Steve,

You did cherry pick how Alaska came to a $4 billion dollar deficit. It was the Republican House and Senate, along with Sean Parnell that grew state spending unsustainably for many years.  It was that same group that passed the bankrupting SB-21.  SB-21 ensures we give away our oil, tax free, and also pay almost one billion annually in corporate welfare to Big Oil.

One of the biggest spending reductions we can make is the elimination of corporate welfare to Big Oil, but Senate Republicans refuse to do so.  This corporate welfare is about 25% of the $4 billion dollar budget deficit.

We can agree that unless we stop giving away the oil, and billions in corporate welfare- as well as significant cuts to state spending- that Alaskans are not going to accept any of the highly recessionary new taxes and a raid on the Permanent Fund.  Asking a family of four to reduce their income by $5,000 each year is going to do big damage to Alaska.