All that money Palin handed out in Alaska - where do you think it came from?

[ThomWV]

The infamous oil rebates to Alaskan citizens, where do you think that money comes from that they dole out in such cavalier fashion? It comes from your pocketbook every time you fill up, that's where it comes from. The state of Alaska gets paid by the Oil companies and the oil companies get their money from you. Enter Ms. Palin and her like and what you have is you and me paying the oil companies at the pump and the oil companies paying the Governor of Alaska in Juneau, and then the Governor or Alaska using your hard earned dollars to buy political support at home - one voter at a time, about a thousand dollars each. So let's don't forget where her support comes from and who's paying for it.

[Old and In the Way]

1. The People's Republic of Alaska.

Works great in Alaska...lets nationalize all of our energy choices.

[Morning Dew]

6. Exactly. Alaska is a Socialist State.

[magellan]

2. Funny how the Repubs don't see this oil $$ giveaway to Alaskans as socialism

Texans were never subsidized for their oil, were they? Or Oklahomans? Or Californians?

The Repubs should be pressed to answer why ordinary Alaskans deserve annual payoffs from the oil companies while the citizens of other oil-producing states don't get the same.

[Beausoleil]

9. No state income tax in Texas

to this day. Oil is why. Texas is one of the few states that kept most of its public land when entering the union, so oil royalties from drilling on state lands go to the general fund, I believe.

[magellan]

16. Thanks, I didn't know that about TX. n/t

[Blue_In_AK]

12. A lot of Republicans DO see it as socialism

but they don't turn down the money. Alaska's constitution established this as an "owner state" which is why profits from the oil get distributed to all of us. It's not our fault if the other resource states didn't have the foresight (or didn't care enough about their citizens) to set up a similar program.

[magellan]

15. I'm not trying to apportion blame

And I don't begrudge Alaskans their oil money. I'm simply pointing out that this is yet another hypocritical stance by Republicans, i.e. it's intolerable socialism unless they personally get something out of it.

[Matariki]

3. I'm interested in where it went. Who got those millions in contracts in her tiny town?

[SammyWinstonJack]

4. The Carlyle Group, Halliburton/KBR? Bet the BFEE is somehow involved. Oh and Cheney too.

[eowyn_of_rohan]

13. No doubt. With Gov.Palin is sitting on top of all that oil.

imagine the cozy relationships...

[SammyWinstonJack]

17. Cozy and quite profitable. Man, I didn't think the GOP/RNC could pick someone worse than

bu$h. Guess that is what I get for thinking! :silly:

[Hubert Flottz]

5. I wonder why AEP don't pay all the people who's lives have been

ruined in West Virginia by mountain top removal strip mining?

[crazylikafox]

7. good point. thnx for the reminder & talking point

[madrchsod]

8. god.....everything comes from god

[Blue_In_AK]

10. Alaska doesn't control the oil prices, ThomWV

and remember that we have to pay federal taxes on our permanent fund dividends and on this rebate, so a lot of it does go back to you guys in the end. When you want to move up here and pay our prices for food, when you want to pay twice or three times as much for shipping than the item you bought costs, when you want to pay $4.20 a gallon for gas, even here in Anchorage which is the cheapest in the state -- it's over $7 out in the Bush -- then you're welcome to move up here and share in our "good fortune."

I, for one, am thrilled that Governor Hammond back in the early '80s set up the Permanent Fund so that the oil companies wouldn't get out of here with all our resources AND all the money. A system like this should be set up for the entire country.

[progressivebydesign]

11. And guess where that earmark money came from?? US!!! We paid for it!

While Caribou Barbie honed her giveaways to voters (thru surplus payments from the State govt), she took in millions in earmarks for her State. Far be it for her constituents to pay for improvements from the State funds, the American taxpayers paid for her earmarks. That's the real issue for me.

[Blue_In_AK]

14. Your state doesn't get earmarks?

[ColbertWatcher]

18. RAPTOR JESUS!

[madmom]

19. If the state has so much money in their coffers why do the need/get federal money?