Gov. Michael Dunleavy originally hoped to have the spending package that contains the Permanent Fund dividend ready this week. But he and his staff are not ready to sign HB 2001, but will do so on Monday.
Dunleavy today announced two school-related items he will not veto:The Online library program known as OWL, and the live homework help program:
The amounts come to $809,100 for the two programs.
“Like funds restored earlier in the week for Head Start, Early Childhood Grants and other early learning programs, these decision were made after significant input from Alaskans,” Dunleavy said. “While we hoped to have these issues cleared up months ago, it’s important we announce these items now before the start of the school year.”
Online with Libraries (OWL) – Restored $670,900
- OWL Online with Libraries provides State funds that together with federal E-rate funds and local funds builds the capacity of public libraries around the state to support broadband internet services and supply videoconferencing capability for Alaskans.
- This program helps support students who need access to computers after school hours by enhancing access at public libraries.
Live Homework Help (LHH) – Restored $138,200
- Live Homework Help provides online tutoring services to help Alaskan students better perform in courses, participate in statewide initiatives such as the Alaska Performance Scholarship Awards, meet goals, and prepare for post-secondary success.
I’m reminded of the story of Dr Frédéric Péchier — the doctor who poisoned his patients so he revive them and appear the hero.
When the smoke clears- this governor will have passed the largest budget cuts in Alaskan history, have a deal for serious reform at the University (that may very well actually make it sustainable), and recover some of the PFD, while pursuing the rest in either another special session or thru constitutional amendments in the coming year.
These accomplishments to anyone who has a working knowledge of the actual players and obstacles involved are significant. The electorate expressed a desire for self governance, reform, budget cuts, responsible spending, and protection of their shareholder dividend (PFD). In DIRECT opposition to those things, stood, the left, establishment republicans, the media, PEUs, the Chamber, many many special interest groups, and a large number of wealthy families, politicians, and business owners, who sincerely consider themselves the elite who know better than Alaskans how to spend their money. To the extent that he was able to fight all these groups, and support the will of the people, he will end up moving Alaska more to toward solvency than any governor in modern times.
Actually Walter, when the smoke clears-this governor will be Recalled for the exact reasons you think he is doing a fine job. That is if he doesn’t resign first.
yip…yip…yip….. the little chiwaaaawaaaa is still making noise……..little teeth, little bite…..little, well, yes that too………yip yippp….!
The reasons Walter stated here are not grounds for recall, and certainly no reason to resign.
The grounds for recall are only part of the reasons for his recall Four-flusher. The groundswell of objections to his budget cuts are what’s driving this IMO.
The reasons for his resigning would be the writing on the wall of the Recall effort.
Each voter will have his/her reasons for voting to recall this Gov. and they may/may not have a thing to do with those grounds for recall IMO. Obviously, if his support is large enough, he may not resign but my money is on the Recall effort being large enough that he resigns (he won’t give a reason). Heheh!
Bill heheh Yankee, with no grounds for recall there is no recall. Read the statues, they explain it all and have been posted on this site and others numerous times. It doesn’t matter if you and 28,000 of your friends do not like a minor budget cut if it’s not grounds for recall…and it’s not. It’s called the law, Heheh!
Grounds for a recall will be decided by a court Steve-O. What you or I think are grounds doesn’t matter.
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Two questions: Who cut the courts? And: Are you a betting man?
You misunderstood my comment Four-flusher. The grounds for Recall are something entirely different-they are required to hold the election. The election will be determined on how the electorate feels about the candidate and those grounds won’t have a thing to do with it.
Of course, it’s always possible the Courts will not hold those grounds that were given. Heheh! With Dunleavy’s handling of the Courts what do you think his chances are with Alaska’s court system. His biggest blunder of all IMO.
Seems like neither Bill nor I Art Laughing believe that our courts are or can be impartial. That right there speaks volumes. You both think that our judiciary does not have the wherewithal to make an impartial decision, really? If that is the case then we should be talking about far more important matters than recalling a governor who dares cut the budget by a few small percentage points. It would mean that the far more pressing matter is that the third leg of our government is completely corrupt and needs to be replaced post haste!
In any case it does not matter what any of us think, it matters what the law says…inform yourselves http://www.elections.alaska.gov/Core/petitionrecallprocess.php
Hey Steve-O, I’m the one to the right of you, remember? Of course I don’t think our courts are unbiased.
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As far as speaking volumes you don’t seem to mind that the single issue of the PFD is gonna land conservatives on the rocks in this State that it may take a generation to recover from. Dunleavy and his administration is wrecked. I saw it coming when he didn’t explain his budget. You still haven’t seen it. No leadership and not worthy of confidence. That is what “speaks volumes”. And it was the day I regretted deeply that I had voted for him.
While your educating yourself on the law why don’t you explain why a Veco bribe recipient is the Chief of Staff? No even a smidgen of corruption!
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Or Donna “Under FBI Investigation for Sole Source Contracts” Arduin is OMB director.
I Art,
Have you seen the bloated budgets? I have, a majority of Alaskans have.
I think that you confuse some people who call themselves conservatives with people who are conservatives, I do not doubt that others make the same faulty distinction. Conservatives want smaller less intrusive government, those who call themselves conservative but aren’t do not want that and actively fight against it, Gary Knopp fits the latter group.
Since you mistakenly attribute being a conservative with a full pfd like many others who are ill informed, let me set your mind at ease. All the conservatives that I know, are willing to do without the pfd but they also want the state government to spend in something that resembles a rational manner, even if that means spending more than anyother state in the union that would be OK, just not at the rate we are spending now, which is way, way, way higher than any other state.
You see the conservatives I know understand math and that the state of Alaska does not understand math.
We can keep spending at the breakneck rate we are, but we will be cracking into the corpus of the Permanent Fund in no time if we do that. Conservatives are opposed to that, period, full stop, end of story…because of the conservatism….
I understand that letting multinational oligarchs decide our future isn’t math that Alaskans can win at.
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Bloated, yep I didn’t appreciate Walker because he expanded Medicare/Medicaid. I lost my State position that I had for over a decade because of Walker’s cuts but that’s not why I disliked his administration.
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If we continue to live on the oil revenues we’re just oil company chattel and will always dance to their tune and elect their crony politicians.
Also, oil companies and cruise lines want smaller less intrusive government in Alaska so we can have larger and more intrusive corporations to exploit Alaska’s resources regardless of Alaska’s people. That’s not conservative in my book.
I think Art, Bill, and Steve-O should get together for a beer someday. That would be interesting…
Four-flusher, this governor poked his finger into the eyes of our supreme court and then is hoping for a favorable ruling from them?? This is industrial-strength stupidity IMO. This doesn’t mean I think the courts are not impartial but Dunleavy has indirectly introduced a bias into their potential ruling on the matter.
What is telling about it, even more, is that Dunleavy had taken notice of how those seniors (he had originally taken their benefits and reversed later) would be inclined to vote on any Recall. Pretty clear how they would have voted and less clear now but the telling part is that this administration is more concerned about that vote than whether/not seniors need their money. Heheh!
My thinking here is that a large percentage of these seniors are in the Bush and will continue to vote to Recall but Dunleavy gets a passing grade for making this attempt.
Have another puff
Bill Yankee, have another puff
Larry, you must be talking about your own use of the crack-pipe? I’m unfamiliar with your terminology?
Do you take puffs? Of what? Heheh!
The cuts at the university have lowered its credit rating and caused the accrediting agency to issue a rare warning. This is not sustainability. If you look at the evidence, the gov has weakened the university.
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The electorate voted for a large PFD and pain free efficiencies.
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And all of this is to prevent taxes on the wealthy and out of state workers.
The credit rating being lowered at the university had to do with its reliance upon government funds, not that funds were being cut.
That’s the governor’s spin. Read the original document. Can’t stress this enough — read *all* news with a skeptical eye.
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Always go right to the source.
Another good comment. That said, I consider myself an establishment Republican and I support the Governor. Much of the drama is rather amusing: Many of the programs being cut have NEVER seen their budgets reduced. It is about time. When you look at the overall level of reductions, the total is rather modest. It is time for Alaska’s massive social welfare state to come back to earth. Where I differ from the Governor is that I favor down-sizing the dividend as well.
Perspective? Sometimes draconian measures are required for ppl to pay attention to the gravity of something. Look at UAA. President Johnson, who whined and wrung his hands, by his own admission, looked at consolidating statewide admin functions in 2016 but didn’t find it cost effective as stated in last Sunday’s ADN. But finally acted as if he realized a game plan starts with him in reducing expenditures deciding co consolidation is necessary.
The State can’t overspend their budget anymore than you or I can.
Another good analogy… the arsonist/firefighter who starts a five alarm fire and appears heroic helping put out the fire.
Oh Please!!!! It is very hard for one lion to hold off a pack of hyenas. Jackasses in this case.
Hear that sucking sound ? The new state revenue pipeline has been installed and its high suction pumps are designed to suck $$$ from state citizens and their so called permanent (pfd)
Don’t thank Gov. Dunleavy, thank the politicians who serve in the legislature, as they know what’s best for sheep they herd. When they are done sucking it dry they will surely develope another source on the backs of citizens (sheep)
say good bye to the pfd . The precedent has been established
So the students who need help aren’t state citizens? The people who can’t afford internet and need to go the library aren’t state citizens?
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This is money going to serve the people.
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If you want to discuss a sucking sound let’s start with no bid contracts and money wasted due to lowered bond ratings.
and who approves of no bid contracts ??? yes lowered bond ratings, gee what and who caused that ? you obviously trust what you are hearing , reading. consider donating your pfd or just allow poloticians to take what ever they want when ever they want , regardless of statute. similar, kinda like no bid contracts ? no choice !!!
The reason for the lowered bond rating is right in the report of the agency that lowered it.
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Gridlock, government dysfunction and narrow economy.
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I’m not on team cut the the PFD — I’m for a full PFD and for ferries, education and senior services. We can all of the above if we tax people making over 40 K or stop giving money to corporations taking our oil.
We agree on no bid contracts — please ask the governor why he is giving them out.
All those high goals dashed on the rocks of reality.
The main flaw in Mike’s thinking is his belief the Dividend is a “right” or “entitlement”. The truth is the PF income is up for grabs for any type of appropriation as recently confirmed by the Alaska Supreme Court. So every year the Dividend is in competition with all other State spending.
Stop listening to Tillion and Halford – they don’t know what they are talking about! They are down to clutching at a Constitutional Amendment which cannot happen as it would violate multiple other sections of our State Constitution.
Oh BTW, in case you forgot, Tillion is proposing an income tax to prop up the almighty Dividend. That idea is insane and now even rejected by the Democrats,
I don’t believe for one second that democrats would oppose ANY new tax ~ it’s more money they can get their hands on to enrich their unquenchable spending habits. They are probably salivating at the mere thought of an income tax.
Hey just like a football game, this is the end of the first quarter. I’m already looking forward to the second quarter.
Where the teams are recalled into a huddle?
Cold feet = Massive Cave -in.
Could take the Statehood away and have us start over since the Legislature is so dysfunctional. I guess we get the opportunity to do that each election cycle, but yet somehow, these, I dare say Socialists keep getting elected.
Doesn’t really matter what you think about those conflicting laws, ED. What matters is who has the votes to choose one over the other.
That said, it’s always possible that some horse-trading may take place in order to settle what has become a regular conflict each session. It may be preferable to fix this before next session to avoid the election-year issue. Unfortunately dealing with it in December is really not that much before the January regular session.
This was a no win situation for Dunleavy, but he had the choice of holding the line or giving in, and he gave and gave, and gave, and conceded to the Legislature an issue that he made the centerpiece of his campaign.
IN HIS FIRST MAJOR BATTLE, HE BACKED OFF, FIRST BLOOD GOES TO THE LEGISLATURE.
Giesel and Edgmond must be ecstatic, blood is drawn, and the wolves gather.
This defeat undermines those who stood with him.
He may not be able to count on that support in the next battle.
My apologies to Governor Mike Dunleavy on the above comment. I may have jumped the proverbial gun, I misread the article regarding the latest concessions and assumed Dunleavy intended to leave the $1,600 in place. It looks like the majority of his vetoes may remain, hope so. Will have to wait until Monday regarding the PFD.
My bad.
It’s going to take more than the university community to recall the governor; but true to their liberal agenda, what a wasteful effort they’ve taken on…
Wasting money, time, resources, to try and get rid of a governor who was voted into office based on his promises to reduce budget and restore PFD.
Disgustingly selfish and harmful to Alaskans, it’s what we’ve become accustomed to. Much like protecting the “right” of grown women to neglect birth control and opt instead to kill and forever silence innocent unborn women, especially those of minority heritage or low income areas… can’t be much more racist, anti-woman or selfish than that. These clowns make quite an art of the “gimme free stuff” angle.
But it’s not going to result in a successful recall effort.
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