Regarding the excellent op-ed by Rep. Sara Hannan in the Jan. 20 ADN, she was right on on all fronts. I have been advocating reinstating the income tax for years; Jay Hammond said many times that his biggest regret while he was governor was in allowing the tax to be suspended.
The tax bill passed by the House in 2017 was very fair and progressive; it exempted the Permanent Fund dividend, provided a $4,000 exemption for every man, woman and child to start, then a graduated increase, so that the lower wage earners paid the least, and most of the money came from the highest earners.
Then there are the huge amounts of money that goes right out of state, the commercial fishermen in the summer and oil field workers in the winter. Those non-residents are utilizing our state services but paying nothing in support.
Regarding the ferries, they are a part of our state-funded surface transportation system. Yes, they cost more to operate per person than highways, but are the only means where there are no roads, and the state has a responsibility to provide equitable services to all of its citizens. So to privatize, or make the ferry system self-sustaining, maybe we should also institute a toll system for the Glenn, Parks and Seward highways.
Bottom line: Everyone I talk to has no problem in helping to fund the government services we all want and need. You cannot compare our costs per capita with the other states. Alaska is unique; that is why we all love it.
— Orin Seybert
Anchorage
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