Alaskans for Sustainable Budget's "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 September 6, 2021.

This week our Top 3 issues are these: 1) the Administration restarts discussions on revenue, but then immediately rules out the very approach that has the lowest adverse impact on Alaska families & the Alaska economy (1:54); 2) as the FY22 budget mess moves to the Senate, we explore how they may put Humpty Dumpty back together again (16:43); and 3) we discuss some anticipated, but nonetheless good news on Conoco’s Willow project (29:27).

The Weekly Top 3 (9.6.2021)

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind here at Alaskans for Sustainable Budgets — for the week of March 13, 2023.

This week our top 3 issues are these: 1) we look at what the Spring Revenue Forecast, due out this week, is likely going to tell us about the state’s current and future fiscal situation (2:04), 2) now that the Willow decision is in hand, we look at what’s ahead on the upstream project front that has even more importance to the state (20:02), and 3) we discuss what we think some are missing in their analysis of why there’s been a decline in the state’s working age population over the past decade (39:49).

The Weekly Top 3 (3.13.2023)

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind here at Alaskans for Sustainable Budgets — for the week of March 20, 2023.

This week our top 3 issues are these: 1) the critical facts that Alaska media continually leave out of their coverage of the PFD (2:01), 2) the growing disconnect in how the legislature is approaching Alaska’s fiscal situation this session (15:28), and 3) legislative hypocrisy on steroids: “we” need big raises but middle & lower income #AKfams should accept big PFD cuts (29:17).

The Weekly Top 3 (3.20.2023)

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 - our look at the top 3 things on our mind here at Alaskans for Sustainable Budgets - for the week of March 11, 2024.

This week, our top 3 issues are these: 1) we explain why it is time to have a serious discussion about revenue approaches (because even the R's have given up on spending cuts) (2:02); 2) we discuss how we are sliding backward into Rep. Zack Fields' vision of the future (19:11); and 3) we discuss what DOR's Spring Revenue Forecast is likely to tell us and what that means for the budget going forward (36:18).

The Weekly Top 3 (3.11.2024)

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 - our look at the top 3 things on our mind here at Alaskans for Sustainable Budgets - for the week of August 26, 2024.

This week, our top 3 issues are these: 1) we discuss our take on the results for various legislative races from the primary election and what we see as the path forward (2:33); 2) we discuss the effort by some to combine what we view as two entirely separate issues related to the Permanent Fund: whether the Permanent Fund Board should be reformed (which we strongly agree with), and whether the two-account Permanent Fund structure should be merged into a single account (which we strongly disagree with) (20:25); and 3) we discuss how a recent letter to the editor from Keep Alaska Competitive co-chairs Joe Shierhorn and Jim Jansen dodges a critical fact about oil taxes (38:18).

In addition, we include a brief discussion Michael and I had about the proposals by some to return state employees to a defined benefit pension plan (47:10).

The Weekly Top 3 (8.26.2024)

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 - our look at the top 3 things on our mind here at Alaskans for Sustainable Budgets - for the week of February 10, 2025.

This week, our top 3 issues are these: 1) we explain what a difference a week made as we sort through recent developments on the Cook Inlet import projects (2:04), 2) we discuss our thoughts on President Trump's comments on Japan and #AKLNG (19:02), and 3) we discuss the additional disclosure that we think all presentations and op-eds pushing for more state appropriations should contain (36:56).

The Weekly Top 3 (2.10.2025)

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind here at Alaskans for Sustainable Budgets — for the week of February 17, 2025.

This week, our top 3 issues are these: 1) we discuss the needed conversation about Alaska’s fiscal situation that the Senate Majority and Senator Yundt from the minority have started (2:08); 2) we explain why the Permanent Fund's failed investment in Peter Pan Seafoods is only the tip of the iceberg of the conversation we should be having about the Fund's management and operation (18:16); and 3) we explain why the board of the Alaska Gasline Development Corporation is rapidly losing its credibility (37:59).

The Weekly Top 3 (2.17.2025)

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 - our look at the top 3 things on our mind here at Alaskans for Sustainable Budgets - for the week of February 24, 2025.

This week, our top 3 issues are these: 1) we discuss the Senate Finance Committee’s proposed SB109, which, if enacted, would be the largest permanent individual tax increase in Alaska’s history (2:09); 2) we explain why the source of the state’s fiscal problem isn’t either too much spending or too little revenue, it’s that we are using the wrong revenue structure (19:59); and 3) we explain why, if you look, you can see the forces behind the state’s next big spending wave starting to form (41:53).

The Weekly Top 3 (2.24.2025)

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 - our look at the top 3 things on our mind here at Alaskans for Sustainable Budgets - for the week of March 3, 2025.

This week, our top 3 issues are these: 1) we explain why we believe Alaska oil tax reform is not only justified, but needed (2:06); 2) we discuss the fiscal irresponsibility of how both increased K-12 spending as well as defined benefits are being pursued (19:25); and 3) we explain how the PFD is being squeezed from both the left and right (37:52).

The Weekly Top 3 (3.3.2025)

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 - our look at the top 3 things on our mind here at Alaskans for Sustainable Budgets - for the week of March 10, 2025.

This week, our top 3 issues are these: 1) we review a recent, balanced look by the Alaska Beacon's James Brooks at Alaska's budget situation and the battle over #WhoPays (2:03); 2) we discuss the full on raid on the Permanent Fund corpus by the Senate Majority and how it's being fueled by a poorly invested Permanent Fund (17:56); and 3) we explain how the #AKLNG project always looks great to newcomers … until they start looking under the hood at the economics (38:35).

The Weekly Top 3 (3.10.2025)

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 - our look at the top 3 things on our mind here at Alaskans for Sustainable Budgets - for the week of March 17, 2025.

This week, our top 3 issues are these: 1) we explain how the Permanent Fund Corporation is leaving substantial amounts of money on the table (1:59); 2) we look at what both the left and right are missing about the Hilcorp loophole (19:54); and 3) we discuss how the Senate is being pushed this session to act as the fiscal grown-up in the room (38:42).

The Weekly Top 3 (3.17.2025)

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 - our look at the top 3 things on our mind here at Alaskans for Sustainable Budgets - for the week of March 24, 2025.

This week, our top 3 issues are these: 1) we explain why the proposal to combine the Permanent Fund corpus and earnings reserve both puts the corpus at risk and undermines significant performance incentives for the Permanent Fund Corporation (2:14); 2) we explain how Rep. DeLena Johnson and other Republicans are ignoring important data to put the interests of the oil companies ahead of those of Alaska families (15:58); and 3) we explain why we aren't hearing much about Cook Inlet gas in this session (spoiler alert: it's because the market solved the problem) (28:08).

For your information, following this episode, we are taking a three-week break from the show to go on a tour of Ireland. We will return to our seat and be ready to go again on Tuesday, April 15.

The Weekly Top 3 (3.24.2025)

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 - our look at the top 3 things on our mind here at Alaskans for Sustainable Budgets - for the week of April 14, 2025.

This week, our top 3 issues are these: 1) we explain the difference between an accounting balanced budget and a distributionally balanced budget and why the Legislature is continually failing to produce the latter (2:06); 2) we discuss former Sen. Joe Paskvan's excellent op-ed in a recent Fairbanks Daily News-Miner attacking the Permanent Fund Corporation's proposed backdoor raid on the Permanent Fund corpus (21:40); and 3) for those interested, we do a Michael Dukes Show "Finer Things" segment on my recent Ireland trip (38:01).

The Weekly Top 3 (4.14.2025)

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 - our look at the top 3 things on our mind here at Alaskans for Sustainable Budgets - for the week of April 21, 2025.

This week, our top 3 issues are these: 1) we discuss what the latest projections from the Permanent Fund Corporation are telling us about where the Permanent Fund is headed on its current course (2:02); 2) we examine the opportunity to make some small headway in generating substitute revenues and reducing the need for PFD cuts (20:13); and 3) we explore some budget-related good news (40:56).

The Weekly Top 3 (4.21.2025)

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 - our look at the top 3 things on our mind here at Alaskans for Sustainable Budgets - for the week of April 28, 2025.

This week, our top 3 issues are these: 1) we explain how a recent op-ed by Larry Persily essentially lays out the same fiscal approach as the Legislature's 2021 Fiscal Policy Working Group, and discuss how to implement both (2:13); 2) we discuss the impact of the Senate's vote yesterday permanently to increase state spending on K-12, and with it, the state's long-term deficit (20:19); and 3) we discuss the likely impact on Alaska of coming decisions at the federal level to shift a material share of the federal spending burden to the states (38:41).

The Weekly Top 3 (4.28.2025)

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 - our look at the top 3 things on our mind here at Alaskans for Sustainable Budgets - for the week of May 5, 2025.

This week, our top 3 issues are these: 1) we discuss what's going on with oil prices: what's driving the price drop, how low could they go and how long could the price drop last (2:17); 2) we discuss the failure of those who voted for HB 57 (the permanent K-12 funding increase) to realistically deal with a fundamental question: where's the money coming from and #WhoPays (18:56); and 3) we discuss a bill hovering over this session that, if passed, could make Alaska's future even worse from a fiscal perspective (40:35).

The Weekly Top 3 (5.5.2025)

Our conversation with host David Pruhs on Fairbanks radio station KFAR 660AM's "Problem Corner" on April 3, 2017.

KFAR's "Problem Corner" with host David Pruhs (4.3.2017)

This week Michael and I discuss how the Administration misunderstands the cause of Alaska's recession and as a consequence, the solution, and an update on the good and not as good news from the Alaska oil patch.

The Michael Dukes Show 7am 10-24-2017

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 - our look at the top 3 things on our mind this week - for the week of June 15, 2020.

This week our Top 3 are these: 1) two from the Top20% argue "don't tax me, don't tax my industry, tax middle & lower income Alaska families instead," our reaction (1:52); 2) oil prices are stabilizing and Conoco is restoring ANS production, what does that mean for Alaska's finances (17:58); and 3) even the News Miner is calling for reduced spending, what we think that means (24:14).

Brad Keithley

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