My August Conversation with Mike Chmielewski on Alaska’s Budget Crisis on Radio Free Palmer. Listen Here http://www.radiofreepalmer.org/2016/08/19/matsu-college-professor-holly-bell-talks-about-budgets-8-10-2016/
As Alaska works to balance the state budget, one thing is certain: We will all have less money in our wallets. The scale of our deficit means we are likely to see both PFD reductions and new taxes. While the governor has proposed an income tax, a sales tax may a better alternative for Alaska. …
Well-structured sales tax does more for Alaska than income tax Read More »
The President’s recent visit to Alaska was in many ways controversial, but there was one positive aspect to it: It has inspired me to start blogging again. While I realize this excites some, frightens others, and disinterests most, there were so many things I wanted to blog about during the President’s visit, that I had …
The Positive Side of The President’s Visit to Alaska Read More »
My doctor of many years decided he’d rather spend his days hiking than playing ‘identify this rash’ twelve times a day and retired a few months ago at the age of 71. This left me, for the second time in my life, with the reluctant task of replacing a retired doctor. I hate finding new …
The Dividend is a Redistribution Policy The Alaska Permanent Fund was established in 1976 as an investment that would allow for the continuation of funding of Alaska’s essential services once the Alaskan oil resources had been exhausted. While a portion of the income from the Fund comes from oil revenue (about 11% of total oil …
The Time May Be Right To End The Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend Read More »
By Holly A. Bell As someone who has always protected the rights of individuals to own firearms, I am often dismissed lately as less than a reliable source based on the fact that I happen to live in Alaska (even though I’ve only lived here a few years). Of course Alaska has a reputation for …
Statistics on Gun Violence in Alaska Don’t Support Additional Gun Control Read More »
Leaving summer behind in Alaska. In most parts of the United States, Labor Day Weekend is the symbolic end of summer. While the kids have gone back to school, little has changed from the previous weekend. The days remain warm, vegetables are still ripening in the garden, and fall colors are still weeks away. In …
As my website is often a little intense, dealing with serious (or some say “boring”) issues, I thought it was time to take a moment and bask in the spring Alaska sun. By Holly A. Bell Perspectives change in Alaska when the temperature reaches 50 degrees and we start to have both sunshine and daylight …
By Holly A. Bell It’s spring break in Alaska. It’s hard to tell as it was 10 below zero Tuesday morning and there are still a couple of feet of snow in the yard with more on the way. While the Lower 48 had one of their warmest and driest winters on record we had …
Last week Alaska Lieutenant Governor Mead Treadwell announced during a speech at The University of Alaska Anchorage’s MatSu College he had met with officials in China regarding trade and suggested the possibility of exporting North Slope liquified natural gas to China. This effort is in response to the economic, political, and regulatory hurdles associated with …
Alaska’s Role in the Balance of Trade with China Read More »
