My office has had many phone calls, e-mails and faxes critical of the governor's proposed budget cuts.
I am deeply concerned with the impact the proposed cuts will have on our community. I have been appointed to the House Finance Committee and believe my staff and I can be very effective. But we need your help.
Time is past that we can continue to ignore red ink in the state budget, although I do not agree with the proposed methods before us today. There are programs in the state that for one reason or another are no longer effective and need not be funded.
My office will be looking for the programs that are failing to provide services as originally designed. You and I know they exist and I am asking for your help to identify out-of-date programs.
Four of my children attend Kenai Peninsula schools, and I am firmly against the proposed cuts in education funding, especially if cuts originate from Learning Opportunity Grants or the foundation formula funding.
Let's just leave the primary education of our children out of the budget issue. It should not be an issue; it should be something the Legislature should just do, for our kids.
The Longevity Bonus Program was designed to help long-time older Alaskans stay here. Unfortunately, the program could not fulfill the original intent. Neither of my parents used it, but there are older Alaskans who depend on the money for survival (medicine and food).
The overwhelming flood of public comment does not support this cut.
So where do we cut? I would like you to tell me. Call me and tell me where you think the cuts should be made. But before you pick up the phone, think about it.
Will cutting state jobs help get your roads maintained, plowed or paved?
Will cutting assisted living matching grants make more expensive medical care the only option for many people?
How about combining alcohol treatment programs? Go to the phone book and look under "alcohol" (over 12 different choices). Which would you fund and which would you allow to close? The Juneau phone book has nearly 20 treatment choices for addiction problems, many of which are paid by state Medicaid.
Oxycontin accounts for over $2 million in prescriptions paid by Medicaid. A proposed state preferred drug formulary may cut those costs, but many people are against limiting the availability of certain drugs to Medicaid recipients.
Are we providing too many services to people?
What about the days when families or churches stepped in and helped when a relative was in trouble?
Why are we spending so much money to keep kids away from good loving homes ? Can we fix the Division of Family and Youth Services?
If the cities did not get revenue sharing from the state, would city employees have to pay toward their health care as state employees do?
Should the state of Alaska pay for state (Department of Law, Office of Public Advocacy and Public Defenders) lawyers to argue court cases among themselves and the state foot their bill? In some cases, the costs of an individual case is indeterminate.
And should we be in the dairy business which runs in the red, or a slaughterhouse for a few producers (operated by the Department of Corrections at no profit). Some well-meaning programs are outdated and have not earned their way for the past decade.
We have 56 planners in state Department of Transportation and Public Facilities. Payroll for the planners is $144,000 per month. What are they planning? My staff has spoken with planners who have no idea of their duties or job description. Should we delete those positions or pink slip mid-management jobs?
In the Department of Revenue, the state employs 68-plus accounting positions which cost us $112,000 per month. This does not include the permanent fund employees.
The parole board has five employees with expenditures of more than $50,000 in travel. It probably would be worse, but in fiscal year 2001, my first year in the Legislature, I served on the Corrections Subcommittee Budget. I asked that the Parole Board be put in its own Budget Request Unit. In FY 02, the Parole Board was right on budget, saving $100,000. Even with the savings over five years, the Parole Board has been over budget by 16.74 percent.
It is my belief that we should cut programs and not the budget across the board. Whether you agree or disagree, I would like to hear from you.
I would like you to think about these few ideas I have given you and give my office a call. My staff and I are waiting to hear from you by phone, 1-(800)-469-3779; fax, 1-(907)-465-2833; or e-mail (Representative_Mike_Chenault@LEGIS.STATE.AK.US.
Rep. Mike Chenault, R-Nikiski, represents District 34 in the state House of Representatives.
