Aren't you given govt. subsidies in the form of a yearly check from the socialist oil companies?
more or less. The yearly check's worth is determined by how much we skimmed from the oil companies on any given year (depends on how well their Alaskan operations did) and how well the various investments the gigantic fund is involved in did for that year. The check I got this year was awesome, and is going to cover all my tuition for the Spring semester, the check I'll get next year, what with the economic meltdown and the falling price of crude, might equal 40-50% of the 2 grand (almost exactly 2 grand) I got this year.
The Permanent Fund Dividend (henceforth, PFD) was started in the early 1980's as a way to benefit all Alaskans while the oil companies keep doing whatever dirty business they continue to do. And besides the money the oil companies pay to the citizens of Alaska, they also contribute the lions share of taxes collected by the State Government (we have no statewide income, sales, or property tax). For this reason, perhaps moreso then any other, Alaskan citizens are veeeeeeeery pro-development, because as soon as the tap runs dry, and we've had some lean years, the State government might actually have to start taxing its citizens, and nobody wants that.
While this sounds very socialist, well, that's because it kinda is. However, the state government continues to do very well, but the local governments usually end up pinching pennies to continue operating their schools, police departments, and other city services that they don't get a lot of help with from the state government. The sales and property taxes that you pay anywhere in Alaska goes to funding the local governments and nobody else. And thanks to the Bush administration's unfunded mandates, and reduced support to state governments, local governments here have it harder then ever.
So while we sound very socialist, in actuality, we're very conservative/Republican. Where the rich parts of the government get to keep being rich and don't have to share so much with those who don't have anything. When faced with a massive budget surplus this year, Palin decided to rebate that money back to the people of Alaska, instead of spending it on infrastructure or more sensible things then a handout.
Sound familiar?
