By FRITZ PETTYJOHN
Democrats in Juneau want to zero out the Permanent Fund Dividend, and it’s up to Republicans in the minority to stop them. They need to make a non-negotiable demand that a 2026 PFD of no less than $1,000 be approved this session.
They have the power to do it.
In 1989, when the proposed constitutional amendment creating the Constitutional Budget Reserve (CBR) came to the House floor, the Republican Minority, in which I served, demanded an amendment. We insisted that a ¾ vote of each House would be required for any withdrawals from the CBR that were to be made in the future. A 2/3 vote wasn’t good enough. It would be too easy to “buy off†a few minority votes to get to 2/3.
So, if six Republican state senators, or 11 representatives, refuse to allow any withdrawal from the CBR without the dividend, the Democrats who control the legislature will be in a box. All their budgetary planning needs money from the CBR to work.
Unfortunately it will probably take public pressure to get the minority Republicans to take this stand.
The PFD has always been a Republican idea, going all the way back to its inception, by Republican Gov. Jay Hammond. Democrats didn’t like it then, and they don’t like it now. They want to spend the money on their priorities. They don’t trust the people with their own money. They are the party of, by, and for government.
So if Alaskans, whether Republican, Democrat, or independent, want their dividend, they need to tell the minority Republicans to show some courage, and take a stand for the PFD.
If the people want their dividend, they will need to make their voices heard.
6 thoughts on “Fritz Pettyjohn: Minority Republicans can stop a ‘zero PFD,’ if they have the courage”
I say, ” Don’t try and stop them”. Talk about a 3rd rail in a election year. Want to elect true Republicans? Let the Democrats and RINO’s do this and cancel the PFD in a election year. Some times, you have to just sit back and let the Dem’s screw up. Just like the mayor in NY city
If you think any parents who are liberals and want their $4-8 thousand dollar check for them and their kids go away, this is a vote for Republicans. Minority’s will all be R’s. Actually, the Republicans should fight back for at least a $1 PFD. Watch the polls change in October for November when people start getting a $1 check!
Your argument about the PFD in an election year is spot on. There is no way anybody in the Legislature is going to “zero out” the PFD this year. But there is also no way there will be $3500 dividends distributed, either. My prediction is another $1000 or so dividend as a kicking-the-can-down-the-road measure, after a fight at the end of the session, until next year. But you can kiss the BIG dividends goodbye. Increasing taxes ought to be another wake-up call. Eventually, as economic realities take hold, the parasites will fly south.
Any Republican that votes for the steaming pile of cow manure called the CS, needs to be censured by their district.
When did forward funding become “a thing” to put in a CS? When did throwing an extra $30 Million in for “crazy money” become “a thing” â‰ï¸
Monday just vote NO. That’s a real thing. Like Fritz says, deny them any money from the CBR and you effectively have a spending limit that blocks any of their insane new programs.
A Zero 0.00 PFD just might give Alaska a Republican governor who’ll stand up to the legislature in 2027, when all those eligible voters but inconsistent voting voters don’t get a PFD in October
They’ll say, what the Heck!!!!â€
I doubt the Legislature Democrats are that stupid to even give a 500- or zero PFD.
If they are them I give them too much credit for being smarter.
PFD will be a 1000 again just to keep the inconsistent voters from voting again this year election year.
Alaska is rated as the most corrupt legislators in the US. They steal the PFD then spend like drunks. Where is a balanced budget? Every year the spend more and more. It is time to take them to task for their actions
Well, we know the PFD came from a bountiful source creating a buffer in development in communities and families, but we have another resource being talked about and some pre planning going on but won’t come to good point for years into the future so why aren’t the legislative bodies looking at the additional resource to plan and construct in a better and more even problem solved thinking? The other resource is the gas line. There are two documented and paid for surveys for the gas line to Valdez and the cost is one third of the cost the jokers of the plan to Kenai. The third survey was to the Yukon border brought on when Palin was governor. Parnell killed that one. The necessary issues are security for shipping which is solved at Valdez and port of entry no problem without having to change the navigational tools for ships using our maritime law and congress had approved that years ago. The pipe is smaller than the oil pipe and the manageable areas is already secure and established with safety plans along the oil pipe corridor. One third the cost in comparison of what the destruction of the park access along with years of law suits with any entry of pipe or problems in the Cook Inlet won’t happen with the gas pipe going to Valdez. The companies and the bad money problems are nothing short of a serious disaster. The whole corridor along the gas line survey is prepped and more ready and easy access for the shorter time frame for construction. The materials to add to Valdez can be built and ready by the time the gas line is finished and ready for gas shipping. Valdez is a well protected port and ready with the security plans in place and a much, much better place to ship to the world with National Security issues taken care of today. To the gas line to Kenai I say NO and NO to entry into the popular fishing waters that should remain protected against such commercial activity. The legislators need to take a look at the serious issues being reviewed and the issues of another line in a much, much better protected place than proposed by bad companies with bad reputations of too many financial problems. Time to rethink and plan today and for the future in the short term so we can get our resource to market with all important elements of a plan coming to a better outcome for Alaska and the customers. To the Congressional persons, STOP promoting dead beat companies and lying about signed commitments. To the legislative body, look to do a better job of using and working for this important project.