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When A Leader Chooses to Prevent His Organization from Living Outside of Its Means
On June 28 Alaskans were told that significant budget cuts were on the way and as you can imagine it caused quite a stir. Governor Mike Dunleavy’s little red pen danced across the finances of numerous state departments and when its work was done the office of management and budget released a veto summary totaling 182 line items and more than $400 million dollars in state funding that would no longer be available as of July 1. Those most affected by this aggressive effort to balance the state’s budget include the department of early learning coordination, the Alaska Public Broadcasting Commission, the Alaska Council on the Arts, a ranger program to prevent further pollution of Alaskan waterways by cruise ships, the benefits program for low income elders, the Behavioral Health Administration, crucial judiciary and safety measures in rural Alaskan communities, Medicaid benefits including adult dental coverage, and the University of Alaska systems. While it is staggering to be informed that the UA systems would receive $130 million less in the new operating budget than in the previous year it is also important to be objective about a couple of things.
First, while these cuts mean the UA system receives 41% less money from the state than in previous years, it does not mean their entire budget is cut in half…
