By MICHAEL TAVOLIERO
Alaska’s state government has long operated under the false premise that its fiscal problems stem from inadequate revenue rather than reckless, unaccountable spending.
This lie is perpetuated by entrenched bureaucrats, along with histrionic politicians such as Senators Cathy Giessel, Gary Stevens, Jesse Bjorkman, Matt Claman, Forrest Dunbar, Elvi Gray-Jackson, Lyman Hoffman, Scoot Kawasaki, Jesse Kiehl, Kelly Merrick, Donny Olson, Bert Stedman, Loki Tobin, Bill Wielechowski, and Robert Yundt, and their useless counterpart House Representatives that include Chuck Kopp, Bryce Edgmon, Robyn Niayuq Burke, Ashley Carrick, Maxine Dilbert, Ted Eischeid, Zack Fields, Neal Foster, Alyse Galvin, Andrew Gray, Carolyn Hall, Sara Hannah, Rebecca Himschoot, Ky Holland, Nellie Unangiq Jimmie, Andy Josephson, Donna Mears, Genevieve Mina, Calvin Schrage, Andi Story, and Louise Stutes. The lie is not only misleading but an insult to the intelligence of all Alaskans.
As an example of the lies on a national level, the mission statement of the US National Security Agency is a combat support agency within the US Department of Defense. It leads in cryptology, providing signals intelligence (SIGINT) and cybersecurity to support military operations, secure communications, and protect national security.
The American public just discovered that this group of unelected bureaucrats are already anal-eyezed.
If this is what national security looks like, where taxpayer-funded intelligence networks double as a kink forum for government employees, what exactly is the Alaska deep state up to?
If the NSA, tasked with protecting America from cyber threats and foreign adversaries, is instead hosting discussions on “butthole laser treatments” and “sexual pleasure post-castration,” what confidence should Alaskans have that their own bureaucracies are operating with any greater professionalism or competence?
Are state agencies—already bloated with inefficiency—just as preoccupied with indulgent self-exploration under the banner of diversity, equity, and inclusion?
How many hours of taxpayer-funded work are being dedicated to “ally awareness” meetings instead of actually addressing Alaska’s failing education system, crumbling infrastructure, or economic stagnation?
If this level of absurdity can take hold at the highest levels of intelligence nationally, what kind of degeneracy and waste is lurking in Alaska’s government offices?
The reality is clear: Alaska does not have a revenue problem—it has a spending problem managed and operated by entitled elites.
National polling data supports what Alaskans already know: government inefficiency, waste, fraud, and mismanagement are the primary culprits behind our fiscal challenges, not a lack of taxation.
On Feb. 24, 2025, the February Harvard CAPS / Harris poll, a monthly collaboration between the Center for American Political Studies at Harvard and the Harris Poll and HarrisX released the results of 83% of voters favor reducing government expenditures over increasing taxes, and 77% say a full examination of all government expenditures is necessary.
The unelected bureaucratic machine in Juneau — the so-called “deep state” — is not concerned with the well-being of Alaskans. Its primary objective is job security and maintaining its grip on power.
This explains why Alaskan politicians, public unions and Alaska’s government agencies resist meaningful spending cuts while relentlessly pushing for tax increases and PFD reductions. They do not serve Alaskans; they serve themselves. Every attempt to impose an income tax or seize Alaskans’ PFD is nothing more than an effort to preserve their bloated, self-sustaining bureaucracy at the expense of hardworking residents.
Despite receiving some of the highest per-student funding in the nation, Alaska’s public education system ranks near the bottom in student achievement. More money has not, and will not, fix this problem. Instead, it enables an expanding administrative class that diverts funding away from classrooms and into bureaucratic salaries, regulatory compliance, and redundant oversight. It is self-perpetuating at the cost of Alaska’s future.
Rather than addressing this failure, leaders like Giessel want Alaskans to accept even higher taxes to fuel the very system that has already failed their children.
The push for an income tax is a distraction from the real reform Alaska needs: a comprehensive reduction in government spending and an overhaul of the budget process to ensure that every dollar is spent efficiently and with accountability. Bureaucrats and career politicians claim that “there is nothing left to cut,” yet millions of dollars continue to be wasted annually on redundant programs, unnecessary administrative positions, and inefficient service delivery models.
Instead of increasing taxes, Alaska should pursue serious fiscal discipline, including:
- Eliminating redundant state agencies and administrative overhead that do not provide direct services to Alaskans.
- Ending special-interest subsidies and corporate welfare that offer no clear return on investment.
- Enforcing zero-based budgeting, requiring every department to justify its budget from the ground up rather than assuming automatic increases.
- Redirecting education funding from bloated bureaucracies directly into classrooms where it can actually impact student outcomes.
- Auditing every state agency to root out fraud, waste, and mismanagement.
The people of Alaska have every right to demand a government that works for them, not against them. Instead, they are subjected to an inefficient and self-serving bureaucracy that refuses to be held accountable. Senator Giessel’s call for an income tax is not about fiscal responsibility—it is about protecting the bureaucratic class at the expense of Alaskans. The people of this state deserve a government that respects their hard work, safeguards their earnings, and prioritizes efficient governance over self-preservation.
Michael Tavoliero writes for Must Read Alaska.
