In the three and a half hours it took to hear all the Alaskans offering public comments to the Alaska Legislature Thursday night, you could have watched the entire feature-length presentation of James Cameron\u2019s \u201cTitanic.\u201d<\/p>\n
The issue wasn\u2019t a film blockbuster \u2014 it was a financial one for the state of Alaska, which is facing an annual deficit that moves closer to $4 billion with every day that the price of a barrel of oil stays below $30 on global markets. To fill roughly three-quarters of the deficit, Gov. Bill Walker has proposed using some earnings from Alaska\u2019s $48 billion Permanent Fund.<\/p>\n
That proposal, Senate Bill 128, was the subject of Thursday night\u2019s hearing, which brought Alaskans a rare opportunity to speak to the Legislature after working hours. Hundreds of residents took that opportunity, with 109 signed up to speak by phone and another 217 submitting comments by email, according to counts provided by the Senate State Affairs Committee, which conducted the hearing.<\/p>\n
While about 85 percent of comments were against the idea of using the Permanent Fund to balance the state budget, there wasn\u2019t a great deal of consensus, said Sen. Bill Stoltze, R-Chugiak, speaking Friday on the Senate floor.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe message I got is people expect us to do something, and we have that imperative, but there\u2019s a diversity of direction,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Those who spoke generally favored taxing nonresident workers instead of residents and urged the Legislature to cut spending first, before considering additional taxes or using Permanent Fund earnings.<\/p>\n
He added that while lobbyists and others have been telling legislators that \u201cthis is what Alaskans think,\u201d Thursday was the first opportunity to hear the \u201cunfiltered message.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe element that has been really missing until last night was the public\u2019s engagement,\u201d he said Friday.<\/p>\n
He added that there was only one clear and undeniable message from Thursday: \u201cGov. Hammond\u2019s noble experiment of making the people the agents and protectors of the Permanent Fund was pretty successful.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2022\u2022\u2022<\/p>\n
This is a selection of excerpts from Thursday night testimony, presented in proportion to the number of similar messages given to lawmakers. Written testimony has been corrected for spelling, and excerpts were chosen to maintain the message, if not the length, of the original testimony.<\/p>\n
\u2022 \u201cThis day came too quickly because of the excesses of government.\u201d \u2014 Michael Chambers, Anchorage<\/p>\n
\u2022 \u201cOil can go up to $150 per barrel in a heartbeat \u2026 I think you should have a provision in here just in case the price of oil changes.\u201d \u2014 Joseph James, Pan American Industrial Commercial Enterprises, Anchorage<\/p>\n
\u2022 \u201cThis is an extremely regressive move. \u2026 You\u2019re essentially balancing the budget on the backs of ordinary people. \u2026 You cannot continue this spending machine \u2026 and funding it by taking away people\u2019s Permanent Fund Dividend.\u201d \u2014 Ray Kreig, Anchorage<\/p>\n
\u2022 \u201cTo me, it seems like the governor wants to manage Alaskans\u2019 budgets without managing the state\u2019s budget.\u201d \u2014 David Boyle, Anchorage<\/p>\n
\u2022 \u201cThis is public money; I would like to see it used for public purposes before we start taxing. \u2026 We\u2019ve had it very lucky; we\u2019ve been spoiled.\u201d \u2014 Chuck Stielstra, Anchorage<\/p>\n
\u2022 \u201cI want to commend the governor for introducing something as a starting point. \u2026 If people had some skin in the game \u2026 I think they\u2019d take a lot more interest.\u201d \u2014 Carl Burger, Bethel<\/p>\n
\u2022 \u201cI support SB 128 and the package that Gov. Walker is proposing to help bring some stability to the budget. \u2026 The longer we wait, the more we risk depleting our reserves and the harder it will be to bring some stability to our state budget.\u201d \u2014 Nick Szabo, Kodiak<\/p>\n
\u2022 \u201cEverybody\u2019s got to live within a budget, and that\u2019s all I\u2019ve got to say. Leave the dividend alone and no new taxes.\u201d \u2014 George Smith, Anchorage<\/p>\n
\u2022 \u201cNo part of the proceeds of the Permanent Fund should ever be directly appropriated by the Legislature or administration to \u2018support public services.\u2019\u201d \u2014 Barrett Fletcher, Homer<\/p>\n
\u2022 \u201cA change in the PFD fund at this time is not necessary or the right thing to do. \u2026 Digging into the PFD will open up a chain of events (that) will end up with the citizens of Alaska not receiving any benefits from the natural resources of the state.\u201d \u2014 Betty Carrington, Wasilla<\/p>\n
\u2022 \u201cIf you can pull this off without getting tarred and feathered, I\u2019ll congratulate you for the crime of the century.\u201d \u2014 Pamela Goode, Deltana<\/p>\n
\u2022 \u201cNo, no, no, no taxes, no touching the Permanent Dividend Fund, no, don\u2019t keep spending money on government we don\u2019t need \u2026 cut spending \u2026 cut government. Everyone I talk to agrees.\u201d \u2014 Chris Lotti (location not given)<\/p>\n
\u2022 \u201cYou guys are a joke (inclusive governor and legislators). First you spend your dividends, now you want to spend ours.\u201d \u2014 Clarence Everingham, Wasilla<\/p>\n
\u2022 \u201cMy name is Clifford A. Edenshaw, sixth-generation Tlingit\/Haida since the Russian Orthodox began keeping records. I\u2019d rather see the governor and state House and Senate liquidate the PFD to its citizens. \u2014 Clifford Edenshaw, Sitka<\/p>\n
\u2022 \u201cRemember once the government gets their foot in the door, it\u2019s going to be a slippery slide downhill after that.\u201d \u2014 David Webster<\/p>\n
\u2022 \u201cI wish to instruct state representatives to vehemently resist a state income tax, and I willingly forfeit all but $10 of my Permanent Fund to help pay deficits until times are better only. The purpose of the $10 is to keep all systems in place in the event of better times.\u201d \u2014 Neal Cooper, Kodiak<\/p>\n
\u2022 \u201cCut the budget!!! No messing with PFD!!!\u201d \u2014 Rick Epling (location not given)<\/p>\n
\u2022 \u201cPlease do not take our PFDs, we need those to help pay for heating and food. Alaska is expensive enough to live and people need their money.\u201d \u2014 Ryan Schmidt (location not given)<\/p>\n
\u2022 \u201cWe do not need further cuts! We need to raise revenues now!\u201d \u2014 Frank Kelty, Unalaska<\/p>\n
\u2022 \u201cI listened to the governor\u2019s speech to Alaska, and read and heard of his budget plan. I can\u2019t agree with his proposal on how he wants to handle the Permanent Dividend Fund or having income tax. \u2026 My family has to budget according to our means. So do you.\u201d \u2014 Lois Leto (location not given)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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