September 24, 2004
Friday

As with 90 percent of the things I think I know, I could probably learn more about many of the issues, and so goes this percent of the Perm Fund plan to me. Doesn't the State get of the 5%? Hey Hanger, go easy on this general math grad.

If this thing is a smoke job from the State government so it can trickle down to local government out of the fund and this may or may not be better than a state tax, I have a better idea. It sounds like these monies would be washed down to local governments anyway or at least that is how I read the rhetoric. So here's how we accomplish 2 things if it happens. Local government wants the money and we the people fight like the oppressed, disenfranchised voice over what the people want. An example might be the location of docks, or Art Center, stuff like that.

Ken's plan - Known as BIFOM plan. Bottle In Front Of Me, as opposed to a Frontal Lobotomy Plan (FLP): Ketchikan Alaskans must pick up our Perm fund check at a public location, let's say the Civic Center! Support groups for various projects or direction will lobby the locals to drop their percent of the perm fund into their 55 gallon drum labeled and earmarked for their cause.

It would be a hoot! Senior services, standing next to bridge advocates, next to Art Center folks, next to south and north of the tunnel folks, youth services, WISH, Education, sports projects, Trails Coalition, save the Eel grass folks, next to me trying to fund a Horse Track at Mud Bight, you get the idea! Sure this may turn into a good ole fashion bar fight, but we could hire the boxing club to be the bouncers. And my topless assistant could help direct the crowd.

The beauty of Ken's plan is... instead of a 20% voter turn out to decide things; we would get a 90% turn out annually, the other 10% were probably just using a PO Box to claim residency anyway, those unclaimed checks would go into Ken's Race track drum in full, because this is Ken's democracy idea. At the end of the week for perm fund pick-up and deposit, we would know without a doubt what the people want. This would work because we all know money talks, and bologna walked into the slaughter house. We could quit blaming an elected official or three and look at ourselves. Heck, we could have our local elections sister-ed up to this annual event, do our part for apathy, and throw one heck of a party.

If we go there (Perm Fund trickle down program) let's do it right, what do you think of my skewed way of seeing what the folks want? This type of yearly extravaganza would make Derby Days look like a Sesame Street sharing-lesson episode. The down-side to this plan is we might have to find new ways to beat on elected officials.

If a chunk is going to come out of my check, direct it to what I support. Otherwise do not touch my chunk. We do not have this option with FICA, but we could with this.

Ken Lewis
Ketchikan, AK - USA

 

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