Guest Editorial
By Elstun Lauesen
I hope the House sticks to its guns and kills the $5,500 PFD.
In order to lard the undeserving with the unearned, the craven Senate will clean out every equity fund in the State.
They claim that they will pay it back when all the $100 a bbl revenue comes in, a dividend from the disasters of war, for which Dunleavy is rubbing his boney fingers.
But don’t bank on a prudent and responsible recapitalization of those public equity funds.
Not by this morally stunted and ignorant legislature. The Stupid is too strong.
Remember, the Idjit Minority in the House refused to muster the votes to “reverse sweep” the Higher Education Investment Fund. What makes you think the same Idjits will restore it?
Meanwhile the State continues to lard the undeserving in another important way: Corporate Welfare.
I can’t say it better than Senator Wielechowski when he and Scott Kawasaki were challenged by Dermot Cole to explain their votes for the larditude:
“I’ve filed legislation and run amendments to cut the $409 million in refundable oil tax credits, the $1.3 billion in deductible oil tax credits, the $1 billion in net operating loss oil credits and the $194 million in corporate oil loopholes. More than enough to cover this”
He’s right.
Unfortunately the Idgit Caucus (read: “Republican”) ignored these billions in corporate welfare that could close the deficit spending just approved by the Senate.
The craven grasping on the part of the BFPFD lobby —who are virtually identical with the snarling anti-maskers of Save Anchorage fame, Conspiracy Theorists of QAnon brand and Far Right nut jobs embracing the Oath-Keepers and the Trump-Treason January 6 deadly farce—Y’know, the folks who who keep electing the likes of Eastman and Kurka…those are the champions of the BFPFD.
TEMPORARY ALASKANS
The Institute for Social and Economic Research—back when they were the ISEGR (including “Government” in their title, before “Government” became unfashionable) did a study of population churn during the pipeline boom days of the 1980s. They found that about 40% of Alaska’s population turns over every 60 months. I’m guessing that Alaska’s population is still fairly close to that churn rate.
New people come to Alaska and the first thing they do is register to vote and get a drivers license. They know that it will take a year for them to be eligible for Alaska’s world renowned “Money Giveaway”. Newcomers should register as a Republican—it’s the smart thing to do (wink-wink) because Alaska is a Republican state.
COUNT THE PEW UNITS!
Oh…and join a Church because that’s a great way to get integrated into the new State. The Pastor is always happy to see a nice family of 5 or 6 because he knows that every Pew Unit translates into tithe-giving; 10% of those PFDs.
So pardon me for suspecting that every politicized Pastor in Trump Country, Alaska is licking his/her chops at the prospect of those Pew Units getting $5,500. Praise the Lord!
And considering 40% of those receiving the billions of dollars from equity funds designed for future Alaskans are churn fodder…well...it seems kinda unfair to those for whom Alaska IS the future.
But the craven sluicing of Fool’s Gold by the GOP carnival barkers makes schist and mica glitter like gold in the lives of the hapless churn in Alaska.
Eventually they will leave. And with them, the future of Alaska, if the Republican Party gets its way.
…………………………………
Elstun W Lauesen, CEDFP
2139 Solstice Circle
Anchorage, Alaska 99503
907-229-4643
"Research. Inform. Communicate"
