The Alaska Industrial Development & Export Authority spent $250,000 of public money to complete an independent economic study that AIDEA refuses to release to the public.

AIDEA hired a respected Alaska contracting company, Northern Economics of Anchorage, to perform an analysis of what AIDEA has accomplished or not accomplished over the years.

AIDEA had a political goal with this $250,000 contract: It was to counter the studies performed by two experts in Alaska public policy, Gregg Erickson and Milt Barker.

Erickson said that he and Barker were paid a total of $55,000 for a September 2022 report, “AIDEA Cost & Financial Performance— A Long, Hard Look,” and three reports released last spring.

Stung by the Erickson/Barker findings and assertions two years ago, AIDEA announced plans on September 29, 2022 to hire a contractor to prepare a report for AIDEA that would counter the “disinformation” in the Erickson/Barker report.

AIDEA said it hoped to “complete the analysis by the end of 2022” and headlined its press release, “AIDEA Debunks Report and Announces Independent Economic Analysis.”

AIDEA hired Northern Economics for the review. At first the study was to have been finished by the end of 2023. Last winter, AIDEA said the contractors had asked for more time.

But there is no evidence that the contractor failed to complete its task.

Here is the contract and the payment history to Northern Economics, documents released after I submitted a public records request a month ago.

The only thing missing from the $250,000 project is the work that was performed for the agency.

AIDEA asked for an independent report. It appears AIDEA got exactly what it asked for.

It also appears that someone in the Dunleavy administration does not appreciate the conclusions reached by the contractor and is trying to keep the document secret, which is a violation of the public records law.

Northern Economics completed the report late last winter. Northern Economics finished its work and filed its last invoice on March 3, 2024, according to billing records released by AIDEA.

The March 3 bill for $6,724 brought the total spent on the contract to $249,870.

AIDEA, led by Executive Director Randy Ruaro is claiming that the report is a state secret and that the public has no right to see what it contains.

To be blunt, AIDEA appears to be lying about the report and claiming that it can be kept secret because Ruaro has chosen to describe it as a draft report. AIDEA spent $250,000 to hire a contractor. The contractor did its work. The report is finished.

It is a public document, contrary to the claims by Ruaro.

The public deserves to read the analysis, regardless of what it says about AIDEA.

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