March 3, 2021
The Honorable Senator
Alaska State Capitol
Juneau, AK 99801-1182
Dear Senator:
Alaska Common Ground is a non-partisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a substantial and growing statewide membership. We have held dozens of events discussing Alaska’s fiscal policy over the past three decades which have attracted thousands of attendees. We are sending you this letter to emphasize the concerns they have shared with us that are described in the attached documents.
It is crucial that our legislators work together to develop solutions that address the current fiscal crisis.
First it is critical to Alaska’s fiscal future that the Permanent Fund be protected from overspending that prevents the growth necessary to increase yields that can support our future needs.
We also cannot emphasize enough the need to provide the necessary funding for constitutionally required public services including education, public health, and public safety.
The Legislature must adopt new revenue sources, including a graduated income tax. This is critical to closing the budget deficit.
This legislative session is the time to forge a solution to this crisis. Each year of delay makes an already pressing problem worse and discourages investment in our state.
Respectfully,
Dick Mylius, Chair
On behalf of the Alaska Common Ground Board of Directors
Enclosures:
1) 12-page graphic guide to Alaska’s fiscal crisis
2) Two-page analysis of Alaska’s fiscal future prepared by Alaska Common Ground in August 2020.
