Greetings from the Rubble!
TALL TALES from Juneau Eyes on the Dunleavy/Babcock administration Dispatches from the Rubble… JUNEAU IT IS Governor Mike Dunleavy, having seen the error of his ways, has “amended the call” of the PFD-focused special session to include the capital budget. He’s also called the location as Juneau, instead of Wasilla. And so, the sparkly hopes and dreams of the Republican House Minority die on the vine. They were waiting and wishing for torches and pitchforks and arm-twisting and even arrests. But after a disastrous week, including the downgrading of the University of Alaska by Moody’s to two-notches-above-junk-bond-status, and the tidal…
Hey, Alaska! Stop being Big Oil’s Giving Tree.
TALL TALES from Juneau Eyes on the Dunleavy/Babcock administration THE END OF THE ROAD -ish SINE DIE The first of at least two legislative special sessions is over. They have gaveled out “sine die” which is Latin for “without day,” meaning “without assigning a day for a further meeting or hearing.” Most people pronounce it “SY-nee DIE” which is completely wrong. If you want to impress your friends at a post-special session barbecue or cocktail party this weekend you can tell them it’s actually “SIN-uh DEE-uh.” So, now that we’ve got our obscure procedural Latin phrases in order, here’s…
Happy Socialist Money Grab Day, Alaska!
It’s $878, if you’ve been wondering. Alaska’s Permanent Fund Dividend check has been more, but it’s also been less. Established in 1976, after oil was discovered on Alaska’s North Slope, the permanent fund dividend gives every Alaskan cash back from oil wealth. Alaska is unique in that the residents, not private land owners or the government, own the oil. Hence, every year investments made pay residents back. Some years are better than others, but every man, woman and child gets a check – this year on October 4. The first dividend check was $1000. Last year’s check was $1174. We…