By Nicholas Begich III This op-ed originally appeared in the Anchorage Daily News on January 18, 2020. On Friday, a group submitted an application to once again change the rules when it comes […]
Oil Tax Changes Require More Careful Consideration
For a thriving economy, government spend must come down even more
By Donna Arduin Kauranen This article was originally published in Must Read Alaska on December 11, 2019. One year ago, Gov. Mike Dunleavy submitted a budget representing the starting place for his budget […]
APF Statement on Governor’s FY2021 Proposed Budget
Click here to view the press release in a new tab as a PDF. ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Alaska Policy Forum (APF) issued the following statement in response to today’s release of the Governor […]
APF Statement on FY2021 Revenue Forecast
Click here to open the press release as a PDF in a new tab. ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Alaska Policy Forum (APF) issued the following statement in response to today’s release of the state’s […]
Should States Subsidize Universities?
By Richard K. Vedder This article is reprinted with permission from the Independent Institute and was originally published in Forbes on November 11, 2019. Politicians have historically favored funding state universities, arguing they […]
Alaska’s Tax Climate, Ranked
The Tax Foundation recently released the 2020 State Business Tax Climate Index, which ranks every state according to the burden of various taxes on their economies. Alaska’s overall score was third in the […]
Alaska’s Economy, Ranked
In the Fraser Institute Study: Measuring Labour Markets in Canada and the United States, 2019 Edition The Fraser Institute recently released a report, Measuring Labour Markets in Canada and the United States, which […]
Reducing Subsidy for Ferries Will Keep System Afloat
By Win Gruening This article originally appeared in Must Read Alaska on October 4, 2019. One of the most vehement fiscal debates this year concerned reductions to the Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS) […]
State Budget Woes: First Kansas, Now Alaska
By Joseph Coletti This article was originally published by the John Locke Foundation on August 22, 2019. Kansas has been criticized since 2012 for cutting taxes irresponsibly, despite a court-ordered increase in education […]
A Refreshing Response in Juneau
Alaska Policy Forum Board Member Win Gruening of Juneau wrote the following article for Must Read Alaska. It’s quite refreshing to read how Juneau’s non-profit, The Glory Hall, responded to recent state budget […]
Alaska Should Learn from Kansas
By Dave Trabert As Alaska legislators ponder resolutions to the state’s budget challenges, there’s a lot to be learned from Kansas’ efforts to balance budgets under Governor Sam Brownback. Here’s the big lesson: […]
A Civil Emergency in Anchorage?
On July 24, Anchorage Mayor Ethan Berkowitz announced a civil emergency in the city. This is only the second time in Anchorage history that a civil emergency has been declared. What’s the reason? Budget cuts. […]
University of Alaska Expenditures on Staff
In February, Governor Michael Dunleavy proposed an operating budget which reflected $134 million less in state funding for the University of Alaska. His budget was not used as the basis for the appropriations […]
Spending Within Our Means
By Ann Brown The following op-ed was published in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner and the Peninsula Clarion. While it is not unusual for political adversaries to call each other Chicken Little, Gov. Mike […]
Unsustainable Spending: The State of Alaska’s Budget and Economy
Alaska Policy Forum is proud to have partnered with economic experts at The Buckeye Institute and its Economic Research Center to release our latest policy paper: a study of Alaska’s budget, economy and […]
Is Alaska’s Government Workforce Cost Efficient?
By Bob Griffin The following op-ed was originally published in the Anchorage Daily News on December 6, 2018. The idea of slow-moving government employees working just a bit faster than snow melts in […]