JUNEAU, Alaska – Members of the Alaska State Employees Association (ASEA)/AFSCME Local 52 are fighting a budget proposal by the newly elected governor that would eliminate and privatize state programs on an unprecedented scale.
Much of ASEA’s Political Education Leadership (PEL) Conference in February was overshadowed by the budget proposal. ASEA members were briefed on how the proposed budget would make massive cuts to core services.
More than 40 ASEA members from across the state gathered in Juneau for the PEL conference and walked the halls of the state Capitol to speak with lawmakers about the future of state services.
Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s budget proposal has most Alaskans reeling as it unfairly targets programs serving vulnerable citizens – the sick, the elderly, residents of rural and coastal communities, and all of Alaska’s children.
It would slash funding by hundreds of millions of dollars for K-12 and higher education, increase costs up to 140 percent for senior citizens living in the Alaska Pioneer Homes (24-hour care facilities for the elderly), and sell a state museum along with its collection of historical and cultural artifacts. It is also expected to lead to at least 7,000 job losses.