Wait a minute, how can anyone say this is welfare? When the pipeline was built the state was over run with carpetbaggers, up there for the easy pickings and big money. I know a lot of guys who worked on the line, some made so much money it set them up for life, paid off their houses, etc. I could have gone, but at the time I had a young family and couldn't leave, the deal was you had to stay at least six months. And it wasn't too hard a job either, I got first hand stories about conditions and it was pretty good for the workers. In my book this ain't welfare, it's pay-back for the oil.
Thanks, Douglas
retired pipe fitter UA 597
The Rest of The Story. When the pipe line was completed and with-in months the economy went to 17% unemployment, record home foreclosures, business closers at levels the State has not seen before or since.
The stories about the people that got well from the pipeline and then lost everything were far more widespread than any of the so called smart ones that made out. The smart ones that sent all their money home and the "Old Lady ran off with the Nest Egg, were wide spread. The people that started businesses and having never ran a business before and failed were wide spread. The alcoholism and drug addiction were so common that no one paid much attention.
The late Governor JAY HAMMOND said publicly before his death, That he wished he would have never started the PFD programme as the public now looked at the PFD to be and entitlement program.
There are now the terms PFD moms and PFD dads, that only purpose is to have more children to gather more PFD money. The endless cycle has been in place now for the addition of more welfare support for medical services, food programs, transportation fees, the list is a long one for the problems this PFD programme has reaped.
The one common denominator has been the fact that after nearly three decades, so called conservatives do not understand the why of welfare and look at the PFD as a good thing also. Basically it's "Money For Nothing and Chicks are Free" mentality that rules the day.
Yes Sir, the PFD fund has done a lot of good things for the people of Alaska, the social ills since the programme has been in place are just wonderful if you as a conservative, like the idea of big government and the welfare State, then you should be overjoyed about the endless cycle of misery welfare brings on the shoulders of "We The People"!
Now we will see this spread even further by this new administration on the entire country. Does any wonder why conservative ideas have failed?
I'm continually appalled that explanations to people that think they have moral and political objections to government sponsored welfare, have no clue that the PFD has not caused any problems as long as this "NEW RIGHT" lines their pockets.
The days of intellectual honesty are dead, Justus now sleeps in the streets. Welcome to the "New World Order", where you no longer look to GOD as your saviour, and replaced GOD with your new god, government to save you.
Everything is OK, because mighty government is here to save you, because they owe you?
Let us see, how long this works out for you?
