Opinion - alaska.report

Middle East tensions lead to oil price increase – a wild year for energy policy begins

January 4, 2024 / Economics / 6 minutes of reading

Oil prices have surged over 3% as tensions in the Middle East escalate and OPEC reaffirms its commitment to supporting prices. The West Texas Intermediate (WTI) contract for February climbed $2.41 to $72.84, while the Brent contract for March rose $2.47 to trade at $78.36. These price jumps come in the wake of the Houthi […]

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Senate Bill 88 and the Looming Pension Crisis in Alaska

January 4, 2024 / Politics / 8 minutes of reading

Folks, I’ve got to tell you, when it comes to fiscal responsibility and prudent governance, we need to keep a close eye on what’s happening in our great state of Alaska. Senate Bill 88 is making waves, and not in a good way. This bill threatens to expose Alaska to some potentially massive costs, and

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Rethinking Education Funding: Quality Allocation Trumps Quantity

January 4, 2024 / Politics / 3 minutes of reading

In the realm of education, the prevailing belief has always been that increased funding leads to improved academic performance. However, recent research from the Edunomics Lab at Georgetown University challenges this assumption. It suggests that the way financial resources are allocated holds greater significance than the amount of money invested. Let us delve into the

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Video: Janus Decision & Freedom: Opting Out of Labor Unions – A Retired Teacher’s Perspective

January 4, 2024 / Politics / 4 minutes of reading

In today’s discussion, we delve into the realm of worker freedom, specifically focusing on the experiences of retired Alaska teacher, Todd Smoldon, who made the bold decision to opt out of his local labor union. This topic gains significance in light of the Janus decision, which granted public employees the right to choose whether or

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Alaska’s SB 11: A Costly Gamble with Public Employee Pensions

January 4, 2024 / Politics / 4 minutes of reading

In the ongoing battle for fiscal responsibility, the Alaska Legislature is considering SB 11, a bill that aims to reform the state’s public employee pension system. While pension reform is a necessary step towards addressing Alaska’s looming fiscal crisis, this particular bill raises concerns about its potential long-term costs for the state. Let’s dive into

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