past support and please join and continue to follow us at whichever of our pages is most convenient.

Alaska’s Fiscal Situation: Where We’ve Been, Where We’re Headed



This past week we talked to both the Anchorage Hillside Rotary Club and Prof. Willie Hensley’s graduate seminar on “Alaska Policy Frontiers.” Here’s the slide deck.

The Weekly Top 3 (12.2.2019)

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind this week — for the week of December 2, 2019.

The Weekly Top 3 is a regular weekly segment on The Michael Dukes Show. The Show broadcasts on FacebookLive and via streaming audio from the Show’s website weekdays from 6-8am. I join Michael each week on Tuesday’s show, from 6:20-7am, for a discussion between the two of us about the three issues.

This week our Top 3 issues are these: 1) what we expect to see in the coming Fall Revenue Forecast and the Governor’s FY21 budget proposal (at 1:43); 2) ANWR isn’t only an Alaska issue, its become a global one as well (and not in a good way) (20:32); and 3) as the oil tax initiative heats up, Alaskans should take the time to understand the facts (28:35).

The segment is at the YouTube clip above. For those that prefer the audio version, it is available on our Soundcloud page here. For this and other complete podcasts of The Michael Dukes Show, go to the Show’s Soundcloud page here.

The Weekly Top 3 (11.25.2019)

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind this week — for the week of November 25, 2019.

The Weekly Top 3 is a regular weekly segment on The Michael Dukes Show. The Show broadcasts on FacebookLive and via streaming audio from the Show’s website weekdays from 6-8am. I join Michael each week on Tuesday’s show, from 6:20-7am, for a discussion between the two of us about the three issues.

This week our Top 3 issues are these: 1) what Gov. Dunleavy’s address last week to the Alaska Municipal League says to us about next year’s budget (at 1:46), 2) what we will remember retiring Leg Finance head David Teal for most (19:11), and 3) why Conoco’s proposal to sell 25% of its interest in its west side properties bothers (27:13).

The segment is at the YouTube clip above. For those that prefer the audio version, it is available on our Soundcloud page here. For this and other complete podcasts of The Michael Dukes Show, go to the Show’s Soundcloud page here.

The Weekly Top 3 (11.18.2019)

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind this week — for the week of November 18, 2019.

The Weekly Top 3 is a regular weekly segment on The Michael Dukes Show. The Show broadcasts on FacebookLive and via streaming audio from the Show’s website weekdays from 6-8am. I join Michael each week on Tuesday’s show, from 6:20-7am, for a discussion between the two of us about the three issues.

This week our Top 3 issues are these: 1) what Bruce Tangeman’s resignation as Revenue Comm’r likely means for fiscal policy (at 1:47), 2) why we won’t get spending under control as long as we rely on PFDcuts (and why we will if we use a mechanism that taxes the Top20%) (20:39), and 3) why continued low bond yields are likely to have a big — and adverse — impact on Alaska (31:04).

The segment is at the YouTube clip above. For those that prefer the audio version, it is available on our Soundcloud page here. For this and other complete podcasts of The Michael Dukes Show, go to the Show’s Soundcloud page here.

The Weekly Top 3 (11.11.2019)

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind this week — for the week of November 11, 2019.

The Weekly Top 3 is a regular weekly segment on The Michael Dukes Show. The Show broadcasts on FacebookLive and via streaming audio from the Show’s website weekdays from 6-8am. I join Michael each week on Tuesday’s show, from 6:20-7am, for a discussion between the two of us about the three issues.

This week our Top 3 issues are these: 1) why a statewide sales tax is simply another Top20% effort at pushing costs off on middle & lower income Alaska families (at 1:46), 2) why the Saudi Aramco IPO is significant to Alaskans (23:27), and 3) why the disclosure of Hilcorp’s financials is appropriate as part of the state’s review of the company’s proposed acquisition of BP’s Alaska assets (31:19).

The segment is at the YouTube clip above. For those that prefer the audio version, it is available on our Soundcloud page here. For this and other complete podcasts of The Michael Dukes Show, go to the Show’s Soundcloud page here.

The Weekly Top 3 (11.4.2019)

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind this week — for the week of November 4, 2019.

The Weekly Top 3 is a regular weekly segment on The Michael Dukes Show. The Show broadcasts on FacebookLive and via streaming audio from the Show’s website weekdays from 6-8am. I join Michael each week on Tuesday’s show, from 6:20-7am, for a discussion between the two of us about the three issues.

This week our Top 3 issues are these: 1) is the “spending cap” #akleg leadership says they are focusing on, “effective” (at 1:48); 2) using sales taxes — another regressive tax — to fill the budget gap is simply the Top20% fallback position (18:34); and 3) a new article takes a deep dive into where oil prices are headed, and what that means for Alaska (24:05).

The segment is at the YouTube clip above. For those that prefer the audio version, it is available on our Soundcloud page here. For this and other complete podcasts of The Michael Dukes Show, go to the Show’s Soundcloud page here.

The Weekly Top 3 (10.28.2019)

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind this week — for the week of October 28, 2019.

The Weekly Top 3 is a regular weekly segment on The Michael Dukes Show. The Show broadcasts on FacebookLive and via streaming audio from the Show’s website weekdays from 6-8am. I join Michael each week on Tuesday’s show, from 6:20-7am, for a discussion between the two of us about the three issues.

This week our Top 3 issues are these: 1) only four months in, this year’s Alaska budget deficit is already growing (at 1:48), 2) there is a new, proposed North Slope LNG project (23:00), and 3) as we head into the 2020 election cycle, its important that Alaskans focus on the fact the federal budget deficit is spiraling out of control (30:57).

The segment is at the YouTube clip above. For those that prefer the audio version, it is available on our Soundcloud page here. For this and other complete podcasts of The Michael Dukes Show, go to the Show’s Soundcloud page here.

The Weekly Top 3 (10.21.2019)

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind this week — for the week of October 21, 2019.

The Weekly Top 3 is a regular weekly segment on The Michael Dukes Show. The Show broadcasts on FacebookLive and via streaming audio from the Show’s website weekdays from 6-8am. I join Michael each week on Tuesday’s show, from 6:20-7am, for a discussion between the two of us about the three issues.

This week our Top 3 issues are these: 1) the Top20% are long on talking about compromise, but ignore it when offered (at 1:40); 2) Charles Wohlforth’s series on the PFD in the ADN is an important read, but proves a different point than he may intend (21:22); and 3) the oil tax initiative is out for signature; let’s talk about that (28:21).

The segment is at the YouTube clip above. For those that prefer the audio version, it is available on our Soundcloud page here. For this and other complete podcasts of The Michael Dukes Show, go to the Show’s Soundcloud page here.

The Weekly Top 3 (10.14.2019)

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind this week — for the week of October 14, 2019.

The Weekly Top 3 is a regular weekly segment on The Michael Dukes Show. The Show broadcasts on FacebookLive and via streaming audio from the Show’s website weekdays from 6-8am. I join Michael each week on Tuesday’s show, from 6:20-7am, for a discussion between the two of us about the three issues.

This week our Top 3 issues are these: 1) rather than acting as a non-partisan source of analysis, the Legislature’s Legislative Finance Division is rigging the information deck being given to Alaskans (at 1:46); 2) what is the difference between the current statutory PFD and one based on a 50/50 split of the SB26 POMV draw; and 3) what is the impact on Alaskans and our fiscal situation of adopting the second approach, what some refer to as 50/50 POMV. (The discussion of the second and third topics are combined and begin at 21:47.)

The segment is at the YouTube clip above. For those that prefer the audio version, it is available on our Soundcloud page here. For this and other complete podcasts of The Michael Dukes Show, go to the Show’s Soundcloud page here.