Note from Rep. Les Gara: Guv Fear-Mongers On Your PFD: Why He’s Wrong. Very Wrong.
It seems that no matter what the issue, the Governor’s solution is to roll back oil taxes. Tuesday he did just that in announcing the Permanent Fund Dividend. He warned - very inaccurately - that “Alaskans can face diminishing dividends based upon the current dividend calculation because, in part, poor performance of the stock market, and then additionally over time because of declining oil production there will be fewer and less royalties going into the Permanent Fund unless we turn that around.”
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[video] Rep. Gara: We Can Do Better Than The Guv’s $8 Billion Oil Company Giveaway
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Wednesday Noon: Rep. Gara To Address East Rotary On Oil Tax Debate; Foster Care Volunteer Needs
Wednesday Noon: Rep. Gara To Address East Rotary On Oil Tax Debate; Foster Care Volunteer Needs (ANCHORAGE) – Rep. Les Gara has been invited by the East Anchorage Rotary Club to address the need for volunteers on a number of foster care initiatives his office is working on; and on the debate over vastly reducing …
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Note from Rep. Les Gara: Hiring Non-Alaskans in the Oil Patch Hearing Thursday & Lots More
Well, I’ve learned a lot this summer, and Thursday we can all learn more – on why the oil industry is hiring so many outside workers in place of Alaskans. That hearing will take place at the Legislative Information Office, from 1:30 to 3:30. Public testimony will be allowed from 5:30 to 7:30. Here’s what we know. Nearly 50% of Alaska’s North Slope workers since 2009 have been outsiders. On the other hand, employment in Alaska’s oil and gas industry is at an all-time high – 13,600 this year, compared to 10,100 when we had a low oil production tax under the old ELF system. So – those fancy TV ads saying we need to reduce oil taxes because we’re losing North Slope employment leave out a fact. Well, a few. That employment is up. But Outsiders are taking jobs Alaskans should get. Lowering oil taxes, when the industry is hiring more non-Alaskans, is one of those bad policy non sequiturs.
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Op-Ed from Rep. Les Gara: Let’s debate oil tax without making up facts
When debating proposals that could cost Alaskans billions of dollars, it’s important to have your facts straight. Recently a lobbying group took liberties with the facts to sway you into giving away Alaska’s fair return on the oil we own. People are entitled to their opinions. But they are not entitled to make up their own facts.
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