Is there already a thread about this?

[manifold]

I didn't catch the whole story but I heard George Snuffleupagus say something on his show yesterday about how Alaskan residents got to vote themselves a $1,200 check each that was tied to a ballot question opening up more areas for drilling. Basically, allow the oil companies to drill and you get a $1,200 kickback each. Honestly, it seems way too egregious to be true. Anyone know anything about this?

 

[del]

I didn't catch the whole story but I heard George Snuffleupagus say something on his show yesterday about how Alaskan residents got to vote themselves a $1,200 check each that was tied to a ballot question opening up more areas for drilling. Basically, allow the oil companies to drill and you get a $1,200 kickback each. Honestly, it seems way too egregious to be true. Anyone know anything about this?

Don't know. Why do you feel it's egregious for citizens of Alaska to
1) decide how their resources should be used?
2) decide who should be paid for the use of those resources?

It seems consistent with the thinking behind the establishment of the Alaska Permanent Fund, which also provides cash derived from oil production to individual Alaskans

Do you think that they are incapable of making an informed choice?

 

[manifold]

More unlikely than incapable.

 

[del]

More unlikely than incapable.

are you saying that they were duped?

 

[manifold]

are you saying that they were duped?

I don't know enough about it to say for sure. But it seems like a pretty fast horse to me.

 

[manifold]

I did a little bit more research. Looks like they might only get $250 now, or nothing at all.

 

[del]

I don't know enough about it to say for sure. But it seems like a pretty fast horse to me.

and then some.

 

[Ravi]

They've been getting these dividend checks for years.

 

[manifold]

They've been getting these dividend checks for years.

I haven't been able to find much about it to be honest. I'm sure it's just my limited google skills. Got any links?

 

[glockmail]

Imagine that, Alaskans getting cash from oil companies that they license to exploit their resources? Such unmitigated gall!

 

[Ravi]

google alaska oil checks

 

[Ravi]

Imagine that, Alaskans getting cash from oil companies that they license to exploit their resources? Such unmitigated gall!

I don't have a problem with it. Why don't the citizens of LA get the same thing?

 

[del]

I did a little bit more research. Looks like they might only get $250 now, or nothing at all.

here's a list of all ballot initiatives in Alaska. I don't see anything pertaining to opening up land to drilling.
List of Alaska ballot measures 1960-present - Ballotpedia

 

[dilloduck]

I don't have a problem with it. Why don't the citizens of LA get the same thing?

I imagine because LA is not willing to share the profits it's gets from selling resources to private industry with it's citizens.

 

[manifold]

Thanks everyone.

Nothing sounds particularly unreasonable or insidious about this.

I guess it was just Snuffleupagus' liberal bias at work.

 

[del]

I haven't been able to find much about it to be honest. I'm sure it's just my limited google skills. Got any links?

State of Alaska - Permanent Fund Dividend Division

here you go

 

[glockmail]

I don't have a problem with it. Why don't the citizens of LA get the same thing?

What resources do they own that the rest of us want, pray tell?

 

[del]

What resources do they own that the rest of us want, pray tell?

oil

 

[Ravi]

What resources do they own that the rest of us want, pray tell?

Access.

 

[Ravi]

I imagine because LA is not willing to share the profits it's gets from selling resources to private industry with it's citizens.

I don't know if that is true or not. As far as I know LA only gets a small amount of the tax on oil, but not any of the profit.