From the Publisher.

• Position: Magazine format change; state budget - Brief Article - Editorial

ABM's New Look

When Alaska Business Monthly began its series on Y2K, "This Bug Bytes," more than a year ago, we started to lay plans for a facelift of the magazine as well. The process would take time because when a publication decides to make major changes in the way it looks, such changes should be made with great care and consideration for its tradition and history, and its readers.

The first of those changes is made in this issue, beginning with a new banner (nameplate). The old one has served us well, and we will be retaining the Fenice (say feNEEchee) type style (face) that we have used for almost forever, but the color red changes from PMS 185 (red) to just plain red! We hope you like the new banner; we think it helps us look a little more up to date. It is the first of several changes in design to be made inside the magazine, and they will come little by little and month after month for most of the rest of the year.

Alaska's FY-02 State Budget: Magical, Mystical Numbers

Gov. Tony Knowles presented state legislators his new General Fund budget last month on Dec. 15, as is he required by law to do. It is bigger than last year and that is no surprise. He proposes a range of good programs with his $145 million increase: things like improvements for education, public safety, public health and selected senior citizen services.

Most of these programs anybody could support, but legislators feel the near $200 million increase it will incur in the General Fund does damage to the $250 million it has cut from the General Fund at the rate of $50 million a year over the last five years. Me thinks the legislators doth too loud protest! While $250 million may have been cut from the General Fund over the past five years...