From: nsmca@acad3.alaska.edu
Subject: Re: Healthy Winter
Organization: University of Alaska Fairbanks
Date: Sun, 27 Dec 1992 02:29:26 GMT

In article <1992Dec27.021416.8710@CSD-NewsHost.Stanford.EDU>, les@SAIL.Stanford.edu (Les Earnest) writes:
> Michael Adams writes:
>   Well more states can do what we have done, they just have to do it.. Its like
>   savings, take a little of your money every payday and put alittle aside.. Try
>   to live of less and it will come to you.. Whenyou have enough to to start
>   playing dividends, then do it.. 
> 
> This is undiluted nonsense.  What Alaska has done is to exploit its
> natural resouces and use the proceeds to create a welfare state that
> is headed for a crash.
> 
> The primary source of state income is, of course, North Slope oil.
> The annual dividend has been paid to residents even in years when the
> price of oil fell to the point where expenses substantially exceeded
> income, but the state legislature treats the dividend as politically
> untouchable.

People do love their bread and circuses, don't they.. What about Welfare or
Social Security, god help the politician who seriously threatens them.
> 
> This problem is compunded by the fact that every gallon of petroleum
> products sent to native villages is subsidized by the state so as to
> encourage the use of heating oil, power boats, and snow machines
> in place of older resources.  The state has also put in satellite
> television with cable distribution in most villages so that the people
> can watch TV instead of telling each other those silly old myths that
> they used to pass long winter nights before the '80s.

Yes it is sad. I like to hear a good story.. Your point is a good one.. I know
alot of natives who are 'poverty level' for some reason seem to have plenty of
money, while I a "normal" Gusik (white guy) never seem to have enough.
I do enjoy RATT net, it is a nice thing.. It makes me remember the days when I
first moved to Alaska in 1970 (Juneau) and later to Anchorage 1973. As far as I
know the local cable is not state subsidized (I live in Nome) they belong to I
believe to a Canadian Company.. AC Co (Alaska Commerical) was just bought by a
larrge NW Canada company.. Oil and such is very expensive anyway.. Gas is 1.95
or there abouts, maybe in the villages it is subsidized.. Going to a village
makes me appreciate electricity, running water, toilets, sewers. I love honey
buckets, cisterns, oil lamp (not found anyone who uses oil lamps anymore)..
Maybe it is time for the local villages and native corps to use the money they
make to pay for the serices that they do provide.. I can see the effect of the
subsidies, many younger kids don';t want to be eskimo they want to be white and
forget their native culture, other than when its convenient(sp).
> 
> What the state has not done is to create industries that will permit
> the native people to support themselves in their new lifestyle when the
> oil money runs out in a decade or two.  I fully expect the Alaska
> legislature to run straight into that brick wall without blinking,
> then request subsidies from the Federal government to deal with their
> "unfortunate and unforeseen" poverty.

That brick wall maybe sooner than many think.. My mother and step dad are
working on a project for bringing agriculture to the Russian Mission area, but
yes the State of Alaska has not been good in helping to bring industries to the
Bush or even Alaska.. But we do have the environmentalist to blame for that in
part. But yes some people are just to lazy or money grabbing (See Anchorage).
Problem also is that many of the natives don't have the skills yet to handle
there own business, maybe in part to blame is there culture lag. Also maybe has
to do with nepotism and favortism.. When the Local Chief/Elder is also the head
of the local native corps and also the mayor, and sometimes is also the prime
contractor, well you can see where this might lead (did anyone mention
corruption)..
> --
> Les Earnest           Phone:  415 941-3984    Fax: 415 941-3934
> Internet: Les@cs.Stanford.edu              USMail: 12769 Dianne Drive
> UUCP: . . . decwrl!cs.Stanford.edu!Les         Los Altos Hills, CA 94022

Quyanna for the points, and its unfortunate that most are very true.. Alaska
has a habit of being the willing slave of the FED, but I hope that will change
soon..


Michael Adams
Alias: Morgoth/Ghost Wheel 
nsmca@acad3.alaska.edu