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 October 7, 2019. This week our Top 3 are these: 1) in our view, why those resisting other taxes are prolonging PFDcuts (at 1:37); 2) Sen. Shelley Hughes took a big step at Monday's #akleg PFD Working Group session, now its the Top20%'s turn to take one (20:36); and 3) the University Board of Regents...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind this week — for the week of September 30, 2019. This week our Top 3 are these: 1) wasting yet another opportunity to show vision, the ADN editorial board overlooks the middle on the PFD issue (at 1:49); 2) what the Governor's nomination of Josh Revak to the vacant Senate seat, the likely Senate R reaction and his statement on t...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind this week — for the week of September 23, 2019. This week our Top 3 are these: 1) what the new OMB Dir will tell us about the future direction of the Dunleavy Administration (and who we think would send a good message) (at 1:44); 2) why the Alaska GOP's decision to cancel the R Presidential Preference Poll is a big deal (17:22)...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind this week — for the week of September 16, 2019. This week our Top 3 are these: 1) our initial take on what the weekend strike on Saudi oil facilities means to Alaska (at 1:47); 2) what Ed King's latest piece on the PFD is telling us about the state's fiscal road ahead (at 12:44); and 3) as federal FY 2019 comes to an end it has...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind this week — for the week of September 9, 2019. This week our Top 3 are these: 1) why, even if the Administration achieves all of its goals next year for spending cuts, we STILL will be talking about more PFD cuts(at 1:45); 2) what the Permanent Fund's continued strong returns mean for the current generation (its not everything...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind this week — for the week of September 2, 2019. This week our Top 3 are these: 1)our first take on what BP's sale to Hilcorp means for Alaska (at 1:44); 2)yet another op-ed in support of cutting the PFD (or, put another way, yet another effort to save the Top20% from contributing toward the costs of govt)(18:57); and 3)at a fede...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind this week — for the week of August 26, 2019. This week our Top 3 are these: 1) both the ADN and NewsMiner editorial pages throw in with the Top20% hook, line and sinker, by calling for PFD cuts without even addressing other revenue options first (at 2:00); 2) going in the opposite direction from the ADN and NewsMiner, a newly r...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind this week — for the week of August 19, 2019. This week our Top 3 are these: 1) the "second veto" budget - what's in it and where do we go from here (at 1:41); 2) a live lesson in hypocrisy - many of those who are pushing to maintain govt spending are voting to avoid paying for it themselves (24:26), and 3) what a "progressive i...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind this week — for the week of August 12, 2019. This week our Top 3 are these: 1) what a deep dive into Alaska's 10-year forecast reveals (hint: it's not pretty)(at 1:38); 2) what should be the ultimate goal in the coming #AKoil tax debate (18:19), and 3) should the Governor veto less than a full PFD (29:10).

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind this week — for the week of August 5, 2019. This week our Top 3 are these: 1) what we think of legislative leadership's push for a PFD-only session (at 1:31); 2) oil prices take a dive - what does that mean for Alaska's fiscal situation (21:33), and 3) the U is starting down the right road (29:50).

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind this week — for the week of July 29, 2019. This week our Top 3 are these: 1) our assessment of the #akleg's budget votes Monday and where are we headed next (at 1:44); 2) why the fiscal meltdown at the federal level is relevant to Alaska's 2020 election (20:59), and 3) why the #AKLNG project is headed into sleep mode (28:40).

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind this week — for the week of July 22, 2019. This week our Top 3 are these: 1) the University starts moving beyond the denial phase (at 1:37); 2) signs that the #akleg may be working toward a budget deal, but what happens if they don't (12:21), and 3) how do we avoid repeating Groundhog Day on the PFD (23:04).

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind this week — for the week of July 15, 2019. This week our Top 3 are these: 1) HB 2001, the House Finance Committee's hot off the presses troubling proposal to go down the same road again as we've just finished (at 1:45); 2) our concerns with rumors of a PFD "compromise" - it can't just be the PFD (20:30); and 3) by delaying the...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind this week — for the week of July 8, 2019. This week our Top 3 are these: 1) where are the Governor and legislature likely to be by this time next week (at 1:45); 2) we discuss the huge inconsistency in the economic arguments some are making -- they are concerned about state jobs, except when they have to help pay for them, then...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind this week — for the week of July 1, 2019. This week our Top 3 are these: 1) the Governor's vetoes and how they play out from here (at 1:37); 2) we need to be honest with ourselves, someone is going to be taxed; we need to be talking about who (19:10); and 3) the @UA_System needs to start thinking ahead, after it fails to land i...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind this week — for the week of June 24, 2019. This week's podcast is a bit of a wild one. Before turning to the Top 3, we start with a discussion of the Legislative "leadership's" decision to reject the Governor's call for the special session to be held in Wasilla -- an issue that arose Monday (at 1:55). Once we exhaust that topic...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind this week — for the week of June 17, 2019. This week our Top 3 are these: 1) as we sit in a (brief) eye of the state's fiscal hurricane -- what's coming next (at 1:50), 2) at the end of this someone is going to pay taxes - the only question is who (20:25), and 3) what we should know as we head toward the next federal fiscal cri...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind this week — for the week of June 10, 2019. This week our Top 3 are these: 1) our thoughts on where we go from here on the #AKbudget (a 60-day budget to give the #akleg time to finish their job) (at 3:47); 2) why the Congressional tool of "Continuing Resolutions" has become relevant to the #AKbudget (13:13), and 3) our thoughts...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind this week — for the week of June 3, 2019. This week our Top 3 are these: 1) our thoughts on SB 1002, the Senate's new PFD bill (at 1:48); 2) we discuss the downright, "let them eat cake" attitude many Senate R's are taking about paying a full PFD (18:15); and 3) the latest, significantly downward movements in oil prices (23:40)...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind this week — for the week of May 27, 2019. This week our Top 3 turned into 4: 1) why the #akleg’s current efforts to change the PFD is just spinning its wheels (at 2:04), 2) we believe the Governor SHOULD be calling out individual legislators (16:24), 3) a substantial transfer from the earnings reserve account to the Permanent F...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind this week — for the week of May 20, 2019. This week our Top 3 issues are these: 1) is the #akleg likely to approve a full PFD, and if so, where do things go from there (at 1:55), 2) how deep should vetoes go this year - "glide path" or "rip off the band aid" (19:55), and 3) yes, the state has other fiscal reserves, but should t...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind this week — for the week of May 13, 2019. This week our Top 3 issues are these: 1) what is happening with the Conference Committee on the budget and where we are headed after it finishes its work (at 1:49), 2) a News-Miner op-ed editorializes on courage, yet shows none itself (22:52), and 3) we discuss a Rasmuson Board op-ed in...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind this week — for the week of May 6, 2019. This week our Top 3 issues are these: 1) the question those urging restored spending -- such as doctors and university supporters, to pick a couple that have made the papers in recent days -- should be asked (at 1:51), 2) how so-called conservative Sen. Chris Birch is urging his fellow l...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind this week — for the week of April 29, 2019. This week our Top 3 issues are these: 1) the Senate Finance Committee's adoption last Friday of a $3000 PFD for this year (at 1:50), 2) the huge significance of the Senate Finance Committee's simultaneously proposed move of $12B from the Permanent Fund earnings reserve to the Permanen...

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind this week — for the week of April 22, 2019. This week our Top 3 issues are these: 1) early in the session, the House and Senate scolded the Dunleavy Admin for not doing its homework, but now, both bodies are doing the same thing (at 1:47); 2) the long-awaited Buckeye Institute Report, which the Administration touted in its 10-y...