How much do you know about the fiscal crisis? Well, now you can test yourself and find out.
As part of its ongoing effort to talk with Alaskans about the state’s historic fiscal crisis, Rasmuson Foundation is launching the Plan4Alaska Budget Challenge — an interactive online fiscal tool to help the public understand the size and scope of the budget deficit and options for closing it.
The tool can be accessed on the Plan4Alaska Facebook page, or at challenge.plan4alaska.com. It begins by asking users to pick an assumed per-barrel price of Alaska North Slope oil. From there, the challenge requires you to consider spending reductions, and new revenue sources, and use of savings as you build a plan to fill the gap.
“Rasmuson Foundation believes that the budget deficit will have to be filled by a comprehensive plan that includes both cuts and revenue, but there are a number of different ways to achieve that goal,” said Diane Kaplan, President and CEO of Rasmuson Foundation. “We wanted to provide Alaskans with an opportunity to better understand the budget and express preferences for how it should be addressed this session.”
Plan4Alaska will be promoting the tool and encouraging Alaskans from Ketchikan to Barrow to participate.
“Alaskans understand that the hard choices we are facing are preferable to the harder choices that will come if we do nothing this session,” said Ed Rasmuson, Chairman of Rasmuson Foundation. “Only through public participation and debate can we achieve a stable fiscal future. We hope this tool will help increase understanding of the budget deficit and provide an easy way for Alaskans to express their ideas to each other and our elected leaders.”
Once a balanced budget has been achieved, the Budget Challenge gives users the option of sharing their plan with friends and the legislature and Governor.
The Plan4Alaska Budget Challenge also allows Alaskans to comment on all the budget options, and encourages users to submit ideas for improving the functionality and user experience.
Questions about the tool can be directed to Cassandra Stalzer at cstalzer@rasmuson.org or at 907-334-0520.
