September 05, 2002
Thursday - 12:45 am

Fran Ulmer's "fiscal plan" for Alaska is no plan at all, but an effort to continue expanding state government while hoping the Legislature will impose the taxes necessary to fund it, Frank Murkowski said Wednesday.

"Having promised a fiscal road map for Alaska, Fran Ulmer instead ended up just asking

"Alaska needs a governor who will take responsibility for increasing state revenue, prioritizing state services and making government more effective, and not someone whose first impulse is to levy an income tax to support an expanding state government.".... Candidate for Governor Frank Murkowski

the Legislature for directions as to what taxes to impose," Murkowski said. "She essentially promised to continue the 'spend now, tax later' policies she and Tony Knowles have pursued for the last eight years, only she's trying to package it as a fiscal plan. If that's her fiscal road map, it leads to a dead end for Alaskans."

"Having promised straight talk, Ulmer used smoke and mirrors to disguise her desire to continue the Knowles/Ulmer legacy of partisan finger-pointing, ever-expanding budgets, and ultimately, income taxes on working Alaskans."

Murkowski pointed out that Ulmer has opposed spending limits in the past, but in her speech on Wednesday called for a "cap" that would actually lock in budget hikes of up to $200 million per year.

"It is surprising to hear her claim to support a budget cap, when she has not only opposed the Legislature's efforts to reduce the budget, but has supported annual spending increases that would have added well in excess of $1 billion over the past eight years," Murkowski said. "It is ironic to hear her now congratulate the Legislature for holding the line against budget increases she has advocated."

Murkowski further noted that nothing in Ulmer's speech would raise a single penny of new revenue, but instead relies on a "parachute plan" that would allow the state to spend the Constitutional Budget Reserve down to $1 billion, then hold the Legislature responsible for levying taxes to pay the bills.

"This is not surprising, since she has advanced an income tax on many occasions," he said.

"Alaska needs a governor who will take responsibility for increasing state revenue, prioritizing state services and making government more effective, and not someone whose first impulse is to levy an income tax to support an expanding state government," Murkowski said.

Murkowski restated his two-pronged approach to the state fiscal gap: controlling state spending by making government more effective, and increasing state revenue through natural resource development.

Source of News Release:

Frank Murkowski for Governor Campaign
Web Site

 

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