I wish it was not necessary to write this, but the time has come!
Alaska’s House of Representatives formed a coalition across party lines and came up with a balanced solution to the state’s financial condition which they passed and sent to the Senate. What does the Senate do? They gavel in and gavel out. Leadership? A few committees leisurely meet. Nothing happens. What a disgrace!
Meanwhile, all collect their per diem: $213 per day for most. Many of us don’t earn $1,065 a week, plus an annual salary of $50,400 — and do nothing.
House Bill 115 as passed by the House is balanced: 1) Severe state budget cuts already; 2) Cuts in the Permanent Fund Dividend (a type of flat tax impacting lower income much more than high incomes); 3) Changes in oil taxes and rebates; 4) And new revenue through a state income tax. This balanced approach will impact us all. Is this too much to ask from a state which has given so much to us?
But we need to look further. A least two of our 20 senators are direct employees of the oil companies. When the House of Representatives passed a bill confronting “conflict of interest” and sent it to the Senate this year, the Senate shelved it and did nothing! The Senate majority are unwilling to form a bipartisan coalition to solve Alaska’s financial deficit, simply preferring to irresponsibly kick the can down the road.
Alaskans are tired of seeing our children, youth and adults jeopardized through cuts to education and other vitally needed state services. These will negatively impact Alaska for years. At the same time our senators, held up by the majority, do little but collect their per diem. We are tired of seeing Rome burn and Nero fiddling. Maybe we need a pay for services rendered! That might cut the taxpayer per diem for senators to almost zero.
Approximately 20 percent of Alaska’s workers, many highly paid, choose to live out of state. They earn their income in Alaska but are taxed nothing by the state, even though it supplies the needed infrastructure. Alaskans are asking for a progressive income tax which will impact all of us a little, whether living in-state or out-of-state. High incomes will pay more than lower ones.
The Bible is very clear: “To whom much is given much is required.” However, greed keeps knocking at the door of all of us, tempting us with the false illusion that just a little more will make us happy. To which will we listen: The Bible or greed?
This is a time when our senators need to get out of the pockets of Alaska’s special interests, coalesce across party lines and put the long term interests of the state first. This is a time for action. Enact a state income tax now.
It’s time to quit fiddling!
• Paul D. Beran is a 24 year Alaska resident and lives in Juneau.