Fun fact. By restoring PFD income, replacing PFD cuts with a less-regressive sales tax would actually leave MORE income in the pockets of #WorkingAKfams, particularly those in the Bush. What's really behind the opposition? #akleg https://alaskalandmine.com/landmines/brad-keithleys-chart-of-the-week-the-impact-of-using-pfd-cuts-compared-to-alternatives-by-house-district/

Some self-proclaimed "fiscal conservatives" are, instead, fiscal plutocrats, more interested in using the "free money" from the Permanent Fund to shield the Top20%, #NonRez & #OilCos from govt costs than fairness for middle & lower-income #WorkingAKfams. #akleg #cronycapitalists

Using PFD cuts - the "most regressive tax ever proposed" - to fill deficits is not "fiscally conservative"; it's plutocratic. By targeting #WorkingAge and #WorkingAKfams, it contributes to #Outmigration compared to lower-impact revenue alts. #akleg https://alaskalandmine.com/landmines/brad-keithleys-chart-of-the-week-alaskas-outmigration-death-spiral/

Tangeman with the typical Top20%, #NonRez & #OilCo mantra: Ohhhhh, it's a spending problem that can be cured by #akleg PFDcuts 🤫 so that we don't have to contribute anything ourselves. 🤦 The real surprise? Both D/I's & R's who claim to prioritize #WorkingAKfams fall for it. https://buff.ly/4bel8fc

We have grown accustomed to those in the Top20% #NonRez & #OilCos pitting K-12 v. the PFD. That way, they avoid being in the line of fire. But we are repeatedly stunned when we see #akleg who claim to prioritize #WorkingAKfams do the same. They are doing the #OilCos work for them. https://buff.ly/3QqYff3

#AKsenate: we need more equitable revenues to pay for all the add'l spending everyone wants. #AKhouse: Nah, we'll just keep cutting PFDs (regressive taxes on #WorkingAKfams) until they are gone so that the Top20%, #NonRez & #OilCos, are protected. #akleg

While the D/I's talk about prioritizing #WorkingAKfams, it seems some #akleg R's are the ones that propose doing something by pushing lower impact revs. Last year's HB 142 (broad-based sales tax) from Rep. Carpenter & this year's SB 92 (closing the Hilcorp loophole) from Sen. Yundt are from R's.

Some so-called #akleg "conservatives" blame PFDcuts on the failure to curb spending. But we have known since 2019 that wasn't realistic. The real problem has been the failure to support lower-impact substitutes. They have knowingly sacrificed #WorkingAKfams to protect the Top20%, #NonRez & #OilCos.

Those #akleg who claim to prioritize #WorkingAKfams but use PFDcuts to fund govt don't really prioritize #WorkingAKfams. They just prioritize govt programs THEY think #WorkingAKfams need. They are fine actually making #WorkingAKfams disproportionately worse off economically. https://buff.ly/3UACRGF