House Bill 209 would be a game changer for our Permanent Fund dividends. The overarching impact of the bill, offered by Anchorage Rep. Zack Fields, would be to transform the PFD — your annual share of Alaska’s oil wealth — into a targeted entitlement program.
When the dividend program was envisioned by Gov. Jay Hammond, it was never intended to be any such thing. Gov. Hammond envisioned a mechanism through which all Alaskans would become enfranchised participants in the benefits of our state’s resource development.
This bill would restrict qualification for a PFD check only to individuals who don’t file federal taxes or who make $50,000 or less in annual income. Additionally, the bill would cap the PFD at $1,000 permanently, regardless of the performance of the Permanent Fund. Also, the PFD would not be inflation proofed.
The PFD is not a handout. It is a dividend paid to you for your share of Alaska’s resource wealth. If you own shares of stock in General Motors and your shares pay a dividend, does GM call you and say, “Sorry, but your income disqualifies you from receiving your money”? Obviously not. Yet, HB 209 would have this be the ‘new normal’ for Alaskans.
Achieving a fiscal balance while confronting declining state revenue continues to be paramount. However, disenfranchising tens of thousands of Alaskans from a program established for all Alaskans is not the way to do it.
Rep. DeLena Johnson represents District 25, including Palmer, Butte, Lazy Mountain, and the Walby Lake area.
Thank-you DeLena for the clarity in stating what the dividend is/was intended for, and what some want it to be. Sadly it’s what the dark side does best, they design processes to divide us into groups and usurp the power of the individual.
I know it’s not easy being amongst many of your colleagues, but you have my appreciation.
This is illegal. Zobel v. Williams. This sort of thing was already argued before the US Supreme Court. This is illegal.
BS. “this sort of thing .. ”
Go back to Jr. High. Then go back to wherever you came from.
If you think modern Democrat-appointed judges won’t find a way to justify discriminating against the White middle class – you simply haven’t been paying attention since the Obama era. Zobel might as well have been decided in the 1800’s for all it matters to modern leftists.
Does this mean the legislature and almost every public employee will not receive a PFD? Hmmm…..
How do we keep electing these A Holes?
Good point, Archie, especially when all we kmow about election results is what we’re told by A holes who have a vested interest in the results.
Wouldn’t it be nice if legislators started telling the truth? Like, if we got a fair share for our oil a family of four would not have had $60,000 worth of dividends taken from them. Dividends are going away because we give away our resources. This is the beginning of the end.
Bye, there is $82 billion dollars in an investment account with our name on it. We didn’t give any resources away. In fact I spend resource money every single day in my community. The money I make comes directly from resources being explored and harvested then sold. Of which Alaska and the Feds get a cut of every gram and every barrel and every cubic foot. So as far as a free lunch there isn’t one.
Disenfranchisement of the PFD and our votes with RCV is what Alaska gets when it elects Democrats to office. 😡
As a reminder, ranked-choice voting and open primaries were put in place by voters across Alaska who understand that they — not often corrupt or self-serving political parties — should call the shots in elections. Elected Democrats had nothing to do with that.
As a related reminder, those same voters — we the people — reaffirmed RCV and open primaries in a second statewide vote three years later. Again, not the work of elected Democrats.
Dominion voting systems has entered the conversation.. /s
Agree
Eliminate the dividend
Yes Manny, time to cash out the entire permanent fund, since politicians won’t allow it to function as intended. Pay every eligible Alaskan an equal share and be done with it.
And do what with the $82 billion Manny.??
No Doug, I said the dividend, not the whole permanent fund.
Simply declaring something “not this” or “definitely that” doesn’t make it so. By any reasonable assessment, the PFD is a socialistic handout. It is nothing like owning stock, which requires an actual financial investment.
I love my free money as much as anyone, but the PFD has engendered a dangerous free-ride mentality in this state. The abundance of elected people and their media surrogates who dishonestly perpetuate the myth of the free-ride make it worse. It’s among the largest obstacles to a sustainable future for Alaska. The continued outmigration of families and businesses, rightfully bearish on this state’s future, is a direct consequence.
Thanks for fighting for us little guys Delena!
Thank you Delena. Zack is a real tool. What more can I say.
It’s amazing how much of a divisive weapon this money has become. I remember the first check and how we were all so grateful to get it. Now it’s a political weapon to create division amongst Alaskans.
Thanks for the heads-up, Deena.
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Turning the PFD into an entitlement check may be only half the problem.
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Watch for an amendment to include automatic voter-registration.
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Sign up for your welfare check, get automatically registered to mail-in vote at the same time, what could possibly go wrong?
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House Bill 209 explicitly excludes non-citizens, explicitly forbids concurrent automatic voter registration?
(https://www.akleg.gov/PDF/34/Bills/HB0209A.PDF)
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Want a quick test, DeLena, why not offer an amendment to exclude non-citizens and to forbid concurrent, automatic voter-registration?
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Thanks again, DeLena.
PDF is not handout but everyone’s share of mineral wealth of Alaska because in Alaska you do not own resources under that land.
24,600 state employees get 1,000 bucks tax deferred “dividend” every month, on top of paycheck and pension. That alone is almost 300 milion yearly.
700,000 Alaskan can’t get their fair share once a year so that someone else can have his every month.
Think income qualifications should apply to our government first, after first 50,000 no more money for you.
George. It’s a handout. It’s pure socialism.
A hand out for a product we sold ?? I guess you think the state would spend the money more wisely?? Manny ??
The automatic voter registration has ALREADY been going on for the past 5-10 years. Where have you beeen??
Reading the damned bill, mate.
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Yourself?
I am so sickened to see anyone trying to change anything with the divided, when it originally came out it was fix so no one could ever take it away or change it, but you legislators illegally do votes in private among yourselves and change what was never meant to be changed, I think us Alaskans who all remember the original way it was should all get together and sue all those who have illegally put there hands into it without even so much as to as the people, and the other thing that upsets me, is you try to find excuses on why it should be used for this or used for that, you teach the younger generations things that are not true and make them think they should give up the divided for a more important cause, it just sickens me to no end to think I live in this beautiful state with such ugly minded legislators who think they can do what they want when they want with no approval from the people, the divided was ment and wrote so it could never be touched and you people have put your hands into it to try to take away only for your own wants, and wishes, you think we the people do see how you wasteful you, the legislators are with money that belongs to the state, you think we the people are dumb and turn our heads, I say we need all new legislators, ones that we the people actually vote for, not the ones they choose to put on the voting panel for us to choose from, but ones we the people get together and decide who we want in, I think all new, fresh people who we think can be more honest and actually care about we the people should be the way it is done, the lies and stories the legislators give us is old and we see it, it’s time to make a stand for a real change, one we can be thankful for, not ones who take from us
WOW! That’s all one sentence!
Alaskans pay more for food and other living expenses. We deal with long winters, thus high fuel rates to keep our homes warm. We pay for outrageous airfares to get out of the state. And now, if you make $25/hour, you don’t get a dividend?
If you found gold on your land, it’s not yours. If you had oil “a bublin’ up”, it’s not yours. If your grandparents homesteaded a piece of land out in the bush somewhere and you realized that under your piece of land, there is copper… sorry it ain’t yours.
In the State of Alaska, the Department of Natural Resources manages all state-owned land, water and natural resources, except for fish and game, on behalf of the people of Alaska. If Representative Zak Fields gets his way, the Department of Natural Resources will manage all that for the Alaskan legislature.
I wonder if it’s time to end the PFD and divvy out the Dividend Fund to the people of Alaska before the legislature divvies it out to their donors.
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