HB 360: $12,000,000 GRANT to private industry

POM:
Please do NOT give any more PUBLIC money to private enterprise. This is CORPORATE WELFARE at taxpayers' expense. Why not make sure money is available for funding present and future essential government services such as education, roads, public health & safety. Thank you.
Mike McBride; Kenai

Written Testimony to the House Finance Committee, Dated; February 13, 2002:
I would like to go on record as being OPPOSED to HB 360, which gives $12,000,000 of PUBLIC money for generic marketing of Alaskan salmon. No doubt the industry needs to increase THEIR marketing efforts, but it should not be done with tax dollars. Some are calling this bill "economic development", while others are more accurately calling it "CORPORATE WELFARE at taxpayers' expense".

Last week alone the Alaska Legislature considered bills with a price tag of almost one BILLION dollars, the majority of which provide funding for special interest groups or non-essential state government spending.

This week Legislative spending bills, with fiscal notes attached, being considered contain a total of at least $114 MILLION dollars in non-essential state government spending. This money would be much better utilized elsewhere, or better yet, put away for future funding of our essential services.

The proposed $7.5 BILLION dollar budget amounts to our state government spending over $12,000.00 for every man, woman, and child in Alaska. At this rate, spending for a family of six amounts to over $72,000.00! For each working person, this level of spending amounts to over $26,000 each. That's a lot of tax money folks! I want to know how many average working people will be able to afford living here once the pipeline goes dry?

Taxes are NOT the answer, at this time, to our State budget woes; cutting non-essential spending IS. In my opinion HB 360 is a good example of non-essential government spending.  No Alaskan citizen will seriously consider any new taxes until all public funds given to private businesses, individuals, and special interest groups have been completely eliminated. This money would be better spent funding present and future essential government services such as
education, roads, public health & safety. Please vote NO on HB 360. Thank you.
Mike McBride; Kenai

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