I, along with many other Alaskans, am relieved that the Alaska Legislature was able to pass an operating budget without an economic shutdown — and this would have been much more than just a “government” shutdown because it would have caused shockwaves throughout the entire economy. Unfortunately, you have much more work to do to get us through this crisis and this work can’t be delayed.
Next year is an election year and the optics for any incumbent’s reelection will not be good if there is as much rancor and dysfunction as in the past six months. It would behoove the Legislature to spend the remainder of 2017 in crafting a solution to our revenue shortfall. I for one would strongly favor an income tax if it were paired with changes to the tax credits for the oil industry. We have recently learned that Juneau ranks No. 1 in number of millionaires per capita for cities under 50,000 and Anchorage ranks No. 10 for cities over 50,000. At the same time, we have many poor areas without basic services and a high cost of living. Even in our cities we have growing problems with homelessness and addiction issues. Alaska is not a poor state, either collectively or individually, but we do have great disparities in resources and needs. Alaska can afford to fund government services. We only lack for leaders who will lead. We are begging you to lead.
Judy Crondahl
Juneau