Heating help bills faltered on fairness, sustainability

I borrowed this from an update on the Empire site!!!

Story last updated at 4/14/2008 - 3:19 pm

Multiple attempts to share Alaska’s sudden oil wealth with citizens suffering from high gas, fuel oil and electricity prices were made by lawmakers during the 90-day session that ended Sunday, but all faltered on concerns about fairness and sustainability.
Legislators instead provided funding for a small amount of energy assistance for the most needy Alaskans, and a big weatherization program available to all.
Rep. Kevin Meyer, R-Anchorage, helped stop one bill in the House Finance Committee that would have given every Alaskan an extra $500 on their Permanent Fund Dividend, saying he wanted to avoid the creation of new entitlement programs.
House Speaker John Harris, R-Valdez, joined with Rep. Bill Thomas, R-Haines, who had sought the extra $500, to provide money to help bring more renewable energy to Alaska.
For more on this story, see Tuesday’s Empire.


Hows that for sticking it to us...Thanks a lot Mr.Meyer. You personally cost my family $1500! I was gonna change subjects soon but when even bobstillbob agrees with me...Things are rotten in Denmark!(Or Anchorage)

I wonder how many of us could have used an extra $500? Let's see, I have a 275 gallon fuel tank that costs me now over $1000 to fill...We have this huge surplus...I hope it wasn't quashed so he could get back to his family right away...instead of looking out for the best interests of all Alaskans.

Maybe he's done some good things up there...but the fact of the matter is he is trying to move the capital and he killed the bill that would have given every Alaskan that gets a dividend, an extra $500 to help offset the cost of our heating bills. I say we start a massive(albeit attention seeking)drive to get him some really negative attention! We can start with writing letters to the editor to this paper!

www.frontiersman.com

I bet the families in the Mat-Su could have used the money.

Or what about Fairbanks, can you imagine the heating bills up there with that cold...

www.newsminer.com

Even worse, imagine the bush and the villages up north. He really screwed a lot of families. I wonder what he'll have to say in the papers tomorrow. I'm sure his family isn't hurting like the rest of us.