It’s time for the tough conversation

The two of us were born here and have lived through a time that in a way has been our state’s childhood and adolescent years, when the question that drove most major policy decisions was, “What do we want today?” rather than “What will this cost tomorrow?”

Now, it is time for Alaska to enter adulthood, where responsibility and sustainability must take center stage. To continue expecting other people to stock the fridge and fill the car with gas is to remain trapped in a dream world paid for by endless oil that will never return.

While this week’s legislative work resolved many immediate budget questions, Alaska’s long-term path remains unsettled, and our work remains unfinished.

Juneau has become a battleground because Alaska’s future is at stake.

Who will we become? Can we continue to thrive on policy decisions made decades ago? Or do we reevaluate those youthful policies and move forward, into adulthood?

These are the fundamental questions we face. Putting off the tough conversation will only make our future worse. We have heard from Alaskans young and old, from every corner of Alaska’s vast wilderness. Now it is time to take that input, consider the status of Alaska’s bank accounts, and chart the best course for our state.

The Alaska vision set in motion 60 years ago has reached the point where we must reconcile the Permanent Fund and the Dividend into a sustainable fiscal plan.

The Permanent Fund Dividend is a legacy unique to Alaska; it must be protected for generations to come. We must consider the history of the PFD, but we must acknowledge that growth requires change while stagnation is causing paralysis. This paralysis is making Alaska an unappealing place for families and businesses.

We can’t keep winging it without a plan, and we can’t keep changing directions based on political whims of the moment.

Maturity means restraint, patience, and living with long-term vision. Alaska’s legislators are working to find and set a sustainable course. This work includes all parties from all parts of the state.

By the end of this year, the Alaska Legislature must come together and determine the place for the Permanent Fund and the Dividend Program as integral parts of a responsible financial plan. Settling the issue of how these pieces fit together is the most important action we can take to become a stable and predictable place for families to live, businesses to grow, and jobs to be created.

The status quo does not lead to a sustainable, prosperous future. Skipping the hard conversation today just means more pain tomorrow.

Senate President Cathy Giessel, a Republican, represents District N, which covers parts of Anchorage and communities along Turnagain Arm.

House Speaker Bryce Edgmon, an Independent, represents District 37, which includes communities from the Yukon and Kuskokwim Rivers south across Bristol Bay and east to the shores of Cook Inlet.