Earlier this year we published our mission statement for this election cycle. Here it is again:
Alaska is in a recession.
The ISER analysis of the state’s current fiscal situation has been crystal clear throughout that cutting the PFD adds to that. According to that analysis, cutting the PFD has the “largest adverse impact on the economy” (both on jobs and income) and is “by far the costliest measure for Alaska families” of all the various “new revenue” options.
Those are the direct quotes: “largest” and “costliest.”
There are no contrary analyses; none. There hasn’t even been a substantive rebuttal of the point.
Yet, despite the fact that the state is already in a recession, that is the fiscal policy that, to varying degrees, the Governor, Senate and House all have pursued.
There are some beneficiaries of that policy. Some parts of the economy tied closely to government spending levels have been maintained, and the Top 20% of Alaskans by income have dodged paying a significant share of the resulting costs.
But those have come at the disproportionate expense of the Remaining 80% of Alaskans and, even more importantly, at the cost of imposing a larger adverse impact on the overall economy and Alaska families.
Put simply, the Governor, Senate & House have prioritized the government sector over the overall economy, and the Top 20% of Alaskans over the Remaining 80%.
They have made the overall Alaska economy and the economic position of most Alaskans worse.
In our view that creates a need for significant change this coming election.
For purposes of the upcoming primary election, the recommendations we make below represent our view of what the first wave of that change should entail.
We base these recommendations largely on what we have explained elsewhere are the three key fiscal votes this session, plus the vote on SB 26, the so-called “fiscal plan” enacted by the legislature this past session and our view of certain past positions taken by various candidates.
As indicated below, we are still in the process of considering our thoughts on certain races. We anticipate updating this post by the end of this week to reflect our recommendations also on those.
The individual charts should be viewable by either expanding this page or right clicking on each and opening in a new tab. In the event not or for those that prefer a different format, the full spreadsheet version of the following is available here or in the embedded app following the charts.
