Commonwealth North (CWN) has a long standing commitment to a sound state fiscal policy and working to close the large gap between revenue and spending in the state’s budget. With this in mind, CWN has created a Fiscal Policy Study Group, which became the Fiscal Action Coalition. CWN’s Board of Directors and the Fiscal Policy Study Group published a report in June 2015 that outlined recommendations on how to address the fiscal gap in the state’s operating budget. The report was updated in January 2017. The State's Operating Budget: Critical Crossroads, Choices and Opportunities can be found at CWN’s website, or in the ‘Resources’ section of Alaskanomics.
The report is a great answer to the question of what we should do about the fiscal gap in the operating budget. It outlines strategies for reducing the gap, raising new revenues, and creating efficiencies in the budget process. The updated report highlights what changed between the 2015 and 2017 report. The revenue decline has continued and savings is still being used to fill the fiscal gap.
The report not only takes a look at the past budgets, but also gives examples of ways to strategically reduce spending while still providing essential government services. Each recommendation is thoroughly researched and gives concrete examples of how the legislature can move forward with the recommendations.
Many in Alaska know that there needs to be a solution to the fiscal gap in the state budget. The work of groups, such as Commonwealth North, shows that there are individuals ready and willing to help educate Alaskans on the issues and work towards compromise and a solution. Please visit the ‘Resources’ section of Alaskanomics for information on more groups working to close the fiscal gap.
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