Alaska Progress Report

Alaska gets grade of D+ for corruption risk

The State Integrity Investigation, a joint project of The Center for Public Integrity, Global Integrity and Public Radio International, grades Alaska a D+ on corruption risk. That's the bad news. The good news is we're still in the middle of the pack, 27th nationwide.

There are fourteen specific areas graded. Alaska's highest grade is a C+, given in three areas: political financing, judicial accountability and internal auditing. Lowest grade is an F, given in four areas: public access to information, state pension fund management, state budget processes and redistricting.

In all fairness, no state earned an A grade. Five states got a B, nineteen got a C, 18 received a D and eight bottomed out with an F.

Alaska ranks very low for oil and gas development

The Fraser Institute released its annual Global Petroleum Survey, which ranks 136 "jurisdictions" or places across the globe according to their "investment barriers," defined as, "high tax rates, costly regulatory schemes, and security threats." Alaska apparently is in the toilet:

"Alaska also remained in the third quintile but dropped in the global rankings from 68th position (of 133) to 83rd position (of 136) due to poorer scores on a number of issues including fiscal terms, environmental regulation, the cost of regulatory compliance, uncertainty around the interpretation of regulations, uncertainties about protected areas, and native land claims."

What's worrisome is that eight of the top ten slots went to other US states, topped by Mississippi.

Alaska has lowest rate of Medicaid billing errors

And to those who say Alaska isn't doing its part to save federal money, this just in from the Department of Health and Social Services: "A national review of how accurately providers bill Medicaid found Alaska had an error rate of less than 1 percent. The Payment Error Rate Measurement (PERM) review examines states’ Medicaid billing procedures and provider compliance. Groups of states are measured every three years in the staggered review. The round of the review that included Alaska and 16 other states looked at Medicaid claims paid between Oct. 1, 2007, and Sept. 30, 2008. The average error rate for this group was 8.71 percent; Alaska’s rate was 0.59 percent.

"...Medicaid pays more than $1 billion in medical costs for low-income and vulnerable Alaskans annually. The joint state and federal medical assistance program covers equipment and services from dental care to elders’ medical care. For more information, see the Alaska Payment Error Rate Measurement Web site."

Alaskans not very religious

Ironically enough during the religious holiday season comes this news from the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life: while 56% of Americans say religion is very important in their lives, only 37% of Alaskans say so. That's the next-to-worst showing behind only New Hampshire and Vermont, surveyed as a single population, at 36%. But we won't settle for next-to-last: when it comes to worship attendance we're dead last; frequency of prayer, third-to-last; and belief in God, fifth-to-last.

This is all consistent with past surveys, as is the fact that the buckle of the bible belt is in the deep south: Mississippi is number one in all of the above measures, with 82% of them saying religion is important in their daily lives. Of course, there is also a high correlation between religiosity and political corruption, and we're not just talking Afghanistan: three of the four most religious states (Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama) are also in the top four states ranked by the per capita number of public corruption convictions from 1997 to 2006. See you in hell, when we plan our escape!

Alaska ranks high in state government employees

Geeks wallow in numbers like pigs in... well, you know. The mere fact that you're reading this means you're looking for a place to wallow. So surf on over to The National Data Book, a.k.a. the US Census Bureau's 2009 Statistical Abstract of the United States. While you're there check out the State & Local Government Finances & Employment page. Some great wallowing there.

I downloaded table 447 - State and Local Government Full-Time Equivalent Employment, by Selected Function and State: 2006. Yeah I know, exciting! Adding up the total state and government employment shows Alaska ranked third nationwide for state employees as a percent of total government employment: 44.4% in our case, versus a national average of 25.7%. That's still far below Hawaii (81.0%) and even Delaware (50.5%), but way above last place New York (20.0%) and even California (20.3%). What's that mean? Who cares, it's data!

Alaska #4 in National Journal dysfunctional states list

Alaska puts the fun in dysfunctional, ranking #4 in a new list by the National Journal: "If times weren't so tough, watching major state governments implode in a frenzy of self-indulgence and corruption might be a form of entertainment. But judging by the messes in Albany, Sacramento and a handful of other state capitals, Americans who care about good government can only reach for the smelling salts.

"Of course, ineffective government is the oldest story in the book. But the travails of South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford (R), Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) and the entire top tier of the New York state government have recently brought the issue to the forefront.

"NationalJournal.com presents the nation's six most dysfunctional state governments, based on interviews with a range of state political experts. The ratings are based on four criteria:

• The quality of leadership -- by the state's legislature, its current governor and, where applicable, its ousted governor.
• The whiff of criminality in the state's top political leadership.
• The severity of the state's policy challenges.
• The intensity of the media circus surrounding state government.

"Each state is graded in each category on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 representing the worst, the most severe or the most intense, and 1 representing the most benign. The categories are averaged to produce a final score and ranking."

Alaska earns another "C" for government performance

The Government Performance Project has been around for a while, and seems to have found a home at the Pew Center on the States. Alaska was a solid "C" performer in the prior 2005 edition and continues that trend in the 2008 version, available online or for download. The verdict is a little harsh:

"Amid growing concerns among Americans about job stability, health care and education, there is a new demand for government to work better and cost less. Innovative solutions, particularly at the state level, are driving reform and progress. Alaska has reaped the benefit of high oil prices but has not used that money to maintain roads or buildings or fund technology and human resource needs.

"Alaska’s performance-measurement system has improved substantially in just five years. The state could benefit further by linking those measures to the budget. Investments in infrastructure and information technology also could provide long-term dividends."