Rep. Doogan in Juneau: SPECIAL BROTHER CAN YOU SPARE $10 BILLION EDITION
February 3, 2012
I have started to try to get support for my bill to put $10 billion into the Alaska Permanent Fund. The bill is in the Powerful House Finance Committee, of which I am an insignificant member. I haven’t asked for a hearing yet; I want all the members of the House to have a chance to think about it first.
The bill has about the same chance to pass as a snowflake in Hades. There are many bills that offer us the chance to spend, spend, spend. Since spending is much more popular than saving – particularly in an election year – you can write your own script for poor House Bill 194. It won’t have a happy ending. But I’ll give you my pitch anyway.
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Rep. Kawasaki’s Juneau Note: Almost Budget Time; Possible USPS Closing on Bases; APRIL Luncheon
October 31, 2011
The interim is flying by and my office has been busy preparing for the next ‘budget season.’ Last year, the Fall Forecast was released in late November and I anticipate a similar schedule this year, with the Governor’s Budget planned to be released sometime in early December. Every year my office fields hundreds of requests for projects requesting the aid of the state government. As we review district transportation needs, school construction and community and citizen projects, my priorities will be to improve the quality of life in Fairbanks. I will discuss more over the next few weeks on how to sort through the community needs and wants, while being frugal with our state budget and living within our means. Please feel free to send me your budget suggestions and comments.
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Rep. Doogan in Juneau: SPECIAL JUST GIVE THEM ALL THE MONEY EDITION
March 25, 2011
SPECIAL JUST GIVE THEM ALL THE MONEY EDITION
Oil Industry Give-Backs, Part 2
I’ve been spending time with my colleagues in the powerful House Finance Committee.
Lots of time.
We are closing in on two weeks of hearings on Gov. Sean Parnell’s bill to give another $2 billion a year to the oil companies – HB 110.
What we’ve learned so far is this: the oil companies really, really, really, really – I mean, really – want the money. And Parnell wants to give it to them.
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Note from Rep. Gara: Good & Less Good Budget News; Que$tions Arising on Guv’s Oil Tax Rollback Bill; Anchorage Public Meetings Next Two Saturdays
March 16, 2011
Things are happening at a furious pace here. Actually, I just wanted to write that because I think “furious pace” sounds impressive. Please picture me with rolled up sleeves moving around furiously, even though I’d feel weird about doing that. I’ve never been big about rolling up work shirt sleeves.
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Rep. Mike Doogan in Juneau: SPECIAL EXPAND-O-MATIC BUDGETS EDITION
March 11, 2011
We moved the state operating budget out of the powerful House Finance Committee, across the House floor and on to the Senate this week. The budget is a 79-page monster costing about $8.9 billion. At least that’s how it left the House. Budgets never get smaller, however. They only grow. So there’s no telling how much bigger it will get in the Senate, then in conference committee. But unless a meteor wipes out the Prudhoe Bay oil fields, we can probably afford it.
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