By FRITZ PETTYJOHN
When I got to Alaska in 1969, the smell of money was in the air. Prudhoe Bay’s oil had just been discovered. People didn’t know how big it was, but everyone thought it would be big, really big. A poor Democratic state was going to get rich, and Republican, and I wanted to be part of it.
By the time I hung out a shingle and started my law practice in 1974 the boom was on. In the blink of an eye, my wife and I had three kids and I got started in politics. In 1978 I worked on the reelection campaign of Gov. Jay Hammond, and his victory assured the future of the Permanent Fund.
Hammond, a Republican, wanted some of the oil money in the Fund to go directly to he people, but most of the Democrats in Juneau were opposed. He strong-armed the Legislature into approving a dividend, and the first $1,000 checks went out in 1982.
Democrats didn’t like the dividend then, and they still don’t. They are the party of, by, and for government. They want the government to spend the money, not the people.
Most Alaskans like their PFD’s, and that’s one reason 2024 is going to be a good year for Republicans. There are others. This is a presidential election year, and voter turnout could be 100,000 higher than in 2022. Among those Alaskans who only turn out in presidential years are a whole lot of people who know that Republican presidents are good for Alaska’s economy, and Democrats are not.
Alaska’s economy is stagnant, and people think the boom times of 50 years ago are just a memory. We’ll never see them again. Or will we?
Regardless of what you may think of him as a human being, Donald Trump would be good for Alaska. Trump doesn’t believe in distributing wealth, he believes in creating it. He doesn’t want energy independence, he wants energy dominance. That means full speed ahead on development of Alaska’s vast natural resource wealth. If Trump wins, and gets his way, Alaska’s economy, and its people, could get rich again. There’s talk of Gov. Mike Dunleavy as Trump’s Secretary of the Interior, and that would be icing on the cake. This just might be a very good time to invest in Alaska real estate.
One of the first things I learned about politics is that people vote in their own self interest: “What’s good for me, and my family?”This year, more than any other, in Alaska that means voting Republican.
So to all the Republicans running this year I have a little advice: Campaign with Trump, as a solid Republican, with the hope, and expectation, of boom times ahead.
Let the good times roll.
Fritz Pettyjohn served in the Alaska Legislature in the 1980s and writes the blog ReaganProject.com.
“…….This just might be a very good time to invest in Alaska real estate……..”
What real estate? It’s all owned by federal or state governments or native corporations.
Please God, keep the Cowardly Lion of Alaska as far away from power as possible
Maybe ambassador to Haiti. Maybe.
It’s way too early to predict 2024 is gonna be a good year for anybody except K Street lobbyists.
The GOP has a unique gift of self immolation.
Anchorage voters like the socialist democrats more than the PFD, they continue to elect them even when they cut the PFD. Democrats love to spend other people’s money!
Socialism is giving everyone the same whether they earned it,or not. The definition of pfd
How do you know? He changes his stripes daily like his underwear. Want me to tell you the 7 main items he has swapped on? I think you already know.
Oh, TDS rules the day. Forget truth or honesty, only TDS counts!
I’d like to hear them!!! You started the tune, now let hear the words. I’m sure I am not alone in being curious to have clarification. Cheers.
Because answers to your Inquisition are readily available online, I can only assume that you are wanting to play, soooo, given that, I will play along, but I will begin by just giving you one flip-flop a day. For today’s lesson, the flip-flop is TikTok And china. Stay tuned for tomorrow’s lesson.
I sat on a murder trial with Fritz defending a really bad dude in ANC around 1972.
His client shot a guy, as victim was standing at corner or 4th and C street, around 3:00AM, and the shooter was standing across the street. One shot with a colt 45 military style pistol and down went the other guy (who was also a really bad dude) like a rock.
3 weeks of hearing the States case by inept State attorneys.
State makes its full presentation, and the Judge tells Fritz to present his side to defend his client. Fritz asks the Judge to throw the case out because of some legal and proper thing the State did not due. The state screwed up royally
The Judge bangs his hammer down and says case is over – the defendant, rightfully so- is released and the case is over. Fritz followed the law, did a great job for his client and the guy was set free
Lord knows whatever happened to the guy later on in life.
Maybe he turned out to be a democrat and currently serves his current boss the Biden administration harassing us conservative types.
If you want a good barrister –call Fritz
Yeah, but Fritz also wanted the death penalty in Alaska. He petitioned for it. Subsequent felony defendants would have certainly avoided calling barrister Fritz for representation. The hanging criminal defense attorney.
My client was Leroy Hunnicutt. The victim was a wannabe pimp from Georgia named Alfonso Green.
Thanks Fritz!
Long live the PFD.
put a decent formula for the PFD in the Alaska Constitution
Good article! Please get involved folks or we are going to lose our state!
donaldjtrump.com – donate OR VOLUNTEER to help with President Trump’s campaign because this is a nation-wide effort and we need the nation to get involved for the survival of our nation!
Fritz,
It could also be Education, or Energy. Interior would be great. You sound healthy. You must be getting older. When I lived in Juneau in 1980’s you were raising hell in the House minority. You and Robin Taylor.
See you on Trump’s campaign trail.
let the games began
I remember the time Fritz was speaking on the House floor and he turned around and gave the finger to a Democrat seated behind him. My kind of man.
Lesson #2. He flipped on absentee ballats.
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