First, I'll explain The PFD (Permanent Fund Dividend).
It was created mainly by the efforts of, actually, a Republican governor named Jay Hammond. During his time as governor, oil from Alaska’s North Slope began flowing to market through the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System. The PFD was created as an amendment to the Alaska constitution, an investment for %25 of proceeds such as gas and oil sales or royalties.
The PFD sets aside shares from oil revenues that benefit current and future Alaskan generations. But it's original intent was to put it's earnings into the state to maintain it's operations once the petroleum (NPRA) money runs out. Since Alaska's oil production is declining, this may be happening in the future.
The only problem with that is that many Alaskans depend on the PFD for things like medical bills and bills in general, high fuel cost during the Winter season and extra money for food since every price is raising and our wages aren't.
Enter Hollis French and Harry Crawford, 2 state Democratic legislators.
Mr. French (State Senate-D)
and Mr. Crawford (State House Rep.-D)
here both feel that the PFD should be included entirely within the Constitution to protect from Republicans like Rep. Mike Hawker.
Who feels that it is "just silly" to protect the PFD from the state when they try to give tax breaks to the oil companies, the money has to come from somewhere. French and Crawford are crafting an amendment that would make the PFD virtually untouchable by greedy state legislators.
"When we talk about giving big tax breaks to the oil
companies, the unspoken corollary is, where are we going to get the money from? The Permanent Fund Dividend." Crawford said. "That's one of the many reasons we're bringing this up."
The oil that funds the PFD travels through a 48 inch in diameter pipeline, also one of the largest privately funded construction projects at that time in 1977. It cost $8 billion to build and had, in regards to construction, a death toll of 32 people. It was created by the Alyeska Pipeline Service Company, and the APSC was created by the major oil companies to relocate the oil from Prudhoe Bay, North Slope (AK) all the way down to the port of Valdez, Alaska to be distributed via oil tanker. Those oil companies are BP, Exxon Mobil, Unocal, and Koch Industries. Yeah, that's THE Koch Industries.
I think that it's kind of funny, as residents of this state (I've been one for 20 yrs and I'm 21), we receive a share of the oil we produce through the Pipeline System (socialism?). It transports oil over 800 miles of Alaskan terrain, crosses 3 mountain ranges, and over 800 rivers.
By Steven Nourse/AccentAlaska.com
The Pipeline has been a source of enviromental controversy, and also had major opposition from the Native Alaskan tribes that lived and hunted in areas that would have been affected by the project. Back in 1971, President Nixon signed the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (the largest land claims settlement in United States history), which meant Native groups here in AK would have to renounce their aboriginal land claims, in order to receive $962.5 million and 148,500,000 acres in federal land. And another stipulation to that is, the pipeline can't touch or crossover any of that land.
Regardless of that though, the pipeline has been here and is an icon to most Alaskans. The Permanent Fund Dividend distributed it's first payout in 1982 at $1000. And ever since then it has been ingrained in to Alaskan culture, although some want it and some don't.
Democrats Hollis French and Harry Crawford understand that the PFD, while at first meant for private and state, is now for the people. As a resident of Alaska for more than a year (or 2 I think), you can qualify to receive a check.
What was created by a semi independent corporation is now socialistic in nature and is now being protected by 2 state Democrats.
French and Crawford said drawing money from the dividend should be "dead last" on the list for how to balance the budget -- a list that might include a statewide sales tax or income tax if petroleum revenues should drop far below state spending.
"That's the most regressive tax we could come up with, to take money from the PFD," Crawford said. "Because it hits people at the bottom so much harder than it hits the people at the top. ... There are thousands of Alaskans that are going to be cold and hungry if we were to take away the PFD."
Bold is mine
French said the dividend is "ingrained in the fabric of Alaskan life." The annual payout is a way for all Alaskans to benefit from the oil resources they own in common, he said. He said the future of the dividend has been debated since the fund was created, and he is standing with former Gov. Jay Hammond, who many regard as the father of the dividend and who defended it up until his death in 2005.
We as Alaskans understand how fortunate we are, even though Sarah Palin loved to fight against Socialism and accuses the current President as being all kinds of things evil and socialistic. Funny thing about that though is, she gave Alaska it's biggest PFD to date, because she added an extra $1200 to offset food and fuel cost for the winter.
But Alaskan Republicans believe that, something actually true, the dividend was created to sustain government services. I don't think they understand the dividend has become a government service though. In this state as it is now in 2009, it be politcal suicide to attack the PFD. Even though the PFD was meant for the state, over the years (33) it has transformed into, I think, a model for America.
Wouldn't it be great if other states had their own alternative fuels or other energies, that they could have a percentage of and then receive their own dividends annually? Maybe a state like Texas?
Basically the point of this diary is to show the Daily Kos community that even though we gave you Sarah Palin:
We are the only state that has a real model of Socialism in this country.
Also, Hollis French will be running for Governor. Alaska hasn't had a Democratic Gov since 2002 when Tony Knowles lost to Frank Murkowski who was just as corrupt as Sarah Palin. Tony Knowles tried to run in 2006 but lost to Sarah Palin (I know, but I wasn't old enough then so I'm excused). I will be voting in this Democrat, I will make sure he is going to be my governor instead of another Republican.
Harry Crawford will be running for the U.S House of Representatives, against Republican senior Don Young. He's been facing some pressure and his corruptness has been shown regardless of the things he has done for this state.
He will be voted out as well, I beleive in the Daily Kos goal. I will work to elect more and better Democrats, that I am sure won't cave and be worse than Republicans. So, here's to Daily Kos, and more and better Democrats.
Some Alaska Facts:
We have areas that get 24 hours of daylight and 24 hours of night.
We have 3 million lakes.
586,400 Square Miles
We are 2 times the size of Texas
We have 29 volcanoes
33,000 miles of coastline!
1,400 miles North to South
2,700 miles East to West
Over 1/2 the world's Glaciers
55 miles east of Russia (Guess that would explain Sarah Palin)
We are the only state to have coastlines on three different seas.
Arctic Ocean, Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea.
Mount Denali: 20,320 feet (Tallest in North America)
Alaska also only state that allows you to grow up to 1 ounce of Marijuana in your home.
Update: Because I forgot to link to the blockquotes, the article is up at ADN. But ironically, I first read it in the newspaper, and I never read the newspaper.