An exchange with Rep. Mark Neuman on the #AKBudget ...

This morning we noticed that our good friend, Dave Harbour, had reposted on his Northern Gas Pipelines website part of an exchange between us and Rep. Mark Neuman on this year's #AKbudget. The initial repost, however, did not include our response to Rep. Neuman, which was part of the thread from which Dave took the exchange and we think is an important part of fully understanding the issue.

The exchange started with an op-ed by Rep. Neuman in the Alaska Dispatch News which is available at the link in the first post below and here.  Our response to that is in the first post below, Rep. Neuman's below that and our response to his below that.  We believe the exchange helps illuminate the ongoing debate about how much the Alaska legislature really reduced this year's total spend (in our view, very little) and as importantly, the outsized role that reimbursed oil and gas tax credits are playing -- and will continue to play under the recently passed HB 247 -- in the budget.

Those who follow my personal Facebook page -- where Rep. Neuman posted his response -- may already have seen the exchange.  But for those who have not, we post it below or if you prefer, you can follow it on Facebook itself here.