For a larger version of the graphic, click here.
Millions, billions, kazillions.
There’s a lot of zeroes involved in Alaska’s annual budget process.
So many, in fact, that it’s tough to make heads or tails of the whole thing.
Since the Legislature is in a cost-cutting mood this session, we thought we’d get in the spirit by cutting out a billion zeroes.
In these pages, one billion dollars is $1. One hundred million dollars is 10 cents. Ten million dollars? That’s a penny.
Sure, you lose some nuance by taking out the zeroes, but if you’re just looking for dollars and sense and not dollars and cents, this makes the budget a bit more understandable.
And for the pedants among us, yes, we’re only looking at the operations budget and ignoring the capital projects budget. It’s not much fun to look at an empty box.
