Note from Rep. Gara: Good, Bad, and Ugly on Oil Bill, Education, and Housing
Dear Neighbors,
Well, in my view this session has been a disaster with glimmers of good. I wish I could put a true and happier spin on this, but I can’t. I’m including two press releases, one good and one bad. The good news is a nice bill what we passed with Rep. Mia Costello which will make Anchorage and Alaska more vibrant, and that will cost-effectively reduce the low and middle-income housing shortage in Anchorage.
Read More →
Note from Rep. Gara: Tuesday Oil Testimony, A Billion or Two in Knik Bridge Liability and, Yes, Foster Care Bill
Dear Neighbors,
I’m sorry for not bugging you with one of these newsletters in a while – work has been crazy, and I’ve been battling to fix what I think is the worst piece of legislation this state has seen in a long time – an oil tax bill that will create fiscal cliff, cause $2 billion per year in annual deficits, and result in a loss of jobs through ripple effects across the state. The bill, at $120 a barrel, gives away roughly $1.5 - $2 billion in state revenue per year.
Read More →
Note from Rep. Gara: Education Pressure Working? Silenced Experts & Not All Gas Pipelines Are the Same
Dear Neighbors,
Earlier this week I woke up to killer whales in the Gastineau Channel. At first I thought that could be a bad omen. Then I thought, “I could use some cereal.” That’s just how you have to roll in this job. You do what you can, work harder than you want to give yourself the best chance to make a difference, look at the killer whales, forget them and move on.
Read More →
Note from Rep. Gara: Action Alert on School Cuts; Our Housing Bill Passes House; Bad Oil News
Dear Neighbors,
You ever have a disaster that could have hurt you, and you survived? Got stuck in mud while fishing and didn’t drown? Almost got hit by a car? Well, that’s what this week was like. In a partisan session, where one party controls the House, Senate and Governor’s Office, we have a system that breeds partisanship instead of one that moves the state forward. That never works well, whichever party is in charge. So, it’s a good week when I can share good and bad news with you. That’s what kind of session this is.
Read More →
Note from Rep. Gara: Supporters Admit Oil Giveaway a “Crapshoot”; No New Production Promised From Oil Companies
A billion dollars here. A billion dollars there. Whatever.
Is that a way to craft an oil bill for this state’s future? This week one of the architects of the Senate’s oil tax bill similar to the Governor’s version followed oil company testimony stating they wouldn’t guarantee new production if the bill passed – and you just can’t make this stuff up – by saying “It’s kind of a crapshoot”. Juneau Empire, March 17, 2013.
Read More →
Note from Rep. Gara: 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.
Read More →
