Hearing so many people agreeing with the governor’s disastrous vetoes of state spending, one might get the idea that the voters of Alaska are sick of paying high state income and or sales taxes! The only truly wasteful spending the state does happens every October with the Permanent Fund dividend distribution.
Wake up, Alaska. Let’s get the public back engaged with state government. No more sating Alaskans with PFDs. Repeal the oil tax credits and terminate the wasteful, destructive, divisive, irresponsible PFD. Alaska should be maximizing the oil that is “discovered and ready to be developed” and save that money in the Permanent Fund.
For those of us who have been here for a long time, 66 years in my case, it is obvious that climate change is going to be disastrous for Alaska, and to continue to stick our heads in the sand, look for more oil and pretend otherwise is foolish at best. No more incentives to find new oil, please. Let’s maximize and save the money we will get from the existing oil fields and load up the Permanent Fund so it will generate the entire state budget on interest alone every year. Let’s hope new technologies put an end to oil — for Alaska’s, and frankly everyone’s, sake.
— Fred Klouda
Anchorage
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