Desert Observer's Page

In the Vice Presidential debate, Governor Sarah Palin turned to her opponent Senator Joe Biden and made the following statement.

"You said recently that higher taxes or asking for higher taxes or paying higher taxes is patriotic. In the middle class of America, which is where Todd and I have been all of our lives, that's not patriotic."

Paying higher taxes is "not patriotic"! Where does she think the money comes from to support herself, family and other federally-supported Alaskans? The simple fact is that Governor Palin is from America's biggest welfare state. Without the "higher" taxes paid by those of us living in the other 49 states, Alaska would simply become a wasteland. A year ago, long before Governor Palin became a household name, the respected Washington Monthly produced an interesting analytical report about Alaska. Here are some statements from that article.

The State of Alaska is America's biggest welfare state. It's a state that fails to pull its weight.

Alaska is the recipient of more than $8 billion a year in federal subsidies.

Alaska refuses to levy state sales or income taxes on its citizens.

Alaska relies on the federal Treasury for more than a third of its economy.

The United States spends $1.87 on Alaska for every dollar it collects in Alaskan taxes.

Alaska - "the most excitingly promising and most hopelessly declining economic areas in America".

Alaska has placed its oil money in an untouchable fund currently worth more than $39 billion.

In 1980 Alaska started paying annual dividends from the oil fund to each resident.

In 2007 the annual dividend check handed out to each resident totaled $1,654.

From 1983 to 1996, Alaskans received $1,000 more in federal grants per capita than other Americans.

From 1996 to 2002, Alaskans received $3,000 more in federal grants per capita than other Americans.

Alaskans benefit more from the federal government financially than anyone else in the country.


Read more in the November 2007 "State of Dependency: Stevens's Alaska problem-and ours" on the The Washington Monthly website.