By AlaskaWatchman.com

There is no amount of money that will ever satiate government bureaucracy. In fact, the larger it grows the more it demands.

This is playing out in Alaska’s Senate as you read. The Senate Majority caucus – comprised of nine Democrats and eight Republicans – is slow rolling a plan (Senate Bill 52) to slash Alaskan’s annual PFD check by two-thirds in order to balloon the public education budget by more than $250 million.

That’s right. Left leaning lawmakers in the upper chamber want to dump record piles of money into a miserably failing public school system with no strings attached. Those who will pay the cost are every single Alaskan who relies on the annual PFD to help with groceries, housing costs, educational fees, clothing and other essentials.

If the Senate has its way a household of four will see a $10,000 decrease in their PFD payment (dropping from $3,800 to a mere $1,300 per person). That will allow the state to flood its government run education system while paying down its debt.

This was the inevitable result the moment former Gov. Bill Walker decided to ditch the statutory PFD formula in 2016, and redistribute the money as government sees best.

The fact of the matter is that these public representatives believe they can spend your money more wisely than you.

If you’ve got issues with Senate Bill 52, give your representatives an earful. Click the following links to contact members of the House or Senate.

The views expressed here are those of the author.

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OPINION: Alaska’s Senate Majority is drooling over ways to spend your PFD

Joel Davidson
Joel is Editor-in-Chief of the Alaska Watchman. Joel is an award winning journalist and has been reporting for over 24 years, He is a proud father of 8 children, and lives in Palmer, Alaska.


16 Comments

  • Neil DeWitt says:

    Ever since Walker was governor we’ve been screwed. It’s time the RINO’s see thus and stop this garbage SB-52. This is not a good piece of legislation and surely not what the people want. Governor Dunleavy, fought hard last year and I for one hopes he can do it again for us. if Democrats don’t want a PFD, I say don’t except it, give it all the the school that’s a total failure. I say no more money should go into the school system until they show we the people a significant raise in reading and math scores. End of their free ride. If school administration can’t get it together with less kids now and their woke crap agenda they all need to be fired. It’s time to stop playing eith our kids lives. Kids have a hard enough time with life that schools need to prep them to be able to deal with people saying NO, or you loose. Life don’t give out participation trophies. Kids need to learn that. Yes it’s nice but it’s a false picture. That’s why the USA is in the predicament it’s in now. Step back and look at the big picture not just your little corner of it.

  • Molly says:

    These MISrepresentatives (communist leftist, rinos dumbocrats, et al) will give away every cent to REeducate our xhildren. Tell them no, give us school choice and stop making us bail out he schools. Hold them accountable, stop rewarding them.
    This is the reason the majority rinos handed power to the dumbocrats, evil basterds.

  • Robert coulter says:

    Walker ditches it. Current Governor UNDitches it. Simple.

  • Michael Lindbeck says:

    Sad, but the very same people who will be hardest hit by stealing the PFD to pay for bigger government & more spending are the very ones most responsible for electing these leftist, tax & spend demokrats… progressives.”

  • Friend of Humanity says:

    This slashing was expected wasn’t it? Didn’t we hear last year we’d get 50% of what we should have been paid, then 25% the following year (this year)? I believe that this whole PFD was a setup a long time ago to keep Alaskans pacified while the globalists mined and drilled every last valuable resource out of our ground. They have taken control of our state and our governor and now they are driving the nail in to the coffin. No PFD soon, no wood or gas or oil to heat, cook with, fuel vehicles, no home. We’ll all be so happy to go live in those FEMA camps.

  • Chuck Anziulewicz says:

    Dismantling the public school system has been a long-term strategy amongst Republicans for over 50 years.

    • Elizabeth Henry says:

      It certainly needs it but the status quo republicans are as much of the problem as democrats. We need a removal of the federal government from education and a return to state and local control, adding in more choices and competition. Get rid of the department of education. Education quality has plummeted since the formation of that federal department. Back to just education, no indoctrination allowed. No politics, no special interests, no constant barrage of divisive ‘special’ groups and treatment. One is either a student or not a student. Simply teach treating others with respect and kindness, as that is what used to be taught, and covers all of the ‘inclusiveness’ bases. Then allow teachers to actually educate.

      • Lobo says:

        I agree, Elizabeth.. But, first, they have to quit accepting federal dollars.. Back in the 50s, the public schools systems accepted the offer from the federal government, and then the federal government says.. “we now control your school systems”.. Once we accept the federal dollar, the feds impose control.

    • Lobo says:

      And, screwing up the education of children in the public school system has been a long term strategy of the democrats for well over 50 years… They ( the democrats ) have been partly successful so far. It doesn’t take a genius to see the detrimental effects of the democrat strategies.

      • Kgak100 says:

        The most dangerous thing to the states is federal dollars once you are dependent they have you think about Hillsdale college they take no federal dollars and have a huge voice because of it all the states especially Alaska are far to dependent on federal dollars this is the reason the pipe line is not full we as a state have forgotten the meaning of GDP its real growth that empowers the citizen its a valuable currency that protects our sovereignty but the fed keeps printing and the states keep spending alaska needs to stand on her own two feet yes this will shrink state government jist think about for a few min no more federal dollars means more jobs and more economic prosperity for alaska no covid money no school money etc NO MORE FEDERAL DOLLARS…!!!

  • DaveMaxwell says:

    They want 1000$per student more
    How about 5000$less makes sense

  • Friend of Humanity says:

    This is promising news!
    “BOMBSHELL: HOLDING THEM TO ACCOUNT FOR CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY — PASCAL NAJADI & TODD CALLENDER”

    https://www.sgtreport.com/2023/02/bombshell-holding-them-to-account-for-crimes-against-humanity-pascal-najadi-todd-callender/

  • Kgak100 says:

    What did you expect its not an election year now its time to burn the cash from the PFD not to mention they think ther going to get rich from carbon capture ESG policy government always spends it before the money is made its called LEGAL PLUNDER for librals that’s legal theft

  • Mary says:

    Absolutely correct Lobo. The U.S. Constitution says that States will run their own education. But, when we accept money from the Feds then we have to dance to their tune. No matter the institution, a tax exempt status means you are beholden to the Feds…. Churches will soon find out this applies to them also.

  • John J Otness says:

    CORRUPT SCHOOLS THAT INDOCTRINATE AND DO NOT EDUCATE,,,, NO. SOUP FOR YOU!!!!