Alaska pays residents $1,200 for high energy costs

[UpInArms]

Source: Reuters

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - Alaska's legislature late Thursday approved a one-time $1,200 payment to nearly every state resident as a way for them to handle the highest energy prices in the United States.

The payments are in addition to the usual annual dividend from the state's oil trust fund.

The legislature also repealed the state's 8-cents-per-gallon gasoline tax for a year.

When coupled with annual payments Alaskans get from a trust fund related to the state's oil and natural gas production, nearly every adult and child is expected to get $3,200 or more this October.

Gov. Sarah Palin said the so-called "resource rebate" of $1,200 will help Alaskans deal with escalating energy costs.

Alaskans pay an average of about $4.65 a gallon for gasoline, and in some rural areas it costs about $10 a gallon, while the national average is about $3.85 for a gallon of regular, according to travel group AAA.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/bondsNews/idUSN0845218520080808?sp=true

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. She 's been floated as a veep candidate for mccain by the way

[DJ13]

2. Living in California, we should get $1000 as we arent far behind Alaska in prices

Who am I kidding, Arnold would just apply it to the budget.

[Angleae]

8. Provided he could find the money, your state is broke.

[TooBigaTent]

3. It seems to me tha this is an opportunity for a good anti-drilling ad. If the people in Alaska,

source of so much oil, have the highest costs in the country, why would we (or they) want more drilling.

Sure, there is a logical disconnect in that argument. But let the pukes chase our story for once.

[Blue_In_AK]

5. We can't figure out why our gas is so expensive

especially here in Southcentral. The oil is here, and there's a refinery just 100 miles south of here that delivers in state. Still we're paying around $4.50 even while the cost of a barrel of Alaska's oil has dropped $30. It just doesn't make much sense.

[Blue_In_AK]

4. I wondered how long it would be before DU picked this up.

We're in the money, we're in the money....

Not everybody thinks this is a good idea, but I don't know of too many people that are going to turn it down. :evilgrin:

Don't be mad at us -- we will have to pay federal taxes on this, so in the end it benefits the federal treasury, as well.

[Gamey]

6. Haven't they suffered enough?

They have Ted Stevens!

Seriously though, isn't it a choice to live there? How's that any different?

[LeftyMom]

7. I paid $4.63 a month or so back.

Where's my check?