I commend and praise state Rep. Alyse Galvin for her spectacular idea that all Alaskans should participate in helping pay for government; I had given up hoping someone would be brave enough to introduce the idea.
I helped sponsor a sales tax for Anchorage years ago. We were crushed at the polls with a resounding no vote. I still think my hometown looks bad not capturing tourists’ and business travelers’ dollars.
All that income would be newfound wealth to help our city address so many problems. Bed taxes and property taxes are nearly enough to make a real difference.
And the hot-button issue in state politics these last 25 years has been: How much free money do I get? So now, with revenue down, does anyone bring up the obvious: cut the dividend so we can address real issues? No. We instead march forward, demanding more dividends in a year we cannot afford any dividend.
When you start screaming about no new taxes, remember not addressing the elephant in the room is the real problem.
No dividend, period, or hush and pay your nominal income tax using your ridiculous need for free money.
Alaska has always spent money it could not afford. But not having anyone in government telling our fellow Alaskans the truth is a crime. Reduced income means reduced dividends, period. Rejection of that truth leaves no alternative but to find another revenue source. And that spells taxes in 2023 and beyond.
Thank you, Rep. Galvin, for talking about a solution. In no state do people want to pay a new tax. In Alaska, however, unless you own a home, property or a business, you probably can’t spell “taxes,” since there haven’t been any individual state taxes since 1980. It’s time to join together and pay a portion of what it costs to live in this magnificent state.
— Gregory Carr
Anchorage
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