Session: State Capitol, Room 24 Juneau, AK 99801-1182 Phone: (907) 465-2186 Fax: (907) 465-3818 Interim: 600 East Railroad Avenue Wasilla, AK 99654 Phone: (907) 373-1842 Fax: (907) 373-4729

Kohring Rejects Efforts to Tax Alaskans

(JUNEAU) - Rep. Vic Kohring (R-Wasilla/Peters Creek) expressed his dismay today with the direction the House is moving to solve the state's budget deficit problem.

"The consensus seems to be that we need to tax our way out of this, which I disagree with strongly," Kohring said. Both Republicans and Democrats have filed an array of tax bills, including income, sales and alcohol, and more such measures are expected as the session progresses.

Kohring maintained that the solution to Alaska's fiscal situation lies in reducing spending and cutting back on the size of the government bureaucracy.

"It's inexcusable that we are spending more than $7 billion on the operating budget, more than $1 billion on employee salary and benefit packages alone, while we also fund hundreds of millions on non-essential social programs - yet still can't cut spending in a substantial way," he said. "Even worse, we're spending over $200 million more than we were just two years ago."

Kohring has proposed his own spending reduction plan that eliminates the deficit over a five-year period. It emphasizes prioritizing programs and funding basic essentials such as roads, education the courts and public safety.

"Most everything else is on the chopping block," Kohring said. His proposal also includes merging and consolidating departments and agencies and eliminating entire programs.

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