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

This week on Facing the Future we look at President Biden’s ambitious policy agenda with former Ambassador and New Hampshire Congressman Richard Swett. Then we go to Las Vegas with Concord Coalition Field Director Phil Smith and Jayce Farmer, professor of public policy at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, who uses Concord's Principles and Priorities budget exercise with his mid-career graduate students.

Facing The Future: Don't Keep it in Vegas

La rose

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 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).

The Weekly Top 3 (4.28.2025)

Brad Keithley

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