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John M
climber
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I forgot..
Good Luck Grampa.. I hope you enjoy all of that easy living up there. There is plenty to climb. Have fun
When are you leaving? Do you need help packing?
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AKDOG
Mountain climber
Anchorage, AK
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Please stay in California, it is already crowded enough up here…
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Has anybody seen grampa and Rox in the same room together?
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Elcapinyoazz
Social climber
Joshua Tree
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Having lived in Alaska for several years...
These self-styled frontiersmen and fiercely independent people are the biggest teat sucklers anywhere. Without the military spending and the socialist treatment of oil production, there wouldn't be jack sh#t up there, the economy would collapse and eventually be sustainable at 1/10th its current size, relying on mining, oil, fishing, and tourism.
Sure, the taxes are very low, no income or even sales tax (outside a few municipalities) but that's got virtually nothing to do with "fiscal responsibility" and a lot to do with not providing any services and raking in fed money to support services they do provide.
Between Eielson, Ft. Wainwright, Ft. Richardson, Elmendorf, Clear, Greely, and the Coast Guard stuff, there is a shitload of per capita military spending up there. THey get over $5 of fed highway spending for every $1 of fed highway taxes they pay. Got more stimulus per capita than any other state. The feds built most of the infrastructure in the state, and were building it before it even was a state.
So go ahead and move (it's a beautiful and wild place, I really enoyed my time there), but stock up on 100% DEET, get some mickey mouse boots, a Subaru with studded tires, xc skis, a 5wt and 8 wt fly rod, and a library card. Also too (as Snowbilly Snooki, aka Princess Dumbass of the Northwoods, aka Pitbull with Lipstick, aka the Grifter from Wasiller, aka the Half-Term Quitter, aka Sarah Barracuda Palin would say), a block heater/tranny pan heater/trickle charger.
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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but stock up on 100% DEET, get some mickey mouse boots, a Subaru with studded tires, xc skis, a 5wt and 8 wt fly rod, and a library card. Also too a block heater/tranny pan heater/trickle charger.
I like Sorels over Micky Mouse boots. Can you even buy MM boots these days? Used to be dirt cheap at the Surplus stores.
Subi's rock. But an AWD Astrovan is the sheet for climbers and Skiers.
Screw that plugging in, sweeping snow, scraping windows, frozen seats and cold starts, frosted interior windows.
Two words...Heated garage.
Course if you live in the interior your gonna need to plug in at work
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Brandon-
climber
The Granite State.
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I'm tempted to remind Grampa that NH has no sales or income tax, no seatbelt laws, no helmet laws, lax gun laws, etc, as well as great climbing.
However, we now have a female democrat as governor, a female republican and a female democratic senator, and two female democratic congress people just now elected.
We have one of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation.
I'd urge you to stay away though, Grampa, because the reason NH is doing well is largely because we have a majority of moderates and hard line stances get you nowhere here.
Enjoy AK, where are you headed?
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k-man
Gym climber
SCruz
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To answer Gramp's real question:
No, there is no climbing in Alaska. Sorry, but you'd be better off in Georgia.
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graniteclimber
Trad climber
The Illuminati -- S.P.E.C.T.R.E. Division
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Democratic Parties Republic of Kalifornia
People who are too stupid to even spell the name of our state right don't deserve to live here.
Love it or leave it.
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Elcapinyoazz
Social climber
Joshua Tree
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Yeah, I was in Fairbanks, so heated garage wouldn't do me much good at work, and lived in an Apt, so no garage to heat anyway. One thing I would get that I didn't...a remote start for the car. It sucked to get out of bed and go straight out there in the morning at -35 to -50, and start the car so it could be warming up while I showered and dressed. Especially when I'd be getting out of the car and the neighbor's car would start up next to me with nobody in it, look up and he's standing at the patio sliding door with a remote in one hand, coffee in the other.
Mickey mouse boots (most people in FBKS seemed to call them bunny boots) still available all over, but you're right, I ran Sorels for day to day stuff, they walk better and easier to get on/off. But if you're going to be out for a while and/or standing in water (freaky sh#t to see water running in creeks when the air temp is -20F) the MM boots seems better, warmer and won't leak, etc.
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BASE104
Social climber
An Oil Field
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Alaska is indeed supported almost completely by taxes and royalties on Prudhoe Bay.
Prudhoe Bay is the largest oil field in North America. It was found on state land. The original leases gave Alaska a 1/8th royalty. That wasn't enough, so the state put in a 12.5% gross production tax to bring it up to a full 25%.
Gross production tax in Oklahoma is 7.5%, although the newer leases give a 3/16 royalty. The older leases are 1/8, though.
Prudhoe Bay is on life support and near depletion. The pipeline has a capacity of 2 million bbls/day, and only produced at that rate for a few years. It now transports 800,000 or so.
ANWR is on federal land, but the state wants a deal to split the royalties 50/50 with the feds. Unusual.
Right now drilling is getting ready to start in the offshore Chukchi Sea. I have tried googling it, but haven't found how much Alaska is begging off of those federal offshore leases. The Offshore Chukchi is estimated to have more oil than ANWR, but the USGS usually has its head up its ass.
If you want to move to a remote village, I know a fair amount about that. PM me and I will help you out.
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Alaska should make something from infrastructure and support for drilling if not production in the Chuckchi Sea, Beaufort Sea, and Bering Strait areas. Whether or not they have the legal power to tax the production, geography suggests that they'll take a piece of the action. But perhaps not nearly so lucrative as existing north slope production, a cash cow if ever there was one.
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BASE104
Social climber
An Oil Field
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You have to compare it to federal waters in other states. I need to research and find out how much Texas and Louisian get off of the federal leases. I doubt if it is much. Louisiana is not a wealthy state.
It doesn't come down to geography. In Canada most oil and gas production is from Crown land. Perhaps you can google your end and see if all Alberta royalties go to Alberta of if is shared among provinces, or something in between.
The feds own beyond the 3 mile limit in Alaska, which I assume is standard.
The eskimos are rabidly against drilling in the offshore Beafort. You have to understand the they are a maritime people who still use the ocean as their grocery store. I paid 9 bucks for a quart of cranberry juice in Kaktovik one year. You would go broke buying food at the store.
So the eskimos rabidly supported ANWR development. Now that the offshore Beaufort is open and prospects have been staked for drilling, they are rabidly against it.
Eskimos in the North Slope Burough have always placed a hefty property tax on all facilities at Prudhoe Bay. It went to high court and the oil companies lost. They bring in about 40 grand per year for every citizen over the age of 18. That is why you see swimming pools in schools of fifty children, and also see basketball teams travel by VERY expensive small commuter or bush plane for games. The natives are crazy nuts over basketball for some reason.
Offshore, they won't be able to tax the facilities beyond the 3 mile limit, so they have no financial gain and food to lose if it impacts whaling and seals. Your average eskimo lives fairly well. I have often wondered what they think watching the Kardashians on satellite TV. They all have TV, usually with village cable.
I'll check on federal offshore royalty distribution offshore gulf of mexico vs the Chukchi. You do it for Crown Lands.
I will say that Ted Stevens was a hugely powerful senator who was the Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee ro 9 years and unabashedly brought a lot of pork to Alaska. They have a name for it up there: "Stevens Money." The Bridge to Nowhere was his idea as well as many other less publicized coups that worked.
When he was alive, the Anchorage Airport was the Ted Stevens Airport while he was still alive, and Citizens Against Government Waste had a report on him as long as your arm. The page isn't there anymore, presumably because he died in a plane crash.
Between him and Don Young, the state was run by a bunch of pork barreled politicians with no remorse.
OK. I will figure out the offshore royalty distribution.
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BASE104
Social climber
An Oil Field
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From what I could find at the MMS homepage, federal income from oil and gas royalties on federal land beyond the 3 mile limit all goes to the federal government, and is a significanat source of revenue.
Governer Landrieu of Louisiana lobbied hard for revenue sharing with the state.
The oil and gas industry, onshore and offshore is a huge employer in the state.
I couldn't find any cases of revenue sharing with the state, which is probably why we haven't heard much about the Chukchi leases. Any Beuafort production will end up in the Alaska Pipeline, but who knows how the Chukchi leases will be hooked up.
I do know that the Chukchi is in really shallow water, and there are technical problems with seafloor pipelines being subject to ice scour in the winter. I assume that they have solved this problem. Nobody goes out drilling unless they have a way to sell the oil.
Alaska WILL make a lot of money from contracting and oilfield services already located along the north slope, just like other producing states.
That ANWR deal was an attempt to keep the pipeline full. Alaska will never solve all of our energy problems, because the 2 million bbl/day capacity of the pipeline is only 10% of U.S. consumption.
The Permanent Fund Dividend varies from year to year. I've seen it 800 bucks to near 2000 bucks. It goes for every man, woman, and child, so it is significant. You can use your families PFD to buy a new snow machine if you live in the bush, which is by far the coolest part of Alaska.
Don't go to Anchorage or Fairbanks. Get off the grid and near some good fishing. I know a great and fairly secret river with great fishing and hunting, and land goes fairly cheap, although land up there is more expensive than you might think.
There are a lot of old cabins from the hippie homestead days, where the hippies got old and moved out. If you keep an eye out, you can pick one of those up.
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healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
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Alaska is the original 'tax and spend' state and lives off blue state largess. And everyone there depends on guberment - it's as close to a socialist state as we have in the US.
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Sierra Ledge Rat
Mountain climber
Old and Broken Down in Appalachia
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Alaska... Great climbing and outdoors.
The male-to-female ratio is about 2,873 to 1
So... Go ugly early, or get yourself a case of KY and some good porn.
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Old saying
Alaska where men are men and the women are too.
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Lynne Leichtfuss
Social climber
moving thru
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General Opin....every state that's absolutely flat and has no large H2O access is a Nada.
CA is great tho some areas very crowded.
Alaska in winter has some serious challenges.
Bottom Line: You gotta be happy inside, then you'll be happy outside.
Goodluck. Lynne
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Sierra Ledge Rat
Mountain climber
Old and Broken Down in Appalachia
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Bottom Line: You gotta be happy inside, then you'll be happy outside.
Profound and good advice.
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Kalimon
Trad climber
Ridgway, CO
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Sorry Grampa . . . Alaska is gonna kick your sorry, white Californicating ass. You ever been outside in sub-zero temperatures old man?
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Mtnmun
Trad climber
Top of the Mountain Mun
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Adios!
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