text: Sue, I'm behind you 100%. People in rural Alaska work hard. Always have. Always will. The problem is that jobs off the road system are seasonal, part-time/on-call, and often low paying. Families have to fill the gaps with other types of income, and the PFD is the largest source of monetary income other than wages. It also comes at a critical time in the fall, when folks have to start heating there home. 
  The angst in these comments comes from the perception that rural alaskans overuse welfare programs like food stamps and unemployment. I haven't really seen any evidence that says they do or don't. And i don't know how the use of welfare compares between urban and rural areas of this state.  I just know what i see, and i see a lot of people in East Fred's fairbanks using Quest Cards. But I don't know their situation, so who am i to judge?
  
  I volunteer to pay state income taxes. It seems like the Alaskan thing to do.