What stake do Alaskans have in federal spending?
Federal spending in Alaska is very important to the state’s economy and, consequently, so is the GPRA and PART. According to a report compiled by the University of Alaska’s Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER) in November 2003, federal spending accounts for 33% of the state’s economy and funds one out of every three jobs in the state. In 2002, the federal government spent $7.6 billion in Alaska on a variety of programs – this equates to roughly $11,700 per person in Alaska ($5,150 more than the US average). Following is a breakdown of federal disbursements in Alaska: • 41% to individuals (wages, retirement, SSI, Medicare, unemployment, etc.); • 28% to state and local government; • 18% for federal purchases of goods and services; • 13% to tribes, non-profits, universities, schools, etc., mostly in the form of grants. How can we prepare for GPRA and PART reviews? Providing the information required by these new reporting standards requires recipients of federal funds to mainta
