Well the Governor wants to tap the Permenent Fund

[Bandit]

Anyone surprized? He is demanding the Senate pass his bill or he will call for a special session. How can people here be so stupid? The Republicans have been drooling over the fund forever and now they are making their play for it. I say fuck em. I will vote no way in hell. His own committee that he placed to study the matter said State Income Tax was the first and best way to go but do Republicans listen to anyone?

[roguevalley]

1. I will never vote for it and neither will anyone I know. They all hate

murkowski and many of them are conservative repugs.

[izzie]

2. Interesting. In about 1974 Alaska dropped it's income tax.

I may have dates wrong but we paid it for a number of years even if we lived in NH as it was where my husband worked. Then it was dropped and as I recall congress in DC went wild to get a hold of the permanent fund and could not get it.So some one wants it now. I am not shocked as people in power have trouble with money they can not spend. Maybe they wish to put up a fence from Anchorage to Fairbanks to keep moose off the road as they wanted to do once when I lived in Alaska?

[cleofus1]

3. This issue...

I much more nuanced and diabolical. This Bill will be defeated and then used as an excuse by the Murkowski administration to cut money from education, social programs and other important government functions. It's a win, win situation for "Frank the bank"...if we vote to use the permanent fund he avoids a progressive income tax (which is anathema for conservatives). If we vote not to use the money he has his excuse to ax liberal programs.
I think we should do the "payout". Divvy up the whole amount to current applicants and then all money after that will go to pay for government spending. As oil revenues decline we need to fill the gap...and really where else are we going to get 5 billion a year (or so) to pay for this? We will eventually have to use the Permanent Fund. So the only win-win situation for us, is for every man, woman, and child who are Alaskan citizens to receive 50 k (or whatever the number is) and then fore go all future dividends.

[Bandit]

4. I agree but the figure I heard was $22,000. per person

It sounds like a lot but really isn't but then again it is better than nothing and if we keep the Republicans in power it won't be long until we get nothing. They just can not handle the publics money for the people. They steal it for their rich friends and they have been drooling over these billions for over a decade. They have all the power now so now is the time to make their play for it.

[cleofus1]

5. 22,000

is the number if we split the pf half for me and half for gov...

[cleofus1]

6. hurrmmm

about 45 k each if we liquidate the whole thing....according to my calculations....;-)

[Curious Dave]

7. I'm willing to be educated on this one

Get your rocks and sticks and slings and arrows ready now... :)

I am one of the, what was it, 17% that voted in favor of hitting the fund to pay for government when this came up a few years back. I'll duck now while people throw things at me :)

This was my thinking at the time (and still is). I think we've eliminated about all the "waste" (and a lot that isn't waste) that can be eliminated from the budget. Plus, one man's "waste" is another man's "vital and needed program" which keeps the budget process highly political. We reached a point where telling state government to spend less is like telling a junkie to use less heroin, it might be a great idea, but it isn't likely to happen.

So, who pays for state government?

Now I'm about to confess to a grievous sin, the sin of selfishness. I'm self employed and make a decent, but by no means extravagant, living. Between FITW, Social Sec, Med, and self employment taxes I am already taking 40% of every dollar I make and sending it off to the federal government. Also, I live in the Fairbanks North Star Borough and pay what I think are insanely high property taxes (our mil rate is about 19). At the risk of sounding greedy and Republican, I feel like I'm being bleed dry now!

So who pays for state government? With a state income tax I will! The very poor will pay nothing (and thats probably fair) and the very rich will pay nothing because in this state they'll play the legislature like a violin and loophole the hell out of the tax code. Who does that leave to pay? Me and you brother, me and you...

At least by letting the state hit the Fund, we can create a situation where every Alaskan bleeds a little, rather than a situation where you and me bleed a lot!

Thats my thinking anyway, but by no means am I convinced I have the best answer here. I stand ready to have my mind changed :)

Dave

[Bandit]

8. Very Progressive attitude you have............not

That's the ticket let's take it from those most needy. I have a much better idea. Let's vote the republicans out of office so we can get our financial house in order. They have had control now long enough to demonstrate they have no clue how to govern. You wish to take from the poorest among us instead of addressing the real problem. That is Republican malfeasance. All it takes is a little study to see how Alaska and the entire US has faired under Democratic leadership compared to Republican leadership. Every single Republican President since Hoover has put America into Recession. Every Single one. Now compare with Democratic Presidents. Not a single one experienced recession during their term in office. You seem to want to continue with Republican financial policies which have been proved beyond doubt to be very harmful to Alaska and America as a whole.

[Curious Dave]

9. Whoops Sorry

I guess I didn't do a very good job of explaining myself! I DON'T think the poorest Alaskans should foot the bill. I even stated that under an income tax system the poorest Alaskans probably wouldn't pay anything and that this was probably fair!

Now if you'll please put down your sword, pick up my head and help me re-attach it to my shoulders....

thank you :)

Its my concern for the poorest Alaskans that also has me opposing the sales tax approach to Alaska's financial problems. A poor family will spend 100% of its income just getting by. So they'd be taxed on 100% of their income. A rich family might only have to spend 15% of their income, leaving 85% untouched by taxes. What could be more unfair?

My concern about an income tax is that the people at the upper end of the income spectrum will get a free ride because (it seems to me anyway) they own the state's government and will loophole the hell the hell out of the tax code to their own advantage.

I admited upfront that I wasn't convinced that hitting the Fund was the best answer and that I was prepared to be persuaded otherwise. I guess you took that as carte blanche to insult me and question my values. Thanks for being so civil. NOT!

[northofdenali]

10. Gawd, I love Alaskan Democrats!

This is such a typical Murkowski ploy to be able to continue cutting any and all social programs - particularly those to the elderly and Alaska Natives - to the bare bones.

If Frank the Bank wasn't supported by big oil and the major neocons in the Bush misAdministration, Fran would be governor. But even Fran said tapping the fund - with voter approval and controls - might be necessary to get the state back on track.

Personally, a state income tax is it for me. That way, the lower-48 Slope workers who hit here and split with all their bucks (and also try to collect from the Fund) would also pay their fair share.

But nothing will happen until services are so bad (remember the mid '60's, when all we had was the income tax) that Alaskans wake up to Repuke mismanagement and all-round greed.