How do you spend 4.6 BILLION dollars?

The governor of Alaska has asked Alaskans how do we spend the above mentioned surplus? Well it just so happens that I have some ideas...

I want to keep this sight fairly non-political but... Since every Alaskan gets the dividend check every year, the idea giving everyone a big check is already covered. Plus we don't pay state tax, so that's already done. I would say let's fix our schools and have the best social programs of any state in the country, but apparently that is just imossible, even when you have the money to do it. I know, it's depressing.

So, how about a raise for State Attorneys? Now most people may not say, "oh yeah. Won't someone please think of our strugling lawyers?!" Let me just say somthing.

I get paid for a 37.5 hour work week. That is a joke. I don't know an attorney in my line of work that works that paltry amount. 50 hours is closer (for an average.) Drive by my office and see that there are always people there on the weekend after that average 50 hr week. So really you're not really giving us a raise by paying a 40 hr week, but we'll take it. That's fair huh? We also like the idea that most other states do of paying bar dues of State attorneys. We pay 600 dollars a year for the privilege of working in the State but we don't charge our "clients" for it.

So I am having a hard time telling my family why we still eat like I'm in college. But when you're six figures in debt and you make less than half that and have a house, car, food, bills, and KIDS, most of us still live paycheck to paycheck. "Why do we have such a high turn-over? How come we can't keep attorneys with more than 5 years experience?" Let me think.


Sometimes I get to rant. This is the beauty of the blog. But I must go. My family is setting up our Christmas tree and it is looking distinctly like a Clark Griswold Christmas.