The devil is in the details. Who decides what is essential and what is pork? Alaskans, that's who. And Alaskans have taken surveys that time and again say that they want trooper protection, decently maintained roads, a good education for their children, a state university, and so on. If it is the will of Alaskans that they believe that these things are essential, then its time to pay up! We've gotten these things for free for too long.