New state giveaway
a shameful ploy
in election year

WHEN ALASKA’S LAWMAKERS stampede to hand out “free” money, a rational person might stop and ask the obvious: Why? Why do these folks think it is government’s job to tax to a surplus and then give the extra money away in a sham that soon will be an annual entitlement?

In the waning hours of the special session, the state Senate last night opted to hand each Alaskan eligible for what likely will be a Permanent Fund dividend of more than $2,000 this year even more money, $1,200 added to the dividend as an “energy rebate” . . .

(cont'd from front page) to combat higher fuel costs. It also set a new limit of $1 per kilowatt hour on the power cost equalization program, up from 57 cents.

Lawmakers gave the Alaska Housing Finance Corp. another $60 million for winterization — hasn’t it already received something like $300 million? — and they suspended the 8 cent per gallon state motor fuel tax. All that was in addition to the Senate’s pumping another $50 million into the Renewable Energy Fund.

The total price tag for the basket of election-year goodies will be nearly $1 billion — that’s with a “b.” Counting only the $1,200 add-on, a family of six could expect Permanent Fund and energy rebate checks in the neighborhood of $18,000.

How does this legislation foster conservation? How does it improve Alaska’s energy picture? How does it make Alaska a better state? If the idea was to help rural Alaska, where energy costs are destroying entire villages, why give handouts to everybody else as a bribe?

People Outside look at Alaska and think we are rich, spoiled and not very bright in, oh, so many ways. Who can blame them?

This legislation is, at best, shameful.