The Check’s In The Mail

Linda Burton posting from Juneau, Alaska – Grandson Sam and I drive past the Goldbelt Building almost every day; it’s just a few blocks from our hotel, over near the Juneau-Douglas bridge. Most passers-by, like Sam and me, don’t think much about what is going on inside, where clocks are set to New York, London, Tokyo and Alaska time and the work day begins when Wall Street opens. This building houses the Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation, whose investments ultimately result in annual dividend checks for eligible Alaskans. Checks are mailed in October, and last year’s dividend was $1,174. The Alaska Permanent Fund is a dedicated fund owned by the State of Alaska, created in 1976 as the Alaska oil pipeline neared completion, when Alaska voters approved a constitutional amendment to establish it. As I’ve heard residents smilingly speak of “my check,” I wondered just who the “eligible” Alaskans are, and how that dividend amount is calculated. » read more