Alaska ferries generate 133 ROI (Fairbanks, Wasilla: renting, homes, layoffs)

[Metlakatla]

https://www.ktoo.org/2016/03/27/1267...6wrNtK7A8f4wbY

The state gets a 133 percent return on its investment in the Alaska Marine Highway System. That’s the conclusion of a recent economic analysis by the McDowell Group, and independent research firm based in Juneau.

Oh, and for anyone who thinks the ferries only serve SE residents...

There are more people from Palmer and Wasilla using the ferry than from Sitka — than from Haines, even. And there are more residents of Fairbanks using the ferry than residents of Wrangell and Petersburg.

But yeah, "the check" is more important. SMH.

[6.7traveler]

I highly doubt huge ferry cuts are actually coming to the point of shutting it down. I also doubt many of Dunleavy's other cuts will come to fruition and if they do, they won't be as drastic as originally proposed. The legislature will most likely use part of the PFD to fund the government. https://www.adn.com/politics/alaska-...dividend-plan/

People are whining about any cut whatsoever now and begging for taxes at town halls around Alaska. Of course, everyone also remembered to file for their supposed giant PFD.... hypocrisy at its finest. When Alaska voted for Dunleavy they wanted a $6700 PFD and theoretical cuts that didnt actually affect them.
Alaska would be better off without the PFD IMO. It would at least curb some whining. I think many people, especially large families, would move out of state if it was ended as well.

I'm very skeptical of any huge cuts actually happening. "My cushy state job was eliminated and I was laid off" said no government employee ever.

[Metlakatla]

Originally Posted by 6.7traveler

When Alaska voted for Dunleavy they wanted a $6700 PFD and theoretical cuts that didnt actually affect them.
Alaska would be better off without the PFD IMO. It would at least curb some whining. I think many people, especially large families, would move out of state if it was ended as well.

The AMH isn't accepting reservations past August, I think. I sort of doubt it'll shut down too, but you never know.

No one admits they dragged up because of the PFD, but I think more than a few of them actually have. I wish the state would set up an educational trust for their kids or otherwise ensure their grifter parents don't waste the kids' checks on whatever.

[Metlakatla]

Speaking of grifters, I'm pretty sure Billy Brown of The Alaska Bush Family infamy dragged up chasing "the check" despite all the lies he and Discovery told about him having been a commercial fishermen for 30 years. That idiot came to work for my family back before he found fame and "fortune" (lol) on cable tv, and he didn't know a silver from a sockeye. This was back in my mom's day (I want to say 2005 but idk for sure), and he tried to con her into letting him plunk his bus with its passel of kids on our property. She said no, and he got himself fired shortly after that for being a jackass, and the next thing we heard, he was grifting his way around Port Protection.

He and his family totally trashed a home they were supposedly renting from an older lady who'd gone out of state for the winter. Can't believe how many people think that show is real.

[6.7traveler]

Giant families would make out like a bandit if the PFD is a "full dividend" of approx $3k this year. It's not uncommon for familes to have 8+ kids up here, I personally know several. With 8 kids and 2 parents that's $30k, thats serious money for the average working person. A commune with 200 people would receive $600k. That's crazy money.

I have 3 kids and my family would receive approx $15k if the dividend was $3k. While I'm not going to lie that an extra 15 grand wouldn't be nice, I wouldn't want people to lose thier jobs over it. Shutting the ferry down is even more absurd, even though I've never ridden on it. I guess I'm a hypocrite though because I did file for it .

Anyways, my predection is the state legislature budget dilemma is a s***show and drags on until June 30th and at the last minute they finally come up with a budget that uses half of the $3k dividend or more to fund the government with no real significant cuts, especially no cuts that involve layoffs, education/university or the ferry and we will go through the whole thing again next year.

Eventually the dividend is probably going away and taxes are coming. If Alaskans wanted some extra cash and no taxes, everyone should be cheering for a one time reasonable payout, that still left plenty of money left over to fund the government.

[Metlakatla]

Eight kids? Not sure why anyone needs that many... probably all living off backyard breeding, homeschooling assistance, and "the check."

You've never ridden on the ferry, but you've eaten food that was brought up via the ferry and enjoyed services that were funded in part by businesses that profit from ferry traffic. Most Alaskans have.

I'm not a hypocrite, but I really can't fault anyone for filing for "the check" as long as they're passing it out. I had a friend in the legislature years ago who introduced a bill for a one-time payout, but it was deemed unconstitutional or some such stupid sh*t. At the time, the payout would have been enough for the average person to buy a home, start a business, whatever, and it would have done the people of Alaska some actual good instead of throwing them an annual pittance that does little but feed the coffers of the liquor stores and drug dealers. I'm going to laugh like hell, though, if "the check" gets cut to pay for stuff after all the braying about how it'll stay intact. Maybe that's a lesson Alaska voters need to learn, if they can.

Dunleavy's nothing but a puppet shill for Pebble (disclaimer: I'm not 100 percent opposed to Pebble; what I'm opposed to is yet another Outside interest raping the state). He'll get it through with the people of Alaska cheering him on to their own detriment, as usual.

[6.7traveler]

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

I'm going to laugh like hell, though, if "the check" gets cut to pay for stuff after all the braying about how it'll stay intact. Maybe that's a lesson Alaska voters need to learn, if they can.

Dunleavy's nothing but a puppet shill for Pebble (disclaimer: I'm not 100 percent opposed to Pebble; what I'm opposed to is yet another Outside interest raping the state). He'll get it through with the people of Alaska cheering him on to their own detriment, as usual.

You better get ready to laugh because I think that's exactly what's going to happen. It went from $6700 with the back pay, to the $4200 with the back pay spread out over 3 years, to no back pay and just $3k now and that's not even looking good. It's definitely going to go lower too because there's no way the ferry is ending.

I voted for Dunleavy, but it was all Begich's fault. Dunleavy sent me flyers in the mail literally every other day. Begich sent literally nothing. Dunleavy is giant sized and powerful looking, Begich is weak and wimpy soy boy looking. Dunleavy was promising me $6700, Begich was promising me taxes. What was I supposed to do? It was a landslide.

Dunleavy is a bought and paid for puppet but so is pretty much everyone down in Juneau. Why can't some real good actual Alaskan people run for office up here? There's plenty of awesome super accomplished people up here. It's only the grimy scum that goes to Juneau though.

[Metlakatla]

Originally Posted by 6.7traveler

You better get ready to laugh because I think that's exactly what's going to happen. It went from $6700 with the back pay, to the $4200 with the back pay spread out over 3 years, to no back pay and just $3k now and that's not even looking good. It's definitely going to go lower too because there's no way the ferry is ending.

I voted for Dunleavy, but it was all Begich's fault. Dunleavy sent me flyers in the mail literally every other day. Begich sent literally nothing. Dunleavy is giant sized and powerful looking, Begich is weak and wimpy soy boy looking. Dunleavy was promising me $6700, Begich was promising me taxes. What was I supposed to do? It was a landslide.

Dunleavy is a bought and paid for puppet but so is pretty much everyone down in Juneau. Why can't some real good actual Alaskan people run for office up here? There's plenty of awesome super accomplished people up here. It's only the grimy scum that goes to Juneau though.

The last time a real Alaskan ran for gov., we got stuck with Sarah Palin, which might not have been such a bad thing if she hadn't gotten all camera-hungry after that unfortunate VP business. She really wasn't a bad governor despite a few personal failings, and she was ready to tangle with Oil on the behalf of the people. I'd take her over a dozen of Dumleavy.

I suspect the limited number of Alaskans who are actually worth a damn are too busy living productive lives to be grifting around with politics. I imagine it's also difficult because the Alaska electorate has made its one and only priority, "the check," glaringly obvious time after time, which takes anyone with a speck of integrity off the political playing field.

Idk about your voting dilemma because I can't relate to selling my vote to the highest bidder, but I appreciated the fire starter Dunleavy sent. As far as taxes, some of us remember when Dunleavy was trying to get a 25 percent increase in fisheries taxes when he was infesting the legislature.

I honestly hope the PFD ends up being far less than what Dunleavy promised voters; maybe Alaskans will finally learn.

[6.7traveler]

Dunleavy's brochures were far too waxy and glossy to make good fire starter . And even if you hate Dunleavy you have to admit Begich was a poor choice of a candidate.

Alaskans will also never learn as long as the PFD is in play and that's not Alaska specific. Whenever people with little to no skin in the game can vote themselves more money and benefits it's not going to end well. I am starting to see the futility in voting on any level, no matter what you do your'e screwing yourself and others.

I do think there's tons of productive people up here worth a damn though. Not everyone is the stereotypical trashy billy brown. They are just an easy scapegoat. There's some world class people up here.

It will be interesting to see what happens but I'm sticking with my prediction that no significant cuts are made and the PFD is halved at approx $1500. The ferry stays operational with possible minor cuts of frequency of service. I guess we will see.

Dunleavy has no real power or say here except for item line vetoes at this point.

[Arktikos]

The Dunleavy proposed budget has 37% of revenue going to permanent fund checks. That's nuts-only the most hard core legislators will support that. I'm in agreement that PFD should just go away. Actually the budget could be balanced this year with just a small fund payout.
Remember that his budget is primarily not comprised of actual cuts but rather transfers of debt burden to municipalities. MatSu, a region that is generally considered to be base, has a lot of new schools to pay for and they're not too wild about taking this on because they don't have any tax base to work with.
It will be interesting to see what transpires. Despite his size and radical budget proposal the governor doesn't strike me as one unwilling to compromise, but we'll see.