Our September 27, 2022, presentation to the Greater Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce's Govt Relations Comm on Alaska's current fiscal situation and our views on the positions of the candidates for Alaska Governor in response.
Presentation to Greater Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce's Government Relations Committee (9.27.2022).pdf
1. Presentation to Greater Fairbanks
Chamber of Commerce's
Government Relations Committee
Brad Keithley
Managing Director, Alaskans
for Sustainable Budgets
September 27, 2022
7. Similarities & Differences
● All rely to some degree on PFD cuts (Hammond: “head taxes” on
middle & lower income Alaska families)
○ Dunleavy: POMV 50/50
○ Gara: PFD of “$2200 and growing” (about POMV 40/60)
○ Walker: POMV 25/75
● Interestingly, all also avoid revenue contributions from the Top20%
○ Dunleavy: “No taxes”
○ Gara: "I don't think we need an income tax. We need a fair share for our oil."
○ Walker: No mention on website or stump speech, vague reference to “broad
based taxes” in Alaska Chamber forum
● Differences
○ Additional spending
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8. Our assessment …
● Dunleavy & Gara’s
plans are unrealistic
○ Dunleavy: Relies too
heavily on spending
restraint (failed: 2019)
○ Gara: Relies too heavily
on oil tax increases
(failed: 2020)
● Both likely lead to con’t
gridlock & PFD cuts
● Walker’s is inequitable &
economically harmful
○ Leona Helmsley: “Only the
little people pay taxes”
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9. Somewhat surprised/disappointed …
Virtually no candidates are proposing the
“all of the above” approach advanced by
the Legislature’s 2021 Fiscal Policy
Working Group:
● Some PFD cuts (POMV 50/50)
● Some spending restraint
● Some oil tax adjustments
● Some broad based (individual) taxes
To us, it provides the best alternative for
avoiding continued gridlock
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