Alaskans to receive state payouts topping $3,200
By RACHEL D'ORO, Associated Press Writer
Fri Sep 5, 5:30 PM ET



It's the season for Alaskans to be rewarded just for living here and this year's take is extra sweet: $3,269, a record share of the state's oil wealth combined with a special cash payout to help with stratospheric energy prices.

Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell announced Friday that every eligible man, woman and child will receive $2,069, thanks to this year's annual payment from the state's oil royalty program. On top of that, the checks will include an additional $1,200 from the state treasury to help offset soaring fuel prices.

The one-time energy boost was proposed by Gov. Sarah Palin in May and approved by state lawmakers last month. Palin has since been tapped as the running mate of Republican presidential nominee John McCain. It fell to Parnell to make Friday's announcement on the dividend because Palin is out of state.

"The royalty dollars that flow through the state are the people's wealth," said Parnell. "The $1,200 resource rebate goes to that philosophy."

In addition to the $1,200 payments, the Legislature also approved Palin's proposal to suspend the state's 8-cents-a-gallon gasoline tax for a year.

Past dividend payments ranged from $331 to $1,963 in 2000. Last year's payout was $1,654. People must live in Alaska one calendar year to qualify. For residents in Alaska's rural communities, the money can't arrive at a more crucial time.

"When it gets real cold in winter, it can take five gallons of fuel for heating overnight," said Wanda Sue Page, who lives in the Arctic village of Noatak, where residents pay more than $9 a gallon for gasoline and nearly $10 a gallon for heating oil.

"I'm going to fill my 52-gallon tank up to the top and put the heat up real high," Page said. "And when it gets empty, I'm going to fill it again."

In all, 610,768 people are receiving the dividend this year. The state's estimated population is just under 680,000.

The fund was established in 1976 after North Slope oil was discovered. Including the upcoming dividends, the fund has yielded $16.5 billion to Alaskans since the first payout of $1,000 in 1982, according to the state Revenue Department.

That's not counting this year's extra energy relief money, which alone totals $730 million.

Sam Shields, who lives in the Kuskokwim River town of Bethel, said the state money is desperately needed in his community, where he recently saw a whole chicken selling for $23 at the local grocery store.

"Everyone around here was happy to hear how much we're getting," he said. "Mainly everybody here is saying they're going to use it on fuel."

 

Yup- I'll be spending mine on a new turbo (hopefully, if the wife gives the ok!) and a Kore leveling kit. The rest will go to bills...

 

You have to have lived here a year, and the year starts in Dec. to Dec....If you get here in in say March you have to stay here 22 months before you qualify...if you get here today then you wont get one till OCT of 09....

 

Having lived in Alaska for over 50 years (except for military time etc), I just want to say that I was and still am against the permanent fund dividend program. The way it wound up being administered is just stupid. For starters, having to pay 1/3 of it in federal taxes is dumb when there were other ways to do it (such as setting it up as a 401K variable annuity plan or such). We have wound up with some real losers relocating to our state because they think it is going to be the land of milk and honey as a result of the “free” money. They don’t count on the high cost of living, nine months of winter or the highest gas prices in the US. Our prisons have started filling up with gang bangers and others who think they can come up here and get a free ride. Wow! Nice to know that I can still get wound up and rant when the mood strikes. Hmmm to post or just hit clear. Close my eyes and hit a key….

 

Fill the fuel tank, Fix the truck, weatherstrip for the house, furnace tune up.... $3200 helps a great deal. I was against the $1200 "energy rebate" (there are much better ways of easing energy cost but that's for a different thread/forum) but I am also against turning down free money.

 

I'm an Alaska resident. I'm just in the military and stationed out of state, against my will...

 

Been there--done that. Its not fun. Unfortunately , I fell in love while in and got sent to places that she couldnt go. Long story short--I was an insecure jerk who made a lot of bad decisions in a short period of time. Life worked out OK in the long run but looking back—Oh well, older and a little wiser.

 

And here I thought things in Alaska were almost perfect, to bad Palin wouldn't stay a little longer to fix things

 

Must be nice, our state just gives away our resources for free, just approved Nestle to tap new wells and pump even more water. I thought we had a liberal running the state?

 

A lot of us would have liked to just keep her up here. Not going to go political on you so can only hope things turn out well for all americans this election.