Alaska no model for federal government

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Froetschel

Thursday, September 11, 2008

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Introducing his choice for vice president, McCain proclaims that " she's not

from these

parts and she's not from Washington. "

But Alaska has closer ties with Washington than most other states, particularly

when it

comes to finances. Outside the Beltway, the state has the largest share of

federal

employment. About 1 in 3 jobs in the state depend on federal spending.

Alaska politics may be conservative, but state spending is decidedly not. Alaska

ranks first

when it comes to state and local spending per household, more than $47,000 in

fiscal

year 2006, reports the Tax Foundation.

When it comes to revenue, the state has more in common with those in the Persian

Gulf

than the middle of the nation. Oil is Alaska's lifeblood. Before the Alaska

pipeline was

finished in 1977, reports the Tax Foundation, Alaska ranked second in terms of

high

taxes. With the help of oil revenue, the state repealed its personal income tax

two years

later. Thus, when oil prices go up, Alaskans have reason to cheer. Record oil

prices rescue

Alaska budgets and fill state coffers with royalties and tax receipts.

For fiscal year 2009, the state forecasts revenues of $12 billion, more than

half of which

are projected to come from royalties and taxes on the oil industry. Another $2.6

billion

will come from the federal government. In 2005, Alaska received $1.84 in federal

funding

for every dollar in federal taxes collected within the state.

With this kind of income, it should be easy for oil states to balance budgets -

and

accomplish even more. Yet despite so much oil bounty over the past 30 years,

Alaska has

little to show by way of education, innovation or jobs.

Despite the extra revenue not enjoyed by other states, Alaska ranks No. 1 in

state and

local debt per capita, or $13,205 per capita.

For 2008, Alaska ranks 22nd lowest in property taxes, reports the Tax

Foundation. In

2006, Alaska's corporate tax collection per capita ranked highest in the nation.

Alaska is 39th when it comes to total net generation from renewable energy

sources.

Neighboring states of Washington, California and Oregon rank first, second and

third in

such generation and even Texas, another oil state, ranks eighth.

Top private employers in the state include Providence Health System and

retailers

Carrs/Safeway, Fred Meyer and Wal-Mart/Sam's Club. Oil and gas activities

represent

about 9 percent of Alaskan jobs.

The state ranks dead last among the 50 states when it comes to patent

applications per

100,000 workers between 1998 and 2006, according to analysis from the Ewing

n

Kauffman Foundation.

How big spender Alaska handles its finances - relying on a few sources of

revenue and

doing little to create new jobs to generate future revenues - does not translate

well to how

other states might handle spending, let alone the federal government as a whole.

McCain claimed to be " looking for a running mate that will who can best help me

shake up

Washington and make it start working again for the people that are counting on

us. "

Alaska may have been the wrong place to look.

> > > > >>> >

> > > > >>> > I saw this video and had to share. It's Matt Damon talking

> > > about

> > > > >>> > Palin.

> > > > >>> >

> > > > >>> > http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=C6urw_PWHYk

> > > > >>> <http://www.youtube. com/watch? v=C6urw_PWHYk>

> > > > >>> >

> > > > >>> > " CBS News RAW " : Actor Matt Damon criticizes Alaska governor

> > > Palin,

> > > > >>> > citing her inexperience in national politics and comparing

> > > her candidacy

> > > > >>> to

> > > > >>> > " a bad Disney movie. "

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