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 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)

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 12, 2025.

This week, our top 3 issues are these: 1) we explain why Alaska's current fiscal dilemma reminds us of a game of chicken and what it will take to resolve it (2:04); 2) we discuss what role the Governor should play in resolving the dilemma and why Governor Dunleavy's actions are lacking (18:34); and 3) we discuss how the failure to resolve the dilemma is adversely affecting Alaska's private sector business climate and confidence level (38:11).

The Weekly Top 3 (5.12.2025)

The Weekly Top 3 (5.19.2024)

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 May 26, 2025.

This week, our top 3 issues are these: 1) we walk through the sources and uses of funds in the FY26 budget, and examine who is bearing the burden created by using PFD cuts to provide nearly a third of the revenues (2:14); 2) we explain how a recent op-ed from Anna MacKinnon on the Permanent Fund picks up from where she left off when she left the Senate: finding ways to fund spending while protecting the Top20% & #OilCos from paying for it (18:50); and 3) we discuss how we could avoid the Alaska budget being so impacted by swings in oil prices (36:39).

The Weekly Top 3 (5.26.2025)

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 June 2, 2025.

This week, our top 3 issues are these: 1) we explain why the Permanent Fund Corporation's April results demonstrate our point about its deficient returns (2:03); 2) in the wake of the visit from three of its cabinet officials, we examine the potential impact of the Trump Admin's focus on Alaska (18:58); and 3) putting all the pieces together, we discuss which "working people" exactly Angela Rodell really seems concerned about (34:02).

The Weekly Top 3 (6.2.2025)

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 June 9, 2025.

This week, our top 3 issues are these: 1) we discuss the issues surrounding the state's threat to terminate the Cosmopolitan leases (2:01); 2) we explain why we believe a recent op-ed about state child care support fails to address the equally important question of #WhoPays for the support (19:29); and 3) we focus on why what didn't happen at Governor Dunleavy's sustainability conference is more important than what did (39:35).

The Weekly Top 3 (6.9.2025)

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 June 16, 2025.

This week, our top 3 issues are these: 1) we discuss where we believe oil prices are likely headed and how Alaska could reduce the fiscal roller coaster the state's current budget approach creates (2:09); 2) we discuss one issue that we believe should be at the heart of the coming education task force and its subsequent recommendations (17:41); and 3) we examine what a recent decision by JERA - Japan's largest LNG importer - means for Alaska LNG (37:39).

The Weekly Top 3 (6.16.2025)

The Weekly Top 3 (6.23.2025)

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 June 30, 2025.

This week, our top 3 issues are these: 1) we discuss the hypocrisy of how Alaska leaders are governing at home compared to what they say at the national level (2:10 ); 2) we look at the actual returns the Permanent Fund Corporation is earning compared to its own benchmarks and other alternatives, something the PFC seldom does in its op-eds and press releases (17:00); and 3) we explain why PFD cuts should be counted as "skin in the game" in the same way as taxes (36:28).

The Weekly Top 3 (6.30.2025)

The Weekly Top 3 (7.7.2025)

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 July 14, 2025.

This week, our top 3 issues are these: 1) while the OBBA increases access to potential new oil fields on federal lands, we discuss whether it will actually result in new development and, more importantly, additional state revenues (2:17), 2) we discuss the fundamental economic issue we believe the candidates for Governor need to address in the coming election cycle (21:20), and 3) we explain why we think one journalist should listen to himself and follow his own advice that he recently gave in an op-ed piece (36:01).

The Weekly Top 3 (7.14.2025)

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 July 21, 2025.

This week, our top 3 issues are these: 1) we discuss the significant state revenue downside of Conoco's - and others' - new exploration programs (2:07), 2) we explain, contrary to the hope of some, why the gas pipeline is not a "fix" to Alaska's broken financial foundation (17:37), and 3) we discuss how the OBBA may make state level K-12 funding issues even more complicated (37:57).

The Weekly Top 3 (7.21.2025)

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 July 28, 2025.

This week, our top 3 issues are these: 1) we explain how a recent op-ed demonstrates why some legislators seem not to grasp how Alaska oil taxes work (2:15), 2) we explain why Sen. Shelley Hughes potentially has a significant leg up on fiscal issues over other candidates in the coming Governor's race (20:49), and 3) we explain why we think, with one exception, a recent op-ed by Kevin McCabe makes a significant contribution toward understanding the K-12 issue (38:40).

The Weekly Top 3 (7.28.2025)

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 August 4, 2025.

This week, our top 3 issues are these: 1) we explain how the votes on the veto override do much to explain the state's deep fiscal problems (2:15); 2) we discuss again, whether they realize it or not, how those advocating for a one-account Permanent Fund approach are pushing to create a back door into the Permenent Fund corpus (24:13); and 3) we explain why, whether he intended to or not, Rep. Bill Elam has suggested a helpful way to exercise better control over K-12 spending (35:41).

The Weekly Top 3 (8.4.2025)

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 August 11, 2025.

This week, our top 3 issues are these: 1) the Anchorage business community says they are concerned about the economy but at the same time they push the revenue option that has the "largest adverse impact" on it (2:15); 2) we explain why the next rounds of K-12 funding growth should come from increased local contribution (18:08); and 3) we explain why those pushing the "one account" approach to "protect" the Permanent Fund are, in fact, opening the door for raids on it (39:26).

The Weekly Top 3 (8.11.2025)

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 August 18, 2025.

This week, our top 3 issues are these: 1) we explain why the EIA's new oil price forecast suggests Alaska is on the precipice of slipping back into a steep, deficit-driven budgetary position for the remainder of FY26 and into FY27 (campaign year 2026) (2:16); 2) we explain why the growing problem with Social Security is likely to have a significant impact on Alaska (21:44); and 3) we explain how a recent proposal from the FNSB would only make the state's K-12 funding issue even worse (41:88).

The Weekly Top 3 (8.18.2025)

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 August 25, 2025.

This week, our top 3 issues are these: 1) we discuss some recent comments by Speaker Edgmon about the economic strains being felt by Alaska's coastal communities and explain why, in certain real respects, they are being self-inflicted by the Legislature (2:28); 2) we start a new, occasional series by explaining the "rest of the story" surrounding some recent campaign comments by Adam Crum and Tom Begich (20:02); 3) we remember Stephen Haycox and the lessons about Alaska we learned from him and will continue to learn as we and others continue to read the rich legacy that he has left with us (33:01); and finally, in some brief comments at the end, we give a shout out to Sen. Mike Cronk for some comments he made at this week's opening meeting of the Education Task Force (47:42).

Alaskans for Sustainable Budget's "The Weekly Top 3"

Brad Keithley