Spending spree continues in Juneau

June 27, 2006

SPECTRUM/Vic Kohring

I have bad news, good news and more bad news. I watched with dismay as our Legislature spent an astounding $700 million more in the operating budget over last year. The math adds up to over a billion-dollar increase over the entire 24th Alaska State Legislature for 2005-06. All this money is available because world demand has greatly increased the price of oil.

The bad news is that the Legislature has not learned fiscal restraint. As with Congress and most state legislatures, when there's money in the coffers, regardless of the amount, the temptation is so great you can be assured it will be completely spent. Once again, we came close to doing so in Juneau.

In the mid 1990s, when faced with a $250 million budget deficit, I acted to cut spending by $50 million over five years, relieving hard-working Alaskans of long-term financial obligations. After much bloodletting and constant big city liberal media attacks, we accomplished our goal. But this last session, the embarrassment of new wealth from high oil prices completely wiped out that five-year effort of reasoned caution and restraint.

The good news is that not all of it was blown on big government. We funded important road and school projects, and managed to place $850 million into an education fund. Note that nothing ended up in the Constitutional Budget Reserve, our state's savings account, but at least we did not spend every dime of the surplus.

Why does this happen? Certainly we all know that we could never operate this way as private individuals with a small checking account. We would never indulge ourselves in such extraordinary spending at home with the family looking on. Why is it that serious, well-intentioned people get together in Juneau and suddenly begin to act like money grows on trees?

For the 12 sessions I've witnessed as your representative, a steady parade of supplicants came to my office. Nearly all of them wanted government money.

After listening about how terribly crucial to the existence of Alaska their program is, they want me to give them more of your money. This was their steady beat. Some ask politely. Some hint that voters in my district insist their particular program be funded and imply they won't vote me in if I don't hand over the dough.

Is there an opposing panoply demanding that freedom be respected and that I act stingy with your money? Are there an equal number of people who write me or walk into my office telling me to spend only on constitutional requirements, and then only very carefully?

Unfortunately, the answer is no.

In 12 years, only a few people have reminded me of my commitment to a freedom-oriented philosophy. Few travel to Juneau to object to the Legislature's spending habits.

Why? Most people advocate an efficient government, as I do, with stable, limited spending and low taxes. But immense pressure is inevitably placed on legislators by groups who stalk the halls of the Capitol demanding money. Special interests of all kinds loudly insist large sums be spent on them.

Few lawmakers have the courage to oppose them. As a result, year after year the Legislature becomes a battleground over cutting up the spoils of massive taxation (mostly federal income tax dollars), on who gets what and how fast. Each year government waxes, and individual rights wane.

Several years back, I made a plea that we curtail our urge to control everything and everyone. A colleague told me, &#8220We understand you, Vic. You believe in freedom for the people. But the fact is, we have the power and you don't.”

There's the bad news. Politicians and bureaucrats have debauched your heritage of freedom simply because they are in the majority.

Unless we the people begin to send committed freedom advocates to all levels of government to vote out the waste, say goodbye to more of your independence. Look forward to more and more regulations, taxes and fees until you live in a state not that much different from some socialist countries in the world.

Vic Kohring is a Republican who represents Wasilla and

the Mat-Su in the Alaska

Legislature.