Alaska's renewable resource finally gets some attention

Frontiersman editorial board

As legislators head back to Juneau it will be interesting to see what early trends develop for a session that must deal with increasingly serious economic challenges in Alaska. So far, under the Murkowski regime, the trend has been toward cutting expenses in the short run and working toward revenue development -- primarily in the form of natural resource development -- over the long haul.

With some critical services already feeling the squeeze, we have to wonder what additional cuts the Legislature will make this year. We must also ask when state government will look to increase revenues in the more immediate future. One proposal that seems to be aimed at that goal is Senate Bill 254, sponsored by Senate President Gene Therriault, R-North Pole. Therriault's bill asks for a 2-percent "assessment" on several tourism-related goods and services, and proposes to use the estimated $18 million generated to fund increased marketing intended to generate more tourism business.

The bill seems to have been inspired by the downturn in tourism business for the state since 2002. It's another example of our state government's inability to be proactive about any issue other than resource development. For decades, tourism has been the one industry to demonstrate the ability to provide a consistent revenue stream, whether oil, gas and timber are booming or busting. Still, Juneau has consistently taken tourism for granted, and has done little to encourage the industry here. The Murkowski administration has been almost adversarial toward tourism.

Therriault's initiative may be a step in the right direction -- time will tell. Placing an additional burden on the tourism industry with this increased tax could actually do more damage than good, depending upon the quality of the ensuing marketing campaign. Either way, it's time for Juneau to recognize Alaska's valuable renewable resource -- its natural beauty -- and to develop it as a sustainable source of income.