Defend the PFD and Fund – or lose them both

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Alaska is at a crossroads. Voters need to know our government is redefining the purpose of the Permanent Fund and the Permanent Fund dividend.

The government wants us to believe that the Fund and PFD belong to the government to spend as it wishes. This is wrong. The government is spending our dividend that is Alaskans’ rightful share of our public oil wealth.

Misunderstanding and false information about the Permanent Fund system are widespread. The truth is, Alaska’s founders and the people of Alaska set up the Permanent Fund as a trust fund that belongs to all Alaskans which is funded from the wealth of our commonly-owned oil and mineral resources. We the people amended the Alaska Constitution, allowing for 75 percent of these royalties to go for government spending, and a small 25 percent slice of the royalties to go to the Fund.