Sarah Palin's true reality: 'Free' Alaska is a welfare state that enjoys generous federal subsidies

[kpete]

So, how's that subsidy, welfare-y thing working out for ya, Sarah?

Sarah Palin's true reality: 'Free' Alaska is a welfare state that enjoys generous federal subsidies

Michael Daly

Sunday, November 14th 2010, 4:00 AM

Alaska gets $1.84 in federal spending for every dollar it pays in federal taxes.

We in New York get just 79 cents on the dollar.

Which means we subsidize Alaska even as it enjoys a $2 billion-plus budget surplus.

Even as New York faces a huge deficit that will require ever more painful cuts.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2010/11/14/2010-11-14_palins_true_reality_free_alaska_is_a_welfare_state_that_enjoys_generous_federal_.html

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

1. Kind of pisses ya off, doesn't it?

:think:

[Dappleganger]

2. Palin doesn't consider NY'ers to be "real Americans", either.

[bettyellen]

23. when I pointed out to someone how NY unfairly subsidises red states

they countered a person could easily up and move to someplace like that. As if.

[DeSwiss]

3. K&R

[Supersedeas]

8. but these numbers and facts have to be balanced with RW slant and propoganda

[DeSwiss]

10. Fact & fiction = Oil & water n/t

[roguevalley]

11. If you check out what you have in infrastructure and basics, you will

find that Alaska is in many parts a third world country. Entire masses of this state has no roads, no sewage and no drinking water processing.
Hepatitus and other diseases are rampant in the bush. We have about 700 miles or so of roads in a state that spans from New York to L.A. and has more shoreline than the entire rest of the USA. We also are three times bigger than Texas and California. We ship everything in and pay through the nose. In some part of our state gas is almost $9 a gallon and food is prohibitive. Because of our lack of roads and the cost of flying food and etc into some places, people do their shopping for EVERYTHING once a year. Imagine getting everything you need for an entire year for your family once and then flying it at zillions of bucks a pound to your town.

There are reasons we are needy. Remember that the next time you drive to a store and have choice. As for the dividend, your state could share its wealth too. I'm sorry they don't but a $1000-1200 check a year doesn't even begin to pay for the necessities.

Palin is an asshole from Idaho. Don't blame the deficiencies in a frontier because you hate her. I could say the same thing about a lot of states. We each have our own assholes.

[Blue_In_AK]

15. Right on, RV.

They'll never ever EVER understand down there. I just got through arguing this whole thing on another board yesterday, not to mention all the times I've argued it here. It gets tiresome, doesn't it?

[roguevalley]

21. It does, sweetness. I wish everyone who ever had a burr up their

butt could come and see how hard life can be here. Its damned cold right now. And January and February? Lordy. I remember when it was -20 degrees for all of January and half of February. Over 56 days of ice and cold. And I remember when we had 11' of snow here on the Kenai. Tough expensive living. I hug you, Blue. HUG!

[axollot]

22. Loved your post. The numbers on the paper do not tell the whole story.

..just like unemployment numbers do not tell the story of those unemployed and cannot find any work. I too wish that my state shared what it mines in Florida or the LA/MS etc received oil dividends - the oil platforms are there and are working the risk is put on those folks they need to fight for that money.

Cheers
Sandy

[no_hypocrisy]

4. For how much longer? Earmarks are in the crosshairs of Congress.

[Blue_In_AK]

13. Earmarks are really a minor part of the federal money

spent in Alaska, especially now that Ted Stevens is gone.

[Blue_In_AK]

14. Dupe - computer hiccup

[Scurrilous]

5. K & R

:thumbsup:

[Angry Dragon]

6. Most of the southern states are the same

getting more money than they send in
Perhaps this should stop as long as they do not the government getting in their way

[Dappleganger]

7. Millions of those getting aid are also voting democrats down here.

[Angry Dragon]

17. That may be true

They are not the ones that are saying that they want
government to stay out of their lives. If the government
money stops perhaps the republicans in those states
will wake up and see how much they depend on the
government money.

[Dappleganger]

19. No they won't.

They will continue to hang the poor and middle class out to dry.

[Angry Dragon]

20. Then if they will not learn, there is no hope for this country

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

9. Of course we here all know this about Alaska and many of these Red states

especially in the South.

Bottom line: these people are hypocrites! The Red States receive more in subsidies than most Blue states, as you correctly point out, and yet they scream against government.

[Blue_In_AK]

12. One-third of Alaskans are employed by the federal government,

and naturally they're getting paychecks. We also have a large military presence, and 65% of state land is owned by the US. In fact, only 1 percent of Alaska's land is in private hands.

If you're really interested in where the federal money goes in Alaska, here is a breakdown published in November 2003. I imagine the stats are still pretty much the same.

http://iser.uaa.alaska.edu/Publications/FedSpendSum.pdf

<snip>

WHAT BRINGS FEDERAL MONEY TO ALASKA?
Why does the federal government spend $7.6 billion
a year in a state with only about 650,000 people? To
begin with, things cost more here—although the difference
is less than it used to be. Alaska’s huge size, distance
from other states, harsh climate, and vast roadless
areas still push costs up. Construction in remote places is
particularly expensive.

Military activities also boost federal spending in
Alaska, which General Billy Mitchell once called “the most
important strategic place in the world” because of its proximity
to Europe and Asia. But only about half as many military
personnel are stationed here now as in the 1960s.

Land and resource management are also big expenses.
The federal government owns 240 million acres in Alaska,
most of it in parks and other protected areas.

Federal obligations to indigenous people also add to
spending in Alaska, where close to 20 percent of the people
are Alaska Natives eligible for special health care and
other programs. Nationwide, about 1 percent of Americans
are indigenous people.

Another thing that increases federal spending here is
that Alaska joined the union only in 1959; it is still building
roads, airports, water and sewer systems, and other
infrastructure. Federal money pays a lot of the costs of
building that infrastructure.

Individual people also bring Social Security, pensions,
and other federal payments into Alaska; such payments
have grown as Alaska’s older population grows. Still, the
share of older people here remains below the U.S. average.

<snip>

[spanone]

16. love the poll on that site...

Poll Results

Thank you for voting.

Will you be watching 'Sarah Palin's Real Alaska'?

Yes. I'm interested to see Sarah Palin's home life. 21%

No, I have no interest in giving her more publicity. 75%

I'm not sure. Maybe if there's nothing else on. 4%

[Rex]

18. Sarah Palin is a perfect example of what is wrong with America.

And the M$M proves this every day they can.