Education and Job Training Suffer; Hand to Those with Disabilities Becomes Colder: Budget Cuts in Wrong Places

Dear Neighbors,

Well, we’re on an uncomfortable downwards slide as the legislature builds a budget in the shadow of the Governor’s $1 - $2 billion oil giveaway.

As you heard, there are, in my mind, much more effective, less damaging ways to amend our oil tax rules. See my recent op-ed. Last night in the House Finance Committee we discussed the operating budget, and amendments.  It wasn’t something that made me too happy, and should concern you.  Most of the press ignored what happened, so I should tell you that while I and my Democratic colleague Rep. Scott Kawasaki voted to help pass most Republican finance amendments, reciprocal cross-party line voting didn’t occur for our amendments, which were largely defeated along caucus lines.  That’s the problem with the party imbalance we have in the legislature this year.  Bi-partisanship only works when it goes both ways.

Education for the Next Generation?  Most Alaskans care about reversing three years of major education cuts across the state – and want schools you can rely on for your kids into the future so they have opportunity, and the ability to reach their full potential and dreams. 

Even conservative Don Smith, who spearheaded Anchorage’s tax cap initiative many years ago, says the Governor and legislature have cut into the bone on education support and are on the verge of harming our schools.  We proposed an amendment to reverse the last three years of cuts, and to prevent those proposed for next year.  Rep. Kawasaki and I offered a $60 million increase to make up for past losses, and so schools can move forward.  The other option is continued staff cuts in Mat-Su, Anchorage, Juneau, Kodiak and in most districts across the state.

All the rest of our amendments sought to restore modest proposals by the Governor – some, and not all of them, so that we could have a responsible budget with minimal funding increases over last year.

Attempts to Reverse Pre-K Cuts

Every credible study shows that children who attend pre-k (good early learning can be provided at home too if parents are able to do that, especially where only one parent works) perform better, graduate high school and college in higher numbers, commit less crime, earn more as adults, and end up in jail less.  It saves money.

Rep. Kawasaki and I offered amendments to reverse a cut in Best Beginnings, a $480,000 cut to the state’s nascent pre-k program which serves only roughly 300 kids, and a $242,500 cut to out-of-classroom Parents as Teachers pre-k. These cuts will cost us in the future, as students need more tutoring, special education, and other expensive services.

$8.3 Million Cut to Services for Those with Severe Emotional, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Problems

Alaska provides “Behavioral Health” services to people with mental health problems, ideations of suicide, intellectual disabilities, and other problems. Last year we added $3 million a year for three years because many Alaskans with these health problems have no treatment available. The result? Institutionalization at API, homelessness, jail and other results that can be replaced with treatment that allows people to grow, thrive, and live productively at home.
This budget eliminates $8.3 million in Behavioral Health funding in this and future years. For one year it takes the three years of $3 million grants passed last year – some of which possibly might not be legally spent – and eliminates this $8.3 million in funding in future years. Get ready to spend more money for jail, institutionalization and the cost of knowing those in the greatest need won’t be helped in reaching their greatest potential.

Savings: Rep. Kawasaki and I Offered $4 Million in Proposed Cuts That Were Rejected

We know there are savings we can achieve on a Knik Arm Bridge proposal that purports to cost the state little or no money, but that will likely leave you on the hook for the expected $2 billion shortfall between tolls and the cost of construction and operation. Yup. The folks running this project want you to subsidize the “private” operators’ profits on a bridge that actually EXTENDS the commute time to Palmer and Wasilla from Anchorage.

Budgets are about priorities. Short changing education, early learning, opportunity, job training (another effort we tried to restore Governor-proposed funds to) and things that protect those dealt the worst cards in life, so we can spend on projects with a lesser need, isn’t something I can support.

Loussac Library Facility Master Plan Open House

On another note, the Facility Master Plan for the Loussac Renewal project will be released at an open house on Monday, March 18 from 5:30pm to 7pm in the Wilda Marston Theater at the Z.L. Loussac Library in Anchorage. A year in the making, the plan is a result of detailed planning by a team of architects, designers, technology and library experts, and thoughtful and creative input from thousands of community members. Please come out and share your thoughts and provide your input. For questions please email loussac@anchoragelibraryfoundation.org.

As always, call with any questions.