The Weekly Top 3

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 - our look at the top 3 things on our mind here at Alaskans for Sustainable Budgets - for the week of June 3, 2024. This week, our top 3 issues are these: 1) we explain why the fiscal future the state is facing is far different from what some think it is (2:10); 2) we discuss our initial reaction to how the upcoming legislative races are shaping up (18:53); and 3) we ex...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 - our look at the top 3 things on our mind here at Alaskans for Sustainable Budgets - for the week of May 27, 2024. This week, our top 3 issues are these: 1) we look at why some are pushing for a special session to pass the Cook Inlet royalty relief bills that stalled out during the regular session (2:06); 2) we discuss what Shell's decision to relinquish its West Harri...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 - our look at the top 3 things on our mind here at Alaskans for Sustainable Budgets - for the week of May 20, 2024. This week, our top 3 issues are these: 1) we look at the "good" from this #akleg session - it's mostly a list of what the Legislature didn't do (2:01); 2) we look at the "bad" from this #akleg session - it's much a longer list than the good (16:36); and 3)...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 - our look at the top 3 things on our mind here at Alaskans for Sustainable Budgets - for the week of May 13, 2024. This week, our top 3 issues are these: 1) we look at Hilcorp's recent, way over-the-top response to the proposal to close their unique loophole in the Alaska oil tax code (2:05); 2) we discuss what we see as the common theme underlying the current problems...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 - our look at the top 3 things on our mind here at Alaskans for Sustainable Budgets - for the week of May 6, 2024. This week, our top 3 issues are these: 1) we assess where this year's budget cycle is leaving us as we look forward to the years ahead (2:03); 2) we look at this session's discussions around Cook Inlet gas and explain why it's mostly involved going in circl...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 - our look at the top 3 things on our mind here at Alaskans for Sustainable Budgets - for the week of April 29, 2024. This week, our top 3 issues are these: 1) we discuss how the FY24 Supplemental and FY25 budgets are shaping up (2:18); 2) we explain the latest embarrassment involving the Permanent Fund Board and ask whether it will ever stop (17:14); and 3) we discuss...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 - our look at the top 3 things on our mind here at Alaskans for Sustainable Budgets - for the week of April 22, 2024. This week, our top 3 issues are these: 1) we explain our significant concerns about the recent passage by House Ways & Means of a bill cutting the state's corporate income tax rate (2:05); 2) now that it is clear the Governor's carbon bills aren't going...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 - our look at the top 3 things on our mind here at Alaskans for Sustainable Budgets - for the week of April 15, 2024. This week, our top 3 issues are these: 1) we discuss what the debate last week on the House floor on HJR 7 tells us about future efforts to develop a durable fiscal policy for the state (2:15); 2) we explain what we believe our debate last week at the Al...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind here at Alaskans for Sustainable Budgets — for the week of April 8, 2024. This week, our top 3 issues are these: 1) we discuss the operating budget as it passed from House Finance, including how the FY25 PFD is being jerry-rigged by taking money from FY24 (2:09); 2) we look at a timeline for Cook Inlet gas supply to explain why...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 - our look at the top 3 things on our mind here at Alaskans for Sustainable Budgets - for the week of April 1, 2024. This week, our top 3 issues are these: 1) we explain why it appears Republicans on the House Finance Committee have given up on both "following the law" and trying to restrain spending ( 2:08); 2) we discuss how, just like the Democrats have, Governor Dun...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 - our look at the top 3 things on our mind here at Alaskans for Sustainable Budgets - for the week of March 25, 2024. This week, our top 3 issues are these: 1) we discuss our take on the House Finance Committee's draft budget (2:11); 2) we explain why we believe the Regulatory Commission of Alaska and the Department of Natural Resources have frontline responsibility for...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 - our look at the top 3 things on our mind here at Alaskans for Sustainable Budgets - for the week of March 18, 2024. This week, our top 3 issues are these: 1) we explain the hypocrisy of those voting on Monday to override the Governor's veto of SB 140 (2:09); 2) we discuss our disappointment in the #akleg reaction to the Spring Forecast (among many it was "yippee, more...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 - our look at the top 3 things on our mind here at Alaskans for Sustainable Budgets - for the week of March 11, 2024. This week, our top 3 issues are these: 1) we explain why it is time to have a serious discussion about revenue approaches (because even the R's have given up on spending cuts) (2:02); 2) we discuss how we are sliding backward into Rep. Zack Fields' visio...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 - our look at the top 3 things on our mind here at Alaskans for Sustainable Budgets - for the week of March 4, 2024. This week, our top 3 issues are these: 1) we explain how, even with deficits staring them in the face, the Legislature (and administration) just can't stop themselves from continuing to spend (2:07); 2) we discuss what those who are proposing to "means te...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 - our look at the top 3 things on our mind here at Alaskans for Sustainable Budgets - for the week of February 26, 2024. This week, our top 3 issues are these: 1) we discuss a recent tweet from former Governor Walker's chief of staff that explains why some are so strenuously opposed to constitutionalizing the PFD, even though doing so would be better for the overall Ala...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 - our look at the top 3 things on our mind here at Alaskans for Sustainable Budgets - for the week of February 19, 2024. This week, our top 3 issues are these: 1) we explain why we believe the Permanent Fund Board is continuing to become increasingly politicized and needs to be restructured (2:13); 2) we explain why we agree with Larry Persily about the huge problems be...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 - our look at the top 3 things on our mind here at Alaskans for Sustainable Budgets - for the week of February 12, 2024. This week, our top 3 issues are these: 1) while we liked the LegFin presentation to House Ways & Means last Wednesday on its fiscal model as far as it went, we explain why there's some important information critical to fashioning an overall fiscal pla...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 - our look at the top 3 things on our mind here at Alaskans for Sustainable Budgets - for the week of February 5, 2024. This week, our top 3 issues are these: 1) we explain why we think, as they develop fiscal policy, legislators have lost touch with the economics facing middle and lower-income (80% of) Alaska families (2:17); 2) while Governor Dunleavy seems to underst...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 - our look at the top 3 things on our mind here at Alaskans for Sustainable Budgets - for the week of January 29, 2024. This week, our top 3 issues are these: 1) we discuss the serious problems created by the fact that, unlike in other states, there's literally no one in the Alaska Legislature (or administration, for that matter) focused on ensuring that, whatever the a...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 - our look at the top 3 things on our mind here at Alaskans for Sustainable Budgets - for the week of January 22, 2024. This week our top 3 issues are these: 1) we use IRS data to look at which segments of Alaska's working-age population are leaving the state (2:02); 2) we discuss what's missing from DNR's presentation last week on oil production volumes (19:33); and 3)...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 - our look at the top 3 things on our mind here at Alaskans for Sustainable Budgets - for the week of January 15, 2024. This week our top 3 issues are these: 1) we discuss the blatant hypocrisy of Senate President Gary Stevens and others in the Senate Majority when it comes to fiscal issues (2:05); 2) we explain what the new national "Who Pays" study from ITEP says abou...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 - our look at the top 3 things on our mind here at Alaskans for Sustainable Budgets - for the week of January 8, 2024. This week our top 3 issues are these: 1) while many say Railbelt energy will be a big issue this session, we explain why our hope is that the Legislature leaves it to market forces (2:08); 2) we explain what we think the recent Alaska jobs report is rea...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 - our look at the top 3 things on our mind here at Alaskans for Sustainable Budgets - for the week of January 2, 2024. This week our top 3 issues are these: 1) we discuss the big story coming out of the Governor's proposed FY25 budget documents that we think others are missing (2:05); 2) we explain why we think Governor Dunleavy has just given up on trying to resolve th...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 - our look at the top 3 things on our mind here at Alaskans for Sustainable Budgets - for the week of December 18, 2023. This week - our last of the year and what Michael calls the Holiday edition - is a little different from the others. Instead of our usual approach, we pick three topics that are in keeping with the Christmas and Holiday spirit.  This year, they are th...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 - our look at the top 3 things on our mind here at Alaskans for Sustainable Budgets - for the week of December 11, 2023. This week our top 3 issues are these: 1) we explain, while calling for honesty from others, how the ADN is being less than "honest" about its 𝙤𝙬𝙣 motives (2:07); 2) as their effort ramps up, we look at what those pushing for increased K-12 are leaving...