UAF chancellor Dan White says, “we are actively looking at ways we can manage our budget that are consistent with how we want to position ourselves for the future.”
Read MoreDunleavy’s attack on higher education in Alaska presents a “clear danger that UA’s reputation would be so damaged that it would never fully recover.”
Read MoreThe state has a $2 billion backlog of neglected maintenance work, a problem that goes unacknowledged until the plumbing fails, the roof leaks or the heating system calls it quits. The Dunleavy budget pretends this problem is not a big one.
Read MoreFormer Sen. Hollis French disclosed a priceless state secret, perhaps the ultimate state secret, with an unforgivable breach of security. He did no such thing, but that was one of the charges against him as chairman of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission.
Read MoreHere is a consumer guide to Dunleavy promises to not cut the ferry system, public schools, the University of Alaska, the Pioneers Home, the court system, the prison system, state Troopers and Power Cost Equalization. It also includes his promises to increase spending on education, the courts, Troopers and prosecutors.
Read MoreIt is misleading to subtract short-term job gains from long-term job losses and present the result as a single category. The conservative “walking around number” of 17,000 jobs at risk should alarm every Alaskan.
Read MoreThe idea that the Dunleavy Disaster is going to stabilize Alaska’s budget, prevent a population decline and attract a lot more economic growth is ludicrous.
Read MoreIt appears the Dunleavy budget plan is to stonewall the Legislature as long as possible on the economic impacts of his devastating budget plan, while surrogates spout anti-government ideology and call it good.
Read MoreGov. Mike Dunleavy’s claim that he intends to cut the University of Alaska budget only 17 percent instead of 41 percent is utter, total, complete nonsense. The governor and his press secretary should know better than to selectively massage numbers.
By Terrence Cole
Read MoreThe battle comes down to this: Dunleavy wants to pay hundreds of millions more in Permanent Fund dividends and he doesn’t want any tax increases or new taxes. What he wants to do is cut a wide array of state and local services and claim he has no choice. That’s not true. He has made the wrong choices.
Read More“With a $134 million cut, UA would have no choice but to immediately eliminate academic programs mid-stream, along with about 1,500 faculty and staff that support students in those programs,” UA President Jim Johnsen said.
Read MoreDunleavy has no explanation for the massive cut, other than the same weak excuse given for every budget cut from the ferry system to public broadcasting and health care—the state has no money and he opposes taxes.
Read MoreOn Saturday, Trump returned to another version of the ANWR creation story at the Conservative Political Action Conference in a two-hour talk-a-thon. Any poor man who gave that performance on a street corner would be hustled off to counseling.
Read MoreThe false claim fits the unfortunate pattern of the Dunleavy administration in misusing statistics to promote its radical attack on K-12 public schools and the University of Alaska.
Read MoreThe new argument from Republican mouthpiece Suzanne Downing, which echoes what economist Ed King of the Dunleavy administration has said before, is that North Slope oil production is increasing even though it is decreasing. So oil is down, but it’s up, a Jedi mind trick.
Read MoreGov. Mike Dunleavy should cease and desist with his plan to start charging some Pioneer Home residents $15,000 a month. The regulations now in the works for this bone-headed move should be canceled by the governor.
Read MoreI think it was a bad move by Fairbanks Mayor Jim Matherly, made with one eye on his re-election campaign.
Read MoreAnchorage Sen. Tom Begich has proposed what he is calling a “real budget plan.” While it is not the Dunleavy disaster, it is also not realistic. An income tax is needed.
Read MoreThere is nothing immoral, unconstitutional, reprehensible or destructive about taxes. They are a way to provide and preserve livable communities.
By Larry Persily
Read MoreTo end the fantasy and make this real, Dunleavy has to talk taxes and recognize that Alaskans find it irresponsible for him to try to gut education, health care, the ferry system and a variety of other programs.
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