The Weekly Top 3

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 for the week of May 28, 2018, our look at the top 3 things on our mind this week. This week we focus on (1) Why we need to take #AKLNG seriously (at 3:10), (2) the effort by some to apply revisionist history to the #PFD (at 19:46), and (3) our thoughts on Rep. Tammie Wilson's comments on the Show last week on HB 331 (and why it is and will continue to be an issue for us...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 for the week of May 21, 2018, our look at the top 3 things on our mind this week. This week we focus on (1)what drove the $1+B increase--yes, increase--in state spending this session (at 3:08), (2) the fiscal story the #AKSen keeps telling itself (in hopes that others buy it) (at 23:00), and (3) what may already be the best campaign ad we will see this season (at 38:28)...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 for the week of May 14, 2018. Typically we devote these segments to the top 3 things on our mind as we make the turn from the prior week to the one head. This week, however, we take time out to focus on "The Five Most Fiscally Irresponsible Votes This Past #AKLeg Session." We start with No. 1 on the list, HB 331, the Oil Credit Bond bill, or as we put it, the Oil Credit...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 for the week of May 7, 2018, our look at the top 3 things on our mind this week. This week we focus on (1)the HB 331 shell game. Seems good for current Alaskans, but very bad for future Alaskans (at 3:40); (2)the SB 26 conference committee proposal. In our view, if passed the conference committee proposal effectively spells the end of the PFD (at 26:15); and (3)BP signs...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 for the week of April 30, 2018, our look at the top 3 things on our mind this week. This week we focus on (1) a very interesting new look by Ed King at King Economics Group at the legislature’s proposed POMV draw rates (at 2:57), (2) a look at at the effect of HB 331, the proposal to issue bonds to fund accelerating the payment of the outstanding oil credit balances, on...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 for the week of April 23, 2018, our look at the top 3 things on our mind this week. This week we focus on (1) our analysis of how Alaska legislators are dodging personal responsibility for a proportionate share of the costs of government spending (at 3:19), (2) a question that is arising during the discussion of oil tax credit bonds: Why are at least some Alaska House R...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 for the week of April 16, 2018, our look at the top 3 things on our mind this week. This week we focus on (1) the continuing effort by some in the #AKLeg to enact a permanent PFD cut this session (at 2:54), (2) the effort to kick #OilTaxCredits further down the road through bonding (at 26:08), and (3) since its federal tax week, the US budget situation (at 40:13).

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 for the week of April 9, 2018, our look at the top 3 things on our mind this week. This week we focus on (1)The battle over PFD cuts (at 3:25), (2) what it will take to really reduce spending (at 22:33), and (3) oil taxes (& credits) (at 35:59).

Welcome to the April 2, 2018 edition of The Weekly Top 3, our weekly podcast covering the top 3 things on our mind as we look ahead to the upcoming week. This week we focus on (1) the budget & the PFD (at 2:05), (2) oil tax credits & bonds (it's more complicated than you think) (at 25:19), and (3) why we should take #AKLNG seriously (at 39:40). At the end of the show we also talk a bit about this...

Welcome to the March 26, 2018 edition of The Weekly Top 3, our weekly podcast covering the top 3 things on our mind as we look ahead to the upcoming week. This week and for the foreseeable future we will be doing The Weekly Top 3 as a segment on The Michael Dukes Show. The Michael Dukes Show broadcasts on FacebookLive and via streaming audio from the Show's website weekdays from 9-11am. Instead of...

Welcome to the March 19, 2018 edition of The Weekly Top 3, our weekly podcast covering the top 3 things on our mind as we look ahead to the upcoming week. This week and for the foreseeable future we will be doing The Weekly Top 3 as a segment on The Michael Dukes Show. The Michael Dukes Show broadcasts on FacebookLive and via streaming audio from the Show's website weekdays from 9-11am. Instead of...

Welcome to the March 12, 2018 edition of The Weekly Top 3, our quick, 15 minute(-ish) review of the three biggest issues on which we are focusing as we pivot from the prior week to the one upcoming. This week we focus on (1) Constitutionalizing the PFD (at 1:35); (2) the worth of the Senate's proposed statutory spending limit (at 11:36); and (3) surprisingly, why a US/China trade war may be good f...

Welcome to the March 5, 2018 edition of The Weekly Top 3, our quick, 15 minute(-ish) review of the three biggest issues on which we are focusing as we pivot from the prior week to the one upcoming. This week we focus on (1) why the Administration's (and Senate's) explanation for cutting the PFD is silly (at 1:09), (2) the merits of POMV (at 8:30), and (3) Alaska's Congressional delegation & the #N...

Welcome to the February 26, 2018 edition of The Weekly Top 3, our quick, 15 minute(-ish) review of the three biggest issues on which we are focusing as we pivot from the prior week to the one upcoming. This week we focus on (1) the Administration's newest plan for paying off oil tax credits (at 1:06), (2) whether taking half of the PFD is just step 1 of the Senate's fiscal plan (at 9:24), and (3)...

Welcome to the February 19, 2018 edition of The Weekly Top 3, our quick, 15 minute(-ish) review of the three biggest issues on which we are focusing as we pivot from the prior week to the one upcoming. This week we question why some supporters of PFD cuts have started dodging the phrase (at 1:22), discuss why, out of self protection, State retirees should consider becoming actively involved in red...

Welcome to the February 12, 2018 edition of The Weekly Top 3, our quick, 15 minute(-ish) review of the three biggest issues on which we are focusing as we pivot from the prior week to the one upcoming. This week we discuss the big story about Alaska's fiscal situation that the Alaska news media is missing, our response to a question raised in a recent ISER study & the Walker Administration's new p...

Welcome to the February 5, 2018 edition of The Weekly Top 3, our quick, 15 minute(-ish) review of the three biggest issues on which we are focusing as we pivot from the prior week to the one upcoming. This week we discuss Ron Duncan's ongoing argument for cutting the PFD, the #AKleg bills to early fund K-12 spending and the new bill to raise oil taxes.

Welcome to the January 29, 2018 edition of The Weekly Top 3, our quick, 15 minute review of the three biggest issues on which we are focusing as we pivot from the prior week to the one upcoming. This week we discuss the "American model" of oil leasing and how Alaska's departure from that (through PFD cuts) is deepening the recession for Alaskan residents, families and local economies, the issues s...

Welcome to the January 22, 2018 edition of our Weekly Top 3, a quick, 15 minute review of the three biggest issues on which we are focusing as we pivot from the prior week to the one upcoming. This week we take a deep dive into the role the PFD plays in the Alaska economy, why it is important and the adverse consequences to the overall economy and Alaska families of making cuts, comment on the sta...

Welcome to the January 15, 2018 edition of our Weekly Top 3, a quick, 15 minute review of the three biggest issues on which we are focusing as we pivot from the prior week to the one upcoming. This week we discuss the Legislative Finance Division's analysis of the Governor's proposed budget (which, once adjusted for oil tax credits, finds that the Governor's budget proposes a greater than 10% incr...

Welcome to the inaugural edition of our Weekly Top 3, a quick, 15 minute review of the three biggest issues on which we are focusing as we pivot from the prior week to the one upcoming. This week we discuss Sen. Pete Kelly's odd claim that the Alaska Senate R's refuse "to get to yes on a plan that takes money out of the private sector" (when that is what they already have agreed to the last two ye...

This week Michael and I dive into the Governor’s proposed FY 2019 budget: what are the real proposed spending levels & our thoughts on the proposed oil tax credit bonds and the “Alaska Economic Recovery Act.”

This week Michael and I discuss whether the worst of the current Alaska recession is behind us and yet another fiscal issue facing Alaska government (this one is about $8 billion). For those following, the Michael Dukes Show is now broadcasting daily from 6-9am Alaska both on Facebook Live at The Michael Dukes Show Facebook page, and audio via Livestream, linked through https://www.michaeldukessho...

This week Michael and I discuss what the oil industry and it allies are overlooking when they talk about Alaska tax policy & the effect of the US Senate #TaxReform bill on Alaskans.

This week Michael and I discuss the good and bad of #AKLNG as the Administration releases more details, and why the current federal tax debate increasingly sounds similar to the Alaska fiscal debate.