The Weekly Top 3

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind this week — for the week of January 14, 2019.This week Michael and I start the segment with a brief discussion of the accreditation issues at UAA's College of Education (at 2:02) before turning to the Top 3.Once we do, the Top 3 are these: (1) our look out at the Alaska budget over the next 10 years, why we are coming to b...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind this week — for the week of January 7, 2019.This week our Top 3 issues are these: (1) our thoughts on the coming budget debate as the #akleg session approaches (at 2:33), (2) HB 331 -- the oil tax credit bonding bill -- survived its first court challenge, but we discuss why we nevertheless believe the upcoming #akleg should kil...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind this week — for the week of December 17, 2018. For those that follow, this is our final podcast of 2018. We will resume the week of January 7, 2019.This week our Top 3 issues are these: (1) our thoughts on the Dunleavy Administration's revenue forecast and budget proposal (at 2:00); (2) our view of what the new Dunleavy Ad...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind this week — for the week of December 10, 2018.This week our Top 3 issues are these: (1) the potential consequences for fiscal reform arising from Rep. Gary Knopp's departure from the House Republicans (at 3:03), (2) our thoughts on Governor Dunleavy's administrative order consolidating the budget making process into t...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind this week — for the week of December 3, 2018.This week our Top 3 issues are these: (1) some initial thoughts on the impact of the earthquake on the state budget (at 1:41); (2) our thoughts on Gov. Dunleavy's pick for DOR Commissioner (we think its a lost opportunity) (21:00), and (3) what the trade cease fire between the U...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind this week — for the week of November 26, 2018.This week we start with a brief discussion of a couple of things that occurred Monday -- Governor Walker's final draft budget and Governor-elect Dunleavy's announcement of his selection of OMB Director -- (at 2:38) and then turn to the weekly Top 3. They are: (1) why takin...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind this week — for the week of November 19, 2018.This week our Top 3 issues are these: (1) our thoughts on what the new Alaska Senate organization means for state fiscal policy (at 4:39), (2) Alaskans are hearing great news on all the new activity related to North Slope oil development, but we need to understand it doesn't me...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind this week — for the week of November 12, 2018.This week our Top 3 issues tare these: (1) our views on the early appointments & organization by the Mike Dunleavy Administration and the House Republicans (at 2:30); (2) why we believe the state should not rebate past #PFDcuts (19:52), and (3) what is going on with oil prices a...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind this week — for the week of November 5, 2018.This week we focus on the Top 3 fiscal issues that will face the new Governor and Legislature regardless of who is elected. They are these: (1) how much do we spend (at 3:00), (2) how do we pay for it (12:10), and (3) what happens to the PFD in the process (25:45). The Weekly Top 3 i...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind this week — for the week of October 29, 2018.This week our Top 3 are these: (1) our view of the MOST important piece of preserving the #PFD and where the two remaining candidates for Governor stand on the issue (at 3:00), (2) why, contrary to what some claim, new oil developments on the North Slope aren't a solution to Ala...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind this week — for the week of October 22, 2018.This week our Top 3 are these: (1) our thoughts on the fiscal policy debate now that the governor's race is down to a two-person matchup between Mike Dunleavy and Mark Begich (at 3:40); (2) how do fiscal issues play in the Young/Galvin race for the US House (15:27), and (3) wher...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind this week — for the week of October 15, 2018.This week we start with a discussion about a new "Information Paper" on the PFD from the Legislature's Legislative Finance Division (at 1:55), and then turn to our Top 3 issues: (1) our growing concern with Mike Dunleavy's budget numbers (at 8:20), (2)why that con...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind this week — for the week of October 8, 2018.This week our Top 3 issues are these: (1) our view of “the elephant in the room”: the single most important fiscal issue this year that none of the candidates are talking about (at 3:20); (2) Gov. Walker’s former DOR Comm’r calls out opponents for lack of truth, but then avoids the ha...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind this week — for the week of October 1, 2018.This week our Top 3 issues are these: (1) does the Alaska budget "balance without taxes" at $80 oil (hint: not even close) (at 2:34), (2) just when we need them most the Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation Board starts down a very, very dark road (15:40), and (3) in DC, the Ho...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind this week — for the week of September 24, 2018.This week our Top 3 issues are these: (1) we agree with an Anchorage Daily News editorial that argues Alaska's "toughest budget choices are yet to come" (at 2:37), (2) we take a look at what's happening with oil prices; are they sustainable and what do they mean...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind this week — for the week of September 17, 2018.This week our Top 3 issues are these:* First, as the candidates start settling into their campaign fiscal positions we examine what they are (at 2:26),* Second, we look at the question of how much did the #AKleg really approve in spending last session and what does FY 2020 look lik...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind this week — for the week of September 10, 2018.This week’s show is a deep dive into both federal and state fiscal issues. Maya MacGuineas of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget joins Michael in the first segment (at 2:09) to talk about federal fiscal issues. Then we join in the second (at 33:22) to focus on state iss...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind this week — for the week of September 3, 2018.This week our Top 3 issues are these: (1)we explain why we believe the sustainable budget number is significantly lower than the $4.3B level Mike Dunleavy recently has been using (at 2:38), (2)we analyze a new ad by Governor Walker's campaign that claims he had to cut the PFD t...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind this week — for the week of August 27, 2018.This week our Top 3 issues are these: (1) why we believe Walker's labor endorsements actually strengthen Mark Begich's messaging (at 2:30), (2) a fairly deep look at the strengths and weaknesses of the fiscal positions taken by each of the three remaining candidates for #AKg...

This week in addition to our regular discussion of our Top 3 issues on the Tuesday morning Michael Dukes Show, we also did an abbreviated version with Michael, with a twist, as he sat in as guest host during the afternoon on The Dave Stieren Show. The twist is that at the end of the discussion Michael raised a fourth issue, based on a piece appearing that morning on the Alaska Public Radio Network...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind this week — for the week of August 20, 2018.This week our Top 3 issues are these: (1) our final thoughts on the primary and the issues we see emerging for the general (at 4:30), (2) our first thoughts on oil taxes (which we anticipate will emerge as an important topic this fall) (16:55), and(3) Sen Dan Sullivan argued that the...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 for the week of August 13, 2018, our look at the top 3 things on our mind this week. This week our Top 3 issues are these: (1) our look at whether, as some claim, Alaska has settled into a "new economic normal" (at 4:20), (2) as the timetable for #AKLNG slips away, what remains of Gov Walker's vision for a second term (13:20), and (3) our final, pre-prima...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 for the week of August 6, 2018, our look at the top 3 things on our mind this week. This week our Top 3 issues are these: (1) what the real PFD number would have been had the legislature followed the statute (hint, its over $3000)(at 2:05), (2) our take on Mark Begich's evolving PFD plan (21:32), and (3) our problems with Mead Treadwell's economic plan (37:00)...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 for the week of July 30, 2018, our look at the top 3 things on our mind this week. This week our Top 3 issues are these: (1) The coming fiscal tsunami facing state & local governments across the nation, including Alaska (& why HB 331 -- the oil credit bonding bill -- is part of Alaska's share of the problem)(at 2:30), (2) our view on whether the Alaska econ...

The outtakes dealing with Alaska fiscal policy from our day hosting the Tom Anderson Show: (1) Why we haven't cut the #AKbudget more (at 0:48); (2) the #akleg's use of #CreditCard fiscal policy (8:05); (3) our view of the state of the #AKecon (10:24); and (4) our view of where we are headed this #akelect cycle (12:20). The Weekly Top 3 is a regular weekly segment on The Michael Dukes Sho...