SB 266: Fisheries Enhancement Loans SPENDING bill

POM:
Please do NOT loan any more public money to private businesses. You might call this economic development, but I more accurately call it "CORPORATE WELFARE" Put MY money into funding present and future essential government services such as education, roads, public health & safety. Thank you.
Mike McBride; Kenai

Written Testimony to the Senate Labor & Commerce Committee, dated; February 14, 2002:
I would like to go on record as being OPPOSED to SB 266, which allocates PUBLIC money "making grants for organizational and planning purposes to qualified regional associations that have formed a nonprofit corporation, in amounts not exceeding $100,000 per region and up to an additional $100,000 on a 50/50 cash matching basis with the regional associations that have
an authorized royalty assessment under AS 16.10.540; the state portion of the matching share shall be available when a final vote for assessments is made under AS 16.10.540; this provision also applies to qualified regional associations that have formed a nonprofit corporation before June 24, 1977;"

This PRIVATE industry may need periodic financial assistance to meet THEIR needs, but this should NOT be done with OUR tax dollars. There are currently many Banks and various other lending institutions in Alaska available to finance any sound business plan. Which leads me to wonder, "Why is the State using tax dollars to compete with these private businesses".

In the past two weeks alone the Alaska Legislature has considered spending bills with a price tag of over one BILLION dollars, the majority of which provide funding for non-essential government services, or to special interest groups such as the fishing and tourism industries. This money would be much better utilized elsewhere, or better yet, put away for future funding of essential
state 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, or small business owners will be able to afford living here once the pipeline goes dry?

In my opinion SB 266 is nothing more than another "give a way" program designed to further deplete the budget reserve account, and a prime 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.
Our public money would be better spent funding present and future essential government services such as education, roads, public health & safety.

Please vote NO on SB 266. Thank you.
Mike McBride; Kenai

 Back to Senate Bills