Alaskans like to pride themselves on how independent we are – how we live in a harsh environment with nature and never cry uncle – how we don’t need no stinkin’govment telling us how to live our lives or what to kill for dinner or how big a gun we need to kill it.
Sounds good, doesn’t it? In actuality it is a thin skin on a balloon of hot air that can be easily deflated with one small prick – and I am not talking about the genitalia of the current POS sullying the WH. I’m referring to the PFD. Threaten to cut Alaskans off even a little from this ever flowing tit and we scream like a newborn whose mom’s milk has not yet come in.
We are, in fact, a deadbeat state. We want everything we want and mostly we want to not pay for it. What a crock! In every other state in this country, citizens not only DON’T get a check from their government, they actually pay taxes. They may not like it. Who does? But they pay because we need government for all those silly little things like public safety and public health and maintained roads and… well, you get the idea.
But here in Alaska, we feel those services are all our birthright from living in a state with a huge oil presence. So we should not have to pay a cent more than we might already pay in property taxes to continue receiving those services. It’s not our responsibility. We’re just kids. The Oilies are the adults and they should pay while we play.
As I’ve said before, and I’ll repeat, for those screaming to cut the state budget even further before considering new revenue streams, please refer to the 8 gazillion reports from economists who say repeatedly that you simply can’t cut your way to a balanced budget. But go ahead, tell me specifically what you want to cut further and, in less than 24 hours, I will show you a group of angry constituents holding potlucks to pay for tickets to go to Juneau to tell you not to do that.
Grow up, Alaskans. Take responsibility for your state and the services it provides. That’s what real adults, and real Alaskans, would do.