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The Weekly Top 3

Alaskans for Sustainable Budgets

Podcast by Alaskans for Sustainable Budgets. Our top 3 issues each week in the world of Alaska oil, gas & fiscal policy.

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23 episodes
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Avg 54 min
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Tuesday · 55 min
The Weekly Top 3 (9.14.2026)
Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 - our look at the top 3 things on our mind here at Alaskans for Sustainable Budgets - for the week of September 14, 2026. The Weekly Top 3 is a regular weekly segment on The Michael Dukes Show. This week, our top 3 issues are these: 1) we explain how the trends in the state legislative races are helping us decide what to do in the Governor's race (2:06), 2) we explain a new question that this year's candidates should be asked as we enter the final stretch to test their knowledge of the state budget and, as a candidate, their fiscal approach to the state deficits (19:44), and 3) we look at the current version of the budget charts Ross Perot used in his 1992 campaign for President to explain why its time for someone to make the same effort again (38:30). The Weekly Top 3 is a regular weekly segment on The Michael Dukes Show. The Show broadcasts on Facebook and YouTubeLive as well as via streaming audio from the Show’s website weekdays from 6–8am. We join Michael weekly in the first hour of Tuesday’s show, from 6:25–7am, for a discussion between the two of us about our three issues.
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September 11 · 54 min
The Weekly Top 3 (9.7.2026)
Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind here at Alaskans for Sustainable Budgets — for the week of September 7, 2026. This week, our top 3 issues are these: 1) we explain why “incentives” are just another name for state spending, and why we should treat them that way so that their impact on other spending categories and revenue requirements is clear (2:18), 2) we discuss why a recent headline and story in the Alaska Beacon about the supplemental $115 million for K-12 is hugely misleading, and what the revenue source really is (16:39), and 3) we explain why the federal initiative to streamline federal permitting in the NPRA is a big step in the right direction and, if done correctly, should help narrow litigation and speed up exploration and development (36:52). The Weekly Top 3 is a regular weekly segment on The Michael Dukes Show. The Show broadcasts on Facebook and YouTubeLive as well as via streaming audio from the Show’s website weekdays from 6–8am. We join Michael weekly in the first hour of Tuesday’s show, from 6:25–7am, for a discussion between the two of us about our three issues.
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September 1 · 54 min
The Weekly Top 3 (8.31.2026)
Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind here at Alaskans for Sustainable Budgets — for the week of August 31, 2026. This week, our top 3 issues are these: 1) we discuss what we will be doing the remainder of this election cycle (2:05), 2) we discuss how the Southcentral utilities seem to be working things out for this winter, but explain the big question mark that continues to apply to the winters beyond (18:16), and 3) we explain why, from a fiscal standpoint, the APFC should be among the first things on which the next Governor focuses (36:14). The Weekly Top 3 is a regular weekly segment on The Michael Dukes Show. The Show broadcasts on Facebook and YouTubeLive as well as via streaming audio from the Show’s website weekdays from 6–8am. We join Michael weekly in the first hour of Tuesday’s show, from 6:25–7am, for a discussion between the two of us about our three issues.
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August 26 · 53 min
The Weekly Top 3 (8.24.2026)
Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind here at Alaskans for Sustainable Budgets — for the week of August 24, 2026. This week, our top 3 issues are these: 1) we explain that while many candidates say they are concerned about middle-class “affordability,” most really aren’t and in fact, favor policies that would generally make it worse (2:04), 2) we discuss a critical issue that’s missing from the discussion about the Southcentral gas “crisis” (17:52), and 3) we discuss the consequences, at both the national and state levels, of the US being $40 trillion in debt (36:59). The Weekly Top 3 is a regular weekly segment on The Michael Dukes Show. The Show broadcasts on Facebook and YouTubeLive as well as via streaming audio from the Show’s website weekdays from 6–8am. We join Michael weekly in the first hour of Tuesday’s show, from 6:25–7am, for a discussion between the two of us about our three issues.
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August 19 · 54 min
The Weekly Top 3 (8.17.2026)
Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind here at Alaskans for Sustainable Budgets — for the week of August 17, 2026. This week, our top 3 issues are these: 1) we discuss why, from our perspective, we haven’t seen any fiscally conservative candidates in this election cycle (2:15), 2) we discuss what really undermined finalizing in the most recent special session the proposed legislation to support the Alaska LNG project (18:13), and 3) we explain how investment industry numbers support our view that the APFC is not generating as much in earnings as it could (36:14). The Weekly Top 3 is a regular weekly segment on The Michael Dukes Show. The Show broadcasts on Facebook and YouTubeLive as well as via streaming audio from the Show’s website weekdays from 6–8am. We join Michael weekly in the first hour of Tuesday’s show, from 6:25–7am, for a discussion between the two of us about our three issues.
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August 12 · 52 min
The Weekly Top 3 (8.10.2026)
Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind here at Alaskans for Sustainable Budgets — for the week of August 10, 2026. This week, our top 3 issues are these: 1) we discuss the irresponsible pandering being engaged in by most, if not all, of the candidates for Governor; they are more than happy to discuss how they will spend more on their favored groups, but none of them are willing to discuss how they propose to pay for not only the additional spending, but also the already existing $1.9 billion annual deficits the state is facing (2:15), 2) we discuss our two main takeaways from last week’s Gasline Caucus listening session (15:06), and 3) we focus on the key issue facing the state that candidates claim to be talking about, but none of them really are (35:45). The Weekly Top 3 is a regular weekly segment on The Michael Dukes Show. The Show broadcasts on Facebook and YouTubeLive as well as via streaming audio from the Show’s website weekdays from 6–8am. We join Michael weekly in the first hour of Tuesday’s show, from 6:25–7am, for a discussion between the two of us about our three issues.
- Transcript
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August 4 · 54 min
The Weekly Top 3 (8.3.2026)
Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 - our look at the top 3 things on our mind here at Alaskans for Sustainable Budgets - for the week of August 3, 2026. This week, our top 3 issues are these: 1) we discuss some potentially troublesome developments with ANS oil prices (1:59), 2) we review some of the numbers behind the concerns about the reliability of Southcentral gas deliveries this coming winter (19:52), and 3) we explain why a recent op-ed from Adam Crum shows that some Republicans are part of Alaska's ongoing budget problems, not the solution (39:41). The Weekly Top 3 is a regular weekly segment on The Michael Dukes Show. The Show broadcasts on Facebook and YouTubeLive as well as via streaming audio from the Show’s website weekdays from 6–8am. We join Michael weekly in the first hour of Tuesday’s show, from 6:25–7am, for a discussion between the two of us about our three issues.
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July 28 · 55 min
The Weekly Top 3 (7.27.2026)
Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 - our look at the top 3 things on our mind here at Alaskans for Sustainable Budgets - for the week of July 27, 2026. The Weekly Top 3 is a regular weekly segment on The Michael Dukes Show. This week, our top 3 issues are these: 1) we discuss Enstar's petition for rehearing of its Cook Inlet storage proposal and where the process goes from there (2:10), 2) we discuss an issue that Hilcorp left out of its recent letter to the legislature, but we think is critical to understanding the S-corp issue (18:59), and 3) we explore where #AKLNG goes from here (37:28). The Weekly Top 3 is a regular weekly segment on The Michael Dukes Show. The Show broadcasts on Facebook and YouTubeLive as well as via streaming audio from the Show’s website weekdays from 6–8am. We join Michael weekly in the first hour of Tuesday’s show, from 6:25–7am, for a discussion between the two of us about our three issues.
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July 21 · 54 min
The Weekly Top 3 (7.20.2026)
Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind here at Alaskans for Sustainable Budgets — for the week of July 20, 2026. This week, our top 3 issues are these: 1) we discuss the results (that will surprise many) from comparing the income tax rate on middle-income Alaska families resulting from PFD cuts against the income tax rates on middle-income families in other states (2:10), 2) we try to bring some clarity to the seeming confusion about where the Southcentral gas supply sits heading into the next winter and beyond (17:05), and 3) we explain why we draw a straight line from the failure of the legislature earlier this session to treat Dunleavy’s proposed sales tax seriously to where we are now on the S-corp tax (37:18). The Weekly Top 3 is a regular weekly segment on The Michael Dukes Show. The Show broadcasts on Facebook and YouTubeLive as well as via streaming audio from the Show’s website weekdays from 6–8am. We join Michael weekly in the first hour of Tuesday’s show, from 6:25–7am, for a discussion between the two of us about our three issues.
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July 14 · 54 min
The Weekly Top 3 (7.13.2026)
Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind here at Alaskans for Sustainable Budgets — for the week of July 13, 2026. This week, our top 3 issues are these: 1) we update our look at the Permanent Fund Corporation from the information contained in its most recent performance report (2:10), 2) we discuss how the state is making the economic situation faced by middle-income Alaska families even worse than that caused by the other disruptions in the economy (20:28), and 3) we explain why the response of some to the proposed S-corp fix — “we will get to that later” — is so disingenuous (38:19). The Weekly Top 3 is a regular weekly segment on The Michael Dukes Show. The Show broadcasts on Facebook and YouTubeLive as well as via streaming audio from the Show’s website weekdays from 6–8am. We join Michael weekly in the first hour of Tuesday’s show, from 6:25–7am, for a discussion between the two of us about our three issues.
- Transcript
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July 8 · 53 min
The Weekly Top 3 (7.6.2026)
Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind here at Alaskans for Sustainable Budgets — for the week of July 6, 2026. This week, our top 3 issues are these: 1) we discuss a recent example of where the K-12 industry’s expectations have become unreasonable (2:00), 2) we explain why Rep. Schwanke is right about a lot of things, but is very wrong when it comes to the proposed S-corp provision (17:51), and 3) we explain why Larry Persily (and others) must not be listening to themselves when they talk about tax fairness (36:29). The Weekly Top 3 is a regular weekly segment on The Michael Dukes Show. The Show broadcasts on Facebook and YouTubeLive as well as via streaming audio from the Show’s website weekdays from 6–8am. We join Michael weekly in the first hour of Tuesday’s show, from 6:25–7am, for a discussion between the two of us about our three issues.
- Transcript
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June 30 · 51 min
The Weekly Top 3 (6.29.2026)
Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 - our look at the top 3 things on our mind here at Alaskans for Sustainable Budgets - for the week of June 29, 2026. This week, our top 3 issues are these: 1) we outline the state's deeply unsettling fiscal outlook, even if spending growth is held to inflation from FY26 onward (2:05), 2) we discuss why we continue to believe that the #akleg should pass the S-corp amendment and override the Governor's veto of the resulting bill if necessary (16:39), and 3) we explain why there are no Jay Hammond-like candidates in the race for Governor, and why that is troubling for Alaska (34:29). The Weekly Top 3 is a regular weekly segment on The Michael Dukes Show. The Show broadcasts on Facebook and YouTubeLive as well as via streaming audio from the Show’s website weekdays from 6–8am. We join Michael weekly in the first hour of Tuesday’s show, from 6:25–7am, for a discussion between the two of us about our three issues.
- Transcript
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June 23 · 50 min
The Weekly Top 3 (6.22.2026)
Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 - our look at the top 3 things on our mind here at Alaskans for Sustainable Budgets - for the week of June 22, 2026. This week, our top 3 issues are these: 1) we explain why, by following a one-way fiscal policy that favors spending over revenues, Governor Dunleavy is making the state's already bad fiscal situation even worse (2:26), 2) we explain why we believe the Senate is right in proposing to fix Alaska's Subchapter S oil & gas loophole and what we will be looking for the Conference Committee to consider as it attempts to resolve the differences between the House and Senate on the issue (17:36), and 3) explain why we believe former Governor Walker's proposal to terminate the PFD is equivalent to Texas or Louisiana confiscating the royalties owed to private mineral interest owners in those states (40:05). The Weekly Top 3 is a regular weekly segment on The Michael Dukes Show. The Show broadcasts on Facebook and YouTubeLive as well as via streaming audio from the Show’s website weekdays from 6–8am. We join Michael weekly in the first hour of Tuesday’s show, from 6:25–7am, for a discussion between the two of us about our three issues.
- Transcript
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June 16 · 54 min
The Weekly Top 3 (6.15.2026)
Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind here at Alaskans for Sustainable Budgets — for the week of June 15, 2026. This week, our top 3 issues are these: 1) we explain the reason why the Bullet Line (now called Phase 1 of the #AKLNG project) has never been built and question why some think #AKLNG overcomes it (2:12), 2) we dive deep into the #AKLNG bill and discuss why we think Alaska will be at significant risk if we build Phase 1 without the Phase 2 commitments in hand (19:15), and 3) we shift over to the federal side to discuss the looming problems with Social Security and explain why we are concerned they may hit Alaska harder than most (39:33). The Weekly Top 3 is a regular weekly segment on The Michael Dukes Show. The Show broadcasts on Facebook and YouTubeLive as well as via streaming audio from the Show’s website weekdays from 6–8am. We join Michael weekly in the first hour of Tuesday’s show, from 6:25–7am, for a discussion between the two of us about our three issues.
- Transcript
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June 9 · 55 min
The Weekly Top 3 (6.8.2026)
Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind here at Alaskans for Sustainable Budgets — for the week of June 8, 2026. This week, our top 3 issues are these: 1) we explain why the potential of ending up stuck in Phase 1 of the #AKLNG project poses an unacceptable risk to Alaskans (2:11), 2) we discuss what the lack of interest in the ANWR lease sale last week tells us about the North Slope oil situation (22:02), and 3) we explain why we think most, if not all, of the candidates for Governor seem oblivious to the signals Alaska consumers are sending about their economic situation (38:47). The Weekly Top 3 is a regular weekly segment on The Michael Dukes Show. The Show broadcasts on Facebook and YouTubeLive as well as via streaming audio from the Show’s website weekdays from 6–8am. We join Michael weekly in the first hour of Tuesday’s show, from 6:25–7am, for a discussion between the two of us about our three issues.
- Transcript
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June 2 · 55 min
The Weekly Top 3 (6.1.2026)
Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind here at Alaskans for Sustainable Budgets — for the week of June 1, 2026. This week, our top 3 issues are these: 1) we discuss yesterday’s filing deadline, who filed for office, who didn’t, and what the result means for Alaska’s future (2:15), 2) we review the significant insights we have gleaned from LegFin’s recent fiscal summaries of the FY26 and FY27 budgets (18:40), and 3) we discuss why justifying a property tax break for AKLNG based on how Louisiana and Texas approach their projects is nothing more than cherry-picking fiscal policy (37:14). The Weekly Top 3 is a regular weekly segment on The Michael Dukes Show. The Show broadcasts on Facebook and YouTubeLive as well as via streaming audio from the Show’s website weekdays from 6–8am. We join Michael weekly in the first hour of Tuesday’s show, from 6:25–7am, for a discussion between the two of us about our three issues.
- Transcript
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May 26 · 54 min
The Weekly Top 3 (5.25.2026)
Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind here at Alaskans for Sustainable Budgets — for the week of May 25, 2026. This week, our top 3 issues are these: 1) we explain why the more we learn about how Phase 1 of the AKLNG project is intended to work, the more concerned we become about its potential impact on Alaskans (2:16); 2) we explain how some attempt to use the “federal income tax” argument to deflect attention from the economic impact on Alaska families of PFD cuts (18:20), and 3) we discuss how, just as the effort to inject more fiscal responsibility into the K-12 process at the local level is making some headway, the legislature steps in to undercut it (40:04). The Weekly Top 3 is a regular weekly segment on The Michael Dukes Show. The Show broadcasts on Facebook and YouTubeLive as well as via streaming audio from the Show’s website weekdays from 6–8am. We join Michael weekly in the first hour of Tuesday’s show, from 6:25–7am, for a discussion between the two of us about our three issues.
- Transcript
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May 19 · 51 min
The Weekly Top 3 (5.18.2026)
Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 - our look at the top 3 things on our mind here at Alaskans for Sustainable Budgets - for the week of May 18, 2026. This week, our top 3 issues are these: 1) we discuss the effort yesterday by some to use the gasline bill permanently to divert revenues to their favored spending categories, and why we continue to be concerned about the potential for similar efforts in the future, even though yesterday's effort failed (2:11), 2) we explain what, in the euphoria about first oil, many are forgetting about the state revenue side of Pikka, Willow, and other new developments (17:40), and 3) we discuss where the conference report puts the FY27 budget (35:27). The Weekly Top 3 is a regular weekly segment on The Michael Dukes Show. The Show broadcasts on Facebook and YouTubeLive as well as via streaming audio from the Show’s website weekdays from 6–8am. We join Michael weekly in the first hour of Tuesday’s show, from 6:25–7am, for a discussion between the two of us about our three issues.
- Transcript
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April 28 · 53 min
The Weekly Top 3 (4.27.2026)
Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind here at Alaskans for Sustainable Budgets — for the week of April 27, 2026. This week, our top 3 issues are these: 1) we explain why we believe the Governor should veto, and the Legislature should uphold his veto of the defined benefits bill, assuming it passes the Legislature in the first go round (2:24), 2) we discuss both the signals the feds are sending on the LNG project and what federal involvement in that project would mean for the state (19:22), and 3) we discuss the role we believe fiscal policy should be playing in this year’s Governor’s race, and our disappointment over why it isn’t (38:55). And finally, a scheduling note. We will be off for the next two weeks, traveling. We will return with the next edition of The Weekly Top 3 on Tuesday, May 19th. The Weekly Top 3 is a regular weekly segment on The Michael Dukes Show. The Show broadcasts on Facebook and YouTubeLive as well as via streaming audio from the Show’s website weekdays from 6–8am. We join Michael weekly in the first hour of Tuesday’s show, from 6:25–7am, for a discussion between the two of us about our three issues.
- Transcript
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April 21 · 52 min
The Weekly Top 3 (4.20.2026)
Welcome to The Weekly Top 3 — our look at the top 3 things on our mind here at Alaskans for Sustainable Budgets — for the week of April 20, 2026. This week, our top 3 issues are these: 1) we analyze where the FY26 and FY27 budgets currently stand, focusing on the revenue sources that are being used to support them (2:12), 2) we discuss the current status of the AKLNG project, including the potential impact of yesterday’s Presidential Executive Order invoking the Defense Production Act (17:13), and 3) we discuss where the K-12 funding debate goes from here, particularly in light of the recent defeat of the two K-12-related bond propositions in this month’s Anchorage municipal election (36:49). The Weekly Top 3 is a regular weekly segment on The Michael Dukes Show. The Show broadcasts on Facebook and YouTubeLive as well as via streaming audio from the Show’s website weekdays from 6–8am. We join Michael weekly in the first hour of Tuesday’s show, from 6:25–7am, for a discussion between the two of us about our three issues.
- Transcript
- Chapters

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