In Juneau I worked two years for a lady who had been Commissioner of Administration under Jay Hammond. She signed the first PFD checks. When they first came out, Gov. Hammond wasn't too sure how they would be received and didn't want to sign them himself.
We've been doing this OFD experiment for quite a while, but I don't think we still know what the long-term consequences of this program will be. Remember, they also started the Longevity Bonus for Senior Alaskans; it started as a way to provide support for people who helped make Alaska what it is, but the courts ruled that it had to be for everybody over a certain age who lived in-state one year. It, too, caused alot of older folks to move to Alaska, and stay in the Alaska Pioneer Homes, etc. Well, when push came to shove that program had to go, and it pissed off all the old-timers when Gov. Murkowski gave it the axe.
Government doesn't usually give away money. Is it really just a subsidy to keep people here who should leave???
Correction to last post: OFD = PFD
Thank you for the information, akdonn. I remember the Longevity Bonus and felt bad for those long-time Alaskans who lost it. It is a shame that the program ended because of the "newcomer" issue. Many elder Alaskans depended on that program, and IMO, they earned it. Without them, Alaska wouldn't be what it is today.
The Permanent Fund was not established to keep people here who should leave. Those who come to Alaska for the PF are delusional. It takes hard work, determination, and a tightening of the "belt" to live in Alaska. As you know, our cost of living is very high and whatever they may gain through a PF check is quickly lost in the upcoming month.