Your voice matters! Thank you for sharing your opinions with me. Even if politicians learned how to reduce spending, balance the budget, and save a portion of the State’s vast income, they still have no right to take the people’s dividends for government programs. I’ve given more detailed answers below.
1. PFD Spending
Did politicians in Juneau spend too much of the PFD this year, not enough, or just the right amount?
I trust the people of Alaska to make better decisions with the PFD than the politicians in Juneau.
Background: Legislators in Juneau cut the 2026 PFD by 70% (from $3,892 down to $1,200). The special interests in Juneau had many ideas on where 70% of the PFD should be spent this year. Unfortunately, our politicians cater to those interests when it comes time to vote. Like last year, the vote was 40-0 this year to cut the full PFD out of the governor’s budget. This is a far cry from what Alaskan voters have asked for.
2. Mat-Su Data Center
What do you think about the plans to build a computer data center here in the Mat-Su?
I believe the current plans are very short-sighted.
Background: My father has been working in the data center sector for the better part of twenty years. I have two brothers who have also been working in and around data centers for many years. I have nothing against data centers, per se. That said, the latest rush to establish a data center wherever electricity is available, including in places like the Mat-Su, is not normal. Economically, like the era when railroads were being built all over America, it is a bubble. Most of the dot-coms went broke in the early 2000’s. Most of the railroads went broke for similar reasons. Much of the technology currently used by data centers will be obsolete in ten years time. Likewise, the business case for building data centers in Alaska and in the Mat-Su is very poor. I am also concerned that America is following in the steps of the UK and becoming a surveillance state, powered by millions of cameras and data centers. Like most Alaskans, I don’t want the government tracking me when I travel and go about my daily life.
3. Grocery Sales Tax
Should cities like Wasilla be allowed to continue to collect sales tax on groceries?
Groceries are not a luxury item, they are a staple. Alaskans should not be taxed on basic living expenses.
Background: State law currently allows municipalities to impose taxes on many things, groceries among them. The legislature occasionally expands or shortens the list of things that municipalities can tax. For example, the issue of whether cities and boroughs can impose property taxes on a new gas pipeline is currently being heavily debated within the legislature right now. In my view, legislators should make clear in state law that municipalities have no authority to tax basic necessities like groceries.
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