The Weekly Top 3 (2.20.2023)

Why the push for more spending is irresistible, why the "Alaska model" is just a version of the old, not-so-good Congressional model & what Gov Dunleavy's supplemental budget signals

Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind here at Alaskans for Sustainable Budgets — for the week of February 20, 2023.

The Weekly Top 3 is a regular weekly segment on The Michael Dukes Show. The Show broadcasts on Facebook and YouTubeLive as well as via streaming audio from the Show’s website weekdays from 6–8am. I join Michael weekly in the first hour of Tuesday’s show, from 6:25–7am, for a discussion between the two of us about our three issues.

This week our top 3 issues are these: 1) we explain why, without a fiscal counterbalance, the push for more spending has become irresistible (1:58), 2) we discuss why the “Alaska model of bipartisanship” is just another version of the old, not so good Congressional model (20:57), and 3) we discuss what Governor Dunleavy’s supplemental budget signals to us (28:27).*

The segment is at the YouTube clip above. For those that prefer the audio version, it is available both on our Spotify and Soundcloud pages. For this and other complete podcasts of The Michael Dukes Show, go to the Show’s Soundcloud page here.

*Note: Parts of the discussion during the show were based on an article by Sean Maguire that appeared in the February 19, 2023, Anchorage Daily News (“Alaska child care crisis more acute than ever, legislators hear”) about hearings on a bill by Rep. Zack Fields (D-Anchorage) that would, among other things, establish a state-funded “Child care provider fund” to help, according to Dugan’s article, “stabilize the child care industry.” The article included statements made by an employee of Alyeska Pipeline Service Company. 

Subsequent to the show’s airing we received an email from Alyeska to “correct any misrepresentation of Alyeska’s position and our employee’s comments.” The email is available here.