When the permanent fund was established, the statute prohibited the legislature from appropriating any of the principle of the fund but "permits use of the fund’s earnings for general governmental purposes."  It wasn't originally intended for use as a dividend program, but then if you needed the Zobel decision to get in on it, you wouldn't know that, as you wouldn't have been around when it was established and were just a Johnny - come - lately moving to Alaska to suck on the teat of the oil boom.