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"Spotlight on Juneau" "An Informed Voter Is The Best Defense Against Bad Government"
April 12, 2004 _______________
THE ELECTIONS - WHAT HAPPENED?
Elections were recently held in Anchorage and on the Kenai Peninsula with some very interesting results.
The Kenai Peninsula Borough School Board wanted additional funding outside the legislative spending cap. Like many school districts and municipalities in Alaska, poor investments strategies of their retirement programs (PERS or TRS), have caused massive budget shortfalls. The law requires these retirement programs be made whole again. Too bad social security does not offer this same protection to non government workers! This additional spending on top of an already high annual cost (about $10,000 per student) of educating each student has pushed many voters to reject school bond and funding issues.
Voters on the Kenai Peninsula indicated their displeasure with a Borough Assembly tax and power grab by voting down a school issue. Proposition 1, would have moved another basic government service OUTSIDE of the borough wide real property tax cap. This deceptive tactic is increasingly used by government to expand their cost and powers, beyond limits previously set by law.
Historically school bond issues have been approved by voters almost without question. Sometimes these bonds are really needed, but often it becomes obvious after the election they were not. The combination of a wasteful state legislature and an over zealous school board has resulted in about 20% excess Kenai Peninsula schools at a time of declining enrollments. Now because of the arcane state funding formula these schools can NOT be closed and tax savings realized.
The majority of voters on the Peninsula were not fooled again by an election to take more money from the taxpayers, under the pretense of benefiting our children. Voters simply expect the school board to live within its means just like the public is expected to do. Results of Proposition 1 clearly indicated the public favors a smaller more efficient government.
Municipality of Anchorage voters also rejected an assortment of school and other bond issues (scroll down the page) at the April 6 election. Anchorage results once again show that voters are unwilling to finance MORE government.
At the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly meeting on April 6 a resolution to support "fully funding" the University of Alaska FAILED to be adopted. Assembly members concerned about funding the university which has other sources of revenue, while K-12 funding is uncertain every year, voted against this resolution.
A year ago most of these bond issues or funding measures would have passed without a whimper of opposition. What happened that turned voters off this time? Are people finally beginning to see the big picture, and don't like what they see? This should be a wake up call not only for local governments, but also for those hiding in Juneau, because state wide elections are coming next! _______________
EDITORIALS, LETTERS, & PUBLIC COMMENTS
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LEGISLATION OF CONCERN BEING HEARD THIS WEEK
Wednesday, April 14: Senate Finance Committee at 9:00 am: HB 375 APPROPRIATIONS: OPERATING BUDGET/LOANS/FUNDS - TELECONFERENCED HB 377 APPROPRIATIONS: MENTAL HEALTH BUDGET - TELECONFERENCED SB 366 STATE SALES TAX - TELECONFERENCED
House Finance Committee at 1:30 pm: HJR 46 CONST. AM: PERMANENT FUND APPROPRIATIONS/INFLATION-PROOFING HJR 47 CONST. AM: PERMANENT FUND APPROPRIATIONS/INFLATION-PROOFING HB 553 PERMANENT FUND APPROPRIATIONS & INVESTMENTS
House Labor & Commerce Committee at 3:15 pm: SB 102 CHARITABLE GAMING REVENUE/TAXES - TELECONFERENCED
Senate Finance Committee at 6:00 pm: HB 375 APPROPRIATIONS: OPERATING BUDGET/LOANS/FUNDS HB 377 APPROPRIATIONS: MENTAL HEALTH BUDGET BUDGET BILLS WILL BE TELECONFERENCED STATEWIDE ACCORDING TO THIS SCHEDULE: (Public testimony will be limited to no more than 2 minutes. Juneau testimony will be taken during lags in the teleconference sites and following the final set of LIOs.) 6:00 Ketchikan, Wrangell, Petersburg 6:30 Sitka, Cordova, Valdez 7:00 Glennallen, Seward, Homer 7:30 Kenai, Kodiak, Dillingham
Thursday, April 15: House State Affairs Committee at 8:00 am: HCR 26 PERMANENT FUND ENCOURAGE INVESTMENTS IN ALASKA - TELECONFERENCED
House Rules Committee at 9:00 am: HJR 9 CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT: APPROPRIATION/SPENDING LIMIT HJR 26 CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT: PERMANENT FUND APPROPRIATIONS/INFLATION-PROOFING HB 298 DISTRIBUTIONS OF APPROPRIATIONS FROM PERMANENT FUND
Senate Transportation Committee at 1:30 pm: SB 384 ROUTE OF NAT GAS PIPELINE FUNDED BY RR - TELECONFERENCED
This is not a complete list of legislation being heard this week, only those considered by our research staff as the worst or best measures on the schedule. For a complete list of all legislation being heard this week go HERE. For "tools" to contact the legislature go to our Action page. Most of these meetings will be teleconferenced, and a list of LIO locations are provided HERE. To watch or listen to committee hearings online go HERE. _______________
COMING NEXT WEEK: IS ELF BENEFICIAL TO ALASKA?
This discussion will expose ELF for what it is! Once you know the facts, decide for yourself if our legislature has been taking care of OUR business in Juneau. If you want to get a head start on this issue take a look at HB 441, then contact Representative Hawker and Representative Gara to get both sides of this critical issue. Make sure you ask Representative Hawker when public testimony on HB 441 will be heard in his ways & means committee.
email: Representative_Mike_Hawker@legis.state.ak.us or call toll free: 800-478-4950 email: Representative_Les_Gara@legis.state.ak.us or call toll free: 888-465-2647
While you are thinking about ELF, remember how much attention has been paid this session to raiding the Permanent Fund or imposing new taxes (or user fees) on the citizens of Alaska. ELF is a tax giant, kept out of public sight for a reason. The more you learn about ELF, the more stinky this one gets! _______________
LATEST PERMANENT FUND SAMPLE LETTER TO GOVERNOR AND LEGISLATURE
Click here for the latest letter in support of the Permanent Fund. Sign and send as is, or write your own. Its fast, easy, and helps remind the legislature how you feel about YOUR PERMANENT FUND!!! _______________
THE ALASKA VOTERS ORGANIZATION NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT
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Please consider a donation to help Alaska Voters make this important educational campaign become a reality. A grass roots effort is the only way to solve Alaska's fiscal problem and political disconnect. We know that the legislature will not get the job done without your input and encouragement. Help us "reconnect" Alaskans with our elected officials! Alaska Voters is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit corporation and in most cases your donations of cash or in kind are tax deductible.
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