“Five takeaways from the Governor’s proposed budget …”: The Radio Interview

Over the weekend I put together a piece that reflects my initial reactions to the Governor’s proposed budget for the coming fiscal year, which he announced Friday.  Entitled “Five takeaways from the Governor’s proposed budget … ,” the piece summarizes my disappointment with the overall size of the proposed budget, and the implications of the budget for current and future Alaskans.  While interested readers can click on the link above for the full article, the headlines follow:

1.  While proposed spending is down some from the record level of FY 2013, the Governor’s proposed FY 2014 budget nevertheless provides for the second highest level of overall unrestricted spending in Alaska’s history and is far from sustainable.

2.  Despite record high levels of revenue, the state is failing in its obligation to save for future Alaska generations.

3.  The Governor is wrong in claiming there is a “budget surplus.”

4.  There is a critical discussion – and opportunity – coming up on fiscal policy between the Governor and the Legislature.

5.  Oil tax reform should not delay the fiscal discussion.

This morning, Casey Reynolds had me on the Casey Reynolds Radio Show for an hour to discuss the piece and go through all five takeaways, one-by-one.    It is one of the best discussions of state fiscal policy with which I have been involved.

The segment is about 40 minutes long, running the full second hour of Casey’s December 19th show.   A replay is accessible through the player below, or if easier you can download the segment here.  You also can download the segment into your iPod and listen to it there.