It's sad to read this.  I tells how little these Senators know about Alaska, economics or the job they are supposed to be doing.  Yes, other states have broad-based taxes.  But other states did not start taxing with a state government that was bloated and oversized.  Alaska's state bureaucracy totals 20,000 employees working under a business paradigm based on $100-$140 oil.  This government beast is much too big.  And no serious downsizing has yet been done.  Income taxes will only keep the beast large, when the beast needs to lose half of its bulk to be $50 oil size, a size we can afford.  Senators that say we need an income tax are senators that are too lazy to do the job of cutting, eliminating agencies and restructuring state government.  These senators are not working for the public, or else the state employee head count would be closer to 10,000 by now.